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Daurian Redstart, Arasaki crane reserve. A "bird on a stick" photo but a rather nice one... |
Kyoto in late autumn is the best time for autumn colours, and so the city was quite busy with tourists. There are plenty of parks, temples and a river that flows through the centre. The hills are not far away and there are high speed trains that can get you a long way in a short space of time.
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Japanese Maple |
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Japanese Grosbeak, Imperial Palace Gardens - large flocks were busy feeding on the small fruits in these trees |
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Japanese Maple |
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Pale Thrush, Imperial Palace Gardens |
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Varied Tit, Imperial Palace Gardens |
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Ginko Tree |
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Dusky Thrush, Imperial Palace Gardens |
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White-cheeked Starlings, Imperial Palace Gardens |
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Japanese Maple |
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crane flock wheeling above Arasaki reserve. We took a high speed train from Kyoto to Izumi then taxi to the crane reserve. About four hours journey each way, but well worth it. |
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Hooded Cranes at Arasaki - about 10,000 winter in an area of about 300 hectares - a good chunk of the world population |
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White-naped Crane, Arasaki reserve - we also saw a couple of Eurasian Cranes. |
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Bullfinch, Honshu race (the male is quite pale compared to ours in the UK), hillside above the International Convention Centre |
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Daurian Redstart, male, Kyoto International Convention Centre |
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Mandarin Ducks on the lake next to the International Convention Centre |
I could have written more about Japan but have run out of time. My thanks to Tommy Onita at
Japan Birdwatching for his excellent help in making arrangements for visiting Hokkaido.
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