Monthly Archives: March 2017

On the early spring day…

(translated mostly from Japanese)
I feel rather cold this winter than usual. Indeed, I tried to go to the university and had the experience of putting out the car after doing “snowplow” for the first time. There was never such a thing since I came to Toyohashi.

Well, it is still a cold day, but after “the first day of spring” (called “Risshun” in Japanese), I feel that the sun is gradually springing. On the weekend, I determined to get out and go search for the male of a flanked bluetail bird that I have never seen, “I see, I seek such a day in this neighborhood forest to find a happy blue bird!” First of all, we received a welcome of nearly full-bloomed white plum and admired “Oh, spring has now arrived”. Then, the babbling brook reflects glitteringly and I gradually moves along the beautiful stream to the depths of the forest. . . . . After a while the blue stuff ran across the eyes. Looking up at the branches of the tree where it stopped, “Wow, No way”, “It was really a flanked bluetail bird of male!” As I was about to drop the portable camera for the first encounter, I removed my gloves and switched on the camera. It is quite difficult for me to focus because the bird moves very quickly. I was finally able to shoot some shots by holding down my feeling of getting hurry. Well, I was hoping such a day would come, and one for my dreams came true, and I decided to think that someone (maybe the heavens) gave me a reward, so I went home on the way back. I think I will come to see a flanked bluetail bird again.


Almost in full-bloom (Prunus mume, Japanese apricot)
(Red-)flanked bluetail (male) (Tarsiger cyanurus)
Redstart (female)(Phoenicurus auroreus)