Bird of the Month Febrary 2026

 Sashiba

The Japanese name (Sashiba) sounds better than Grey-faced Buzzard.

Photo taken at 7:58 AM in Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

Pentax K1  F/9  1/2500  420 MM

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Waterfall Therapy

 Only 92 Steps Away From Parking Area

There's only room for 2 or 3 vehicles to park and it's along a winding stretch of road.

Folks like to speed on this highway so, I wouldn't bring pets or wild and crazy kids.

Water cascading through the forest makes some soothing sounds.

Location: Sumba Falls in Kunigami

JUN 2024 Full Moon Over Okinawa

 It's Been Awhile

The Moon hasn't appeared in my viewfinder since March of this year.

And, it tricked me by showing up way farther south than I had expected.

A few quick adjustments and, by 7:30 PM a final shot was made and, I got off the roof.

June 21st happens to be the first day of Summer.

So, I decided air-conditioning was where I needed to be!

Scene from Sueyoshi

 A Park in Naha City

Sueyoshi Park

DEC 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawa

 

Maybe Weather Will Be Better Tomorrow

Cool and cloudy outside tonight this was the clearest shot I could get.

No promises but, tomorrow a better image might be obtained.

Enjoy the Holidays!

November's Full Moon Took Some Patience

A Few Hours Ahead of Time

 The tripod and gimbal were hauled upstairs and positioned on the roof.

Due to some recent surgery, no heavy weight-lifting is allowed.

So, I put the 560 MM lens in a backpack and pretended it wasn't heavy.

Clouds Have A Way Of Ruining Photos

Every month I attempt some Full Moon Photography but, the weather doesn't always cooperate.

A quote stolen from Forbes via screenshot came to mind so, I hung around and waited.

The time between the first and second moon photo: One minute!

AUG 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawa

Called A Blue Moon

Better late than not at all, here's how it appeared from the roof of my house. 

Some Wi-Fi problems (typhoon-related) kept me from posting earlier.

Does it look like a Blue Moon to you?

JUL 2023 Full Moon Over Okinawwa

 

It Was Tricky

Climbing the stairs to my rooftop an hour before sunset gives me time to prepare.

The tripod is set up, the lens gets cleaned and some basic adjustments are made.

While I was setting things up it started to rain.  It was just a sprinkle and wouldn't last long.

The rain eventually quit but, threatening black clouds kept appearing.

The moon could be seen from my location shortly before 8PM.   But, it was windy.

Clouds would roll in and out, making it impossible to capture a clear shot of the moon.

Out of three dozen shots, only three full moon images will remain in my files.

This was my favorite one.

Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July!

End of January Special Things

 A Few Photos Plus A Video

Cherry Blossoms with Different Background Colors

Sometimes you'll see blue skies in the Winter.

Occasionally dark backgrounds highlight the scene.

A white building always helps that pink flower pop!

But, nothing beats surprising a Special Someone on their 77th birthday:

Horrible Blood Moon November 2022

 Wind and Clouds with Camera Shake

Normally I wouldn't post terrible photography like this or, even process the images.

But, I got thinking. "Why not show the world how it really gets sometimes?"

The clouds blocked out the moon many times and the wind was blowing, shaking my camera.

This is how the moon looks sometimes after 10 too many beers.

About a dozen times I tried (unsuccessfully) to get a nice sharp image.

It Never Happened

The photo I would have liked to publish never got taken.

But, I was out there and got to witness the Full Blood Moon of November 2022.

Some photo editing was done to attempt to clear the blurred image.

But, shaky hands don't do the best job of patching things up.

If you all don't mind now, I'll go back to bed.

August Full Moon Over Okinawa

 Last Night of Obon

For those unfamiliar with local customs, Okinawa, Japan has a three-day holiday called Obon.

It is believed that the spirits of the deceased visit their family during this time.

The light of the full moon guides them back to the heavens.

 The weather had us worried because clouds and rain periodically ruined the view.

At 10 minutes past 8 PM the shutter was snapped on the scene.

July 2022 Full Moon Over Okinawa, Japan

 It Peeked Through Clouds at 7:47 PM

For the past few months, Full Moon Photography was practically impossible.

Last night, just a few minutes were spent on the roof, capturing this shot.

Can you see the Rabbit?

Rainy Season in Okinawa Ain't All Bad

 

Stay Home and Complain if, You Like

The full moon was hidden from us this month and that was a little disappointing.

We can't let the rainstorms ruin our whole month. So here's what we've been doing.

Call it Back Roads Waterfall Photography.

It's Therapeutic

We're not talking about some famous falls like Niagara in the USA.

Not even visiting the famous waterfalls in Okinawa.

During the rainy season, some waterfalls, just pop-up out of nowhere.

They may not be bubbling, babbling, and spitting out water in the jungles all year long.

In the hills of Kunigami, there are falls you will hear before you can see them.

Not as famous as all those tourist attractions waterfalls sound good to me.

Here, you can enjoy the exhilarating, breathtaking, calming, splashing outdoors nature.

Call it whatever you like, it's soothing to me and, an important part of Okinawa's rainy season.

The Full Moon Finally Showed Its Face

 Last Night's Lunacy

Capturing my first Full Moon images for the year 2022 was a bit of a challenge.

Knowing the moon would be at 100% on Friday night, I prepared early.

Standing on the roof of my house, the tripod and camera were ready an hour before moonrise.

It was cloudy and windy. Black clouds moved quickly across the sky.

Here's a Favorite Image

Close to 100 times the shutter button was pushed and held for 3 shot series.

Normally, I would use the camera timer but, tonight there wouldn't be any use.

Clouds would blow across the moon's surface and block the light.

Half of the images taken were thrown away, I only saved some of the cloudy ones for you.

Google Photos Helped Create This Animation

There are three days each month, where full moon photography may be worthwhile.

So far, this year the weather and my physical condition, haven't been cooperative.

Last night was a blessing and, I'll leave moon-chasing to someone else for tonight.

Let's hope this end-of-winter-moon brings us a warm spring.

And an improved world situation, as well!

Last Full Moon of the Year 2021

 When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie

 Fairly busy with end-of-the-month and year chores, This will be a short blog.

This photo was taken at 6:29 PM from the roof of my house tonight DEC 19, 2021.

Tomorrow morning there won't be time in my schedule for shooting the moon setting.

This rising moon reminded me of an old tune, I had to do a search to find for you.

PLEASE ENJOY!

This Dean Martin Video

Chasing the Cinnamon Bittern of Kin Town

 Okinawa's Rainy Season Ended

Heat and humidity have me getting up and out with the camera before sunup.

My air-conditioned room is usually about 30% humid.  Outdoors it's over 90% after sunrise.

Each morning I hike to an area where two of these birds hang out.

Getting into position before 6:30 gives me time to stretch, exercise, and drink coffee.

Birds aren't on any kind of schedule. They might appear anytime between 7 and 9 AM.

They really don't come just to pose for the camera. They stretch and wiggle around a bit.

It doesn't do much good to cuss and talk to them but, I do anyway.

And, I get this look like, "Is there a problem Mister?"

Nobody wants pictures of stupid-looking birds so, I move on.

This Cinnamon Bittern had a better attitude and a terrific background.

The time was 7:19 AM and the hike home would be over before ten.

Strange Birds Spotted in Kin Town

Helmeted Guineafowl

These birds are natives of Africa but, some are domesticated in locations around the globe.

How and when these characters arrived in Kin Town, Okinawa is a mystery.

For about a week, I've been tracking them down and observing their behavior.

Early morning and late afternoons they may be seen in different parts of town.

 

On a morning walk with the dog and no big camera handy, we first saw the birds.

Thanks to iPhone 7 and a curious dog this scene was quickly composed.

The mutt is normally afraid of his own shadow but, wanted to see what all the racket was about.

The birds, when they saw him coming, squawked, gobbled, honked, and squealed.

They ran around like a couple of lunatics and as the dog got close, flew a short distance away.

When he approached again, they escaped into the forest nearby.

Getting an Identification

Luckily, a young man was leaving his house and saw me taking shots with the cellphone.

He grabbed his phone and began zooming in on the dog and birds, too.

Asking him if he knew what the birds were, he didn't know. First time for both of us.

He walked back to his front door and showed the photos to somebody.

When he returned he said, they were Horohoro tori.

At home, I did some internet research and found out the birds were Helmeted Guineafowl.

It Was Time for a Real Camera and Big Lens

It didn't take long to figure out, Mr. Canine couldn't be with me as I was photographing birds.

As long as they would squawk and run away, he'd chase them, just for fun.

A little kitten, could raise its back, and be ready to scratch, and the dog would get scared.

But, something runs, and he'll chase!

Hunting without the dog and carrying the Pentax, tripod, and 560 MM lens, worked.

A few things learned about these birds leads me to belive they are alright.

A local, described the meat as tasty. And some on Facebook claim the taste as, gamy.

"Horohoro" in Japanese means, a gurgling bird sound.

The critters eat just about anything, including ticks!

To learn more about Helmeted Guineafowl visit eBird and, you can listen to their sounds.

The only way these birds could have arrived in Kin Town, is somebody brought them here.

The closest zoos are miles away so, I don't think they are escapees.

There is a place in Japan raising Helmeted Guineafowl on Yoron Island.

That's more than a few miles away so, it's unlikely the birds flew here. Maybe, they were pets.

Somebody got tired of them and didn't want to eat them, and turned them loose.

They Also Do Crazy Stuff

On another non-camera walk with the dog, I was in an area the birds aren't normally seen.

On a sidestreet overlooking the ocean, not far from a restaurant, the Guineafowl appeared.

The restaurant's chef was ready to chase the birds away with a broom.

My unleashed canine spotted the birds and ran towards them, chasiing them away.

The chef had noticed a bird, looking at its reflection on the side of a black car.

The creature saw another male bird, looking back at him, and began scratching the car door!

This photo was taken with the iPhone, zoomed and in a rush to shoot before the dog ran it off.

Are there any birds like this in your neck of the woods?

 

FEB 2021 Full Moon Setting in Okinawa, Japan

 

 Foul weather hid the full moon as it rose on the evening of February 27th so, I didn't shoot it.

This morning at 0632 here's what I saw as I was leaving my driveway for a morning walk.

The moon appeared gold-colored as it was setting off in the west.

Rather than rotate it, to show the Moon Rabbit, sitting upright, I left the image natural.

Can you handle an upsidedown rabbit?

Sunday Camera Walk in Kin Town, Okinawa, Japan

 Springtime Can't Come Soon Enough

Lately, I've been skipping the long walk to a secluded beach for catching the sunrise.

It's better to drink lots of coffee in the warmth of the kitchen before packing up to hike.

It's 7 AM and a few minutes before the sun appears rising over the ocean.

At 8:02 this Light-vented Bulbul made an appearance.

It would be 9:02 before this Grey-faced Buzzard posed for me before the Kin Powerplant.

It was 9:53 when a Zitting Cisticola let me take a rushed shot with the camera.

Finally, 20 minutes from home (and breakfast) a Brown-eared Bulbul showed its face.

The time was 10:41 and I wanted to be home before noon!

After all, Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. Eh?

Wordless Wednesday: Ducks Not in a Row