A Hoopoe in the neighbourhood

I got a call from my good friend Sumida-san about a possible Hoopoe in a small park, on the mountainside, just 5 minutes bike ride from my house..so how could i reseist an early morning visit just before work.

As I got to the park a dog fox trotted 20 meters in fromt of me crossing from the scrubby hillside and walking up the path with some kind of bird firmly clenched in its jaws.

I met the other gallant birders able to surface at the carck and we waited and waited for the Hoope to appear.

As we waited, various birds sung from the hillside, or briefly showed themselves..the buzzing cricket-like song of Short-tailed Bush Warbler could be heard close behind us, while Pale Thrush and Dusky Trhush skuluked in the undergrowth, along with Grey Bunting, Black-faced and Meadow Buntings, which from time to time briefly burst into song. Swallows swooped and dived overhead, while Blue-and White Flycatcher and Little Cuckoo called more distantly from on top of the mountain.

We continued to wait in what had been the favoured place of the Hoopoe the day before, a large area of open turf on top of the local waterworks, which was dotted with hungry Dusky Thrushes and Rufous Turtle Doves picking through the short turf for bits and bobs.

Teh montony of waiting was broken by the dog fox cantering bold as brass across the turf, putting everything up in its path.

Finally, we decided to walk dow to the bottom of the hill below the waterworks and what should fly up, but a glorious Black, White and Pink Hoopoe, that promptly disappeared behind a clump of bamboo before any of us could get decent pics.

We waited another 15 minutes, but it didn't return.

So I made my way back to the original spot, and was lucky enough to watch the Hoope fly across and finally settle and start feeding on the open turf. I called the other birders and they got some distant pics and then I had to leg it for work!