A pair of Hooded Crane displaying in front of their offspring on a bright, sunny winter morning at Arasaki, Izumi-shi, Kagoshima, Japan.
Author: John Wright
John Wright is an Australian wildlife photographer and bird guide based in Kyushu, Japan. John became seriously engaged in nature photography while living in Japan and then Thailand. He returned to Japan in 2008 and has since concentrated on wildlife photography, especially birds. John visits Southeast Asia and Australia regularly, but usually travels within the Japanese archipelago, where he also guides visiting birders and wildlife photography enthusiasts.
Isahaya Reclaimed Land Areas
This morning I spent a bit of time at Oe before stopping in at Chuo and Moriyama reclaimed land areas. Highlights included Japanese Weasel, Whiskered Tern, Northern Goshawk, White-naped Crane, and Hooded Crane. A Japanese Weasel surveys the reeds for prey as it is silhouetted by the early morning sunlight.
Female Hen Harrier Hunting
This morning at Oe I photographed this female Hen Harrier as it hunted small passerines in the reeds. The reeds at Oe have lots of Reed, Meadow and Masked Bunting, along with Zitting Cisticola, Eurasian Siskin, Brambling, Oriental Greenfinch and Chinese Penduline Tit – any of which would be targeted by a harrier. This particular […]
Winter Visitors to Isahaya
December has seen the arrival of the final phase of wintering visitors to the Isahaya area. This winter has seen a drop in the number of raptors, however there appears to be an increase in the density and diversity of other species.
Cranes over Arasaki
Formations of cranes (most likely Hooded and White-naped, but could be Sandhill, Common and Siberian mixed in) flying over the eastern fields of Arasaki, Izumi-shi, Kagoshima, Japan, just before sunrise.
Azamidani in December
I was itching to use the new 1D X at the mountain pond at Azamidani, simply because I wanted to photograph species in natural light. I was hoping for fine conditions, but it was quite overcast resulting in the area around the pond being quite dim. With the 7D, it would have been impossible to […]
Ryukyu Minivet | Pericrocotus tegimae
Endemic to southern Japan, the Ryukyu Minivet is a bird I had often seen and heard, however until now I had never got a decent photograph of one. But as I was just taking a walk in a wooded area near my home, one appeared just in front of me! It would have been nice […]
Drama at Oe
This morning at Oe I observed a Peregrine Falcon consistently attack an Eurasian Bittern. Although the falcon gained height and swooped down on a few occasions, it never actually “hit” the bittern – it kept breaking off its attack just before striking. I can only surmise that as it had lost the advantage of surprise, […]