This morning I visited Kantaku-no-Sato in Isayaha for a family trip……I only took my 7D with its 17 – 40/4 lens….and what do I find? The place is teeming with snakes! Making do with the equipment limitations (and family’s horror!), I got the following shots of Japanese Ratsnake and Japanese Four-lined Snake….this place definitely needs a dedicated photo trip!
Japanese Ratsnake
Japanese Ratsnake
Japanese Ratsnake
Japanese Ratsnake
Japanese Rat Snake
Japanese Four-lined Snake
This weekend I was bitten by the exploration bug and decided to check out the famed wader birdwatching location of Imazu-Higata in western Fukuoka city – about 3 hours’ drive away. The weather forecasters said it would be a bright sunny day……alas, it was very cloudy and dark with intermittent sunshine and rain – the only thing constant was the gale-like wind that blew non-stop! Anyway, I did the best I could out of a bad situation and took a few photos then headed back home. On reflection, I think that some shorebird areas closer to my location are better, such as mudflats along the Ariake Sea coast. All photos taken with the 7D, 300/2.8 + 1.4x TC. Various exposure values and ISOs.
Eastern Black-tailed Godwit
Common Greenshank
Eurasian Curlew
Marsh Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Whimbrel
Great Egret
Osprey (female)
Peregrine Falcon
Siberian Stonechat
Spot-billed Duck
Tiger Keelback (dark morph)
Later in the morning, the birds suddenly went quiet and skulked for no apparent reason – that is until I noticed this Japanese Ratsnake patrolling the pond! Probably too small (juvenile) to worry the larger birds, although a female Siberian Blue Robin would probably be just the right size! I made this photo into a panorama aspect, so a bit small to see the details here. Nice to see one in the cream coloration though…
Canon EOS 7D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM
1/60 sec at f/2.8; ISO 800
Japanese Ratsnake
The first time I have seen one of these in the wild – great yellow patterning around the head area helps its camouflage. Also known as Chinese Three-keeled Pond Turtle (in this shot you can clearly see the three keels (lines) across the shell). Shirachiko Lake, Shimabara, Nagasaki, Kyushu, Japan.
Canon EOS 7D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM + 1.4x (420mm)
1/640 sec at f/4; ISO 100
Reeves' Pond Turtle
Hyotanike, Shimabara, Nagasaki, Kyushu, Japan.
Canon EOS 7D, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM + 1.4x (420mm)
1/250 sec at f/4.5, ISO 100
Red-eared Terrapin