Monthly Archives: July 2005

Close-up Heron

Posted on July 26, 2005 by Nigel

I was trying to get a shot of a dragonfly next to the river when I spotted this grey heron sitting awkwardly in a bush. Everytime it moved it seemed like it was going to fall out. The poor thing … Continue reading →

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Dragonflies

Posted on July 24, 2005 by Nigel

Dragonflies (tombo) are so numerous in Japan that the country used to be known as “Dragonfly Islands” (akitsushima). There are more than 200 species (compared to around 40 in the UK). It is wonderful to see swarms of them flying … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Odonata | 1 Comment

Friendly fish

Posted on July 18, 2005 by Nigel

Went snorkelling again today – the third time in three days! The tide was out and I managed to hold onto a rock so that I could take some reasonable photos of fish. The best experience was meeting a little … Continue reading →

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Red-clawed crab

Posted on July 18, 2005 by Nigel

We went to a restaurant near the sea last night and, when we came out, we saw several red-clawed crabs (akate-gani ) scavenging in the garbage area of the restaurant. The kids wanted to see them up close so I … Continue reading →

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Kimadarayama Longhorn

Posted on July 18, 2005 by Nigel

This longhorn beetle was one of several beetles (mainly chafers) attracted by the lights of a local signboard at night. Coleoptera: Cerambycidae Aeolesthes chrysothrix = kimadarayama-kamikiri

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Octopus

Posted on July 17, 2005 by Nigel

I came across this big octopus (tako) while snorkelling today. It was the biggest octopus I’ve seen – at least 50cm from outstretched arm to arm. It was a bit deep (4m) for me to get a decent picture and … Continue reading →

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Snorkelling with Aya

Posted on July 16, 2005 by Nigel

Aya came with me snorkelling at Kanezaki today. It was her very first time and she did really well (especially considering she’s only nine). We swam out about 200m from the shore and snorkelled for about one and a half … Continue reading →

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Hummingbird Hawkmoth (2)

Posted on July 16, 2005 by Nigel

I noticed another species of hummingbird hawkmoth in the garden this afternoon. It’s a bit bigger than the kind I photographed yesterday. It also seems to fly a little bit slower, so I was able to get some pretty nice … Continue reading →

Posted in Insects, Lepidoptera | 3 Comments

Owlfly

Posted on July 16, 2005 by Nigel

My first time to see one of these! I don’t think we have any owlflies in the UK, so it was exciting to find one. Owlflies look a bit like dragonflies but have long clubbed antennae, hence the name tsuno-tombo … Continue reading →

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Longhorn Beetle

Posted on July 16, 2005 by Nigel

There are more than 800 species of longhorn beetles (kamikiri) in Japan. It’s a remarkable number! This species is beautifully camouflaged with a kind of feathery pattern on its elytra. COLEOPTERA: CERAMBYCIDAE: Longhorn = nagagomafu kamikiri = Mesosa longipennis

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