Pond for migrant birds

I noticed some starlings on an electric wire this evening. It is said that they prefer winter in a warm climate, so I wonder that they came from colder districts even in the same country.


I had a sudden notion to go to a pond for migrant birds before very long.

The weather report said it was going to be cloudy today, but luckily it is fine.

Elementary school kids are taking their field trip to this place.
This pond is surrounded by a path and many trees.

Many foliage have not yet turned yellow nor red, but some started to change their colour.

This is the pond that I posted before (here), which is called Koya(昆陽）pond in Itami city.

In fact the pond, that was formed more than 1,200 years ago,have been a famous place sung in Waka(old tanka poem), as a place for maple leaves being blown from a mountain in Minou city.

Minou city is next to Itami city, but how they could imagine the maple leaves travelled more than 10km?
I'm amazed by the imagination of ancient people.

This year I came here three month earlier than I did at the previous time.

I see fewer sort of ducks, fewer number of cormorants, and no gulls.

These three swans,

moved onto the bank one after another,

and they got in a line.

はばたきて降（お）り来しは壁のモザイクの鳩なりしかば愕きて醒む

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　大西　民子

What got down from heaven

fluttering its wings

is a mosaic dove in a wall,

and I came back to life

being astonished

Tamiko Ohnishi(1924～1994)

Maybe I almost fell asleep on a bench.


Phoenix like cloud is floating across a blue autumn sky.