Akashi Park - Apr. 4

My husband and I left our place at 8:00 a.m. by car to visit the Akashi Park, Hyogo Prefecture today.

 

It was an early weekend morning, so the roads were not congested; the one hour drive was comfortable to us.  

 

According to the weather forecast last Thursday, we should expect 4 consecutive rainy days starting today, Saturday.  The weathercasters also reported that the long rain will wash away the light pink flowers.  That news made many Japanese people unhappy. My husband and I were the ones among them. 

 

I guess that Japanese people enjoy their meals and drinks while chatting with their friends or families under the cherry blossom trees.  This is just like the traditional western people who celebrate Easter at the first Sunday of April. 

 

However, the weather turned out to be a sunny day, so we hurried to leave our place just in case of a sudden change.

 

Many people had their lunch under the cherry trees. 

The Akashi Castle, which was built in 1620,
looked more beautiful with the cherry blossoms. 

Kawau or Great Cormorant

Goisagi or Black-crowned Night Heron

Kobu Hakucho or Mute Swan

The three birds are Shijukara or Great Tits

 

Kisekirei or Grey Wagtail

 

One Shijukara or Great Tit resting on the bough

The size of the bird's image is too small to distinguish,
but I guess it's an Uguisu or Japanese Bush Wabler.

 

Mejiro or Japanese White-eye

 

For bike riders, slow down for the sloping road.  

Tulips

Other flowers

 

 

There were a few people when we arrived at 9:00 a.m.  We saw more and more visitors carrying their lunch boxes just before the meal.

 

My husband, who sat on the benches for 3 hours to wait for a beautiful bird, Kawasemi or Common Kingfisher appeared, looked unhappy.  The bird didn't appear in front of us, so he was not able to take pictures of it.

 

I, on the other hand, enjoyed taking pictures while walking more than 5 kilometers during the 5-hour visit in the park.  I was totally exhausted when we arrived home after 2:00 p.m.    

 

It started raining later today.  I had one chance of a day to observe cherry blossom this year!