It was a cold cold day today in Abiko, but the sun was shining (a bit) so I decided to take a hike around the lake. Here is a small set of pictures I took of the birds and of course cats inhabiting the area. I'd like to think my Ricoh GXR shows it's value again in these pictures. Have a look.
Teganuma may be one of the dirtiest lakes in Japan, but it attracts a lot of water birds. Click on any of these pics to go to my Flickr set.
It's nice to see people out even in the cold enjoying nature. Abiko is a very beautiful place when you stop to look around a bit.
As well as birds and some fish and shrimp living in the lake, the area is home to a bunch of stray cats that all seem pretty happy and well-fed.
Wander around the lake and you'll also find a few teeny little shops tucked in here and there. If you feel the need for some fresh veggies while you're out hiking, you can stop in here.
Rice fields being used to grow straw in the winter.
I don't know why, but I really love the color palette this time of year. It's winter, but there isn't that much grey at all.
Just up the path is a well-stocked fishing pond.
And beyond the fishing area is a little group of makeshift apartments for the stray cats in the area. I wasn't aware of this before, but apparently the two women who feed this group of cats got permission (and I think a small budget) from the city to take care of the animals, whose numbers have grown over the years. It may not be as great as an actual home to live in, but it's a lot better than just being left to starve in the cold.
Now look at that black and white cat. What an awesome color pattern. Makes me want to take him home...
It's sad to see these cats being forced to live outside, but a lot of people come by to visit them and they have a bunch of bunks with blanketing and plastic roofing to keep out the rain. I would hope some end up in good homes, but again, at least they're not just living in alleys scavenging for food.
Well, that's about it. If you have a chance I really recommend the walk around Teganuma. The distance I travelled was about 3km each way, and it's all paved and easy to walk on. You also see a ton of nice people and animals. With the sun out there were a lot of people with cameras checking out the birds today. I'll end this post with a nice pic I got as I was heading back.
No comments:
Post a Comment