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20

 

 

ハクセキレイは東村山市の鳥に指定され、地元では子どもたちに「ハック君」として親しまれている。けれどなかなか実物にお目にかかることはない。水辺を散策していると、背中の黒い鳥が素早く飛び交う。アレッと思う間もなく姿を消すが、確かにハック君だったような気がする。たまたま遠くの石の上に止まっていたあれが、多分ハクセキレイだと思うのだけれど。

Pied wagtail is appointed as "the bird of our city," Higasimurayama, Tokyo. Children here call it "Hakku-kun" dearly. But I seldom see one in real life. While I was taking a walk along a river, I found birds of black feather on their backs flying very swiftly. They disappear in a moment. I beliaeve they were pied wagrails. I happend to see one standing on a stone in the stream for a while. It must have been the bird I longed to see.

April 16, 18, 2006

 

ハクセキレイ

Pied (White) Wagtail ; Motacilla alba

 

 

東京都東村山市空堀川にて

In the River Karabori, Higashimuraya, Tokyo

翌々日今度は千葉県流山市の空き地にいるハクセキレイを見かけた。気を付けてみるようになると、存在に気付くことがある。おそらく本当はしばしば遭遇していたのに、それと気付かなかっただけなのではないだろうか。余りにも普通にその辺にいるというのに。身の回りの生き物は、こちらの迂闊さで姿を見せないだけなのかもしれない。実はすぐ側にいる静かな存在の貴重さに目覚めるかどうかが問題だと、こんな鳥に教えられている気がする。

The next day I met another pied wagtail in an open lot in Nagareyama, Chiba. When we watch around consciously, we start to find something that we never noticed before.  Probably they were there from long time ago. It was our carelessness that ignored their presence. Lives around never appear until we get fully awake. In fact we are the problem; those who pay no attention to the quiet creatures next to them cause problems to the natural environment. That's what this small bird seems to tell us.

千葉県流山市にて/ In Nagareyama, Chiba

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19

 

 

町のコサギ (2) 

Little egrets in town (2)

僅かに水温む頃、昨年も同じ時期にこの町でコサギを見かけた。 「いのちのすがお1」(2005年)では3月2日に野火止用水にいるつがいと出会っている。その前の年(2004年)は1月11日の「はなのこよみうたのこよみ」に登場する。今年と同じ空堀川にいた。よく見かける鳥の説明書きには「留鳥」と書いてあるから、おそらく一年中この辺にいるのだろう。だが、お世辞にもきれいとは言いがたい河原にこの白い鳥がじっと立っているのを見ると、驚きが先に立つ。この川に食べるものが本当に住んでいるのかと。いつぞや猫の襲撃を辛うじて逃れるところを見たこともある。なにもこんな劣悪な環境を選ばなくとももっとよい住処があろうものをといらぬ心配をしてしまう。もちろん、こんな町でも気に入ってくれているならとても嬉しいのだけれど。

 

片足で立つところは鶴の仲間かと思わせる。くちばしの長いところも。魚を捕るには最適の形なのだろう。こんな川にいても白い羽の美しさは変わらない。

 

 

March 8, 2006

 

I saw little egrets in the same season last year. in this town. I found ones in Nobidome canal and wrote an article on March 2, 2005 in "Lives Around 1" and one on January 11, 2004 in "Calendar in flowers and poems." I've read little egrets stay in same areas throughout a year, which means they are birds of this town. Frankly streams I mentioned above are not really clean. I wonder how they can survive in such a poor circumstance. Once I saw them escape from a cat's attack in a hair's breadth in fact. Certainly I'm happy to see them with us in this town.

A small egret standing in one leg reminds me of a crane. It also has a long and pointed beak. It must be suitable for catching fish. In spite of the polluted atmosphere, the beauty of its white plumage remains beautiful.

 

あたりにはマガモがたくさんいる。群れなす生き物と、単独かせいぜいつがいで生きる生き物が共存しているようだ。飛び立つ姿の優雅さに見とれた。

There are many mallard around in this stream. Little egrets are sharing the place with them peacefully. Birds in groups seem to be good neighbors of the independent ones. I was fascinated with the elegant figure of the little egret taking off.

 

 

 

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18

 

見ること、見られること / To See and to be Seen

飼い慣らされ芸を仕込まれた「猿回し」の猿は、ある意味では最も野生から懸け離れた猿だ。しかし同時に、動物園の猿よりももっと庶民に愛され、親しまれ、喝采を浴びて今日まで長らえた日本の伝統芸能を継承する動物でもある。動物愛護団体や、エコロジスト、また研究者が何と言おうと、猿回しの人気は絶えない。首に縄を付けられて芸を披露する猿はロボットの対極にいるような気がする。絶対に人の手には負えない本性を隠し持っている存在として。

Trained monkeys which show entertaining performances are in a sense the existence farthest from wild life. At the same time, however, they have been taking over one of the oldest Japanese popular traditions. They are loved by and given applause of people more than any monkeys in zoos. Animal protect activists, ecologists, and scholars may have different opinions but they are quite popular among ordinary people. Tied with a leash around its neck, this monkey in the show looked standing in the opposite end of the most clever robot; it has a secret nature which would never be revealed by human beings.

 

「猿まね」「猿芝居」「猿でも出来る・・・」と、日本語で猿はしばしば人の行為を貶める時引き合いに出される。それは猿がヒトと同じ「霊長類」に属し、群れを成す動物であり、人の移し絵のような仕草が観察されるからなのだろう。人間は己を猿に重ねて見ざるを得ず、しかもそこに見る己の投影に滑稽と驚嘆を同時に感じる。

In Japanese language, monkeys are often used in sarcastic expressions to caricature human nature and activities. Because both monkeys and human beings belong to primates, form groups, and act similarly, we cannot help finding ourselves in them. We observe them with surprise and awe even when we laugh at them with their comical behaviors.

法被を着てズボンをはき、ローラースケートをする猿。そんな猿は本当の猿ではないのかもしれない。芸を終えた猿はどこかホッとしたような表情を見せた。目をつぶる横顔、目を開けた横顔、どちらも鼻筋が通った美形である。ゆっくりとカメラの方を向いたところで正面の顔を撮った。無毛の顔面と毛に覆われた体表の境界部分に目を引かれる。猿もこちらを見たように思った。

This monkey is in a happi-jacket, pants, and roller-skating shoes. It may not be called a real monkey. Having finished all the required performances, the monkey looked relieved. Its profiles, with its eyes closed and opened, with a thin and straight nose, are very neat. When it turned its face toward me, I took a photo of its front face. The contrast of the hairless face and the fur attracts me. I felt the monkey looked at me too.

ニホンザル: Macaca fuscata

March 3, 2006

 

 

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17

 

 

 

ホタテ貝の呼吸?

料理しようと買ってきたホタテの稚貝を砂抜きのために水に入れたとたん、盛んに貝殻を開け閉てしてまるで呼吸しているように見えた。アサリやシジミを水に放した時にも閉じていた口を開け、身の一部を貝殻の外に出して動くものだが、こんなにはっきりと貝殻を開閉しはしない。「生きているぞ」とアピールするようで、料理する手が怯む。

 

 

貝が大きく口を開けたところを横から撮影。人に食われる直前まで精一杯生の営みを続けているのがあっぱれな気がして撮った。その後、グリルに入れて焼いたが、今度はなかなか口を開かない。さっきまであんなに貝殻を開閉して新鮮なはずなのにと訝しがってしばらく放っておいたら、最後は見事に降参した。しかし、所謂ホタテの味はしなかった。むしろ酒蒸しにすべきだったかと思っても後の祭り。この度の勝負、ホタテの稚貝の勝ち!

,

I took photos when shells opened widely. It was great scallops were lively until the last moment before they were to be eaten. A few minutes later, I took them into the grill and heated them but they were very tough and would not open. I was puzzled because they were so fresh. I left them for a while. Then eventually they surrendered. To my disappointment, however, they were not so tasty as I had expected. I should have boiled them with sake and garlic! Scallops won!

 

Breathing Scallops?

I meant to buy scallops for cooking. When I put them into water to get rid of dirt, they started opening their shells as if breathing. Certainly I've seen clams open their shells and move in water very often but these young (and very small) scallops were more active. I couldn't go on just cooking. I started watching them instead. They looked as if they are demonstrating that they are alive.

 

 

稚貝はせいぜい直径5センチほど。東京の普通のマーケットで売っているのを見かけるのは珍しい。「みそ汁にどうぞ」と書いてあった。半分をみそ汁に、半分を姿焼きにすることにした。

The young scallops were about 5cm across at most. It's very rare to find them in an ordinary market in Tokyo. I read a cooking suggestion saying, "suitable for miso soup." I couldn't resisit the temptation to eat a half of them just by heating with butter and another half in miso soup.

 

Hotate-gai: Patinopecten yessoensis

February 28, 2006

 

 

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16

 

 

梅のつぼみとめじろたち
Buds of Japanese Plum and White-eyes

 

 

どの個体もまるまるとしている。やはり寒さから身を守るためにふくれているのだろうか。それとも成鳥じゃないのか。いやいや、やっぱり目白押しする太っちょたちなのだろう。

Bodies of the birds are all very plump. Are they fat to protect themselves from coldness? Or are they young birds? No, they are plump birds in nature living in bevies, perhaps.

,

February 21, 2006

 

 

どんよりと重くたれ込めた曇り空。凍るような風。春は名のみの如月に、梅の蕾はまだ堅い。おや小鳥がと見上げれば、目の回りに白い隈取り。メジロの来訪だ。とても敏捷で、あっという間に四散する。光の角度が悪かった。どれも黒い影だけの団子みたいな写真になっていたが、少し明るさとコントラストを変えてみたらほんのりと鶯色が見えてきた。この次は、もっと近くからきれいに撮ろう。梅の花がほころぶ頃また会おう、メジロたち!

Under the cloudy sky, in the freezing wind, buds of Japanese plum trees are still very hard. Look, there are some small birds on the twigs. Ah, they are white eyes, heralds of spring! They are very swift. At a smallest noise, they fly away in a moment. To my disappointment, the direction of light in this scene was not good for taking photographs. Birds look all dark dumplings. However, when I changed the brightness and contrast of colors with Photoshop, birds turned out to be olive green. Next time I will try to take them in real colors. See you again when plum flowers are in bloom, white-eyes!

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15

 

 

滑空する輪郭-カモメのいる川岸

The outline of gliding--at the riverside where gulls gather

カモメを見かけると海を感じる。何の面白みもないごみごみした雑踏が、とたんに開けた空間へ繋がるような気がする。そうか、あらゆる川は最後は海に注ぐのだと。神田川は飯田橋、水道橋を経て御茶ノ水を通り、秋葉原を抜けて隅田川に注ぐ。もうほんの僅かで大川というここ秋葉原の西端、神田明神下と神田淡路町に挟まれたあたり、神田川にカモメが群れ飛ぶ。これより西でカモメを見ることはまずない。ここまでは海鳥の領域かと欄干にもたれてしばしカモメの滑空を眺める。

At the sight of gulls, I feel the sea. They make a crowded downtown lead to an open space. Yes, all the rivers end up in the sea. The River Kanda runs through Iidabashi, Suidoubashi, Ochanomizu and Akihabara to the River Sumida. Right before the entrance of the big river, at the western end of Akihabara, between Kanda-Myoujin-shita and Kanda-Awaji-cho, gulls gather in The Kanda River. I understand that this is the west end of gulls' territory. Quite impressed with the seabirds, I watch them from a bridge.

 

ユリカモメ Black-headed Gull: Larus ridibundus

 

February 4, 2006

 

同じ川岸にはハトもいる。大きさから言うとさほど違わないのに、カモメとハトではだいぶ様子が違う。カモメは鋭角的な翼をいっぱいに拡げて風に乗り、大きな曲線を描いて着水(地)する。決してスローモーなわけではないのに、白い姿が水面に映えるせいかくっきり軌道を追いかけられる。しかし写真に撮ろうとすると、柔なシャッター速度ではいかんともしがたい。しゃにむに押しまくってたまたま画面に引っかかった滑空の姿を何体か切り抜いてみた。汚れきった川かと思いきや、カモメの飛ぶ水面は空を映して深い藍色だった。生き物の存在は、川の有り様まで映し出す。

There also dubs on the riverside. They are as large as gulls. But they look quite different. Gulls glide on the wind with their sharp edged wings spread widely, and they land on the water (or the land) drawing wide curves. Their movement is not slow; however, we can follow them with our eyes. Perhaps the contrast of the colors, white of the bird and the deep blue of water, allows the observation with ease. To take photographs is another story. A simple camera like mine cannot catch them. All I can do is just to catch them by accident. Gulls show the colors of the river clearly. They tell the river is a place where they can live, not too dirty. Thanks! Lives show the condition of our environment.

 

 

 

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14

 

椋鳥(ムクドリ)starling: Sturnus cineraceus

群れと個体/ A bevy and Individuals

 

五線譜の上の音符のように、ムクドリは並んで歌を歌う。ツバメほど威儀を正したタキシード姿ではないが、それでもダークスーツでしかつめらしい。丸っこいからだと黄色いくちばしがご愛敬。「キュルキュルキュルル」と賑やかなコーラス。群れで生きる鳥の個体は、何を歌っているのだろう。

Like musical notation in a score, stalings stay in lines on electorical wires to sing. Not so formally dressed as swallow, they are seriously in black. They are lovely in their plump bodies and with yellow beaks. How merry their chorus is! I wonder what indivual birds are singing in a bevy.

January 28, 2006

スズメと同じくどこにでもいる鳥なのだという。たしかに、草地でも、街中でも見かける。だが、(スズメやハトほど)いつでも会えるというわけでもない。私の印象では、冬に一番人家に接近しているような気がする。洗濯物を干しにベランダに出ると、「キュルキュルキュルル」という声がきこえてくる。この日は電線と電信柱に群れが止まっていた。高いところから下界を観察しているらしい。私が無心に洗濯物を干している間は何の変化もないが、一旦カメラを向けるとリーダーがいるのか、見張りがいるのか、警戒してパーッと飛び立つ。群れごと退散されると、何だか嫌われたみたいで、がっかり。諦めてカメラをしまうと、また集まっている。群れの動きは一心同体。私も懲りずに再び撮影を試みる。

Like sparrows, starlings are said to be everywhere. Actually I've seen them on the grass and in town as well. But they are not so common as sparrows and doves, I have an impression that they are closest to human beings in winter. When I went outdoors to dry washed clothes, I heard them singing softly and merrily. It seemed they were paying attentionto all around themselves from an electorical pole and wires.. While I was occupied with my work, they stayed where they were quietly. Once I started trying to take photos of them, they flew away immediately in alart. I was disappointed to see them all gone in a bevy. When I gave up the camera, they came back to the place again. The bevy seemed to have one mind. I also challenged to take phots again .

鳥たちの微妙な間隔、位置関係にご注目。

Please look at the delicate distance between birds and their position.

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13

 

 

金魚の魅力 / Charming Goldfish

金魚は最も身近な動物の一種だろう。夜店ですくってきて金魚鉢に放し、眺めているうち一匹死に、二匹死に、あっという間にいなくなってしまう。それでも懲りずにまた買ってくる。こんな優雅なひらひらの尾鰭を持つ金魚を飼ったことはないが、飼ってみたいという気持ちは心のどこかにある。

Goldfish is one of the most familiar animals in our daily life. We scoop them at a night stall to have them in a bowl; one by one they die so easily. We never give up to have goldfish and repeat trying. I've never had one with such a gorgeous tail. I won't deny I hae an ambition to get one like this someday.

December 19, 2005

 

トンボじゃあるまいし、こんな脇っちょにまん丸目玉がついているのはどういうわけだろう。上を見ているのか横を見ているのか、前は見ていないな。どこかで見たように思ったら、そうかメダカの親分だと思えなくもない。水中をスイスイ泳ぐ姿は見飽きない。色々な種類を扱う金魚屋を訪ねてみた。下のリンクをクリックして、どうぞ奥へお入り下さい。

Like dragonflies, this kind of goldfish has huge eyeballs besides its head. What is it watching with such huge eys? Are they watching both sides at once or above it? Cannot be watching front. I felt I had seen it somewhere else before and decided it looked like the medaka. I never get tired of watching them swim quickly. I visited a goldfish market where they have various kinds of goldfish. Please click the link below and find more and more of them with me.

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12

 

林の中の子どもたち/ Children in Woods

夕方、いつものように散歩に出る。林の中を歩くのが楽しみだ。何かしら珍しいものに出会う。今日は先客がいた。しきりに何か探している。ゴロゴロ転がった木の下を覗き込んでいる。「いたぞ、二匹だ。」「こっちにもいるっ。」「すげぇ,見ろよ。」「わっ、ホントだ。」と興奮した声が聞こえる。そばによって、「何がいるの?」と聞いたら「ほら、これ。カブトムシの幼虫。」と教えてくれた。

I went out for a walk in the evening as usual. It's my great pleasure to go through the small woods in my neighborhood. I can always find something surprising there. Today there were already visitors. Two boys were busily looking for something, checking under the woods on the ground. Suddenly they cried, "Here they are! There are two!" "I've found one here!" "Look! Great, aren't they?" "Yea, just excellent!" They were excited. I walked up to them and asked what they found. They said, "See? Beetle larvae."

直径3〜4センチ、全長10センチもあろうか、眠りを妨げられて驚いたのか本能的に危険を察知したのか、土の中に潜ろうとする。伐採されて転がった木の下は、軟らかな土らしい。幼虫はすぐに姿を隠してしまう。土は細かく深い枯葉のクッションで栄養もたっぷりなのではないかと思う。

The larvae were 3 to 4 centi meters across and almost 10 centi meters long. Disturbed while sleeping, they tried hard to hide in the earth. Under the wood cut and thrown on the ground, the earth seemed very soft with decayed leaves. It must be full of nutrition for them.

この幼虫は穴に潜ろうとしているところ。蠕動運動というのだろうか、手も足もないが巧みに力強く動く。そのたびに半透明の外皮の奥が透けて見える。来年の夏には、成虫となって土から這い出すのだろうか。それまで無事に生き延びることの出来る幼虫がどのくらいいるのものか。

This larva is trying to go into the earth. It's in peristaltic motion. Without any limbs, it moved skillfully with power. As it moved, I could see its brown body under the milk-colored skin. Next summer, it will come out of the earth as a fully matured beetle. I wonder how many of larvae would survive.

October 22, 2005

土の中の幼い命/ Young Lives in the Earth

少年たちに教えられて私も覗き込んでみると、倒木の下、土の中にミルク色の太い幼虫がいる。半透明の外皮の下には、将来の成虫を予感させる焦げ茶色の体が見える。ゆっくり力強く幼虫は動いている。

Taught by the boys, I bent and looked in. Yes, there were lavae half transparent, milk-colored, quite thick. I could see through the outer skin their powerful dark brown bodies which were predicting their future figures. The larvae were moving slowly and powerfully.

あそこにも、ここにも。少年たちは夢中だ。見つけてどうするのかと思うと、、別に採集する気はないらしい。いるのが分かればまた元通りにするんだという。いるかどうか見に来たらしい。川岸の森より、ここの方がいっぱいいると「大発見」した喜びに溢れている。

Larvae were here and there. Boys got excited. "What would you do with them?" I asked. They said, "Nothing. We'll put the wood back on them again." I understood they had no intention to bring the lavae home but they came here just to see if they were living under the earth. "Here it's much better than the woods by the river!" they were talking to each other. They were proud of their "discovery."

少年たちはナップザックを背負い、軍手まではめている。本格的に幼虫探しに来たらしい。見知らぬ大人に話しかけられても物怖じしないで丁寧な受け答えをする。虫が好きなんだなと感心した。いいもの見つけて良かったねと私は心の中で呟く。こんな子たちがずっと林を守ってくれますように、とも。

The boys were equipped with napsacks and white gloves. They seemed to be on the searching adventure well prepared. They responded to my questions very politely. I was impressed with their manners and passion for nature watching.. "Congratulations to your discovery today!" I talked to them in silence. I wish these boys will work hard in the future to save woods.

 


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