Birds of Muroran

In my middle age I have become a bit of a, ahem, bird fancier. Yes, yes, stop snickering down the back. I am of course referring to the feathered variety, the descendants of dinosaurs (though that could well describe our neighbours across the street).
By Hokkaido standards Muroran has a relatively mild (albeit extremely windy) climate. In winter the city and its hinterlands host a rich profusion of birds that you don't get to see in the rest of Hokkaido - principally because we don't get much snow and the temperature doesn't usually drop much lower than minus 6 to minus 10 (and this year winter it has only managed that once).
We live in a valley so that the effect of the wind is negated. Our house faces south-east so we get a fair bit of winter sun and there are no houses opposite us. Rather, there is a mix of trees: maple, white birch, alder, and a great big pine tree, all of which provide sustenance to different varieties of birds. Combine these factors and you have a bit of a hot spot for, well, 'spotting' our avian friends.
The photos below I took today and are the most common birds we see around the house. I have three feeders out at the moment and they attract a fair bit of attention, and squabbling too.

Great Tit (more colloquially known as 'Brian'

Hawfinch

Daurian Redstart (excited about this bird as it is quite rare in Hokkaido)

'Brian' and the rare bird.

A clatter (?) of sparrows. I'm not sure if this the correct group noun, but it sounds about right.

Marsh Tit

Varied tit

Nut Hatch

We have also seen Waxwings, a Japanese pygmy woodpecker, Bramblings, Dusky Thrush, Goldcrest, Bullfinch, Winter Wren and rather spectacularly, a Sparrowhawk attacking the clatter of sparrows. Go for a wander around the wider neighbourhood and on a good day you can spot a peregrine falcon, buzzard and our winter visitor, the white-tailed eagle.