仙台 えいごの教室

  We’ve been stuck¹ inside for a couple of months now, but recently with Sendai opening up we, my circle of friends and family, are starting to venture out² into the world.

 

  It was just a few days ago that Paul and I did our first post Covid³ trip together to Izumigatake and this time we decided to really go for it⁴ and get up the mountains of Zao and see the Okama.

　

 

  I hadn’t been there for several years (we used to go every year). Though the Okama is really beautiful if you’re lucky enough to be there when the weather is clear, our real goal was a bird that’s often hopping around on the remaining snow islands⁵ around it – the Alpine Accentor (岩ひばり).

 

 

 　

As the name suggests⁶, it’s most likely seen high in the mountains.

 

Of course it was too far away for a photo.

 

We got it really quickly and I wonder what the other visitors thought we were so excited about? High-fiving⁷ about the Okama?

 

We stopped at several places on the way back down to see what we could see.

 

I have one bird that I really want to see – the Nutcracker (ホシガラス). It’s not rare or anything, I’ve just never seen one. I was really hoping to see one on this trip ( it, too, is a mountain bird), but no luck⁸…

 

Next time!