Hello! This is Ootake Camera. Here is the Crested Kingfisher Shooting Base Report for 6/30. This report was shot with the OM-1 II / 150-400mm, on loan from OM System.
4:59 AM — First arrival of the day
It started off as a “no arrivals this morning… uh oh^^;” kind of day.
Around 5:00, we heard a call from the left, and the male landed on branch #2 while the female landed on branch #3. Soon after, they both seemed on edge and flew off separately — one to the right, one to the left.
At 6:20, a female arrived from the forest straight ahead, calling loudly, and landed on Zero — but she was beak-open, gasping for breath… It was clear she had been flying hard for quite a while. Possibly chased off by another pair, or perhaps a raptor… we can’t say for certain, but she had clearly been through a lot.
Around 6:50, a female arrived silently at branch #3, and soon after the male passed by from upstream. He then flew up onto branch #1 and dove — successfully hunting a Japanese Rosy Bitterling.
After that, he bathed several times, giving us a lovely finish — many thanks to the Crested Kingfisher for closing things out so beautifully.
We weren’t sure how the morning would turn out, but in the end the arrivals concentrated during the bright hours, so overall it worked out well!!
Thank you so much to everyone who joined us today! ^^
Perches used
Today the birds used branches #3, #1, and Zero.
The chick-rearing season has reached its peak! Arrival frequency is on the rise — this is the season with the most opportunities for observation and photography. At the Aizu Secret Base, we share real-time field conditions like these every day.
If you are interested in photographing Crested Kingfishers, please also visit our Yamasemi Guide Page and Availability Calendar.
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■ Today’s Highlights 
★★★ We were featured in the opening gravure of BIRDER Magazine May 2026 issue ★★★
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★★★ Our photo was selected for the cover of BIRDER Magazine December 2025 issue ★★★
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Available at bookstores or via the links below!
| ◆ Current Guide Availability | Status | Meeting Time | Departure Time |
| Crested Kingfisher | Accepting Reservations |
2:45–3:00 |
3:00 |
| Mountain Hawk-Eagle | Accepting Reservations | 6:15–6:25 | 6:30 |
| Ruddy Kingfisher | Closed |
※Sessions are held rain or shine. A tent-style hide is planned for Crested Kingfisher and Ruddy Kingfisher tours.