September 12th – September 16th, 2024 is Autumn – HAKURO (White dew)-44th KOU “Wagtails sing.”
The wagtail appears in the KOJIKI (earliest historical records of Japan, compiled in 712 CE) and is a bird that has been loved in Japan since ancient times.
Its high-pitched, sharp chirp is a perfect match for the clear autumn skies of HAKURO season, or so I would like to say. But in fact, the daytime temperature has been anything but the season. Since HAKURO began, up until yesterday, it was all midsummer days (temperature over 30°C).
Perhaps because of that, I haven’t seen any wagtails on my usual walking course along the SAI River for the past few days.
Yesterday, a pair finally appeared!
When I get close, they move away a little, and when I get close again, they move away again, but they never run far. They walk right in front of me with the tails frequently flicking up and down, as if they are giving me instructions.
