| Leading Tours since 1987
Our annual winter tour to Japan was a tremendous success with a few changes being made in the itinerary from 2006. Mild weather throughout Japan particularly on Hokkaido had an effect on some species due to the lack of sea-ice. This also had an effect on Baikal Teal which was present in very low numbers this year and a complete absence of waxwings. In contrast we recorded some exceptional species notably Laysan and Short-tailed Albatrosses, White-billed Divers, Lesser White-fronted Geese, Black-faced Spoonbills, higher than average numbers of Falcated Ducks, Green Pheasant, Steller’s and White-tailed Eagles (highest numbers for some years), five species of cranes, Saunders’ Gull, Long-billed Murrelet, Blakiston’s Eagle Owl, Japanese Accentor and Asian Rosy Finch. I am again indebted to David for his Japanese language skills and navigation which helped the tour to run so smoothly. I am sure the following report will bring back many happy memories of Japan. February
10th/11th: Heathrow/Manchester - Frankfurt - Tokyo - Karuizawa We left our respective airports in the UK for the flight to Frankfurt. On arrival in Frankfurt we transferred for the long flight over Russia, China and Korea to Japan. After passing customs and passport control we were met by Akira my ground agent in Tokyo. We boarded a bus bound for Tokyo Station. Lunch taken at Tokyo Station before boarding the bullet train to Karuizawa nestling in the shadow of the Japanese Alps. Picked up a minivan and checked in at the Sala Hotel set in mature woodlands. From the hotel we walked through the woods recording Japanese, Varied and Willow Tits, and in fields Siberian Meadow and Rustic Buntings, Tree Sparrows and a single Chestnut-eared Bulbul. In the river large boulders attracted Japanese and Black-backed Wagtails. The weather turned colder as we headed back to base.
February 12th: Karuizawa Outside in the hotel gardens we recorded Chestnut-eared Bulbul, Hawfinch and Eurasian Jays. After breakfast we made the short journey to Karuizawa nature centre and started to walk along the trail system. En route we stopped for Azure-winged Magpies and White-cheeked Starlings. By the nature centre the river had Brown Dipper, and overhead Black-eared Kites. The second trail was steep in places with the higher 'flat' area attracting Varied, Japanese, Coal and Long-tailed Tits and brief views of a male Japanese Sparrowhawk flying over the forest. Returned to the nature centre with a walk passing by houses with mature gardens and an adjacent park, with ponds and a river. The former held Mute Swan, Mallard, Chinese Spot-billed Duck and Eurasian Wigeon. Next stop was a hotel with several feeders bordering a small pond. Birding was excellent here with close views of Japanese Accentor, Japanese Grosbeak, Pale Thrush, Oriental Greenfinch, Oriental Turtle Dove and Great-spotted and Pygmy Woodpeckers. Travelled onto Karuizawa railway station and walked into the grounds of a large hotel complex. Rustic Buntings were particularly common and another pool gave us our first Grey Heron and Eurasian Teals of the tour. In the afternoon we explored areas along roads 18 and 157. No sign of any pheasants but we did add White-backed Woodpecker and a fine male Daurian Redstart. Tomorrow we return to Tokyo and fly westwards to Kagoshima in Kyushu province.
February 13th: Karuizawa - Tokyo - Kagoshima - Satsuma
- Izumi Before breakfast we checked the woodland around the hotel with similar birds to yesterday morning. Japanese Green Woodpecker was seen before travelling onto Karuizawa Station and the bullet train back to Tokyo. On arrival in Tokyo we headed to Haneda Airport for a flight to Kagoshima in Kyushu. Tokyo Docks held Great Cormorant, Vega Gull, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Pochard, Tufted Duck and Common Coot. The flight to Kagoshima left and arrived on time. Picked up the rental van and started to head towards Izumi via Satsuma. In Satsuma we scoured the river area for birds. On rocks and muddy margins Black-backed, Japanese and Grey Wagtails, Black-faced Bunting, American Pipit, Common Snipe and Green Sandpipers. Shallow pools attracted Little and Great Egrets, whilst the deeper water channels had Eurasian Teal, Mallard and Eurasian Wigeon. Further upstream a first winter Blue Rock Thrush perched on rocks. Dusk was starting to fall as we left Satsuma for Izumi our base for the next three nights.
February 14th: Izumi - Arasaki - Takae The morning started with torrential rain showers from the south east making driving difficult and birding almost impossible. Our first birding stop at Arasaki Crane Reserve was a magical moment for us all. Literally thousands of cranes present including c11000 Hooded, c400 White-naped and 2 Common Cranes. On the rice fields high numbers of Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail plus Great and Little Egrets, Japanese Skylark and American Pipit. I then located a sleeping Black-faced Spoonbill and several Northern Lapwings on the edge of a pool. Loaded up and travelled a short distance for Common Shelduck and Eurasian Teal. Next on the agenda was a harbour and adjacent forest mixed with bamboo. The trees here held nesting Grey Herons and Little Egrets whilst other species included Pygmy Woodpecker, Daurian Redstart, Varied and Japanese Tits, Pale Thrush, Japanese White-eye, Oriental Turtle Dove and singing Japanese Bush Warbler. On the opposite side of the harbour an immature Merlin was located by Scott. Rocky piers attracted Japanese Cormorants and overhead fishing Ospreys. We then proceeded along the sea-wall road giving views onto dormant rice paddies below. Large flocks of Rooks and wintering Daurian Jackdaws. Checked the main canal where many ducks were present. Muddy fringes lured Common, Green and Curlew Sandpipers and Dunlin. Upstream a section of pebble/mud beach attracted Kentish and Long-billed Plovers. Lunch taken by a muddy section of river where we added Gadwall, Northern Shoveler and White-necked Stilt. After lunch we walked around an area of rough grassland and scrub with Siberian Meadow, Rustic and Black-faced Buntings for company. Walked down the road scanning rice and grass fields for birds, luck was with us as Jean located a Grey-headed Lapwing feeding alongside Northern Lapwings. Brief visit of the eastern arm of the crane reserve added two wintering Sandhill Cranes. Time was pressing as we followed route three to Takae in order to visit areas of marsh, fields and adjacent forest. Takae had flocks of Rustic and Siberian Meadow Buntings and Bull-headed Shrike. Best of all was a hunting male Hen Harrier and a Eurasian Kestrel hunting for rodents from a telegraph pole. Back to base after a great days birding around Izumi.
February 15th: Izumi - Saga - Ariake-se area An early start today in order to visit Ariake-se a vast inland sea in Western Kyushu. Villages adjacent to Ariake-se had Common Magpie an extremely localised bird in Japan. The tide was starting to fall when we reached the sea wall complex. On the mud huge numbers of birds including Northern Pintail, Eurasian Wigeon, Black-headed, Saunders, Vega and Kamchatka Gulls, Dunlin and Grey Plover. More unusual species for Japan included Eurasian and Black-faced Spoonbills, Falcated Duck, Avocet, Eurasian Curlew and Common Greenshank. We started to walk along the sea wall and surrounding tracks the latter being bordered by fields and reed beds. Siberian Meadow, Black-faced and (Eastern) Reed Buntings in the ditches. Raptors were also around with a male Hen Harrier, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon. We flushed a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron from the reeds before lunch. Afterwards we visited the area around Saga Airport. Patches of woodland held Japanese Grosbeak, Bull-headed Shrike and Oriental Greenfinches. Returned towards the sea wall where the tide was starting to come in. Usual birds present on the shore. Back to base after a long day in Western Kyushu.
February 16th: Izumi - Mi-ike - Kagoshima - Tokyo - Komatsu Checked out of Izumi and headed towards the volcanic lake of Mi-ike. En route we stopped at a lake holding Mandarin Duck, Eurasian Wigeon and an immature drake American Wigeon. Around the lake edge Pale Thrush and Black-faced Buntings. Near the expressway a section of river with pebble islands was attractive to Great and Little Egrets, Common Sandpiper, Long-billed Plover, and overhead wintering Barn Swallows and Asian House Martins. Mi-ike was reached with the campground being the main birding area. Walking around the camp produced Japanese Green Woodpecker, Olive-backed Pipits, Japanese and Varied Tits, Eurasian Nuthatch, Bull-headed Shrike and several Daurian Redstarts. On the lake Eurasian Wigeon, Chinese Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Tufted Duck and Little Grebe. We walked around one side of the lake recording Black-faced and Yellow-throated Buntings and a berry-laden tree with Japanese White-eyes, Pygmy Woodpeckers and up to three Red-flanked Bluetails. Above us in mature trees a party of Ashy Minivets, Eurasian Jays and parties of Chestnut-eared Bulbuls. Near the path end a single Grey Bunting and Eurasian Nuthatch. Lunch taken in the car park with Japanese Grosbeaks singing from nearby tree-tops. After lunch back to Kagoshima Airport and onto Tokyo and Komatsu.
February 17th: Komatsu - Katano Kamo-ike - Sea of Japan From the hotel we headed towards the Sea of Japan for a short sea-watching session. Offshore we located Red-throated Diver, Black-tailed, Vega and Kamchatka Gulls. Katano Kamo-ike is a reserve run by the Wild Bird Society of Japan and the next stop on our birding agenda. Overhead a party of Bewick's Swans flew towards their feeding grounds. From the nature centre good views are obtained of the lake and adjacent woodlands. On the lake the commoner ducks plus Bean Goose, Falcated Duck and Smew. We visited a beach close to Katano recording Sanderling and Dunlin. A walk was taken through the surrounding woodlands with little in the way of birdlife. Our journey took us south. In a town we stopped at a lake observing Great Crested, Black-necked, Slavonian and Little Grebes, Tufted Duck, Common Kingfisher and Kamchatka Gulls resting on poles. Another area of lakes had large numbers of the common ducks, Osprey and Black-eared Kites. Roadside bushes attracted Eurasian Bullfinches feeding on buds. We checked an area of rice fields for geese before returning to the nature centre. At the centre up to four Baikal Teal (low numbers this year). The warden invited us back at 1700 hours to watch roosting swans and geese. I decided to check fields near our hotel for swans. Up to 14 Bewick's Swans with young located. Back to the centre for dusk and the spectacle of c1500 Greater White-fronted Geese coming into roost. Careful checking revealed two Lesser White-fronted Geese and four Tundra Bean Geese although light conditions were not ideal. Returned to base for our last night in Komatsu.
February 18th: Kamatsu - Fukui Checked out at 0700 with heavy rain showers falling. Little did we realise by the hotel entrance two Green Pheasants were observed walking slowly across rice fields. Picked up supplies and winded our way southwards to another section of lakes and woodland. Checked the lakes from yesterday morning recording several female Common Goldeneyes. On the reed edges Japanese Tits, Siberian Meadow, Rustic, Reed and Black-faced Buntings. Nearby trees attracted Great Spotted Woodpecker, Eurasian Jay and a pale Common Buzzard. A lake recommended to us by the warden was next on the agenda. Falcated Ducks and Smew were the highlights. The quest for locating geese continued with several rice paddies being scanned for birds. Luck was with us as I located a distant flock next to a factory. We eventually found the flock and started to scan the geese for different birds. Two female Green Pheasants running across rice paddies. The goose flock was flushed by a car so we had to try another sector of fields. On this occasion a quiet approach was required. Careful scanning revealed a splendid Lesser White-fronted Goose among the numerous and noisy Greater Whitefronts. We returned to Kamatsu Station dropping off the clients and then to the airport returning the van. At 1440 the train to Nagoya arrived at Kamatsu. Arrived on time in Nagano and transferred to the ferry terminus and next leg of our journey.
February 19th: North Pacific Ocean - Sendai On deck at 0700 in order to observe seabirds off the Honshu coast. Black-legged Kittiwake, Vega, Black-tailed and Slaty-backed Gulls were present along with several Pomarine Skuas. Just before 0800 Scott picked up the first sighting of Laysan Albatross an increasingly scarce bird off the Japan coast. Breakfast taken at 0800 and back out again an hour later. Off Tokyo we located a single South Polar Skua, Pacific Divers and the first flocks of Ancient Murrelets (which increased in number and size northwards). Jean then located an adult Short-tailed Albatross a very rare species of the North Pacific Ocean. South of Sendai we started to find Rhinoceros Auklets and straggly flocks of Pelagic Cormorants. In Sendai Bay up to three White-billed Divers and hundreds of Asiatic and Black Scoters. In the harbour Slavonian Grebe, Great Cormorants and Black-eared Kites. Arrived at Sendai docks ahead of time so we decided to walk towards an area of trees and rough ground. Common Buzzard, Dusky Thrush, Black-faced Bunting, Oriental Turtle Dove and Black-backed Wagtail added to the day list. Departed from Sendai at 2000 hours for Tomakomai in Hokkaido.
February 20th: North Pacific Ocean - Tomakomai - Kushiro
- Akkeshi - Nemuro Last morning on the ferry started with a seawatch in the Blakiston Straits between Honshu from Hokkaido. New trip birds included Short-tailed Shearwaters, Least Auklet and Common Guillemot. Docked on time at Tomakomai and transferred to Chitose Airport for an internal flight to Kushiro in Eastern Hokkaido. From Kushiro we went east to Nemuro via the small town of Akkeshi. A section of sea here normally freezes but on this occasion the inland bay was free of ice. Open waters held Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Merganser, Common Goldeneye and Northern Pintail. On the ice impressive numbers of Whooper Swans and a pair of Musk Deer wandering towards the cover of woodland. The finale was an impressive display and calling of Steller's Sea Eagles in mature trees behind the town. They were joined by several White-tailed Eagles being mobbed by Large-billed Crows. The light started to go as we left Akkeshi and travelled onto Nemuro our base for the next three nights. An excellent introduction to the winter birds of Hokkaido had begun.
February 21st: Nemuro - Cape Nosappu - Furen-ko - Cape
Kiritappu We started today by heading east towards Cape Nosappu the most north easterly point in Japan. On the way we stopped at a village overlooking the sea with Pacific Diver, Black Scoter, Long-tailed Duck and Red-necked Grebes. The next harbour east is used mainly by the fishing industry. On the sea wall White-tailed Eagles, Slaty-backed and Glaucous Gulls. In the harbour Greater Scaup, Red-breasted Merganser and Pelagic Cormorants. Further along the road we had fantastic views of an adult Steller's Sea Eagle perched on a telegraph pole. Cape Nosappu was reached overlooking the Kurile Islands. The cliffs held Pelagic and Red-faced Cormorants, Glaucous and Glaucous-winged Gulls and offshore Harlequin and Long-tailed Ducks, Spectacled and Brunnich's Guillemots and Ancient Murrelets. We returned to Nemuro and onto Furen-ko Nature Centre. Feeders attracted Pygmy, Great-spotted and White-backed Woodpeckers, Marsh, Willow and Japanese Tits, Eurasian Nuthatch and Eurasian Jay. After lunch we headed to Cape Kiritappu a remote ice-bound cliff complex jutting into the sea. A traditional feeding area in the vicinity had Brambling and Asian Rosy-finches.
February 22nd: Nemuro - Notsuke Hando - Odaito Today we headed north alongside the cold Sea of Okhotsk. En route we visited a feeding station attracting Great-spotted Woodpecker, Marsh, Willow and the 'white-headed' form of Long-tailed Tit. From route 44 we turned off and went north towards Rausu. Lots of eagles sitting in roadside trees so I headed down a minor road towards a large lake. At the end of the road a small fishing community was located. Out on the ice of Furen-ko hundreds of Steller’s Sea and White-tailed Eagles and ever-present Black-eared Kites. We spent sometime here admiring one of natures miracles. Returned to the main road and headed north again towards the long peninsula of Notsuke Hando. En route we stopped at Odaito to feed the ‘wild’ Northern Pintails. We spend time watching and looking for birds on Notsuke Hando. Apart from eagles a small group of Asian Rosy Finches flying down the road in front of us. Checked at the centre for recent sightings and looked into the Sea of Okhotsk which was totally ice free an unusual sight in February. Offshore, Black and Asiatic Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks and Spectacled Guillemots. After lunch we retraced our steps to Odaito and visited another area for Whooper Swans, Glaucous-winged, Glaucous and Slaty-backed Gulls and ducks. The wind was blowing hard from the south west as we travelled south not good news for the owls. On arrival at the farm we were advised that the owls would not show because of the wind. Disappointed I tried another area in a hollow with protection from the winds. Luck was with us as I heard the low far-carrying sound of Blakiston’s Eagle Owl. A few minutes later it flew over our viewing point and landed in a large tree – excellent views. Back to Nemuro in good spirits for an evening meal and drinks.
February 23rd: Nemuro – Cape Nosappu – Cape
Ochiisi – Kushiro This morning we headed back to Cape Nosappu as the wind direction and conditions appeared to be favourable. On arrival at the cape the sheer numbers of scoters and ducks had built up considerably from two days ago. Careful scanning of the water revealed Red-necked Grebes, Ancient Murrelets, Common, Brunnich’s and Spectacled Guillemots and best of all two Long-billed Murrelets. Next was Cape Ochiisi near Nemuro where the cliffs were covered in ice. Not much here apart from a few Brambings so we headed west to Kushiro. In Kushiro we headed inland to the crane area. Up to 180 Red-crowned Cranes present dancing and displaying on a snowy field. Time was getting on as we made our last birding stop in Japan. An area of woodland was visited with numerous feeders. To my surprise I located a male Lesser-spotted Woodpecker in a birch tree, a rare species on Hokkaido. Also present were Great-spotted and Pygmy Woodpeckers, Brambling, Japanese, Marsh, Willow and Long-tailed Tits, Eurasian Nuthatch and Chestnut-eared Bulbuls. Checked in at Kushiro Airport for the flight to Tokyo and then across to Narita where we spent the night. February 24th: Narita – Frankfurt – London/Manchester A long travel day back to Europe for most of us although David and Scott stayed on for a further week in Japan. An excellent tour of Japan had come to an end with a final tally of 162 species. For details of the full species list or to request further information about the next time we will be offering this trip. Contact us at enquiries@birdwatchingbreaks.com. |
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