Japan in Winter - A photographic Odyssey Feb 2018

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks both.

 

P3023045 adj copy by Jo Dale, on Flickr

Edited August 26, 2018 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

Another tasty dinner from the previous night. by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

3 March 2018

 

It was time to leave Hokkaido. I took a quick walk up the wall behind the lodge to view to frozen lake and the birds that were there. Whooper Swans, Glaucous Gulls and Goldeneye.

 

P3033380 Whooper Swans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033432 adj copy Glaucous Gull & Goldeneye by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033455 adj Glaucous Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033454 adj copy Glaucous Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033470 Goldeneye by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

After breakfast and checking out, we stopped first at an eagle feeding station but not long enough to see the feed take place as the boys still had many auk targets to find. Another friendly red fox was there looking for handouts.  

 

P3033482 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033491 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033497 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033512 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033515 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033528 Steller's Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033563 adj by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

 

 

P3033577adj Spectacled Guillimot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We spent the morning around Cape Kiritappu trying to find some more auks. We managed a few Spectacled Guillimots, various grebes, sea ducks and divers, and another mammal lifer in the form of Largha Seal. More Harlequin Ducks were also in evidence. Only one of our group managed a single Ancient Murrelet and a pair of Least Auklets, after everyone else had headed back from the point. A Short-eared Owl was also recorded but our car missed it.   

 

Weather had returned to being dead calm, bright and sunny.  

 

20180303_095508  Cape Kiritappu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180303_100202  Cape Kiritappu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3033605 adj copy Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We stopped to watch an ice fisherman on the way to the airport.

 

20180303_102925 Ice Fishing by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We boarded our flight and headed back to Tokyo, as we flew south the view became progressively greener.

 

20180303_122105 Model of Blackiston's Fish Owls at the Airport by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180303_122138 Model red-crowned cranes at the airport by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

After navigating the subway system we managed to get to the port and stopped off on the way for some food at a local restaurant. We then boarded the overnight ferry to Hachichojima island and got settled into our berths. We could sleep for the first few hours before waking in time for dawn and the delights that seawatching might bring on our way to and from the Izu Island chain.

 

20180303_135204 Views from the flight, Hokkaido to Tokyo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180303_142954 Views from the flight, Hokkaido to Tokyo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180303_143811 Views from the flight, Hokkaido to Tokyo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180303_194222 Tokyo by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Edited August 26, 2018 by kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

 

4 March 2018

 

Up at the crack of dawn, we assembled on deck, all eager to make the most of our last full day in Japan with the potential for seawatching as we travelled down the island chain  We were not to be disappointed. The sun came up as we passed Mikurashima.

 

20180304_062652 Mikurashima by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We stopped at Hachijojima and disembarked for a brief time, but there was very little time for birding so we didn’t really clock anything new there.

 

20180304_084811 Hachijojima by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_084940 The group on the ferry by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_092426 Tsunami warning signs... by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_100203 Leaving Hachijojima by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Over the course of the day on the ferry we racked up two Red Phalaropes,  over 60 Laysan Albatrosses, about 40 Black-footed Albatrosses, 45+ Short-tailed Albatrosses and about 30 or so Northern Fulmars. By far and away the commonest seabirds were the Streaked Shearwaters, our estimates were that we must have seen in the region of fifty thousand of these birds. 22 Japanese Murrelets kept the auk fans happy, though more varied species would have been welcome, but we’d missed our chances on Hokkaido. Five Pomarine Skuas were also see. We also managed a single Brown Booby, 25+ Temminck’s Cormorants and an Eastern Buzzard and Osprey close to shore on one of the islands.  We didn’t count the Black-tailed, Vega Gulls and Black-legged Kittiwakes.

 

P3043964 adj Black-footed Albatross & Streaked Shearwater by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_120729 Mikurashima by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_122047 Mikurashima by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_122102 Mikurashima by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

 

P3043995adj Waterfall by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044013adj copy Black-legged Kittiwake by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044062 adj Vega Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044116 adj Short-tailed Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044115 adj Short-tailed Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044399 adj Black-footed Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044448 adj Laysan Albatrosses by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044455 Laysan Albatrosses by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044504 adj Laysan Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044508 Laysan Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044529 Laysan Albatross by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We passed by at least eight Sperm Whales, which we confirmed based on the shape of their blows, as we couldn’t really see much of them from the surface, just a hint of their backs from time to time.

 

 

Most frustrating sighting has to go to a sudden breaching whale with huge round black fins. I was unable to relocate it but others were on the ball and it turned out to be a pod of four Orcas! Will managed to grab a couple of record shots when one of them surfaced, which left no doubt that was what we saw and others did get brief views. Unfortunately al I managed was the first surprising breach before the ID could be confirmed and we were all scrambling to determine what we’d seen and I was trying to relocate them through my camera without success, really frustrating! Being on a ferry didn’t help as we could hardly follow after them, so I have to consign that one to a brief glimpse and hope for a more satisfactory sighting at some other point.

 

20180304_170901 Sunset by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180304_172048 Sunset by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

The sun was setting as we entered Tokyo Bay, making for a nice view of Mount Fuji.

 

P3044562 Sunset by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044565 Sunset by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044586 Sunset in Tokyo bay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044588 Sunset in Tokyo bay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3044593adj2 copy Sunset in Tokyo bay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We disembarked and made our way across to the Narita U City Hotel. We collapsed into bed for a restful night before heading back to the airport the next day for our uneventful flight back to the UK.   

 

Here's the link to the complete trip list in case anyone is interested: https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/b8fa3e4a-e41f-42a0-9b48-fc15617c1d4a

Edited August 28, 2018 by kittykat23uk
Added trip list link.

[lmSA84]

@kittykat23uk - thanks for the brilliant report! I hadn’t occurred to me that so many of Japan’s birds would feel so much like those that we have in Europe just with a slight twist.

 

On a side note that Cod milt was gut wrenching! I’m a big fan of trying local cuisine (I’ve even tried Balut) but that’s a step too far

[kittykat23uk]

@lmSA84 thanks. I didn't try the milt either but I did challenge myself with a raw prawn! 

[Atravelynn]

Leave it to @kittykat23uk to go to the snow monkeys!  Did I read that right you were on site for just one day and got all those great shots of the monkeys?  You mentioned it was less crowded in the morning with visitors but got busy as the day went on.  Do you recall the times when you got there and when it got busy?  Did it seem like a lot of the photographers were staying there?    You  had so much more than the monkeys with birds--especially those breathtaking cranes--and the raccoon-dog, and the giant squirrel.  Thanks so much for sharing this.  I have been very interested in going to the snow monkeys and thought I would allot several days.  You got it all when it comes to the monkeys in just hours!

[kittykat23uk]

About an hour and a half actually!  The first image I showed was just after 9.00 and the last one at 10.33. The bullfinch which was taken in the car park was at 11.24.  As I said it's about a 40 min walk to the  monkeys from the car park. 

 

The place where the monkeys are is actually quite small. My friends headed back about 20-30 mins before I did, preferring to bird the walk back. I don't think they saw much though. 

 

It got busy quickly and the pool where most of these shots were taken. The photos really do make it seem a lot more remote and serene that it actually is because of the drop off meaning you don't get people in your shots, which is great!

 

You can also walk down along the river for some other photo ops - the last few are from there. 

 

We drove 2 hrs each way to get there. I am not sure if there is lodging in the park.  Most people we saw seemed to be parking where we parked and walking in. 

Edited February 28, 2019 by kittykat23uk

[Atravelynn]

Thanks for the info.  1.5 hours to be accurate--so many great monkey shots.  I just noticed the foxes too.  What a satisfying trip this had to be for all of you!