Japan in Winter - A photographic Odyssey Feb 2018

[kittykat23uk]

23 Feb 2018

 

We spent the whole day around Lake Miike. Straddling the border between Miyakonojo and Takaharu, with a diameter of approximately one kilometer Lake Miike is the largest and deepest lake among the crater lakes of the volcanoes of the Kirishima Mountains. It was formed by the phreatomagmatic (magmatic steam) plinian eruption that occurred about 4,600 years ago.The eruption that formed Lake Miike is the largest in known history and the steep crater walls that encircle the lake reach a height of 30 meters. It is a beautiful spot to enjoy the view of Mt. Takachihonomine behind Mt. Futagoishi and the surrounding area includes Lake Koike and Miike Shrine. Furthermore, there is a lakeside wild bird forest and campground facilities and it serves as a base for outdoor activities.

 

20180223_160311 Lake Miike by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180223_160333 Lake Miike by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We spent quite a bit of time at the shrine and around the campground. Unfortunately the campground itself was quite noisy as there was a lot of renewal work going on.  Birds we saw included Little Grebes, three Black-necked Grebes on the lake, with more distant Mandarin Ducks, Eurasian Wigeon, Mallards, Eastern Spot-billed Ducks, Northern Pintail, Eurasian Teal, Common Pochard and Tufted Ducks.  Great Cormorant and Osprey were also present. Around the lakeshore, a Red-flanked Bluetail added a splash of colour, one of three that we saw that day.

 

P2230600 Black-necked Grebes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230614 Red-flanked Bluetail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230619 Blossom by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230625 Blossom by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230644 Satsumas by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230650 Red-flanked Bluetail by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230746 butterfly by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

There is a nice interpretive centre which had a display of bird carvings in a glass case.

 

P2230924adj Model Fairy Pitta by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230926adj Model Copper Pheasant by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230928 adj Model  Ruddy Kingfisher by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Wooden birds display by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

In the forests, Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers drummed softly. We found one of our targets, five Ryuku Minivets. Eurasian Jays, Eastern Great Tit, Japanese Varied Tits, Long-tailed Tits and Coal Tits were all seen, but not such good views as around the feeders at BellsCabin.  

 

20180223_164254 Lake Miike by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230754 Ryukyu Minivet by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180223_125755 Big tree by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Up at the shrine we saw occasional Sparrowhawk and Oriental Turtle Dove. 5+ Elegant Buntings, and a couple of Meadow Buntings.

 

Elegant bunting copy by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

The Shrine also had some quite impressive statues.

 

20180223_112540 Lake Miike area by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180223_111755 Around Lake Miike by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180223_101851 Tiny fungi by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

Late afternoon, back at the lake shore I chased after a showy Daurian Redstart and then we managed to locate a more confiding White’s Thrush.

 

P2230772 Daurian Redstart by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230790 Daurian Redstart by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230824 Daurian Redstart by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230876 Daurian Redstart by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2230908 Daurian Redstart by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180223_170935 White's Thrush by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

White's thrush by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then headed back to town and enjoyed a delicious Teppanyaki before a few of the group retired to their Minshuku.  With someone on the inside this meant that the group didn’t have to worry about being locked out so the rest of us returned for a night drive around the lake. The campground is meant to be a good spot for Japanese Badger, but with all the construction work going on I think they were hiding in their sett.

 

20180223_190353 Teppenyaki by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We did pick out around 40+ Sika deer, but our search for Japanese hares around the meadow up at the shrine did not produce the desired result. The best we could manage was a fleeting view of another Tanuki (Raccoon Dog).

[kittykat23uk]

 

24 Feb 2018

 

Today we drove to the east coast to look for Japanese Murrelet. We found a Red-Bellied Blue Rock Thrush in one of the harbours. Black-eared kites were on the hunt for scraps along with Slaty-backed and Black-tailed Gulls. We scanned for murrelets from various watchpoints, and managed to achieve some distant scope views. We stopped for ice cream at one of these scenic viewpoints.

 

P2240936 Red-bellied race of Blue Rock Thrush by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2240970 Black-eared Kite by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2240975 Slaty-backed gull? by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2240990 Slaty-backed gull? by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2240994 Black-tailed Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2241041 Black-tailed Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2241054 Black-eared Kite by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2241094 Red-bellied race of Blue Rock Thrush by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2241121 Volcanic Island by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_094110 Cape Hyuga by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2241128 Pussy cat by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_095409  Cape Hyuga by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_100859 Boats by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_101333 Air-dried fish by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_110327  Cape Hyuga by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_112408 Searching for Japanese Murrelets by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_123827 Lighthouse, doesn't look very red to me.. by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We also covered a small lake, where we found more shy Mandarin Ducks and Black-necked Grebes. Here there were also some abandoned buildings that we explored.

 

P2241136 Giant Panda model by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2241144 Mandarin by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

We spent the rest of the day at a place called Kota Shrine looking for the sought-after but sadly elusive Grey Bunting. We attracted the interest of a bunch of local gentlemen who turned out to be duck-catchers. They were interested to know what we were looking for so Keith showed them the buntings in his bird book. They in turn showed us their duck catching equipment, which was a net on a stick that is propelled up into the air to catch the duck, as demonstrated by one of the gentlemen with a hat.  

 

20180224_154800 Kota Shrine, looking for Grey Buntings by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_170245 Urban exploraion by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_170259 Lake near Kota Shrine by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_170401 Abandoned building at lake near Kota Shrine by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_171025 lake near Kota Shrine by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_173117 Local duck hunters by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_173540 How to catch a duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_173554 How to catch a duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_173612 How to catch a duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180224_203233 Cthulu pizza by Jo Dale, on Flickr

[kittykat23uk]

25 Feb 2018

 

We took a flight to the snowy northern island of Hokkaido. This was the section of the tour that I was most looking forward to! Our first stop was at the Akan Crane Centre near Kushiro. We spent a wonderful afternoon there watching the elegant red-crowned cranes feeding, bugling, and dancing.

 

P2251196 adj2 copy Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251202adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251219 adj Red-crowned Crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251242 adj Red-crowned Crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251277adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251285 adj2 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251318adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251344adj2 Red-crowned Crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251347adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251349adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251345 adj Red-crowned Crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251365adj Red-crowned Crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251381adj copy Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251482 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251480 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251487adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251563adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251585adj Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251598adj copy Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251603adj "Red-crowned Cranes", "Japanese Cranes" by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251684 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then heard about a site for Ural Owl close to our lodgings at Tsurui Dosanko Farm and it was there on cue, down a snowy track. Such a beautiful owl.

[kittykat23uk]

 

26 Feb 2018

 

At dawn the next morning we headed to Okawa Bridge to catch the roosting cranes in the morning mist. It was a beautiful, yet freezing cold morning at -40c. The cranes were more distant than I had expected but a beautiful setting nonetheless a single common crane was mixed in with the red-crowned. We spent a good amount of time there from 05:45 to 07:15 before heading back to the lodge for a breakfast of noodles and broth.

 

P2251894 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251935 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180225_101020 noodles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2251992 Red-crowned Cranes by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2252057 "Japanese Cranes" "Red-crowned crane" by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Afterwards we packed up and returned to our Ural Owl to see it in better light before heading to another crane site, Tsurumidai for the Crane Feeding.  Here we also observed more Red-crowned Cranes and Whooper Swans. Whist all of us were delighted to see both species, the owners of the site had other ideas and constantly tried to chase away the unwelcome Whoopers.

 

P2262093 Ural Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262108 Ural Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262133 Ural Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262239 adj2 Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262484 Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262483 Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262488 Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262514adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262540 adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262543 Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262554 adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262592adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262593 adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

P2262620adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262625 adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262646adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262647adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262701adj Whooper Swans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262708 adj Whooper Swans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262716adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262736adj Red-crowned crane by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262748 adj Whooper Swans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262791 Whooper Swans by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We then drove to our most luxurious accommodation at Yoroushi Onsen. This was a very special place to stay.  

[TonyQ]

Stunning pictures of the cranes, and the Ural Owl is a beauty.

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks @TonyQ

 

We checked in and were given kimonos to wear. 

 

20180226_165216 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

Our rooms weren’t ready yet so we spent some time watching the feeders through the glass windows. This proved to be very productive.

A good array of birds came to feed, including Eurasian Nuthatch, Eurasian Jay and Brown-eared Bulbul. But the stars of the show were a pair of Sable, one of which made an early appearance and sat in one of the bird tables scoffing on the seed.

 

P2262797 Eurasian Nuthatch by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262805 Eurasian Jay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262807 Brown-eared Bulbul by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262815 Eurasian Jay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262883 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2262974 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263001 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

After the sable had eaten it’s fill we checked into our luxurious rooms and then went to try out the onsen facilities. This was our first experience of proper Japanese baths and it was not a disappointment! One is required to shower thoroughly before getting into the baths, no bathing suits are allowed, one has to go in au naturel! The baths are segregated, and Helen and I had them all to ourselves.

 

The bathing pools are set at a variety of temperatures, some are outside so we could bathe in a nice warm pool in a snowy landscape- now we saw why they were so popular with the monkeys!

 

We later had an amazing spread of seafood for dinner. Lots of little dishes, the majority of which were absolutely delicious!

 

20180226_180549 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180226_180555 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180226_182236 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180226_181711 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180226_185118 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Picatso? by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then returned to the windows, to wait in hope for a very large and very special owl. We were first treated to more sable action, with two sable now taking turns to fish from a pool. An owl appeared, but it was not the owl we were looking for, being another ural owl.

 

P2263025 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263035 Ural Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263068 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263078 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263155 Sable by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

We waited patiently until around 10:15 PM when all of a sudden this huge, silent shape suddenly appeared out of nowhere, the Blackiston’s Fish Owl had landed! What an amazing owl this was to behold! The owl fished for a few morsels from the pond before disappearing off into the night.

 

P2263184 Blackiston's Fish Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263190 Blackiston's Fish Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263194 Blackiston's Fish Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263199 Blackiston's Fish Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2263228 Blackiston's Fish Owl by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

 

After waiting up for a while, hoping for a return visit that didn’t happen our group mostly retired to bed.

 

   

[SafariChick]

Love the sable, Jo! @kittykat23uk

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks! They were super cute.

[kittykat23uk]

27 Feb 2018     

 

We stayed and enjoyed the facilities at Yoroushi Onsen until mid morning, spending more time in the hot baths and in front of the feeders as well as enjoying a very hearty breakfast.

 

We saw the same birds as before, with additions of a Hokkaido Red Squirrel, nice views of Hawfinch and zipping by views of Brown Dipper. We didn’t find a solitary snipe, which we had hoped to see, despite some of our group disappearing waist high into a snow drift!

 

P2273299 Hokkaido Red Squirrel by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273312 Hokkaido Red Squirrel by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273338 Hokkaido Red Squirrel by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273350 Hokkaido Red Squirrel by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273379 Brown Dipper by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273413 Hawfinch by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273446 Eurasian Jay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Eurasian Jay by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273469 Eurasian Nuthatch by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273499 Great-spotted woodpecker by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We sadly had to leave our luxurious accommodation to head on towards Rausu. We stopped at various harbours to search for sea ducks, auks and gulls. I was delighted that we were starting to see distant Steller’s and White-tailed Eagles, but we hoped to get much closer views the following day.

 

P2273518 Slaty-backed gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Around the harbours were Slaty-backed Gulls, one of my key targets, the stunning male Harlequin Ducks. I had seen females in Yellowstone, but the drake Harlequin is the one you really want to see, such a beautiful duck!

 

Slaty-backed gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273528 Slaty-backed gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273594 Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273641 Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273649 Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273660 Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273662 Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2273665 Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We then checked into our hotel. This was nowhere near as luxurious as our previous lodgings but comfortable enough, the main reception is something to behold. First of all, there was a huge fibreglass sperm whale, alongside some sad looking taxidermy  animals.

 

20180227_162049 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Tanuki by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

But then we spotted something really odd. Was it an ewok? No, on closer inspection it was a taxidermy Tanuki.

 

Tanuki statues are quite common in Japan. In modern day Japan they are often depicted with huge scrotums, bottles of Sake, straw hats and promissory notes. Whilst the Tanuki is a real animal (AKA Japanese Racoon Dog) the magical shape-shifting Tanuki has its origins in old China and its fox lore (introduced to Japan between the 4th-7th centuries CE). Originally considered to be a malevolent creature, the fox-like Tanuki appeared often in Japanese folklore as shape-shifters with supernatural powers and mischievous tendencies.  Tanuki assumed human form, haunted and possessed people, and were once considered omens of misfortune.

 

However aligned with it’s shape-shifting nature, the Tanuki has been through an evolution, initially into irrepressible tricksters, aiming their illusory magic and mystifying belly-drum music at unwary travelers, hunters, woodsmen, and monks. But more recently the Tanuki has been reinvented as a cheerful, lovable, and benevolent rogue who bring prosperity and business success.

 

Ceramic statues of Tanuki are found everywhere in modern Japan, especially outside bars and restaurants, where a pudgy Tanuki effigy typically beckons drinkers and diners to enter and spend generously (a role similar to Maneki Neko, the Beckoning Cat, who stands outside retail establishments.)

 

In his modern form, the fun-loving Tanuki is commonly depicted with a big tummy, a straw hat, a bewildered facial expression (he is easily duped), a giant scrotum, a staff attached to a sake flask, and a promissory note (that he never pays). Many of these attributes suggest his money was wasted on wine, women, and food.

 

 

“A curious and defining characteristic of Tanuki is its gigantic scrotum (not testicles). In Japanese slang, these are known as Kinbukuro 金袋, or “money bags.” Tanuki’s large scrotum does not mean over-indulgence in sex, but rather “luck with money.” The most accepted explanation for his king-size nut sack comes from Ōwaku Shigeo 大和久重雄 in his book Hagane no Chishiki 鋼の知識 (Knowledge about Steel; Diamond Shakan, 1971). Writes Alice Gordenker in the 15 July 2008 Japan Times: “Ōwaku traces the super-size scrotum story to metal workers in Kanazawa Prefecture. To make gold leaf, these craftsmen would wrap gold in a tanuki skin before carefully hammering the gold into thin sheets. It was said that gold is so malleable, and tanuki skin so strong, that even a small piece [of gold] could be thinned to the size of eight tatami mats (Hachijōjiki 八畳敷き; about 12 sq. meters). And because the Japanese for ’small ball of gold’ (kin no tama 金の玉) is very close to the slang term for testicles (kintama 金玉), the eight-mat brag got stuck on tanuki's bag. Soon, [scrotum] images of a tanuki began to be sold as prosperity charms, purported to stretch one's money and bring good fortune.” <end quote> In the same story, Gordenker discusses popular school-yard songs celebrating the Tanuki’s large sack. “Tan-tan-tanuki no kintama wa, kaze mo nai no ni, bura bura.” (translation = Tanuki's balls, there isn't any wind but they still go swing, swing, swing).”

Further information on Tanuki in Japanese culture can be found here.

 

We got sorted in our rooms and then sat down in the dining hall for a banquet of epic proportions. Now we had downloaded Google Translate on our phones which we had been using to try and translate written signs and things, but depending on how close you are putting the camera to the sign the translation changes. So it wasn’t particularly effective most of the time. So not everything was readily identifiable. One dish that was cooked at the table looked rather unappealing, I posted pics on facebook, suggesting it might be some kind of monkey brain? Thankfully "She who shall not be named" clued me in that it was in fact cod milt (cod Testicles basically). Well I was pleased I didn’t try that dish!

 

Cod Milt by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180227_184122 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

I think this picture is of Will just after realising what he'd just eaten... 

 

20180227_184114 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

One of our group asked if anyone had tried “the brown stuff” to which my mate Keith stated, “yes I have, it’s meaty, I’m guessing mammal” Later on, Google Translate helpfully informed us that it was in fact sea lion! Well I was also glad that I stuck to food that I was reasonably confident in identifying without the aid of facebook friends and a unreliable translator.. 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by kittykat23uk

[ld1]

@kittykat23uk what a fabulous report. The Cranes of Hokkaido are on my bucket list (which now includes sable thanks to you). Your food reviews take me right back to Japan. We never had to face cod testicles or sea lion which is probably a good thing given I struggled with some of the vegan delicacies in Koyasan and I had to ask DrS to eat the sea cucumber innards I was presented with one evening ?

 

Your report makes me want to return. Japan is such a wonderful place. 

Edited August 14, 2018 by ld1

[kittykat23uk]

Thankyou @ld1 Japan has some amazing wildlife, had I more time I surely would have added a few mores sites that I am now aware of. There's another onsen that is good for close up views of Japanese Marten and Tanuki and I really wish I'd had a couple more days spare to get the black rabbits of Amami (not to be confused with "rabbit Island, which I would also have liked to visit).

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

28 Feb 2018

 

This was the one day I was most looking forward to, the eagle boat trip. Conditions were perfect so after another banquet for breakfast we headed to the harbour for our 0840 boat trip out to the pack ice to see the eagles in their hundreds. Words cannot effectively describe the spectacle of seeing hundreds of huge Steller’s Sea Eagles and White Tailed Eagles up close against such a spectacular backdrop as the pack ice, so I’ll let the images speak for themselves..

 

20180228_061419 Rausu area by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180227_112450 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280017Adj 2 Steller;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280194 adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280249 adj2 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280282adj White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280288 adj2 White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280295adj White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280322 adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle &amp; White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280420 adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280454 adj White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280623adj2 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280650 adj Juv. Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280678adj White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280691adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280717 adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280097 (2) Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280026 (2) Adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280765adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280770 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280769 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280783 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280815 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

P2280892 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280928 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280934 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280945 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2280975 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281005 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281004 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281003 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281018 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281023 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281070 adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281078 White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281241 adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281301adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281429adj Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281546 copy2 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281609 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281623 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281623 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagles by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281691 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281740 Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180228_103925 Flocks on the sea ice by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281749 Juvenile Steller&#x27;s Sea Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281756 White-tailed Eagle by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281772 Flocks of eagles on the sea ice by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

[SafariChick]

Wow @kittykat23uk -- Fantastic!

[Zim Girl]

That is an amazing set of pictures @kittykat23uk

[Towlersonsafari]

what an amazing experience-and to see how big the steller's are dwarfing the White Tailed -truly wonderful-do they interact much? @kittykat23uk  once again-breathtaking!

[TonyQ]

That looks like a wonderful experience, and really beautiful photos.

[kittykat23uk]

Thank you! This was the whole purpose for me of going to Japan. This was the spectacle I had most wanted to see. They only congregate when the sea ice forms. Sometimes the ice doesn't come close enough to the bay and the boats don't go out, I guess when there is no ice the eagles disperse further north and probably don't interact as much because they are as you can see fed by the boats. We were lucky to have the perfect day for it, we could not have timed it better! 

 

We took the road down the coast to Notsuke Peninsula where we encountered vast herds of Sika Deer and a beautiful (and confiding) red fox.

 

20180228_110939 Icicles on the car by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281891 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/24sF4p8

]P2281903 Red Fox[/url] by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2281914 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282109 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180228_152642 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282193 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282213 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282215 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282232 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282235 Sika Deer by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282257 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282264 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282295 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282299 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282304 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282310 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282313 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282326 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282334 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282342 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282345 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

4P2282363 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

4P2282366 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P2282365 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We had another amazing banquet upon returning to our lodge.

 

20180228_182919 Delicious meal at Furan Lodge by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

20180301_182544 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

 

 

1 March 2018

 

Today could not have been more different! The weather had closed in, it was snowing before we left. We headed around Nosappu Peninsula stopping first at Oshishi looking for Asian Rosy Finches. There is one place here where they are often seen in a private garden, but unfortunately the owner is none too happy about birders “peeping” into his property so we judiciously avoided any conflict with the gentleman and searched elsewhere around the town.

 

We encountered another fox first of all before finally catching sight of our quarry, a small flock of rosy finches.

 

20180301_162130 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3012387 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3012403 Red Fox by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3012444adj Asian Rosy Finch by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3012451 adj Asian Rosy Finch by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We carried on further down the coast while the weather had eased off a bit stopping at Hanasaki where I was so delighted to sea a Sea Otter fishing in the bay! Another mammal lifer! This was not exactly the mammal detox I was expecting!

 

P3012543 Sea Otter by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3012577 Sea Otter by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3012594 Cape Nosappu lighthouse by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

We also encountered Harbour Seals.

P3012600 Harbour Seal by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

Then we tried to look for sandpipers at a hide but the snow was once again piling in and soon visibility was down to nothing, so we eventually gave up and called early doors on the day.   

 

 

 

 

 

[kittykat23uk]

2 March 2018

 

We still had a lot of auks to find and the boys were getting a little concerned that we might dip quite a few of our targets. So off we went to try and search for some of these back along Nosappu Peninsula. But the weather was not brilliant again, blowing a gale all day!

 

P3022682 by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022689 Cape Nosappu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022699 Sea Otters by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

We stopped at Kiritappu where we were able to obtain scope views of a Crested Auklet, or “Fonzi” as I dubbed him. But there wasn’t a lot else out there bird-wise. This didn’t really worry me though as I was too busy enjoying a pair of Sea Otters playing and feeding in the surf.

 

We also spotted a lone Steller’s Sea Eagle, which Keith considered to be the best sighting of this bird of the trip, because it was feeding on a Brunnich's Guillemot rather than being fed by the boat crew.   

 

P3022766 Stellers Sea Eagle feeding on Brunnich&#x27;s Guillimot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022790 Stellers Sea Eagle feeding on Brunnich&#x27;s Guillimot by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

 

P3022824  Kiritappu cape by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022834 Kiritappu cape by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022843 Kiritappu cape by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022852 &quot;Kiritappu cape&quot; by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022856 Kiritappu cape by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022859 Kiritappu Cape by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022864 Kiritappu Cape by Jo Dale, on Flickr

We didn’t do too well with auks, but further round the coast we stopped at Nemiro Harbour, Cape Nosappu and Habomai. During the course of the day we did find some nice Long-tailed Ducks, Glaucous-winged Gull, Pelagic Cormorants and in the harbour Black Scoter, Common Scaup, and more of my favourite Harlequin Ducks, though it was now starting to snow again.

 

P3022885 adj Long-tailed Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022909 adj Long-tailed Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022938 adj Long-tailed Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022944 adj Long-tailed Duck by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022990 Cape Nosappu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3022999 Glaucous-winged Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023042 Pelagic Cormorants by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023072 Cape Nosappu by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023084 Nemuro Harbour by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023109 adj Black Scoter by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023143 adj Scaup by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023150 adj Scaup by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023178 Black Scoter &amp; Slaty-Backed Gull by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023283 adj Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023321 adj Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023343 adj Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

P3023365 adj Harlequin Ducks by Jo Dale, on Flickr

 

That evening, we stopped at a known spot for fish owls but they were a no show.

 

 

[Big_Dog]

Great stuff! An oft-unvisited destination, and interesting to see. The wintry coast and countryside is a far cry from glowing Tokyo to be sure. Love the snow monkey, and the B&W family shot is brilliant. The bird journal so far is fantastic too - sorry about the lens though!
Esp liked the feeding sea eagle and sea otters!

[Kitsafari]

awesome photos of the eagles, especially the stellars, and of the sable and red fox. the owls are just stunning.