Reported by YOSHINARI TOSHITAKE for a tour conducted from August 21 – 23.
Day 1
Meeting at the Shinjuku bus terminal and took a bus to the 5th station of Mt. Fuji, which is approximately 2,300 meters above sea level.
When we arrived at Okuniwaso as planned, we immediately started observing birds and taking photos. The back garden is short and has a well-developed walking path, so one of the attractions is that you can stroll around freely.
The waterhole
At the waterhole, we saw Eurasian bullfinch, Red-flanked bluetail, Coal tit, Goldcrest, Japanese leaf warbler. The birds are less than 10 meters away, so we could get good pictures. The little birds came out here and there, so I over heard the group talking about how they were satisfied with the afternoon.
Eurasian Bullfinch Photography by HOGoldcrest Photography by HO
Okuniwaso is a mountain hut, so there are no baths or showers (the temperature is cool so no sweating, but it gets really chilly in the mornings and evenings.) Dinner is served early (when it was still light!) at 4:30pm, but the food was luxurious for being at a mountain hut.
Plentiful Dinner at the Mountain Hut
It was still light even after dinner, so the owner of Okuniwaso showed us the walking path. Unfortunately, the clouds in the western sky were too thick to color Mt. Fuji red in the sunset, but we were able to see the peak of Mt. Fuji up close. And at night, we could see the stars in the sky, between the clouds. Smartphones these days are so advanced, it’s was easy to take pictures of the starry sky. Both of the following images were taken with an iPhone.
The starry sky with Mt FujiThe Night Sky
Day 2
It was clear skies at dawn, so we were able to have a great view of the sunrise over the ridge with Mt. Fuji.
Daybreak
Just like yesterday, the birds came out frequently for us on this day, as well. A male ed-flanked bluetail that hadn’t come out yesterday also showed up, but perhaps it was in fact, that there were three different males. The male ed-flanked bluetail is truly beautiful.
Male Red-flanked bluetail Photography by HOJapanese leaf warbler (left) Red-flanked bluetail (right)From the left : Coal tit, Eurasian bullfinch and Japanese leaf warbler
We enjoyed ourselves at Okuniwaso in the morning hours, and after lunch, headed towards Oiso in preparation for observing green pigeons the next day.
Day 3
Unfortunately, today’s weather forecast is cloudy and rainy. Despite the bad weather, we left the hotel with the hopes that it will improve, while it was still dark, and arrived at Oiso and Terugasaki Beach. It was raining a little when we arrived, but the rain gradually subsided and fortunately, it became sunny. White-bellied green pigeons were flying in, but they were quite wary and would not come down to the rocks. Also, it seemed to be raining quite a bit on the mountain in the direction from which they flew in. However, they gradually started descending to the rocks, and we were able to observe them drinking seawater.
Green Pigeons flying inPigeons drinking some seawaterPigeons getting caught in a wave
When the green pigeons that had been drinking seawater, took off all at once, a young peregrine falcon appeared. I didn’t see any attacks on the green pigeons, but it seems like the falcon had been hiding somewhere close by.
Juvenile Peregrine Falcon
I was a bit worried about the rain forecast for our last day, but considering that last year it was sunny and quite hot, it ended up being a good day, which was a relief. During the tour, we had an interesting combination of subalpine birds at an altitude of 2,300 m and the White-bellied green pigeons on the coast, and we could see a wide variety of birds this year.
(Total of 27 Bird Species）
Report by: YOSHINARI TOSHITAKE
Observation: August 21-23, 2023, Mt. Fuji 5th station, Oiso Coast
*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Okinawa & Amami Oshima. We can make various arrangements for your trip.
We met a family of Red Fox in Rausu during the spring months, when the temperatures had not yet risen to double digits yet.
The three red fox kits lived under the floor of a building called ‘Banya’, which is a hut used by the sea fishermen.
I met these kids when they were less than two weeks old, and they still couldn’t see very well. The parents were frequently grooming them, to remove the dirt from their fur.
After observing them for a few days, I could get to know their daily schedule, and the relationships between the three siblings.
The third kit, which is a little smaller, was often seen dozing off or behaving a little differently then the other two. Every morning, when the time came for the fishermen to return to the port, the parent fox would also go to the port to get the fish from the fishermen.
Red Fox cubRed Fox cubRed Fox cub
Every year, from May to June in Rausu, it is not uncommon to find baby foxes coming out suddenly from under the floor of the huts, jump out onto the road, or sadly even get hit by a car in the road. During this season in Eastern Hokkaido, animals such as deer and fox are raising their families, so there is a need to be extra careful when driving.
*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.
There are two subspecies of the Ryukyu Robin (Akahige in Japanese): Larvivora komadori komadoriwhich inhabits Amami Oshima Island, and Larvivora komadori namiyei which is found on the main island of Okinawa. These are two species that are considered a subspecies at the moment, but I heard that an announcement to make them two separate species will occur in the near future.
This is a report about a 5 day, 4 night tour conducted in early April.
Day 1 Starts from the main island of Okinawa. First we stop by the Triangle Pond (Sankaku-ike) , a famous birding spot. The usual Eurasian spoonbill (Herasagi) was seen amongst the flock of the usual flock of Black-faced spoonbills (Kurotsura herasagi).
Black-faced spoonbill Photography by Hiroshi KAWADA
We saw Black-winged Stilts (Seitaka shigi) here and there, and Greenshanks (Aoashi shigi) flying by. In the distance, Temminick’s sStint (Ojiro tounen) and a Long-toed Stint (Hibari shigi) are present. On the power lines, the Light-vented Bulbul (Shirogashira) and the Jungle Crow (Ryukyu hashibuto garasu, Corvus macrorhynchos connectens) were calling loudly.
From the Triangle Pond, we headed north to the Yanbaru Area. We waited for the Ryukyu robin (Akahige, Larvivora komadori namiyei) and the Okinawa rail (Yanbaru kuina). We could hear the Ashy minivet (Ryukyu sanshoukui,Pericrocotus divaricatus tegimae), and the Warbling white-eye (Ryukyu mejiro, Zosterops japonicus loochooensis), but we did not hear a sound from the target species. The day was completed after confirming the call of the Yanbaru Rail.
Day 2. A chilly morning, for Okinawa. We set out in the early morning, before sunrise, to see the Yanbaru Rail. We were able to see two rails crossing the road, as well as 4 Ryukyu wild boar.
After breakfast, we went to Akahige Point. Before I could see anything else, an Okinawa woodpecker (Noguchigera) flew to the dead tree right in front of us! We were so lucky! It seems like they were nest building, and we could hear the knocking sounds “kon-kon, kon-kon” coming from inside the hole…In order to prevent disturbing them, we kept our distance and observation time short.
Okinawa woodpecker Photography by Yuji TSUKAMOTO
The Ryukyu robin was the main attraction, but it didn’t make an appearance for a while. But there was one participant saw a male and female, and even captured some photos of it bathing.
Ryukyu Robin, Larvivora komadori namiyei (male) Photography by Hiroshi KAWADABathing Larvivora komadori namiyei (male) Photography by Hiroshi KAWADA
After eating lunch, we went to photograph the Pacific swallow (Ryukyu tsubame), perched along the roadside. Other tourists who saw the scene of us gathered around asking “What is that?” After I answered them, they pulled out their cell phones also and started to snap photos as well! (Lol).
Pacific swallow Photography by Hiroshi KAWADA
After that, we went to the nearby rice field in search of shorebirds and other waders. Unfortunately, the area had changed so much, that it no longer seemed like a place for the shorebirds to hang out.
In the morning, some people had missed the Red-winged woodpecker and Okinawa woodpecker, so we headed back to that point. Sadly, however, we could not see much and ended up running out of daylight.
Day 3 This is the last day of the tour on the main island of Okinawa. However, we did not have much time, so we started from before dawn to look again for the Okinawa Rail. We waited in a certain spot for a long time, but they did not appear there. I did, however see some on the road several times.
After breakfast, we only had one hour. At Akahige Point, we managed to see one individual male. We also got a good look at the Ashy minivet (Ryukyu sanshoukui, Pericrocotus divaricatus tegimae.
Ryukyu Robin Komadori komadori namiyei (male) Photography by Kayo TSUKAMOTOAshy Minivet Pericrocotus divaricatus tegimae Photography by Hiroshi KAWADA
We arrived at Naha Airport to head to Amami Oshima. Although it was a little chilly in Yanbaru, it was so hot in Naha! Our plane took off heading to Amami Oshima.
It was windy in Amami Oshima, so we gave up on birdwatching along the coast, and went for a walk through the forest sanctuary instead. While we didn’t have much time there, and the sky looked suspicious as well, we got to see the White-backed Woodpecker (Ooaka gera, Dendrocopos leucotos owstoni). And we were really hoping to see a White’s Thrush subspecies, the Amami Thrush (Ootoratsugumi, Zoothera dauma major). However all we saw was the Amami Jay (Rurikakesu), and then we were out of time.
After checking into the hotel and we had finished our dinner, we set out for a nightwalk. Accompanied by a local guide, we drove along the forested roads. As a result, we could see many Amami woodcocks (Amami Yamashigi) and the Amami Rabbits (Amami Kurousagi). Also, we could see endemic species such as the Amami Woodcock, Amami Rabbit, Amami Ishikawa’s frog (Amami Ishikawa gaeru), Okinawa pit viper (Himehabu), and the Amami spiny rat (Amami togenezumi),making it a very special night.
Amami Woodcock Photography by Hiroshi KAWADAAmami Rabbit Photography by Yuji TSUKAMOTOAmami Ishikawa’s frog Photography by Kayo TSUKAMOTORyukyu scops owl Photography by Hiroshi KAWADA
Day 4 We were a bit worried about the weather, but we set out in search of Amami thrush, Amami jay, and other thrushes. Unfortunately, we had a little rain, on and off. We broke the participants up into two search groups, one for searching for the Ryukyu robin, and one searching for the Amami thrush. The Ryukyu robin group could end up seeing a few. The Ryukyu thrush group, could see one, but no one could catch a photo of it.
Then, after lunch, we split up into two groups again, and we were all able to see the target species and get photos of them both, fortunately. We also had some good opportunities to photograph the Ryukyu jay.
Ryukyu Robin Larvivora komadori komadori Male）Photography by Yuji TSUKAMOTORyukyu Robin Larvivora komadori komadori (Female）Photography by Kayo TSUKAMOTOAmami Thrush Photography by Hiroshi KAWADAAmami Jay Photography by Yuji TSUKAMOTO
Day 5 Last day of the tour. The weather forecast is not looking good. Unfortunately it looks like rain until the end of the tour.
First, we set off before dawn to listen to the calls of the Ryukyu thrush. On the way, we saw an Amami woodcock and heard the calls of a Ryukyu scops owl. As we parked the car, we had a light rain, but we could hear the calls of the Ryukyu thrush.
After breakfast, we didn’t have much time. But it would have been nice just to see the White-backed woodpecker (Austin Ooakagera), so we searched for it on the way to the airport, but we could not spot it. Finally, we went to a rice paddy, where some migratory birds, might be around. Despite the rain, we were able to see the White-Breasted Waterhen (Shirohara kuina) and the White Wagtail (Houjiro hakusekirei, Motacilla alba leucopsis), the Black-winged Stilt (Seitaka shigi) and other species.
White-Breasted Waterhen Photography by Hiroshi KAWADAWhite Wagtail Motacilla alba leucopsis Photography by Hiroshi KAWADA
This tour was a hyper-focused tour just for the hardcore birders, with the aim of seeing both subspecies of the Ryukyu robin on the main island of Okinawa and on Amami Oshima, and I can say it was a success. I wish to thank all the participants, who made the most of their precious time, over the course of 5 days, to intensely help search for birds, from early morning until late at night.
Text : Kenji YANAGAWA – Bird concierge
Photos are courtesy of all the participants of the tour
Observed： Beginning of April, 2023, Okinawa main island, and Amami Oshima
*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Okinawa & Amami Oshima. We can make various arrangements for your trip.
You might have a chance to encounter the small animals in the parks and shrines while vising the Eastern Hokkaido area.
Among them are the chipmunks, which hibernate through the winter. They will use the entire park in the autumn months to collect food for their winter storage. They may carry many kinds of food back to their nests such as yew nuts, walnuts, acorns, and mushrooms.
The Ezo Chipmunk, Tamias sibiricus lineatus, is a subspecies of chipmunk that is distributed throughout Hokkaido, its surrounding islands, and the islands of the Northern Territories.
Its body is about 15 centimeters long, a similar size as a mouse; and its footsteps are hard to hear, so it is often not noticed. Hokkaido is home to two small species: the Ezo squirrels and the Ezo chipmunks. The biggest difference is that Ezo chipmunks hibernate, but Ezo squirrels do not hibernate.
Ezo squirrels build their nests at the tops of tall trees, and basically live in the canopy. Ezo chipmunks, on the other hand, build burrows at the base of trees and hibernate, so their home range is largely on the ground level.
Ezo squirrels are also longer than Ezo chipmunks, with the squirrel’s tail alone, measuring about 15 centimeters.
Ezo squirrels can be observed throughout the year, but the Ezo chipmunks are easier to find from September to October, which is the busy pre-hibernation feeding season for them.
*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.
Teuri Island is the only breeding site of the Common Guillemot in Japan.
At one time the birds’ population was reduced to 13 birds, but their numbers are now recovering.
This year again, Common Guillemots are seen bringing food back to the nest. Bringing food back to the nest means that chicks are born, and the circle of life continues for these species, which is a very comforting thing to know! The first confirmation was made on 8th of July, so it seems that the Common Guillemot’s breeding season is the same as in previous years.
A project was underway on Teuri Island to use decoys to entice them back to the island due to a decline in their population.
This year, the caves that have been used as breeding grounds have become very cramped with decoys and real Common Guillemots, like a crowded train in Tokyo.
This may be why Common Guillemots have been frequently seen perched on rocks other than the breeding caves since the beginning of July this year.
Pelagic Cormorants also breed on this rocky area and congregate in large numbers in the adjacent hollows. This spot is not visible from land, and can only be observed from a seabird watching boat.
Observation of Common Guillemots went well, as they have been seen flying in groups and floating in the sea in numbers of up to 50.
Common Guillemots fly in flocksCommon Guillemots floating in a flock
The Common Guillemot population, which was reduced to 13 birds in 2002, has been steadily increasing and now exceeds 100 birds. However, there is only one breeding site in Teuri Island so far and no increase in breeding sites has been confirmed, so we hope that the number of breeding sites will increase next time, as there is concern that the population may plummet if there is only one site and natural enemies appear.
Photo & text : Wataru HIMENO
Observation : May-Jul 2023, Teuri Island, Hokkaido
In May 2023, a ‘white killer whale’ appeared in the Nemuro Strait after two years of absence.
White orca / killer whale at Shiretoko, Hokkaiado 白いシャチ
The contrasting color of black and white is a characteristic of killer whales. But this orca’s entire body is white, so the eyepatch and saddle patch are not visible unless you look closely.
After the first observation of two of them separately in the Nemuro Strait in 2019, two white killer whales swimming together made headlines in 2021. And after two years, this year (2023), one white killer whale was seen off Rausu Port.
According to a Japanese news website, he is a “mature male”, “nearly seven metres long by eye measurement”, “at least nearly 50 years old” and “most likely the same individual as the first white killer whale identified in Japan”.
It is not known whether it is an albino (Albinism), which cannot produce melanin due to a genetic abnormality, or a white variant (Leucism) due to mutation. It looks like a white variant because it does not have the characteristic red eyes of an albino and its body colour is greyish.
Pod of 13 killer whales. The colour white is said to be a disadvantage in the race for survival, as it is easily noticeable in nature, but this individual has been able to grow well.
All boats are busy with the rare appearance of ‘white Orca’.
Blows
The tip of the dorsal fin is bent slightly to the left.
Abrasions under the dorsal fin on the left side of the body.
White orca swim peacefully against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains of the Shiretoko Peninsula. We look forward to seeing them back in Shiretoko next year!。
Photo & Video : Shohei MORITA（Shiretoko Serai） Text : Wataru YAMOTO
Observation : May 2023, Rausu – Nemuro Strait, Hokkaido
★Contact us to make arrangements for photographing Orcas of Shiretoko – Nemuro Strait from April to July.
★Wildlife videos are also available on Youtube – we have the playlist as well.
We have summarized the features of three species of birds in the Auk family that are popular amongst birders visiting Teuri Island: Spectacled Guillemot, Common Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet!
(1) Carrying caught fish with their beaks.
The main part of the observation is watching birds bringing fish into their beaks to feed their chicks. This is a common feature of the Auk family, as they are able to swallow fish while swimming in the water and cannot spit out the fish once swallowed to feed the chicks. Hence they fly with several fish in their beak to bring the catch back to the nest.
On Teuri Island, night tours are held every evening during the season (from end of April to the end of July) to observe the 800,000 Rhinoceros Auklets returning to their nests in the evening.
Common Guillemot flies with fish in its beak.
Unlike many other species, Rhinoceros Auklet feed their chicks only once a day, when they finally return home in the evening. Therefore, there are several fish for them to bring into their beaks!
(2) Their wings are short and they need to run on the surface of the sea to fly away
When diving in the sea, the Auk family swim by flapping their wings underwater. For this reason, their wings are shorter and smaller than those of other birds of the same size, so that they do not create resistance in the water.
Spectacled Guillemot’s wings
The size of a Rhinoceros Auklet’s wings clearly differs when compared to the size of a Black-tailed gull’s wings.
Due to smaller wings, the Auk family birds do not have high flight capabilities and flap their wings more frequently in the air than bird species of the same size. They also need to run on the surface of the sea to gain momentum in order to take off from the sea into air.
Among the most beautiful is the red-footed Spectacled Guillemot, which runs along the surface of the sea. You can only see this view up close from aboard a small seabird-viewing boat. Please come and see this beautiful moment when you visit Teuri Island!
Close-up seabird photography from the observation boat.
A sea birds observation boat in the ‘Teuri blue’ sea.
Common Murre or Common Guillemot has a distinctive penguin-like appearance due to its legs positioned at the back of its body. In Japan, they breed only in one place, a cliff cave near the red rocks on Teuri Island. The breeding site of the cave can only be observed from the boat, but they can sometimes be seen floating above the sea from the Akaiwa Observatory. In 2002 their numbers were reduced to 13, but now(2023) exceed 100 and is steadily increasing.
Common GuillemotCommon Guillemot
Spectacled guillemot Cepphus carbo
Spectacled Guillemots, with their very cute red legs and red mouth, breed in the crevices of the cliffs that stretch from south-west to north of Teuri Island. The moment when the Spectacled Guillemot takes off after running on the surface of the water is one of the most beautiful moments, when the colour of the sea, known as ‘Teuri Blue‘ and the bright red legs of the Spectacled Guillemot shine brightly. Take chance to watch it up close from a small seabird-watching boat that run s early in the morning (reservation is a must).
Spectacled Guillemot running on the surface of the sea, with beautiful red legsSpectacled Guillemot, observed from Akaiwa Observatory
Rhinoceros auklet Cerorhinca monocerata
As its name suggests, Rhinoceros Auklet has a rhinoceros horn-like projection that appears during the breeding season from April to July. It is said that there are currently 800,000-1,000,000 rhinoceros breeding on Teuri Island, and the sight of them all returning to their nests at dusk is the one to behold. Because they dig holes in the ground to build their nests, which is quite unusual for bird species, photographers can observe them relatively closely when they return home.
Rhinoceros Auklet returning nest in the setting sunRhinoceros Auklet carrying fish to its chicks waiting in the nest
Ancient murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus
On Teuri Island, they are seen every year from late May to early June. Several birds form groups up to 10 birds and feed on zooplankton and other organisms. Because they are very small and frequently dive, it is very difficult to observe them on days with high wave swell. It is said that they breed only on Teuri Island in Japan – take the rare chance to capture them here.
Ancient murreletAncient murrelet
Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus
This cormorant normally lives in the open sea. During the breeding season when they come to Teuri Island, their entire bodies are covered with a amazingly beautiful sheen, and the base of its beak is stained red. They can build their nests in small bumps and hollows in cliffs, using saliva and mud to harden very fine nesting material, so natural enemies such as mammals cannot approach their nests.
Pelagic Cormorant at nesting site, with chicksPelagic Cormorant carrying nesting material
Japanese cormorant Phalacrocorax capillatus
A species of cormorant widespread across Japan. During the breeding season, its head turns white. Cormorants hunt deep underwater where visibility is poor, so they have blue eyes that are easy to see when viewing in the dark. They have a low oil content on their body surface to facilitate swimming easily underwater, and can be observed spreading their wings on rocks to dry their bodies after swimming.
Japanese cormorantJapanese cormorant
Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris
This species of gull is characterised by its yellow legs and tail with a black band. On Teuri Island, their numbers have increased dramatically in recent years, with the estimated number of nests doubling from two years ago in 2021 to around 5,000 now in 2023. Kurosaki Beach (literally “Black-cape beach” in Japanese), a major breeding ground for Black-tailed gulls, is often called ‘Shirasaki Beach (“White-cape beach”)’ because its black rocks have turned completely white from their excrements.
Black-tailed gullBlack-tailed gull
Slaty-backed gull Larus schistisagus
A large gull with pink legs and a bright white tail. It reigns at the top of the biological pyramid on Teuri Island, and will swallow an adult Rhinoceros Auklet up to 38 cm long awhole. Black-tailed gull chicks, pit vipers and sea urchins are other favorites. If you see sea urchin shells lying around town, they are often the remains of the Slaty-backed gull’s meal.
Slaty-backed gull eating sea urchin
This Slaty-backed gull, just after swallowing a whole Rhinoceros Auklet, has its wings overflowing from its mouth and its chest is swollen with Rhinoceros Auklet!
There were two tours conducted in December 2022. This is the first tour report that took place Dec 12-16, 2022. Reported by bird guide, Yoshinori Toshitake.
Day 1
We gathered at Kagoshima Airport and headed to Izumi by private car. We arrived at Izumi in the afternoon and started looking for the cranes. First, I saw the Sandhill Cranes, but it was far away on this day, so I decided to look for the Common Crane and a Siberian Crane, while of course observing and photographing the White-naped Cranes and the Hooded Cranes.
A family of White-naped Cranes drinking waterForaging Hooded Cranes
Day 2
We arrived at the reclaimed land while it was still dark, and first observed the sunrise and cranes. The cranes flying in against the backdrop of the sunrise was beautiful, and the participants were engrossed in getting their photos of the scene.
Sunrise and the cranesThe Cranes as they forage
After the sunrise, I was aiming to see the Daurian Jackdaw, which was perched on the electric wires. On this day, I could see the white-colored one, known as “Shiromaru.”
Rook（Right） and Daurian Jackdaw (two birds on the left)
After that, while I was watching cranes from the roof of the Observation Center, I found some Black Cranes hiding in the shadows of the road. I waited patiently, moved to a position where I might see the whole body of the cranes without the other cranes blocking it. This year, the number of cranes is a bit less than normal, but it is all a matter of timing if you can see them or not.
A Black Crane
While I was waiting for this crane to come out from the flock, a Perigrine Falcon also appeared, and the ducks that were foraging in the farmland got pretty riled up by it.
The Peregrine Falcon
Then, we tool a walk along the river, where we aimed to find the European Peduline Tit and the Chestnut-eared Bunting. We could first, hear the calls of the tit, out on the reed bed, but they appeared pretty close by eventually. It is a very small bird, but it didn’t sing at all while observing it, so it took quite a while for everyone to be able to spot it.
Eurasian Penduline Tit
The Chestnut-eared Buntings were perched on the concrete embankment, and an Osprey was observed bathing in the river. Ospreys are often only seen in flight, so it is quite rare to see them in the water.
A bathing Osprey
In the afternoon, we went into the mountains and looked at the dam and along mountain streams. The Mandarin Duck were still very cautiously avoiding us, and the Mallards, Eurasian Wigeons, and Common Pochards were seen in the water near the dam. While I was scanning for Mandarin Ducks in the darker areas of the edges of the water, I saw a Mountainhawk Eagle gliding, for just a moment. And as I approached the area of the Crested Kingfisher, I found one perched on some driftwood. The kingfisher flew away and then landed on a dead tree, so I tried to put it in the scope while informing everyone, but it flew off again immediately. Also, on the way back, when crossing the bridge, I heard the call and saw the flight of the kingfisher. Surprisingly, there were two that flew together in the upstream direction of the river. In the evening, we returned to the reclaimed land and observed Eurasian Spoonbills and Northern Lapwing.
Flock of Eurasian SpoonbillA Northern Lapwing
Day 3
We arrived at the reclaimed land while it was still dark, but unfortunately the clouds were so thick that we could not see the sunrise or the moon. I was waiting in the car, regretfully thinking that it would be useless to try to observe anything, but a Siberian Crane appeared. The Siberian Crane was easy to observe last year, but it was rare to see them this year.
A White-naped Crane (behind) and Siberian Crane (in front)
We left Izumi early to catch the ferry before noon and headed to Kumamoto. The ferry heading to Shimabara was bustling with the Black-headed Gulls looking for snacks from the passengers even before our departure. I don’t know how many there were, but after the ship left the port, many of them continued to follow the ship.
The Black-headed Gulls as they follow the ferry
After leaving the port, we observed a large flock of Brown Boobies resting on the embankment, and that day, there were also some flying near our ship.
Brown Booby flying above the waves
The Isahaya Reclaimed Land has vast cultivated farmlands and reed beds. In the field of reeds, there were various species we observed, such as the Hen Harrier and Common Reed Bunting. The Common Starling and Common Kestrel were seen and photographed in the farmland areas.
A Juvenile Hen HarrierThe Common Starling
Day 4
In the morning, we visited the Isahaya reclaimed land again. Birds of prey such as the Common Kestrel and Common Buzzard can be seen around the reed bed. The Merlin was also observed targeting hunting the small birds on the edge of the grass.
Common KestrelEastern Buzzard
In the afternoon, we moved to Higashiyoka in Saga Prefecture, and observed the mud flats at high tide. On this day, the tide level was much lower than normal even, though it was high tide, and the mud flats were dotted with shorebirds, Common Shelducks, Saunder’s Gulls, and other species of birds.
The mud flats dotted with various shorebirdsSaunder’s Gull
On the way from the mud flats back to the hotel, we found a magpie, which I rarely see anymore. It was observed perched on a powerline, and then on the roofs of the houses.
Day 5
Since we saw the magpie yesterday, I changed the plan and headed to the reservoir first instead. We could see the thousands of Bikal Teal, very alive and well, and the large flocks of them were spread across the open water.
A large flock of Baikal Teal taking flight
Here, we took a walk on a paved road, less than 3km, and enjoyed watching the large flocks of Baikal Teal, as well as being able to see birds of prey, such as the Northern Goshawk and smaller birds, such as the Common Reed Bunting. After that, we went up the river and observed Common Kingfisher, Long-billed Plover, Brown Dipper, etc. in the stream with clear water. Then we headed to Fukuoka Airport, and ended our tour there.
（99 Confirmed Species）
There were two tours conducted in December 2022. This is the first tour report that took place Dec 7-11, 2022. Reported by bird guide, Yoshinori Toshitake
Day 1
We gathered at Fukuoka Airport and headed to the Ariake Sea in a private car. On the way, we had lunch at the service area of the highway, and started birding at the reservoir. Last year there were only a few birds, but this year more than 5,000 Bikal Teal were there. It was an overwhelming amount of birds!
The huge flock of Bikal Teal
With so many ducks, we were able to enjoy the appearance of birds of prey such as the Hen Harrier and Northern Goshawk. But when returning to the car, I was happy to hear the cry of the Eurasian Magpie. Magpies inhabit Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures, but especially around Saga, their numbers are declining so there are times when I can’t even see them. So carefully, we approached them, and this time could even observe them, luckily. I was able to take photos of the birds catching food on the ground and in the trees.
Magpie foraging for food in the trees
After that, we went to Higashiyoka higata (shoreline), and since it was low tide, we could see the vast tidal flat before heading to the hotel.
Day 2
In the morning, we went to the same Higashiyoka tidal flats to observe waterfowl, such as sandpipers and plovers in the high tide. Unlike yesterday, the birds were all so close, and we were enjoying observing the flocks of Dunlin, Eurasian Curlew, Common Redshank, Common Shelduck, Saunder’s Gull, and many other waterfowl. Then, suddenly the flock of Dunlins all took off, all at once. They synchronized their movements, and I enjoyed the murmuration, as they shifted their direction in unison. This is exactly why the Higashiyoka mud flats are a great example of Japanese shorelines, a truly vast and wonderful environment.
A Dunlin flock taking flight all at onceEurasian Curlew and Common Shelduck
On this day as well, we had lunch on the highway service area, and in the afternoon, we headed to the Isahaya reclaimed land area. In the reed beds, we observed the Hen Harrier, Eastern Marsh Harrier and the Merlin as they were hunting. In the agricultural areas there were Northern Lapwing, Common Starling and Chestnut-eared Bunting, and in the waterways we saw a Green Sandpiper. We also could enjoy seeing some wild mammals, a Japanese racoon dog ‘tanuki’ in the reed beds, and wild boars ‘inoshishi’ in the farmed areas.
The Eastern Marsh HarrierA Rook & Common Starling
Day 3
In the morning, we visited the reclaimed land again and observed the Black-winged Stilt, Common Kingfisher and a Common Kestrel. I also saw a wild boar in the farmland area. Yesterday, it was only showing its tail, as it ran away, but today I was able to see it nearby.
The Wild Boar on cultivated land
After that, we took a ferry from Shimbara, and watch the birds from the boat. As soon as the boat departed, a flock of Black-headed Gulls, gathered in front of us to catch food thrown by the passengers, and we enjoyed watching them fly around with the beautiful backdrop of Mt. Unzen.
A Black-headed Gull and Mt. Unzen’s Peak
Then, just before entering the port, about 600 Brown Boobies were also observed on the embankment. I was amazed at just how many of them were gathered there.
Brown Boobies resting on the embankment
We got off the ferry, went to Izumi, even though it was early in the evening, we observed the cranes on the reclaimed land. Of course we saw the Hooded Cranes and White-naped Cranes, but I was feeling like I was missing something, so I searched hard and found a couple of Sandhill Cranes also mixed into the flock.
A Sandhill Crane
Day 4
Cranes are most active in the early morning hours, as they are fed in the morning. On this day, we arrived while it was still dark, and aimed at shooting the cranes flying against the backdrop of the sunrise and the moon. We were lucky that the weather was good, and the moon was almost full. While it was still a bit dark, a Short-eared Owl appeared as it was being attacked by a crow.
The moon and the cranesSunrise and the cranes
Once the cranes settled down, my next target to see was the Daurian Jackdaw. Just at this timing, a group of rooks gathered on the electricity wires above and there was a jackdaw mixed in with them as well. I could see the white type of jackdaw (commonly called a Shiromaru), from a distance, so I was able to photograph it capturing the entire body, without any difficulty.
On the left, the Daurian Jackdaw and a Rook
It seems that the sole purpose of this same electric wire is not just to pass electric currents, but to give a flock of Cinnamon Sparrows a perch also. Unlike the common sparrows where both sexes have the same patterns, these Cinnamon (or Russet) Sparrows have different patterns for males and females, making it a very cute bird to watch. After watching them for a while, we tool a walk along the river to aim to see the European Penduline Tit and Chestnut-eared Bunting. Although I could hear their calls, I could only visually confirm it once we returned to the car. Other species seen along the river included the Dunlin, Osprey, Eastern Buzzard and Common Reed Bunting.
The Cinnamon Sparrows
In the afternoon, we headed up the mountains to target the Crested Kingfisher and the Mountainhawk Eagle. We saw Mallards, Eurasion Wigeon, Common Pochard, etc, resting on the open water. The Mandarin Duck, which prefers dark places near the water’s edge, is the most cautious one, so even if we are far away, if it senses we are within a certain range, it will fly away to hide. Unfortunately, we were not able to see the Mountainhawk Eagle or the kingfisher, but we were able to hear the cries of the Eurasian Jay and Japanese Grosbeak. In the evening, we returned to the reclaimed land to observe the White-naped Cranes and Hooded Cranes for a while.
An OspreyWhite-naped CranesHooded Crane
Day 5
This morning, again, we arrived at the reclaimed land before dawn and observed the cranes into the morning. On this day, the moon was hidden by the clouds, and the sunrise was different from yesterday, so we could experience the daily changes of the weather. There were fewer cranes this year, but the density of the foraging in the morning is quite impressive. They started eating the food scattered far away and gradually approached us.
The scene during the morning foraging
After returning to the hotel and checking out after breakfast, we observed the cranes some more and saw some Eurasian spoonbills on the reclaimed land. Izumi is a famous wintering ground for the cranes, but there are also many other species of birds. The Eurasian Spoonbills are astonishing as they sit right next to the road or forage in the three-sided channel.
The urasian Spoonbills
After enjoying, the birds of Izumi until the very last minute, we headed to Kagoshima Airport, where we ended the trip. There were fewer cranes this year, due to the influence of bird flu, but I was able to enjoy the smaller birds and raptors, besides the cranes. It was a photography-focused tour, but Kyushu in the winter has a lot to photograph, and I think everyone who participated, took a lot of photos.
(99 Confirmed Species)
