Category: – Shiretoko / Rausu

2023.11.17 update

Shiretoko Peninsula: Red Foxes Born at the Fisherman’s Hut (Banya)

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 cub
Red Fox cub
Red 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.

Photo & Text: Kaito IMAHORI
Observation:  Rausu, Shireoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

*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.

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2023.08.12 update

White Orca (Shiretoko, 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.

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2023.03.03 update

Wildlife Sightings for January in Eastern Hokkaido

February is generally the peak season in Hokkaido’s eastern region, but what is it like in January? In this blog, we would like to introduce the wildlife that you might see in East Hokkaido (Kushiro, Notsuke Pennisula, Rausu) in January.

Short-Eared Owl (Notsuke Peninsula)

During this period, short-eared owls migrating from Siberia and other places, could be observed (depending on the year). This grassland owl is a rarity in Japan, but when you visit the open grassy fields in the evening, you might observe them flying around looking for mice. After that, as the weather gets colder, many of the owls migrate to other places around the main island of Japan (Honshu), so Hokkaido in January might be the best time to photograph the snowy landscapes with short-eared owls.

Ural Owl (Eastern Hokkaido)

The ural owl, is an endemic species that inhabits Hokkaido as a resident year around. It is easy to spot these birds in the leafless trees.

Blakiston’s Fish Owl (Rausu)

The Blakiston’s fish owl can be seen from a facility along the Chitorai River in Rausu. It is a very rare species that inhabits only eastern Hokkaido and Far East Russia (Kunashir Island).

White-Tailed Eagle (Rausu, Notsuke Peninsula, Nemuro)

In eastern Hokkaido, there are wildlife that migrate here to overwinter, and there are also resident birds as well. They are most abundant in February, and can be easily seen flying around Lake Furen and Rausu.

Steller’s Sea Eagle (Rausu, Notsuke Peninsula, Nemuro)

The Steller’s sea eagles, which breed in Far East Russia such as in the Kamchatka Peninsula, migrate to eastern Hokkaido in the winter. February is the most common, month they start arriving, but I was able to confirm their appearance in January as well.

Red Crowned Crane (Tsurui Village)

In January, the red-crowned cranes are preparing for the breeding season. I was able to see the paired couples singing and dancing together, and a young bird practicing alone. From February to March, the breeding season is in full swing, the number of couples increase and the time they spend doing their displays goes on for longer periods of time.

Red Fox

The red fox, a subspecies that inhabits the Sakhalin, Hokkaido and its surroundings, is also approaching their breeding season as well. During this period, males will walk large areas in the deep snow searching for females, so the muscles of the upper body are said to be very developed, and this one here is a good example, showing very developed pectoral muscles.

One fox approached us with the Kunashir Island in the backdrop, and if you look closely at its tail, you can see some small hair loss. Scabies is spreading among the red foxes, and is seems to be causing a population decline.

Ezo Sika Deer

These are some Ezo Sika Deer with the Kunashir Islands in the background. At this time of year, they have winter fur and are very cute, but they have a voracious appetite and are highly successful at reproduction, so in some areas they are being exterminated due to damage to agricultural areas. At Shiretoko Sarai, the venison is added to the menu so it is not wasted.

In addition, you might see kestrel and a group of long-tailed tit.

January was a fulfilling time to encounter wildlife in eastern Hokkaido for a 3 nights and 4 days stay in January.

Photo & text: Wataru HIMENO

Observation: Jan 2023, Eastern Hokkaido

*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.

*Youtube : Wildlife of Japan

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2023.01.03 update

Raising The Next Generation of Blakiston’s Fish Owl; Observed in Rausu

Two chicks were born in 2022

Usually, the Blakiston’s fish owls will mate in February and lay two eggs in March. The female warms them for 35 consecutive days, without rest. However, for the Blakiston’s fish owls it is very challenging with various factors influencing the results: like the extreme weather and cold temperatures during breeding; the physical condition of each owl itself; and their past experience of raising chicks. On average only one bird survives until fledging.

At the Blakiston’s fish owl Observatory in Rausu (Washinoyado), the birds can be observed throughout the year, and in June 2022, the pair were able to fledge both chicks for the first time in 15 years! The young birds practiced flying near their nest, and then eventually around August, they would come down to the river with their parents to learn how to catch the fish. Around September, they learned how to hunt for themselves, becoming more independent.

Mother bird showing how to hunt

The mother taking the food to the chicks

Sometimes, there are young birds that cannot fish successfully, and end up on the roadsides to try to eat roadkill. However, they might end up getting hit by cars due to the dark conditions. Thankfully, our two chicks at the Observatory have been safe from this kind of accident so far.

One of the chicks born in 2022

In December, the two will become independent, and then around 2024 they will mature and find their own partners and live somewhere in Shiretoko. I am praying that they can both survive the trials of winter to live long lives.

 

Image & text: Kaito IMAHORI

This report is based on observations till Oct 2022

*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.

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2022.12.23 update

Brown Bears Awaiting The Salmon Run On Shiretoko Peninsula

The fall of 2022 was a rough start to the winter for the bears. The pink salmon, which usually go upstream starting from mid-August every year, provide an important source of fat and nutrients for the bears to survive the winter. But this time, there were almost no salmon that came.

A brown bear with the pink salmon, which are dwindling in number

In 2021 was said to be bad with 1/10 the number of salmon compared to the year before. But this year was even more horribly below that. We rarely observed the brown bears in August this year, even though normally we would see them, if we took a boat along the coast. It was thought that the shortage of food would continue, but in September, the chum salmon returned in numbers that were close to the previous years’ numbers.

Chum salmon surfing the waves

The bears which had returned to the forests due to the lack of salmon, came back to the shorelines in September to look for returning salmon. Due to the short period of time, and fierce competition, it was quite difficult for the mother bears with cubs and the younger, weaker bears to get close enough to the beach to catch the salmon. In only a month’s time, the long, harsh winter of Shiretoko will begin.

A mother bear showing her cubs how to fish for salmon

A cub imitating its mother

I hope they can get through the winter, and we can see them again next year.

 

Photography & text : Kaito IMAHORI (Shiretoko Serai), observation SEP2022.

*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have our guesthouse Shiretoko Serai in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

Please see other article from Kaito IMAHORI about Wildlife of Hokkaido

Rausu : Where the Killer Whales Gather

Blakiston’s fish owl that lives in the forest of Shiretoko

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

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2022.11.20 update

Ezo Red Fox in Winter

The Ezo red foxes live all over Hokkaido island. Officially a subspecies of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, they inhabit the islands of Hokkaido, Sakhalin and the Southern Kuril Islands.

For those of us who live in Hokkaido, they are a familiar face that we often see in the city. However, people should be careful not to get close to them because they are hosts to a parasite called Echinococcus. Echinococcus (a type of tapeworm) is said to have spread to Hokkaido through fur fox farming in the Aleutian Islands and Kuril Islands. Sadly, the Ezo red fox has become the definitive host of the parasite Echinococcus. There are programs for delivering anthelmintic drugs to the fox population to reduce the infection rate.

A pair of Ezo red foxes during the breeding season (Notsuke Peninsula).
A pair of Ezo red foxes during the breeding season (Notsuke Peninsula).

During the summer, Ezo red foxes don’t look very beautiful because their fur sheds unevenly. Unlike the Japanese red foxes of mainland Japan (a subspecies of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes japonica), the Ezo red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, which inhabits Hokkaido, north of the Blakiston’s line, has fluffy winter fur and gives it that beautiful look.

The bushy fur covers the Ezo red fox

Also, the whiteness of the snow makes their brown fur stand out. Especially from February to March, during their breeding season, they are often seen in pairs. If you are lucky, you may see them chasing each other playfully, or mating in the forest.

A couple of playful Ezo red foxes.
A couple of playful Ezo red foxes.
A couple of playful Ezo red foxes.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)

*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.

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2022.09.20 update

Steller’s Sea Eagles and the White-tailed Eagles Living in the Drift Ice in the Sea

White-tailed eagle, at fishing port in Rausu

This year (2022), many Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles have come to Shiretoko and Rausu to pass the winter. This year, about 300 Steller’s sea eagles and about 120 white-tailed eagles, made a total of 420 birds that were observed at one time.

White-tailed eagle at fishing port in Rausu
Steller’s sea eagle
White-tailed eagle in action
Steller’s sea eagle on the drift ice

Rausu has long been used by many eagles during the winter months. A big reason for that is the fishing industry. In winter, cod fishing reaches its peak in the Nemuro Strait between Rausu and Kunashir Island. Until 30-40 years ago, Rausu accounted for nearly half of all Hokkaido catches, with 110,000 tons of fish being caught in 1989, the catch was the highest. At that time, the ships were overflowing with fish, and the eagles were busy eating them. Today the harvest has decreased to about 10,000 tons a year, so the fish no longer overflow from the boats. Now, the tourist boats serve the role that the fishing vessels once did, giving them the fish to eat to help the Eagles survive the winter.

Steller’s Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles gathered around the tourist boats.
White-tailed eagle on the drift ice
White-tailed eagle on the drift ice
Steller’s sea eagle on the drift ice

Photography & text : Kaito IMAHORI (Shiretoko Serai)

*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have our guesthouse Shiretoko Serai in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

Please see other article from Kaito IMAHORI about Wildlife of Hokkaido

Rausu : Where the Killer Whales Gather

Blakiston’s fish owl that lives in the forest of Shiretoko

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

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2022.08.14 update

East Hokkaido Wildlife Photography Tour in Early Summer (Part 1)

This is a June field report on the tour conducted by Gaku Tozuka, a photographer, when we toured Eastern Hokkaido during the early summer.

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 1

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 2

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June 12 (Sunday)　Cloudy with Heavy Rain
We started with taking photos around Lake Furen, early in the morning. Typically, on good weather days, we would start the morning around 4:30 to 5am, but on this day, it was dark and cloudy so we gathered in front of the lodging to begin shooting.

hokkaido wildlife

A pair of Red-crowned Cranes were in the marsh.

The yellow flowers of the Thermopsis montana in the foreground help to frame the pair off in the distance.

hokkaido wildlife

I was loading the bags in the car after breakfast when I saw a bright red male Long-tailed Rosefinch just on the opposite side of the road. Everyone started clicking away.

hokkaido wildlife

We head to the Ochiishi port, and on the way there were a pair of White-tailed Eagles perched on a large tree. We approached quietly and slowly and showing no signs of wanting to fly away, we could get photos of them from the bridge.

hokkaido wildlife

I was honestly a little worried about the rough seas and being able to get out for the cruise in Ochiishi, but we were able to leave safely.

The Rhinoceros auklet was the first thing we saw, appearing now and then. But the real challenge is taking photos with the waves rocking the boat…it was really swaying. Such difficult conditions to get a good photo!

hokkaido wildlife

So I happened to look up just as a bird was flying over us…(It was stubby and plump, but flew higher than a puffin…!) So I blurted out “Tufted Puffin!” and luckily or unluckily by the time everyone looked up, the bird had flown so close, but all they could see was the tail as it flew away. These recent years have seen a decrease in the number of sightings, so we were just lucky to see it at all!

*Side note: In Japan, these species are so rare to be seen but they do breed on Yururi Island and Moyururi Islands.

hokkaido wildlife

After that, our guide spotted a young Horned Puffin which we photographed. The other tour participants seemed to have trouble getting a good photo of it that was in focus. But this bird is rarely seen in Japan and on top of that, it was in its summer plumage, which is even more rare!

There was some information going around that many Red-faced Cormorants were around this year, so we went to the rocky outcrops. It is very challenging to photograph from the rocking ship, but the tour members did a pretty good job.

hokkaido wildlife

We then made our way to the rocky area where we could observe the Sea Otters, and the first ones we saw were a baby with its parent. Soon after that we encountered a raft of sea otters, maybe 10 or so who were wrapped in kelp. It was like we transported to California! For me, this was the first time to see such a scene and I was super excited! In Hokkaido the sea otters only breed in the Nemuro area (Cape Kiritappu and the Moyururi Islands) so again, we were so lucky to see this many at once.

hokkaido wildlife

The otters wrapping themselves in the kelp beds. Sea otters found in Hokkaido are subspecies, Enhydra lutris lutris. It had at one time disappeared from the wild in Japan, but it was confirmed to be breeding since 1980.

hokkaido wildlife

There were some Spectacled Guillemots in the area so now and then we could grab some photos of them as well. Just before entering the harbor to alight, the Arctic Skua also made an appearance. I could not get a good photo of them, but typically they live offshore, so again, we had a fortunate chance to get to see some so close to the port.

June 13 (Monday) Rainy and Remained Cloudy after the rain
We headed to the Nosuke Peninsula in the early morning. There, the deer had already finished off the grass in the most easily accessible areas for photography. This is usually the place that the birds go for collecting nesting materials, but due to the overgrazing, the bird’s numbers are decreasing, and we could not see them. We moved on to some spots where we could see some flowers blooming, but it was quite cold there, so the birds were not feeding near the flower blooms. This is because when the temperatures are cold, the bugs stay close to the ground.

hokkaido wildlife

The Ezo deer in their summer coats.

hokkaido wildlife

However, the Common Cuckoo was flying around in the area. We could see some other small bird species that were nesting in the area as well.

This day’s lodging in Rausu was the Shiretoko Serai, an inn run by our Saiyu Travel Agency. The dinner was so elaborate and presented to nicely, that I could not believe I was in Rausu. Then at night, we were off to see the Blakiston’s fish owls…if only we could have stayed to relax and enjoy the meal a little longer! lol

This year, the pair of fish owls had 2 chicks, so the parents were at the feeding spot often to catch food for them. They came at 7:50pm, then again at 8:50, but we did not see them again after that. We finished our evening birding activities as planned around 11PM. (If the Owls had not made any appearance, we would have stayed until midnight, just in case.)

Photography & Text : Gaku TOZUKA (Bird photographer)
Visit: 2022, 11-16 JUN, Eastern Hokkaido

*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have our guesthouse Shiretoko Serai in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

Please see other article related “Birds Photography in East Hokkaido”

Bird Photography : Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle (Rausu, Hokkaido)

Spectacular View! Rausu Drift Ice Cruise at Dawn (Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula)

Rausu’s Drift Ice Cruise and the Drift Ice in the Port of Rausu・The Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle

Icy Lake Furen: Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle (Lake Furen, Hokkaido)

Long-tailed Tit : Winter Photography Tour (Nemuro, Hokkaido）

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2022.08.01 update

Traditional Summer in Shiretoko Rausu: Kelp Harvesting

Our guesthouse in Rausu,  Shiretoko Serai’s  Nature guide, Shouhei Morita sent us a report from the 2021 Summer Season. It is actually not a wildlife report, but an article about ‘Local Foods’ of Rausu where we can introduce more about the bounties of the sea.

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Unfortunately, this year the Shiretoko summer season experienced a smaller catch of fish then usual.

Since kelp is harvested every 2 years, based on the growth rates from one year, the fishermen predicted that “Sadly, next year’s harvest will not yield very much.”

The harvest is conducted from late July to the end of August. During the kelp harvest, you can see the kelp lined up on the stone beach on the way to the Aidomari fishing port, only 25 minutes away from central Rausu by car. At its peak, the whole town is wrapped in the nice scent of kelp.

Rausu kelp, which is treated as the finest product in Japan, is carefully produced by hand for a majority of the 23 processes, with the whole family pitching in. The white powder on the surface of the kelp is not mold, but is another product. It is a sugar called Mannitol, which is sweet and umami ingredients.

One of the things that makes Rausu kelp special is this white powder on the surface. This year was a not a very good year, and only a small quantity of high quality kelp could be shipped out.

In recent years, kelp has finally been recognized world-wide. Rausu kelp contains plenty of marine minerals from Shiretoko. It is a unique sight of “Rausu’s fishing village,” where we can see the kelp being processed and harvested up close.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)

*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.

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2022.04.03 update

Shiretoko Peninsula: Brown Bears and Whales Drifting Ashore

Our guestouse in Rausu, Shiretoko Serai’s nature guide, Shohei Morita wrote a report from the 2021 Summer Season!

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This year I could see many brown bears!

Along the Shiretoko Pass which connects Rausu to Utoro, I could see brown bears many times along the way. Due to the pandemic and its effects, this year the tourists coming to Shiretoko Peninsula was much less than usual, so we had less traffic, compared to before.

Also, I could see many brown bears on the boat cruises that leave from Rausu’s Aidomari fishing port. We used the small boat that is usually used for Kelp farming, and I was able to get this shot of the bear from the boat. From summer to autumn, brown bears are attracted to the small rivers along the coast to catch the salmon run.

A bear with a salmon

Year after year, the number of salmon are decreasing while the number of fishermen continues to increase. This makes the situation difficult and a lot of stress on the bears. But despite that, I saw a momma bear teaching her cub how to catch salmon.

There was an unusual encounter with the carcass of a whale washed ashore, and the brown bears gathered around it. It is said that it has been more than 10 years since a large whale had been washed ashore.

It is a large whale, perhaps either a fin whale or a humpback whale.

This is a mother bear with her two cubs who had been born this year. This year’s bad fishing year made the national news, but locally, for the fisherman and especially for the brown bears, it was a big blow. I just hope that this abnormal situation in the sea will end as soon as possible, and that there can be a return of the “Rich seas of Shiretoko.”
And I hope that these two cubs can survive the winter.

Photo & text: Shohei MORITA (Shiretoko Serai)
Observation: Summer – Autumn 2021, Rausu, Shiretoko, Hokkaido

*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.

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