Teuri Island is located at 44 degrees north latitude, so during the period from spring to summer, the daylight hours are long, and the sky becomes completely dark around 21:00 (9:00 PM). In the morning, it starts to get bright around 3:00 AM, which means that the nocturnal creatures are spending super busy throughout the night.
Speaking of nocturnal creatures, one cannot fail to mention the owl family. In the year 2023, the breeding of the Long-eared Owl (トラフズク Torahuzuku in Japanese) has been confirmed on the island.
Long-eared Owl トラフズク(Torahuzuku)
During the early spring, we confirmed the presence of three chicks, but from the first half of July onwards, we could only find two. It is suspected that one of them might have died at some point. This experience made us realize the true harshness of nature.
Furthermore, the Kiwi of Japan is called a “ヤマシギ” (Yamashigi), which refers to the Eurasian Woodcock, also inhabits Teuri Island.
The life style of the Eurasian Woodcock is similar to the Kiwi of New Zealand, it is a nocturnal creature and preys on worms and other creatures found near the ground. However, the Eurasian Woodcock has the advantage of being able to fly, which allows it to have a broader range of habitats. It has numerous holes in its beak with nerve endings, enabling it to sense movements and detect prey while inserting its beak into the ground.
Additionally, on warm nights, the only snake species found on Teuri Island, the Japanese Mamushi Viper (マムシ: Mamushi, also known as the Japanese pit viper), also becomes more active.
Japanese Mamushi Viper, Japanese pit viper マムシ (Mamushi)
The snake, often referred to as a nocturnal creature, on Teuri Island, might also be quite active during daytime, especially in the cooler seasons like early spring. Despite being a reptile, it gives birth to live offspring instead of laying eggs. This adaptation might be what allowed it to efficiently reproduce in the fluctuating temperatures of Teuri Island, making it the only snake species on the island.
The Japanese Mamushi Viper is the most well-known venomous snake in Japan. The image of “Mamushi = danger” is deeply ingrained, and this might be a reason why drivers tend to be less aware of avoiding them compared to other creatures. As a result, during the season, I witnessed numerous instances where these vipers were hit and killed by vehicles.
Japanese Mamushi Viper, Japanese pit viper マムシ (Mamushi)
Also, the Japanese tree frog (ニホンアマガエル Nihonamagaeru), the only amphibian species found on Teuri Island, becomes active during the night.
Japanese tree frog ニホンアマガエル (Nihonamagaeru)
Due to its small size, approximately 12km in circumference, Teuri Island has limited sources of stable freshwater, making it challenging for amphibians, which constantly require water, to find suitable habitats. However, despite the scarcity of such environments, numerous individuals of the Japanese tree frog can be found breeding near locations such as rainwater accumulated in abandoned ships and in small springs close to the coastline.
Furthermore, after observing the nocturnal activities, one can enjoy the breathtaking sight of a beautiful starry sky. On clear nights, shooting stars can be observed almost without fail.
Marhama Fishing Port at night
When you visit Teuri Island, please make sure to look up at the night sky before you leave.
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.
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.
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
