Birding tour Japan - Wildlife of Japan｜Saiyu Travel

2021.09.01 update

Spectacled Guillemot at Terui Island / Akaiwa Observatory

>For information and tours of Teuri Island, click here!

Finally, I had the chance to make it to Terui Island; I have always wanted to visit here. Spectacled guillemots and Rhinoceros auklets breed here, but it is very hard to see them breeding up close overseas.

Photographs from the Small Fishing Boat! Spectacled Guillemot of Teuri Island

Homecoming of the Rhinoceros Auklet (Teuri Island – Hokkaido）

Rhinoceros Auklets on the Rocky Cliffs: Teuri Island

Ocean Sunset at Terui Island, with the Spectacled Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet

We immediately head to the Akaiwa Observatory, where we can observe the spectacled guillemot, and see the world’s largest breeding ground for the rhinoceros auklet. Akaiwa, meaning red rock, is a 48 meter high rock that protrudes from the westernmost part of Terui Island. The surrounding cliffs are called the Akaiwa Observatory, and there are trails and terraces for observing the breeding grounds of the auklets.

The observation boardwalk and the burrows of the auklets. The burrows are about 20 cm in diameter. The auklets do not return to the Island until after it gets dark, but you can still observe the guillemots on the sea-facing cliffs.

The spectacled guillemots returned from sea with the namesake Akaiwa in the background. Spectacled guillemots build nests in the crevices of the ‘Red Rock,’ taking advantage of any small gaps and nooks on the rough surface. From this vantage point, you can see guillemots flying to and from the nests and the sea, as well as get good observations of their courtship behaviors as the pairs sit on the rocks.

A Spectacled guillemot returning from the sea, landing near its nest.

Then the partner came out and they started their display. This was the lovely first glimpse we got, right off the bat.

A spectacled guillemot husband and wife.

I wonder what they are saying to each other, these guillemots.

Their courtships calls pierce the sky.

This is the effect the Akaiwa Observatory can have on you…where you are captivated by the beauty of the guillemots and you forget to look at the time.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jun 2018, Teuri Island, Hokkaido, Japan

★ Visit our web site of TEURI ISLAND.

★Contact us to make arrangements for photographing seabirds on Teuri Island and Wildlife of Japan.

★Wildlife videos are also available on Youtube – we have the playlist as well.

Tags: Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Birds Photography of Japan, Teuri, 天売島, Teuri Island, ケイマフリ, Akaiwa Observatory, Keimafuri, Spectacled Guillemot, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan

2021.08.25 update

Ocean Sunset at Terui Island, with the Spectacled Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet

>For information and tours of Teuri Island, click here!

No where else in the world can you see these rare seabirds nesting, as close as you can on Terui Island, the island of the Spectacled Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet. To get there, one needs to take a ferry from Haboro, Hokkaido for about 1hour and 30 minutes, in the remote reaches of the Sea of Okhotsk. The birds will arrive at the island from April to July, but it is a bit easier on the traveler to come when the sea conditions are calmer, around June. By this time, breeding has passed its peak and you can observe the seabirds hastily raising their chicks.

On the day we arrived on Terui Island, Mr. Takaki Terasawa, a nature photographer living on the Island, told us “Today’s sunset has a lot of potential” so we headed back out to sea in his boat, ‘Keimafuri Gou’ (literally translated to the ‘Spectacled guillemot ship’).

By June, you can see the seabirds diligently carrying a beak full of fish back to their chicks in the nest. Right off the bat, we saw a rhinoceros auklet.

Once the sunsets, it is time to head back to the nest. We could see this figure appear, an auklet with a bunch of fish in its beak. As its namesake implies, the mature Auklet has a growth that resembles a rhinoceros horn, which protrudes from the base of the upper beak.

This rhinoceros auklet has many fish to take back to the chicks waiting at its nest.

This is a guillemot that is carrying some fish in its beak. Probably it has caught the Pacific sandlance? The common name in Japanese for the guillemot translates to “Red legs” derived from the Ainu name “Keima hure” because of its noticeable bright red legs. The English name is based on the smart pair of glasses the birds wear, Spectacled guillemot, due to the white patterns around its eyes. Either way, however, it is hard to understand these descriptive names in this back lit scene.

As the sun sets low and the sky grows dark, it is about the time that one starts to worry about whether the shutter speed on the camera can capture the images we want. More and more guillemots are arriving with fish in their beaks.

The setting sun in the sea off Terui Island.

The striking scene of the setting sun silhouetting the rhinoceros auklets. I have such a deep appreciation to be able to see this amazing site! Thank you!

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Jun 2018, Teuri Island, Hokkaido

★ Visit our web site of TEURI ISLAND.

★Contact us to make arrangements for photographing seabirds on Teuri Island and Wildlife of Japan.

★Wildlife videos are also available on Youtube – we have the playlist as well.

Tags: Teuri Island, Teuri, Rhinoceros Auklet, 天売島, Akaiwa Observatory, ケイマフリ, ウトウ, Keimafuri, Wildlife of Japan, Spectacled Guillemot, Utou, Birds of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido

2021.08.15 update

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (May15-16, 2021)

This is a report for the “BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR” by Gaku Tozuka.

Just to check out the conditions, I visited the site three days before the tour was scheduled to start and took some photos. The weather forecast for the past few days was not accurate. The tour started as scheduled with everyone meeting at Murodo Terminal.

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (April 23-24, 2021)

It was forecasted that the weather for the next day would be bad, but since the weather was good at the moment, we stopped at the roof of the terminal in order to get some photos of the Asian House Martin (Delichon dasypus) for about 30 minutes.

We walked to the inn at 12:30PM and are our lunch right away. Conducting a simple orientation, I explained the general schedule, some basic biology and behaviors of the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta japonica). After we finished lunch, we put our luggage away and had a quick explanation of the lodging and we started shooting more photos quickly thereafter. There were people gathering outside already, by the time I stepped outside. Right off, we found a pair of rock ptarmigans and could get some photos right away, but they quickly hid in the Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila), so we moved on to find some other ptarmigans.

A Pair of Rock Ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica)

In April we had an average amount of snowfall, but now considering that it is May, there was still a lot of snow on the ground for this time of year. Perhaps it was due to that, but the rock ptarmigans didn’t stand on top of the large rocks, as they usually do. This is one of the shots we are aiming for, so it was a bit challenging that they did not do it. So, we returned to the first location where we saw the birds earlier and we found the female resting on the dwarf pine and got photos of it there. As we watched, a male moved slightly in the background, and as we positioned in the direction of their movement, we could get the two birds together making all the participants satisfied with some exciting action! Lol! The pair made their way back to the cover of the tree, and so we moved on to the next photo point.

At the new spot, another ptarmigan was there as well! It was good for photos, but a white fog rolled in, and after a while, it flew away.

We were planning to take a break around here, but then a different male bird came out on the opposite side. It looked like it was possibly being wary of other males, and when we looked more closely, we could see a female was nearby. As we were getting the photos, we realized there was a second female close by as well! So, we were able to get a rare chance to see and photograph two females in the same shot. It really does not happen often, so we were careful to get many photos of the scene as we could.

After getting the photos, the females started fighting each other and the male had to chase one of the females away. I am not sure how much of the drama the other group members could catch of the exchange, but it offered an exciting variation from the normal behavior. A heavy fog rolled in, so we took a break at the lodging. Even though I was thinking that the sunset won’t be visible, the fog suddenly lifted, so we prepared with some warmer clothing and headed out to look for ptarmigans again. We quickly found another pair again. The light on the birds was good for photos, but unfortunately the ropes and posts were in the way, so it was hard to get a good photo. These birds didn’t move at all, so we packed up our gear and moved over to the sunset photo point.

We were going to set up the tripods to get the photos of the sunset, but a strong wind was blowing, and we just couldn’t risk using the tripods. So, we took photos holding our cameras firm in hand. The weather was changing rapidly but amidst enduring the cold, we were still excited for the rare chance to get photos of a nice sunset.

On the second day, we met at 5 AM, but the heavy rain prevented our getting any photography time. We all had our breakfast at 6 AM. We gathered up again at 8 AM to discuss what to do next. There was a consensus to head back home, so we packed up our bags and arrived at Murodo terminal in the rain and concluded the tour there.

Sleeping Male Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta japonica)

In April and May, we conducted these 2 days and one night tours, but perhaps it is a bit too hard of a schedule? I am thinking perhaps it is to tough. It is an high-altitude location, so it is harder for people to adjust to the lower oxygen levels, when compared to photographing on flat ground at lower elevations.

For all the participants, it was quite difficult to walk in the snow for 2 days, especially also due to the strong winds and in the heavy rain. But I do hope they were able to fully enjoy the chances to see some rock ptarmigans and the beautiful sunset. Thank you so much for participating in the tour!

Image & Text: Gaku TOZUKA
Observation: May 2021, Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture

Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1966 and currently resides there. Became interested in photography when he was a junior in high school. He has been taking photographs mainly of natural scenery and wildlife, which he has loved since he was a child. Currently, rather than taking “pretty, cute, and cool” photos, he focuses on taking photos of scenes that have a human touch and environmental scenes that show the relationship with human life. Ultimately, he aims for “photographs that have a smell. His work has been published in photo collections and exhibitions, and used in magazines, illustrated books, and calendars. His photographic collections include “Raicho Korokoro” and others.

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

Tags: ライチョウ, Rock Ptarmigan, Tateyama, Tateyama Rock Ptarmigan Photography, GAKU TOZUKA, Raicho, Wildlife of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, 立山

2021.08.05 update

Homecoming of the Rhinoceros Auklet (Teuri Island – Hokkaido）

>For information and tours of Teuri Island, click here!

Teuri Island is the largest breeding ground in the world for the Rhinoceros Auklet. They are a member of the ancient murrelet family, and just as the name suggests, it has horn-like protuberance at the base of its upper beak, in its summer plumage.

The birds returning after sunset, to their nests on Teuri Island, during the breeding season is masterful. The beaks of the adults will be filled with fish like the Pacific sandlance and come into the nest at an amazing speed! When you see it, you’d think they will just collide into the ground!
After enjoying an early dinner at the lodge (fresh seasonal sea urchins at that!) the guide took us to Akaiwa Observatory parking lot. It is good manners to take this tour with a local guide in order to avoid accidents, as there is a chance that the rhinoceros auklet might be resting on the road. Once we attached our observational light to the guardrail next to the roadway and set up the tripods, then we are ready for getting some photos.

We can hear the sounds of the feathers ruffling in the wind just before the they land. Then there is a bit of a tussle between the birds that could catch fish and the birds that couldn’t as they battle for the food and cry out “Gu-e” when attacked. Those parents that couldn’t find any fish attempt to desperately “steal” their neighbor’s catch. The birds with fish, rush to their burrow after landing in order to protect the food for the chicks.

A rhinoceros auklet with a bunch of fish in its beak. It will scurry into its nest to avoid getting robbed on the way.

One auklet in hot pursuit of the one with a fish. They passed just at my feet unaware of their observers.

The pair of rhinoceros auklets appeared out of the burrow we were observing, just in front of us. They were so loving to each other.

It was a very satisfying night at the Akaiwa Observatory for us as we could see the fast homecoming + fish-filled beaks + a lovey-dovey pair of auklets.

Photo & Text : Mariko SAWADA

Observation : Jun 2018, Teuri Island, Hokkaido, Japan

★ Visit our web site of TEURI ISLAND.

★Contact us to make arrangements for photographing seabirds on Teuri Island and Wildlife of Japan.

★Wildlife videos are also available on Youtube – we have the playlist as well.

Tags: Wildlife tour in Japan, Teuri, Birds Photography of Japan, 天売島, ウトウ, Teuri Island, Utou, Rhinoceros Auklet, Bird in Hokkaido, Akaiwa Observatory, Seabirds in Japan, Birding tour Japan, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido

2021.07.15 update

（Video）The First Flight of Dawn with the Geese in Kabukuri Wetlands

Kabukuri-numa in Miyagi Prefecture is a place where you can see geese which form large flocks together from Tohoku, Northern Japan for overwintering. The Greater White-fronted Geese and the Cackling Geese can be seen in large flocks. Also the Bean Geese and Lesser White-fronted Geese can be seen as well.

This is the morning scene around Kabukuri Wetlands in mid-November. On this particular day, perhaps due to the weather, the geese took flight in smaller groups, instead of taking off all at once.

The flight formation of the geese (called Gankou in Japanese), made for a breathtakingly beautiful scene with the Japanese snowy mountains as a backdrop.

Kabukuri-numa ・Geese take flight at dawn｜Saiyu Travel 蕪栗沼・雁の飛び立ち夜明けの蕪栗沼｜西遊旅行

Video & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: End of November, Kabukuri-numa wetlands, Miyagi
Special Thanks: Hobby’s World, Mr.Yoshinari TOSHITAKE

Tags: Gan, Wildlife of Japan, Kabukuri wetlands, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Izu-numa, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Izunuma wetlands, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Greater White-fronted Geese, Wildlife in Japan, Cackling Geese, Birds Photography of Japan, Bean Geese, Bean Goose, Kabukuri-numa, Lesser White-fronted Geese, Izunuma, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Kabukurinuma, Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose

2021.07.05 update

（Video）Geese Going to Roost at Dusk (Kabukuri-numa Wetlands)

This is a winter report from Japan’s goose migration at Kabukuri-numa in Miyagi Prefecture.

The video below shows scenes of the geese heading to roost as dusk approaches. The weather on this day was not very good, but the Greater White-fronted Geese and Cackling Geese were coming in from all directions. It was so moving to take it all in, with the calls and the sight of Geese in every direction.

The Roost of Thousands of Geese at Kabukuri-numa in the moonlit night 月夜・雁のねぐら入りの景色

The formation of the flocks of geese as they fly (skein), in Japanese is called Gankou [雁行（がんこう）]. And geese alighting together in Japanese is called Rakugan [落雁（らくがん）] … beautiful Japanese words that bring such imagery when they are mentioned, can be seen in this video as the geese fly in unison as they enter the roost. It is so elegant to watch as they flutter and slow down just as they land in the water.

Video & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: End of November, Kabukuri-numa, Miyagi
Special Thanks: Hobby’s World,　Mr.Yoshinari TOSHITAKE

Tags: Birds Photography of Japan, Izu-numa wetlands, Gankou, Kabukuri-numa, Rakugan, Kabukurinuma, Geese wintering in Japan, Cackling Goose, Birding tour Japan, Kabukuri wetlands, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Izu-numa, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Japan, Greater White-fronted Geese, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Cackling Geese, Wildlife tour in Japan, Greater White-fronted Goose, roost of geese

2021.06.15 update

Cackling Geese Wintering in Japan’s Kuril Islands

The Cackling Goose in the Kuril Islands

Once deemed extinct in the Kuril Islands when it was still under Japanese rule, the cackling geese have been reintroduced to the Islands and I was fortunate enough to encounter a flock when visiting there.

Coming to Japan for over-wintering and for breeding, the cackling goose will use the central islands of the Kuril Island Archipelago (in Japanese called ‘Chishima retto’ or in Russian called ‘Kurilskiye ostrova’). Before WWII, when the Kuril Islands were under Japanese rule, Blue Foxes (dark-colored morphs of Arctic Foxes) were introduced to the islands for the purpose of fox fur farming. As a result, the cackling goose was driven into extinction. The last record of observations was made in Miyagi Prefecture in 1935, with geese in flocks of hundreds, before they disappeared.

At first in Alaska, the fur industry was booming in the Aleutian Islands as red foxes were introduced to the islands and ended up decimating the cackling goose populations. Then in 1962, some breeding cackling geese were discovered in the Aleutian Islands. Due to conservation and breeding efforts to restore the population, the number of birds began to return. These birds were then used to help continue to restore populations in the Kuril Islands by the ‘Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection’ in close partnership with the ‘Sendai Yagiyama Zoological Park’ (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture), the US Government and Russian researchers over many years. From 1995-2010, birds were released on fox-free Ekaruma Island as a project to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

So, this is about the first time that I could see these wild cackling geese. We were travelling the eastern coast of Shiashkotan Island during a “Kuril Islands Adventure Cruise” when I saw a flock of birds landing on the water. I asked aloud, “Oh, what birds are those?” Luckily, they landed relatively close enough for us to be able to ID.

The touring bird photographers and the sea bird guides were so ecstatic to see them!

These are the breeding cackling geese of the central Kuril Islands. The ones without a white ring on their necks are the juvenile individuals. We approached them in an inflatable rubber boat, keeping enough of a distance, so they did not fly off.

Cackling Goose, flying against the Shiashkotan Island backdrop, in the Kuril Islands.

Starting with a relatively small number of geese released in the central Kuril Islands, on Ekarma Island, populations expanded, and more birds learned the migration route over the years, coming back repeatedly. Currently, now the birds migrating to Japan annually number over 8,000.

That first encounter with them was in mid-August 2018. Since then, I wanted to see them here in Japan again, but didn’t have an opportunity to do so until winter of 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic limiting international travel, I could finally be lucky enough to see the cackling goose here with domestic travel.

These are the geese of Kabukuri-numa (wetland). I was blown away by how many there were!

I have now been on the cruises to the Kuril Islands 9 times so far, but I have only been lucky enough to see the cackling geese twice – once in 2018 and the other time in June 2019 on Ekarma Island. Due to Covid in 2020, I could not go on a trip to the Kuril Islands, but I do hope the population continues to increase!

Keeping my fingers crossed to be able to go again to the Kuril Islands!

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Aug 2018, Shashikotan Island, Kuril Islands, Russian Far East, Dec 2020, Kabukuri-numa、Japan
Reference : Mr. Masayuki Kurechi, Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection

Tags: Kabukurinuma, Cackling Goose, Wildlife of Japan, Kuril Islands, Birds of Hokkaido, Ekarma Islands, Birds of Japan, Kuril Islands cruise, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildllife in Japan, Kabukuri-numa, Izunuma

2021.06.05 update

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (April 23- 24, 2021)

This a report for our “BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR” by Gaku Tozuka.

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (May15- 16, 2021)

Some of the participants for this tour did not carry sunglasses with them, so they immediately needed to purchase them at the shop. It is best to have sunglasses during this tour because the ultraviolet rays in the alpine areas from April to June can be more intense and dangerous for your eyes, when compared to being on flat ground at lower altitudes. Once you get affected by snow blindness, it could take up to one week before you can start to see again, in the worst case scenario, so for your own safety please follow our recommendation to bring your sunglasses.

After walking a snowy path for about 20 minutes, we arrived at Mikurigaike Onsen. We were 1 hour earlier than originally planned, so we decided to go photograph a rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta japonica) that we had found before we ate. Upon arriving back at that spot, the white rock ptarmigan male starting moving out from under the Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila) as if he was saying “I was waiting for you” as we got some great shots.

White Rock Ptarmigan Male (Lagopus muta japonica)After that, the bird moved to an area where we couldn’t enter, so we decided to go for lunch. Right then, another male popped right out from the same place, and we quickly positioned to get more photos again. Then, this bird also eventually moved to the closed area, so we proceeded and had our orientation while we were eating lunch. We covered the basic behaviors of the rock ptarmigans, tips on how to photograph them and explained details about the lodging where we would be staying.
At 3 PM, we gathered at the front desk and started to make the rounds at the various photo points. We couldn’t locate the birds at the nearby point, so we moved a little further away. When we arrived at that point, there were a pair of rock ptarmigans, tucked under the Siberian Dwarf Pine and staying put. If they had not been there, we would have continued on to look for more birds, but because we knew they were in there, we just decided to stick around and wait. After an hour, the rock ptarmigans finally started moving out and we could get photos of the pair of ptarmigans with a beautiful mountain backdrop.

After that, they moved back under the pine again, so we moved to the evening sunset photo point, where another white male ptarmigan could be photographed. We wished to be able to get a photo of the sunset with the bird together, but unfortunately, we could not.

A White Male Rock Ptarmigan, with the steam rising from Jigokudani

On the second day, we gathered at 5 am in the early morning to look for more ptarmigans and worked our way around various photo points, but we could not find them too easily. While walking, a member of the group saw a place where the feathers of a small bird were scattered. I explained, “In this case, it looks to be like a stoat（Mustela erminea nippon）not a bird of prey.” And after walking a little farther, someone exclaimed, “Oh, there’s a stoat!” When we looked in the direction he was pointing to, we could see the stoat! As we observed it, it popped in and out of sight among the rocks, just in front of us. It was really challenging to get a shot of it, but I managed to get a couple. The other members of our group did not seem to be able to catch a photo of it, but either way, we were all really lucky to see it so clearly at such a close distance! I have been doing this kind of tour for over 20 years, and this is only the 6th time that I could see a stoat!

When it is hot, the conditions are not good for the rock ptarmigans, so they often hide in the Siberian Dwarf Pines, and often do not come out. (So, the two days of ‘good weather’ means we don’t see the birds, so perhaps in this case it was “bad weather”? lol!) Ultimately, we were able to see and get photos of the male and the female white phased ptarmigans and even a pair together. In addition, we could observe the Asian house martin (Delichon dasypus), the Alpine accentor (Prunella collaris), the Japanese accentor (Prunella rubida).

Image & Text: Gaku TOZUKA
Observation: April 2021, Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture

Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

Tags: Bird tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Rock Ptarmigan, Tateyama, Tateyama Rock Ptarmigan Photography, GAKU TOZUKA, Raicho, Wildlife of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Japan

2021.05.26 update

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

This is a report of the Winter Eastern Hokkaido Photography Tour.

After getting photos of the Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles at Lake Furen, we moved on to a chance to photograph the Long-tailed tits. While we were getting our cameras setup, the first bird we encountered was a Eurasian nuthatch. The species Sitta europaea asiatica, which inhabits Hokkaido. And then, the Japanese tit, and the great spotted woodpecker made an appearance and then finally we could hear the calls of the long-tailed tits! In Hokkaido, the long-tailed tit is a subspecies of Aegithalos caudatus japonicus, which is one of the 4 subspecies in Japan. It has a head of all white and looks really cute!

They came to the feeding station and the Japanese bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus which was prepared for the photographer…this set up really highlighted the cuteness of the long-tailed tit.

Long tailed tit シマエナガ｜西遊旅行 Saiyu Travel

This winter, there were new things to look forward to in Eastern Hokkaido!

In Nemuro, we observed the Steller’s sea eagles, white-tailed eagles and other birds at Lake Furen, and in Habomai Port, we could see ducks and some seabirds (though at a far distance) at Cape Nosappu’s Northern territory. It was a very pleasant and fulfilling journey!

Image & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Feb 2021, Nemuro, Hokkaido
Special Thanks: Lodge “Lake Sunset”

*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.

Tags: Birds of Japan, Bird watching in Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Nemuro, Wildlife tour in Japan, Lake Furen, Birds Photography of Japan, Lake sunset in Furen Lake, Birding tour Japan, Furen Lake, Bird tour Japan, Lake sunset, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Long-tailed tit, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Wildlife of Japan, Shimaenaga, 根室, Birds of Hokkaido, Enaga

2021.05.10 update

The Largest Breeding Ground for the Short-Tailed Albatross: Tori-shima Cruise

This is a report of the Tori-shima Nature Cruise aboard the Nippon Maru.

Our 2021 cruise departed from the Yokohama Port on April 18. It was a 2-night, 3-day cruise that circles around Tori-shima, the breeding grounds for the short-tailed albatross. Of course, passengers are not allowed to land on the island itself, but nonetheless, it is a very rare chance to see such an critically endangered bird, as they are nesting on an island that is so inaccessible. It was totally worth it!

Heading to the largest breeding grounds for the albatrosses, Tori-shima.

A large colony of albatross lived on the islands until the Meiji Era, when the practice of collecting and killing the birds for their feathers began in 1888. It is thought that by 1902, at least 5 million birds had been overhunted for the feather trade. In 1902, however, the island’s volcano erupted and killed 125 islanders causing the incident to later be called the “Curse of the Albatross.”

Tori-shima was designated as a wildlife refuge in 1933 to help protect the remaining albatross, but the population continued to decline until in 1949, Dr. Oliver Austin published papers in academic journals declaring that the short-tailed albatross was extinct. Everyone believed this to be true until 1951 when the albatross were sighted again on Tori-shima Island. It was a report made by Mr. Yamamoto of the Tori-shima Meteorological Observatory, who sighted about 10 birds who had survived and were breeding.

In the early 1970’s biological research and activities to restore the population of short-tailed albatross began, lead by Dr. Hiroshi Hasegawa, who also joined our same cruise boat as a speaker. The Tsubamezaki nesting site was located on the southern side of the island, on a very steep cliff. This area was often affected by landslides of the sediment from the volcano, making it a very unstable environment for the nests. Therefore, from 1981, vegetation Miscanthus condensatus & Chrysanthemum pacificum was planted on the slopes in order to help stabilize the soil around the nesting area to improve their breeding success. Despite these efforts, even though it was helping, it was difficult for the birds to have a successful brood where the ground was so unstable.

In the 1990s, a different approach to help guide the birds to a new area for breeding on the north side of the island was undertaken. Albatross decoys were placed on the ground and speakers were used to call to and attract the young albatrosses to the more gentle slopes of the Hatsunezaki area. This attempt was successful and produced better results, eventually leading to Tori-shima currently having three colonies: Hatsunezaki, as the main area, the original Tsubamezaki site and a little higher up from there is the Komochiyama site. Short-tailed albatross, which had once been declared extinct, was in 2018, estimated to have over 5000 birds flying over Tori-shima now.

After leaving Yokohama Port at 5 PM, the 19-hour cruise finally arrived at Tori-shima around 12 Noon, the next day. From the deck of the ship, we could occasionally see both black-footed and short-tailed albatrosses flying around.

A Black-footed Albatross seen from the deck of the ship just before arriving at Tori-shima.

An Adult Short-Tailed Albatross

A Juvenile Short-tailed Albatross

As the ship nears the island, we were on the north side near the breeding grounds of Hatsunezaki. It was still too far to be able to see any birds with the naked eye, but with binoculars, I could see the birds dotting the slopes and flying above the island. As we got closer to the island, the excitement increased as the crowd observing from the deck, could see the birds also.

This is Tori-shima’s northern side. The new colony was created called Hatsunezaki is on the right side of the island.

We arrived on the northern coast around 1 PM. We went around the island counterclockwise from there, while listening to Dr. Hasegawa’s explanation over the ship’s loudspeakers. Around that time, we were close enough to be able to see the birds without using binoculars. I could see so many short-tailed and black-footed albatross.

The Hatsunezaki Nesting Colony

Short-tailed and Black-footed Albatross gliding over the waves

An Adult Short-tailed Albatross

A flock of short-tailed and black-footed albatross, floating together. This is a sight you would never see anywhere else! The people watching through their cameras and binoculars excitedly say to each other, “This is amazing!” and “I can’t believe it!”

Short-tailed and Black-Footed Albatross Flock Resting Together

The flock of mixed albatross takes off together. There seem to be many individuals on the surface that are darker colored, which must be the juvenile birds.

Tori-shima as seen from the west side. You can clearly see that the slope on the north side (left) is a gentle rise, while the terrain on the south side is quite steep.

As we neared the south side of the island, we could see the original Tsubamezaki colony. On the steep slopes I could clearly see the area where the volcanic soils were loose and eroding the slopes. The albatross were slowly moving up the slope to the newer breeding area of Hatsunezaki, but there were still about 550 pairs in the perilous area.

The south side of the island, Tsubamezaki Colony

Close up of the Tsubamezaki breeding area

Since there are no colonies on the east side of the island, the number of birds seen from the boat have become less frequent. As we neared the end of the tour around Tori-shima, the crowd on the deck could be overheard saying, “I wish we could go around one more time.” According to Dr. Hasegawa, if things go smoothly, they expect the population to recover to around 10,000 birds by 2026. Being able to see this process with my very own eyes was a really impressive and exciting process! I hope that by next year, the cruise can make 2 laps around the island!

Photo & text: Kengo YONETANI
Observation/Cruise: 18-20 April 2021 by Nippon-maru, Tori-shima, Izu Islands, Tokyo, Japan

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