Birds Photography of Japan - Wildlife of Japan｜Saiyu Travel

2022.03.22 update

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

雛に狩りを教えるシマフクロウの母鳥 — A mother Blakiston’s fish owl teaches her chicks to hunt

Our Guesthouse in Rausu, Shiretoko Serai’s nature guide, Kaito Imahori, sent us a report from the 2021 season!

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In 2021, I was able to see one chick and a parent bird next to each other at the Rausu’s Fish Owl Observatory for the first time in several years.

Only about 160 owls live in Japan, and it is difficult to find Blakiston’s fish owls in the wild. In Rausu, there is an accommodation called “Washi no Yado” (Fish Owl Observatory) where you can observe the fish owls visit the river through the night, and where bird watchers also gather and can see them every night.

The pair of Blakiston’s fish owls that came here, have failed to breed for many years. From the fall of 2019, a different female started coming around. No one knew where this new female came from, like where she was born or raised and she was much more fearful of people and now they come to the river more rarely.

シマフクロウのペア（上オス、下メス） — The Blakiston’s Fish Owl pair (Top one is the male, lower one is the female)

In June of this year, when we were observing the male, the female suddenly appeared on a dead tree stump with the male, and they stayed for 30 minutes fishing at the river, and then left. After this day, the female started to appear more at the river, and from August, the long-awaited chicks appeared with the parents. The chicks were taught how to feed on the fish swimming in the river by the mother owls.

シマフクロウのヒナ — A Blakiston’s Fish Owl chick

雛に魚を運ぶシマフクロウのオス — The male Blakiston’s fish owl carrying fish to its chicks

The number of chicks found in this year’s survey was at a record high of 37 chicks. I hope that many more owlets can be born and live in the forests of Shiretoko.

Photo & text: Kaito Imahori (Shiretoko Serai)
Observation: Summer 2021, Rausu, Shireoko 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.

Tags: Bird tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Kaito IMAHORI, Rausu, Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Birds Photography of Japan, Photography tour of Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Shiretoko peninsula, Blakiston’s Fish Owl observatory, Shiretoko, Washi no yado, Wildlife of Hokkaido, 知床, Fish Owl Observatory), Wildlife of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Kaito Imahori Photography, Birds of Hokkaido

2021.12.01 update

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

This is a winter report from the Shiretoko Peninsula, Rausu (Hokkaido).

This year the drift ice season in Rausu was very short. The morning we arrived in Rausu, the staff at the lodging, Shiretoko Serai informed us right away, “Until last night, the conditions for the drift ice were very good, but the westerly wind is blowing, so its possible the drift ice might be gone by night time.”
Due to the strong winds, the dawn cruise was cancelled, but luckily we could get a 9am cruise where we could see the Port of Rausu full of drift ice.

This is how it looks in the Fishing Port of Rausu with the accumulated Drift Ice. There are Steller’s Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles feeding in the photo. If one takes the photo zoomed in, without the port in the background, you can get surprisingly great photos that make the eagles look like they are in a very natural spot.

Sea Eagles on drift ice Rausu（Rausu’s Drift Ice Cruise 羅臼の流氷クルーズ）｜西遊旅行 Saiyu Travel

Image & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Feb 2021, Rausu, Hokkaido

Tags: Ojirowashi, 知床サライ, Eagle fighting, Shiretoko Serai, White-tailed sea eagle, Eagle in action, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Steller's sea eagle, Shiretoko, Wildlife of Japan, 羅臼, Rausu, Drift ice cruise, Birds of Hokkaido, White-tailed eagle, Rausu drift ice cruise, 知床, Birds of Japan, Eagle photography of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Rausu sunrise drift ice cruise, Bird watching tour Japan, Shiretoko peninsula, Bird Watching Japan, Oowashi, Wildlife in Japan

2021.11.21 update

Winter in Eastern Hokkaido, Rausu. Drift Ice Cruise and the Steller’s Sea Eagle

The Drift Ice Cruise of Rausu, Hokkaido. This year the drift ice arrived in Rausu around mid-February. This is a photo from a Drift Ice Cruise on March 5. From the day before, it was windy, and the drift ice moved towards the cape on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

We had chartered our boat for the Saiyu Travel’s “Photography Tour of Eastern Hokkaido in Winter” and we headed to sea in our Boat “Ohwashi.” The captain told us, “The drift ice has moved quite a bit, but let’s go check it out. If we travel for about an hour, we will be able to see it probably.”

Just before daybreak, we could see Kunashiri Island (Northern Territory, an island effectively under Russia) we could see a Steller’s Sea Eagle on the ice.

It’s Daybreak.

Sunrise with Kunashiri Island, the ice, and Sea eagles. The morning in Rausu is so breathtaking.

The surface of the sea had shards of ice floating and reflecting the sun like pieces of glass.

The mountains of Shiretoko as a backdrop to the Steller’s Sea Eagle.

The Sea eagle flying to the sea.

The sea eagle locked on to a fish.

The Sea eagles hitch a ride on the floating drift ice off the coast of Rausu.

Once a Sea eagle catches a fish that is thrown from the boat, it flies away. Then another bird will appear to fill the vacant spot.

The remaining bits of drift ice offer a precious place for rest, and they are competing for space on it.

The Steller’s sea eagles eating their fish on the drift ice.

Our boat ran to the Cape Shiretoko and we could finally see the massive drift ice collected there! Steller’s sea eagles were also sitting there as well!

From here on, there is nothing but drift ice. It looks like maybe it continues all the way to Kunashiri Island.

A Stellter’s sea eagle on the drift ice. Then, we heard from the captain, that the wind and waves were getting stronger, so we will turn back here.

The sea of Rausu in the early morning. It was a spectacular time with the Steller’s sea eagles and gulls doing their dance on the drift ice.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: March 2017, Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido
Special Thanks: Captain of the Ohwashi, Mr. KAWABATA and the crew

Tags: Eagle photography of Japan, Widlife in Japan, Birds of Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, 知床サライ, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Rausu sunrise drift ice cruise, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife tour in Japan, Shiretoko peninsula, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Oowashi, 羅臼, Ojirowashi, White-tailed eagle, Shiretoko, White-tailed sea eagle, 知床, Steller's sea eagle, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Rausu, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Rausu drift ice cruise, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Hokkaido

2021.11.01 update

Steller’s Sea Eagle On The Drift Ice（Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula）

This is a Steller’s Sea Eagle that we observed during a Drift Ice Cruise from Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula. It is such a handsome looking bird of prey, with white wings, a white tail, and a large yellow beak and yellow legs.

When open, the wingspan measures 220 to 250cm (7.2 – 8.2 feet), and the weight can be heavy from 5 to 9 kg (11-20 lbs), and the females are usually a bit larger than the males.

They breed on the coasts of the Sea of Okhotsk and the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula, and in the winter a small part of that population will come to the southern part of the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido. There are about 3,200 pairs in the world, and about 2,000 individuals are thought to migrate to Hokkaido for the winter.

The name “Steller’s Sea Eagle” came from the German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller.

Steller was of German but he joined the Russian expedition of Vitus Bering who set out to explore the Kamchatka Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. In 1741, after Bering died of illness on Bering Island, now part of the Commander Islands, the remaining crew and Steller were able to escape and returned home to tell the world of the newly discovered sea animals, such as the Steller’s sea cow and the seabirds living in the area.

Then, as an unfortunate result of being “discovered,” the Steller’s sea cow was overfished and gone extinct within only 27 years of its discovery. Spectacled cormorants were also extinct by 1852.

The reconstructed skeleton of the Steller’s sea cow on display in a private gallery on Bearing Island, Commander Islands.

Returning to the Steller’s sea eagles, they spend the winter in Hokkaido and move back north in the first week of March. It is thought that these Sea eagles did not originally migrate long distances, but came floating on the drift ice to Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands. Then they would return to their breeding grounds for the courtship season. They will lay 1-3 eggs between April to May.

The Steller’s sea eagles against the backdrop of the town of Rausu. Soon, they will be heading back North.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: February 2018, Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

Tags: Eagle photography of Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Birds of Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, 知床サライ, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Rausu sunrise drift ice cruise, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife tour in Japan, Shireoko, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Shiretoko peninsula, 羅臼, Oowashi, White-tailed eagle, Ojirowashi, White-tailed sea eagle, 知床, Steller's sea eagle, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Rausu, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Rausu drift ice cruise, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Hokkaido

2021.10.21 update

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

This is a report from our February 28th Rausu Drift Ice Cruise. We were told to be at the harbor at 4:45 in the morning, so we went straight from the “Washi no Yado”, where we were observing the Blakiston’s Owl up until 4:30am. Without a cloud in the sky, the stars were shining so brightly, in the crisp wintery air of Shiretoko. We headed to the harbor, filled with expectations thinking “Today might be a beautiful day.”

As we departed, I took this shot looking back at the town of Rausu with the backdrop of mountains on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

The Kunashir Island blanketed with red. The captain announced, “Today the drift ice is very close.” Sure enough, we could soon make out the dark shadowy outline of the drift ice.

The drift ice in the foreground, with Kunashiri Island behind. It is beautifully silhouetted in the morning light. The captain let us know “The sun will come out soon.” Everyone was waiting on the deck.

Daybreak.

The Steller’s sea eagles on the drift ice with the morning sun.

The Steller’s sea eagles and White-tailed eagles started to gather around our boat (and the crows too!) Besides that, it was a really beautiful day today!

There are endless shutter clicks on the deck of the ship. Many foreigner bird photographers are on board for the tour and it is not limited to just Japanese people. The early morning daybreak cruise is quite a “hard challenge” because we had just stayed up all night, for observing the Blakiston’s Fish Owls, but this scenery is a wonderful reward for our efforts.

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: February 2018, Rausu, Siretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido

2021.09.11 update

Shiretoko Peninsula – Brown Bears Catching Pink Salmon

In late August, the Shiretoko Peninsula sees the return of the Pink salmon. However, due to a lack of rainfall, the rivers are too shallow for the salmon to swim upstream. As a result, the fish gather along the shore, in the sea, near the mouth of the river.

This is where the Rausu fishermen set up their nets, as do the brown bears, in the same area. This is the time of year when the brown bears are the most hungry and thinnest. The bears will venture into the ocean to catch the pink salmon that cannot enter the river.

This is the scene near “Pekin-no-hana”, on Shiretoko Pennisula with the fishing brown bear. It is like the White-tailed eagle is sitting just behind the bear, as if saying “Hurry up and catch something!” As the bear heads into the ocean…

A bear in the sea water.

The bear dunks its head into the water over and over, while swimming, to look for the Pink salmon underfoot.

It caught a female Pink salmon!

The roe, fish eggs, started overflowing with every bite.

It is probably too tiring to keep swimming while eating, so the bear heads back to the beach. It was there for a while, munching on the salmon with its backside facing us. After finishing off the main parts, the bear heads back into the sea for another round.

The White-tailed eagle quickly moves in to secure the leftover food. Then the crows move in for some leftovers too.

Then, just when we thought this bear would return to fishing, it got distracted and started playing with the net buoys! This must have been a young bear that was still holding on to its playful nature. Our customers who were with us, really enjoyed watching the fun-loving cute bear.

Eventually, it tired of playing and returned to the beach. It was a lovely chance to catch the last moments of summer with the brown bear.

Photography & text : Mariko SAWADA

Special Thanks : Mr.Kokichi TENJIN & Shohei MORITA(SHIRETOKO SERAI（知床サライ)

Tags: Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Brown Bear, Wildlife tour in Japan, Ezo-brown bear, Higuma, White-tailed sea eagle, Brown Bear Photography Hokkaido, Rausu, 知床, Birds Photography of Japan, Shohei Morita, Shireoko, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Shiretoko peninsula, Wildlife of Japan, Ojirowashi, Birds of Hokkaido, Shiretoko, Birds of Japan

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: 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, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Wildlife in Hokkaido

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: 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, Teuri Island, Teuri

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: 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, Wildlife tour in Japan, Teuri, Birds Photography of Japan

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

Tags: 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, 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