#birdsofjapan - Wildlife of Japan

2024.06.08 update

Ochishi and Kiritappu in Early Summer

In early summer, seabirds in breeding plumage and sea animals can be seen on the Ochishi cruise and at Cape Kiritappu, and beautiful flowers and grasses can also be found in the marshlands along the way.

Ochiishi Cruise and Surrounding Waters

From Cape Nosappu to Cape Erimo, part of the cold Oyashio (Kuril) Current flows along the coast, especially from Nemuro to Cape Kiritappu, which is the area with the lowest sea water temperature in Japan. As a result, tufted puffins, red-faced cormorants, and other seabirds that are difficult to see outside of this area breed here. The uninhabited islands of Yururi Island and Moyururi Island in Ochiishi are especially important breeding grounds for seabirds, and both landing on the islands and fishing in the surrounding area are prohibited. Currently, seabird observation by permitted fishing boats is operated in some areas.

To visit the waters of Yururi Island and Moyururi Island, you must take a Ochiishi cruise operated by the fishing association. The cruise takes about 2.5 hours on a local fishing boat and involves observing birds in the surrounding waters. Since this is a fishing boat, the cruise can be quite bumpy and subject to waves depending on the weather, so please make preparations to deal with seasickness, assure your belongings are adequately waterproofed, and bring warm clothes.

The following is a list of seabirds and marine animals that can be seen.

Cape Kiritappu and the Surrounding Wetlands

Cape Kiritappu is a breeding ground for sea otters and many seabirds can be seen here. If you are lucky, you may see tufted puffins and harbor seals. Since this area is accessible by car, it can be an alternative destination in case the Ochiishi cruise is cancelled due to bad weather or lack of passengers.

In the Cape Kiritappu wetlands near Cape Kiritappu, large colonies of daylily, hare’s-tail cottongrass, and other grasses and flowers can be seen, as well as many birds that prefer the grasslands. In addition, along the road to Ochiishi, there are several small wetlands and grasslands suitable for flower and bird watching. Here you can also expect to see red-crowned cranes with their chicks.

Below are some of the birds and flowers that can be seen in the wetlands. Please refer to the seabirds at Cape Kiritappu, as they are similar to those on the Ochiishi cruise mentioned above.

Photo & text : Hiromichi HAYASHI

Observation : Ochiishi & Kiritappu, Nemuro, Hokkaido

*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We operate a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko and Teuri Island. both are perfect location for wildlife lover.

*Youtube : Wildlife of Japan

Tags: #birdsofhokkaido, Ochiishi, Ochiishi Cruise, Birds of Hokkaido, Widlife tour of Hokkaido, Birds of Japan, Kiritappu, Tufted Puffin, Rhinoceros Auklet, Pigeon Guillemot, Spectacled Guillemot, Japanese Murrelet, Saiyu Travel Japan, Pacific Loon, #wildlifeofjapan, Japan Bird watching tour, #birdsofjapan, #saiyutravel, Birds Photography Hokkaido

2024.01.30 update

The Spectacled Guillemot : A Timeless Favorite among Teuri Island’s Seabirds

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

The Spectacled Guillemot: A Timeless Favorite among Teuri Island’s Seabirds

The Spectacled Guillemot, known as “ケイマフリ” (Keimafuri) in Japanese, holds an unwavering popularity on Teuri Island. Its name is derived from the Ainu word “ケマフレ” (Kema-fure), meaning “red-legged.”

True to its name, the Spectacled Guillemot not only possesses red legs but also has a similar crimson color inside its mouth. While observing its courtship behavior on rocky shores, it display its legs while opening its mouth to court potential mates, they leave viewers mesmerized by its stunning beauty.

Compared to other Alcidae birds inhabiting Teuri Island, the Spectacled Guillemot excels at taking off from the water’s surface. It performs a skillful take-off by running on the water while building momentum before finally lifting off. (On the other hand, the other two species, Common Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet, perform take-offs by half-swimming and flapping their wings on the water’s surface.)

The sight of “Teuri Blue,” the mesmerizing color of the sea, combined with the radiant red legs of the Spectacled Guillemot, is incredibly beautiful. Many visitors come to Teuri Island solely to witness this enchanting spectacle.

Furthermore, during the latter part of the breeding season, around late June, you can also observe the Spectacled Guillemots carrying food in their beaks to feed their chicks. This heartwarming sight showcases the dedication and care these birds have for their offspring, adding to the enchanting experience of witnessing their behavior on Teuri Island.

The diverse range of prey that the Spectacled Guillemot carries, such as larval fish and small sculpins, adds to its allure and charm. Observing these graceful birds transporting various types of food is truly captivating.

It’s wonderful to hear that Terasawa Takaki, a photographer residing on Teuri Island, has been so captivated by the charm of the Spectacled Guillemot that he created a Japanese sake named after them and even adorned his own boat with illustrations of the bird. His passion for these birds is truly inspiring.

Takaki Terasawa’s boat ケイマフリ号 name after Spectacled Guillemot

I wholeheartedly agree with the invitation for everyone to come and visit Teuri Island to experience the magic of meeting the Spectacled Guillemots in person. It is undoubtedly an unforgettable experience that will leave visitors in awe of the island’s natural beauty and its remarkable avian residents.

Image & text : Wataru HIMENO

★ 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: Spectacled Guillemot, #spectacledguillemot, Teuri, ケイマフリ, Keimafuri, Bird photography in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Birds photography, Birds of Hokkaido, Sea birds, Birds of Japan, #birdsofjapan, #teuriisland, Teuri Island, #birdphotographyhokkaido, Rhinoceros Auklet, Birds Photography Hokkaido

2024.01.07 update

Mt. Fuji in the Summer! Observing Subalpine birds at Okuniwa and the White-bellied green-pigeon on the Oiso Coast

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 HO

Japanese 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.

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.

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 5^th 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.

*Youtube : Wildlife of Japan

Tags: Red-flanked bluetail, Oiso Coast, Coal tit, Okuniwa, Goldcrest, Okuniwaso, Japanese leaf warbler, Wildlife of Japan, White-bellied green-pigeon, Mt.Fuji, Birding tour Japan, Mt.Fuji Birding, Saiyu Travel, #wildlifeofjapan, Bird photography in Japan, #birdsofjapan, Birding in Japan, #birdphotographyjapan, Eurasian bullfinch, Oiso