[edenwatcher]

Originally I wasn't going to do a thread on my trip to see the avian wonders of Japan in winter, but better later than never. Rather than a blow by blow account I'll just give a few words and lots of photos.
This was the first Japan in Winter trip run by one of the leading tour companies and was a resounding success. It was absolutely magnificent - one of the best trips I've ever done.
We began by flying to Kagoshima on the southern island of Kyushu. We spent 3 nights in Izumi - close to the crane reserve at Arasaki. This holds almost the entire wintering population of hooded cranes and a significant proportion of the white-naped cranes.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

and some more from our first day at Arasaki.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Last lot

Rob

[StuartReeves]

Keep them coming Rob, Japan in winter is very high on the list of trips I want to do. Out of interest, what focal length lens were you using for these photos?

Stuart

[edenwatcher]

Hi Stuart, I was using 400mm lens. Japan is a photographer's paradise.

On day 2 we headed up the west coast of Kyushu to Yatsushiro, known as a wintering site for the rare Saunders'sssss Gull. The very obliging philippensis blue rock thrush was seen at a toilet stop on the way!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Further up the coast we found several black-faced spoonbills and incredible numbers of dabbling duck, especially pintail (~18000).
We finished the day with a visit to a reservoir in the hills where we saw mandarin duck and crested kingfisher.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Day 3 saw us begin with a final visit to the cranes. A couple of interesting subspecies to look at: buff-bellied pipit of the form japonicus and eastern rook (pastinator).

Rob

[edenwatcher]

From Arasaki we headed east to the mountainous Kirishima-Yaku national park.
At Kirishima shrine we found the secretive grey bunting and a very confiding pale thrush. Moving on to the crater lake of Mi-ike we found Ryukyu minivet, Baikal teal (sadly too distant for pics) and an uncharacteristically showy White's thrush.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Last lot from Kyushu.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

After a final morning visiting the neighbouring crater lake of Ko-ike we returned to Kagoshima and flew to Tokyo (great views of Mt Fuji from the plane). We then headed west into the Japanese alps (more views of Fuji). Most tours visit Karuizawa, but we went further south to Tateshina. Here we stayed in 2 very nice pensions (2 nights in the first, 1 in the second as the other was full) both of which put out huge amounts of seed and attracted vast flocks of passerines.

Rob

[kittykat23uk]

lovely photos, sounds like a great trip!

[edenwatcher]

Some people chose to visit the Japanese macaques bathing in hot springs for the day, but as this involved a long bus trip, several of us decided against it. We spent the day walking around the pension and watching the feeders. Bird numbers were incredible with e.g. 80 hawfinches, 50 Japanese grosbeaks, 60 bramblings, 30 Asian rosy finches etc.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Some more feeder shots ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Japanese green woodpecker was one of the highlights of our first afternoon, though we failed to locate copper pheasant. Lesser grey tit (aka Japanese tit, Parus minor) is a realignment of the great tit complex.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

Next day we headed down to the foothills as heavy snow was falling higher up. A park contained several buntings, including yellow-throated. We then visited Chino City and a Wild Bird Society of Japan feeding station on the river which had a good range of approachable wildfowl. Sadly the only falcated duck here was a female (we did see drakes elsewhere). Can't believe they were feeding them white bread though.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

In the afternoon we returned to Tateshina and our second pension, higher up the mountain. Here the feeders had a slightly different range of species - 100 Asian rosy finches being particularly impressive. We were disappointed to hear that a male copper pheasant that was a regular visitor had killed itself on the windows only days before ... However we went out into the snow and first a female flew over our heads, then we had scope views of a male on the ground.
In heavy snow we retreated to the pension for our last night on Honshu ...

Rob

[edenwatcher]

For all the delights of Kyushu and Honshu, the northern island of Hokkaido is the one with the most charismatic birds. The snow continued unabated throughout the night and we glad to get down to the motorway and clear roads. The layout of Tokyo Haneda airport (divided into North and South terminals depending on which part of Japan you are going to) meant that we encountered total chaos. Northern Japan had been hit by a big storm (heavy snow/strong winds)! Although Kushiro was unaffected we weren't able to check-in! We eventually left a couple of hours late. Hokkaido was rather cold - the display at the aiport said -10C (and was dropping as we watched it!). We spent the night in Tsurui near Kushiro, in the heart of red-crowned crane country. Dawn the next morning saw us on a bridge over the Tsurui river with hordes of Japanese photographers as the sun rose over cranes roosting in the river. It was a brisk -21C! Later in the morning we visited (unsuccessfully) a Ural owl stake-out, seeing our first Steller's eagles en route. A very confiding pair of cranes was much appreciated however.

Rob

[edenwatcher]

As we were about to leave a carload of Japanese photographers turned up - whereupon the cranes started dancing!

Rob

[edenwatcher]

and some more ...

Rob

[ed keeble]

Originally Posted by edenwatcher

and some more ...

Rob

I'm enjoying it and I'm sure others are too! What's the blurry bird in the tree above the cranes at Tsurui?

[edenwatcher]

Hi Ed,
having looked at the full size image it doesn't seem to be a bird ...
I enjoyed your trip report and pics from your 2005 trip.

Rob

[Vectis Birder]

Wow, what wonderful images, Rob.

[edenwatcher]

Thanks VB. We then visited the Akan international crane centre, perhaps the best of the crane feeding areas. In the early afternoon fish is put out, ostensibly for the cranes but really for the eagles ...

Rob

[Capercaillie71]

Excellent photos Rob. I particularly like the dancing cranes and the WTE photo is stunning.

[edenwatcher]

Lots more eagles to come Paul ...
Steller's eagles flew over several times but did not come down for fish. As for the white-tailed, most shots were not on full zoom!

Rob