Definitely fairly different. Miyakejima is perhaps closer, but Ijima's and Pleske's Warblers are added in the summer. I would also say that Izu Robin and Japanese Wood Pigeon are a lot easier then.
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Birding Japanese: Japan in summer June-July 2023 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Andrew Whitehouse
- Start date
26th June was a fairly easy going day, at least during the morning. I began at Tairo Ike. There was a similar selection of birds as the previous day. An adult Black-crowned Night Heron was by the lake and I had some views of the local subspecies of Eurasian Wren. The Toga headland was also similar to the previous day, although the Streaked Shearwaters were a bit closer in and I had some reasonable scope views of Japanese Wood Pigeon. I had to leave prematurely because the place was infested with huge clouds of tiny sweat loving wasps! I headed back to the hotel, with a Chinese Bamboo Partridge dashing across the road one to add to the list. Late morning I went to Cape Izu. Patient checking of the Streaked Shearwaters eventually revealed another seabird: a lifer Bulwer's Petrel, languidly arcing low over the water. That was encouraging for the ferry trip later in the day.
I got down to the ferry terminal around midday and noticed a couple of large sea turtles bobbing about near the jetty. I'm not sure which species they were. The ferry journey itself was interesting but sometimes a bit frustrating. Conditions were calm and seabirds seemed to be loafing about in response rather than flying more actively. This meant that they tended to be distant and usually weren't flying alongside the boat. There were thousands of Streaked Shearwaters, which appeared all the way into Tokyo Bay. Ten Bulwer's Petrels were seen, mostly north of Miyakejima. Some gave good views. An immature Pomarine Skua was a surprise. I also saw a few storm petrels, but these eluded ID. There were a couple of white rumped birds, which I reckon were Wilson's. The larger dark-rumped birds may have been Tristram's but I think Swinhoe's is also a definite possibility.
I arrived back into Tokyo just as night was falling and checked into my hotel for the night.
I got down to the ferry terminal around midday and noticed a couple of large sea turtles bobbing about near the jetty. I'm not sure which species they were. The ferry journey itself was interesting but sometimes a bit frustrating. Conditions were calm and seabirds seemed to be loafing about in response rather than flying more actively. This meant that they tended to be distant and usually weren't flying alongside the boat. There were thousands of Streaked Shearwaters, which appeared all the way into Tokyo Bay. Ten Bulwer's Petrels were seen, mostly north of Miyakejima. Some gave good views. An immature Pomarine Skua was a surprise. I also saw a few storm petrels, but these eluded ID. There were a couple of white rumped birds, which I reckon were Wilson's. The larger dark-rumped birds may have been Tristram's but I think Swinhoe's is also a definite possibility.
I arrived back into Tokyo just as night was falling and checked into my hotel for the night.
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27th June was a low key day, where I spent a few hours pottering about in Tokyo before getting the train out to Sawara in south eastern Honshu. I did a bit of birding in the afternoon around the marshlands along the Tone River nearby. There were a few interesting birds, including Striated Heron and several Intermediate Egrets.
The next morning, I got on the train (along with myriad Japanese school children) to the small town of Sasagawa. From the station, I walked a kilometre or so to the banks of the Tone and then headed southeast along the embankment. I had one bird in mind, but there was no sign for a while. I figured the marshes were a bit too scrubby. Sure enough, when I got to the more open reedbeds, there was my bird: the very rare Ochre-rumped Bunting. These are very smart toffee and black coloured buntings, that are very localised. Eventually, I saw five singing males, all of which gave nice scope views as they perched up in the reeds. One other speciality of this area is Marsh Grassbird. I heard a couple singing but never very close. I was pretty relieved I'd seen them a few days previously.
The weather was pretty hot, so I headed back to Sawara around midday and took things easy. Then it was on the train again, this time to the coastal port of Oarai. I was about to go on another overnight ferry journey.
The next morning, I got on the train (along with myriad Japanese school children) to the small town of Sasagawa. From the station, I walked a kilometre or so to the banks of the Tone and then headed southeast along the embankment. I had one bird in mind, but there was no sign for a while. I figured the marshes were a bit too scrubby. Sure enough, when I got to the more open reedbeds, there was my bird: the very rare Ochre-rumped Bunting. These are very smart toffee and black coloured buntings, that are very localised. Eventually, I saw five singing males, all of which gave nice scope views as they perched up in the reeds. One other speciality of this area is Marsh Grassbird. I heard a couple singing but never very close. I was pretty relieved I'd seen them a few days previously.
The weather was pretty hot, so I headed back to Sawara around midday and took things easy. Then it was on the train again, this time to the coastal port of Oarai. I was about to go on another overnight ferry journey.
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Yes, a strange noise, although I reckon White-bellied Green Pigeon's 'Clangers' call is even stranger.
I was on the ferry from Oarai in southeastern Honshu to Tomakomai in Hokkaido. It takes around 18 hours. I've done it once before but that was in winter, so I was interested to see how things would differ in the summer. I was out on deck at 4.30am and the first bird I saw was a Black-footed Albatross, so that was a good start. These birds were almost constant companions through the whole journey, with 289 being counted. They were particularly numerous off northeastern Honshu, where large numbers were loafing about on the sea around a fleet of trawlers.
Streaked Shearwaters were also constant companions and at times were incredibly numerous. 5670 were counted, but that was likely a substantial underestimate. Other shearwaters were also about but they were slightly more complicated in terms of identification. There was clearly a mix of the very similar Short-tailed Shearwater and Sooty Shearwater. There were periods where most seemed to be one or the other and there were certainly several hundred, particularly off northeast Honshu. The exact proportions were harder to assess. As the boat got closer to Hokkaido, I started seeing some of the stockier, darker Flesh-footed Shearwater, with over 20 seen.
A few auks were about, with several dark, stocky Rhinoceros Auklets zipping by. As the boat passed through the calm waters off northeast Honshu, I started seeing Japanese Murrelets on the water in small groups. These could be identified from photos I took. Most were in non-breeding plumage but I saw one that still retained most of its breeding dress. In the same area, five Red-necked Phalaropes were also seen on the water. A single Black Scoter was in Tomakomai harbour as the boat entered.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the trip were sea mammals rather than birds. The strait between Honshu and Hokkaido was particularly good. At least 200 Pacific White-sided Dolphins were recorded, with many groups making the sea 'boil' with their active leaps and vigorous swimming. Ten or so Dall's Porpoises were more sedate. More distantly, I saw a couple of large groups of Short-finned Pilot Whales passed through - probably well over 50 in total. Then, thrillingly but briefly, a group of at least four Killer Whales surfaced a few times before disappearing. As the boat approached Hokkaido, a few Steller's Sealions and (I think) a Northern Fur Seal were also about.
I got the bus to Tomakomai station and later picked up a hire car. After checking into my hotel in the town, I headed to Lake Utonai, a lovely spot slightly undermined by being under the flight path to Chitose Airport. The wet woodlands around the lake had a few interesting birds singing, including Asian Stubtail and Narcissus Flycatcher. Some Oriental Cuckoos were calling in the distance. On the lake, a Whooper Swan was lingering around and a White-tailed Eagle perched nonchalantly on a bush. As I got back to the car park, I heard one of the birds I was hoping for. It was the odd stuttering song of Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler. I played a recording and the bird came in, or rather it circled around moving so rapidly that I could never get a clear view. More work needed to be done to get that one on the list.
Streaked Shearwaters were also constant companions and at times were incredibly numerous. 5670 were counted, but that was likely a substantial underestimate. Other shearwaters were also about but they were slightly more complicated in terms of identification. There was clearly a mix of the very similar Short-tailed Shearwater and Sooty Shearwater. There were periods where most seemed to be one or the other and there were certainly several hundred, particularly off northeast Honshu. The exact proportions were harder to assess. As the boat got closer to Hokkaido, I started seeing some of the stockier, darker Flesh-footed Shearwater, with over 20 seen.
A few auks were about, with several dark, stocky Rhinoceros Auklets zipping by. As the boat passed through the calm waters off northeast Honshu, I started seeing Japanese Murrelets on the water in small groups. These could be identified from photos I took. Most were in non-breeding plumage but I saw one that still retained most of its breeding dress. In the same area, five Red-necked Phalaropes were also seen on the water. A single Black Scoter was in Tomakomai harbour as the boat entered.
Perhaps the biggest highlight of the trip were sea mammals rather than birds. The strait between Honshu and Hokkaido was particularly good. At least 200 Pacific White-sided Dolphins were recorded, with many groups making the sea 'boil' with their active leaps and vigorous swimming. Ten or so Dall's Porpoises were more sedate. More distantly, I saw a couple of large groups of Short-finned Pilot Whales passed through - probably well over 50 in total. Then, thrillingly but briefly, a group of at least four Killer Whales surfaced a few times before disappearing. As the boat approached Hokkaido, a few Steller's Sealions and (I think) a Northern Fur Seal were also about.
I got the bus to Tomakomai station and later picked up a hire car. After checking into my hotel in the town, I headed to Lake Utonai, a lovely spot slightly undermined by being under the flight path to Chitose Airport. The wet woodlands around the lake had a few interesting birds singing, including Asian Stubtail and Narcissus Flycatcher. Some Oriental Cuckoos were calling in the distance. On the lake, a Whooper Swan was lingering around and a White-tailed Eagle perched nonchalantly on a bush. As I got back to the car park, I heard one of the birds I was hoping for. It was the odd stuttering song of Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler. I played a recording and the bird came in, or rather it circled around moving so rapidly that I could never get a clear view. More work needed to be done to get that one on the list.
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My first full day in Hokkaido started in fine, warm weather. My first port of call was the coastal scrub at Hama-Atsuma Nohara Park. The day was already quite hot when I arrived but birds were still singing, including another Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler by the car park. Latham's Snipe were calling and cavorting in the marshy spots, where lots of Black-browed Reed Warblers were singing.
I soon heard another interesting bird singing from the rushy grassland by the tiny station platform. A bit of encouragement from a recording, brought reward with brilliant, close views of a Lanceolated Warbler, popping about the grass and scrub and shuffling up the stems to look around. I later had reasonably views of another, with a third heard singing.
I tried in vain to entice a couple more Sakhalin Grasshopper Warblers into view. Easier to see were the rather chunky local subspecies of Reed Bunting and the numerous Amur Stonechats that were perched about. Another relatively easy species to see was the third of the Hokkaido groppers: Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler. One came easily into view as it sang its rather weedy 'Pied Wagtail doing a Lesser Whitethroat' song.
I had a bit of driving to do so was soon on my way northwards. To break the journey and search for a few more birds, I stopped at the wetland centre near Bibai. It didn't take too long to find one of the birds I was hoping for: Chestnut-cheeked Starling. A pair had beakfuls of grubs and a few more males also appeared. Very smart birds. On the lake, an eclipse drake Smew was a bit of a surprise, although I had noticed one had been reported here recently.
I had lunch at a nearby park in Tsukigata, where I was surprised to see a Black-winged Stilt wandering about on the lake shore. Not a common bird in Hokkaido. Three Mandarins, including two drakes, were loafing in the lakeside trees and another Chestnut-cheeked Starling flew over.
I then continued north, in deteriorating weather. Some heavy rain came down and it turned distinctly cooler and windier. I arrived late in the afternoon at Teshio and had a brief potter about the lake and coastal scrub near the hotel. I was very pleased when a small bird sitting on a fence turned out to be a male Siberian Rubythroat. Truly this was 'Siberia in miniature'.
I soon heard another interesting bird singing from the rushy grassland by the tiny station platform. A bit of encouragement from a recording, brought reward with brilliant, close views of a Lanceolated Warbler, popping about the grass and scrub and shuffling up the stems to look around. I later had reasonably views of another, with a third heard singing.
I tried in vain to entice a couple more Sakhalin Grasshopper Warblers into view. Easier to see were the rather chunky local subspecies of Reed Bunting and the numerous Amur Stonechats that were perched about. Another relatively easy species to see was the third of the Hokkaido groppers: Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler. One came easily into view as it sang its rather weedy 'Pied Wagtail doing a Lesser Whitethroat' song.
I had a bit of driving to do so was soon on my way northwards. To break the journey and search for a few more birds, I stopped at the wetland centre near Bibai. It didn't take too long to find one of the birds I was hoping for: Chestnut-cheeked Starling. A pair had beakfuls of grubs and a few more males also appeared. Very smart birds. On the lake, an eclipse drake Smew was a bit of a surprise, although I had noticed one had been reported here recently.
I had lunch at a nearby park in Tsukigata, where I was surprised to see a Black-winged Stilt wandering about on the lake shore. Not a common bird in Hokkaido. Three Mandarins, including two drakes, were loafing in the lakeside trees and another Chestnut-cheeked Starling flew over.
I then continued north, in deteriorating weather. Some heavy rain came down and it turned distinctly cooler and windier. I arrived late in the afternoon at Teshio and had a brief potter about the lake and coastal scrub near the hotel. I was very pleased when a small bird sitting on a fence turned out to be a male Siberian Rubythroat. Truly this was 'Siberia in miniature'.
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Wow! I love pelagics... and all those sea mammals as well... not to speak of the Siberian Rubythroat! Fantastic stuff!
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Steve Babbs
Well-known member
Good stuff. Is it a particularly expensive country to do independently? I know Japan has a bit of a reputation for being expensive but presumably it doesn't have reserve entry fees on 50 dollars a day like, for example, Tanzania?
I think that reputation for being expensive is based on the high value of the yen in the past. These days, I would say it's pretty good value and in most respects is cheaper than the UK/ western Europe. Don't think I've paid much in the way of entrance fees and only occasionally had to pay to park. It's very easy and decent value. For example, this evening I had a two-course Indian meal with beer in a fairly swanky part of downtown Tokyo. It cost around £25. That's one of the most expensive meals I've had on the whole trip. Most of the time, I'm paying half to two-thirds that. I'm staying in a hotel in the same area for around £60 (nice place with very modern, ensuite room).
1st July was a chilly day in the northeast of Hokkaido, but the rain mostly held off. My main reason to visit was to go to the wetlands at Sarobetsu Marsh. I arrived quite early and checked out the area around the car park. A few Oriental Cuckoos were showing well, doing their distinctive monotone call to help distinguish them from the Common Cuckoos that were also around. Some White-bellied Green Pigeons came into the taller trees and gave good views in the scope. I headed out along the boardwalk that goes out into the marsh. Dozens of Amur Stonechats dotted the vegetation and a couple of male Siberian Rubythroats also popped up and sang. Latham's Snipes were burbling away, and one even ran along the boardwalk. A Lanceolated Warbler briefly sang and a few Eastern Yellow Wagtails (taivana subspecies) were seen in the distance.
There were plenty of buntings, with Chestnut-eared Bunting particularly conspicuous. I couldn't find the bunting I was looking for though. The boardwalk at Sarobetsu is supposed to be the most reliable place in Japan for Yellow-breasted Bunting, but there was no sign of any on my fairly thorough walk around. Once I got back to the visitor centre I asked if they had been seeing any. I was told that 'the striped bluefish' (the bizarre English translation of Yellow-breasted Bunting's Japanese name) was not present around the boardwalk this year. Frustrating. I suspected there would be others around the marsh, but it's a big area and most of it is inaccessible. The cold, windy conditions weren't helping either.
I decided that, with plenty of driving still to do, I would continue on. Given the brisk northerly winds, I thought it might be interesting to try some seawatching right in the far north of Hokkaido at Cape Noshappu. I was curious to see what was passing and the main answer was 'hundreds of Rhinoceros Auklets'. Among them was the only Common Guillemot of the trip. Slightly more exciting were a couple of Harlequin Ducks that showed nicely just offshore.
I had a long drive ahead of me but it was quite pleasant on the fairly quiet roads of northern Hokkaido. As I headed southeast, I eventually passed through quite rugged and heavily forested mountains to Sounkyo, where I was staying for the night in a rather fancy but slightly past its best spa resort. I had a wander along the valley before it got dark. Although they weren't even my first of the day, I was very pleased to find a couple of Harlequin Ducks along the river. I was more concerned about the low clouds that were drifting down from the mountains. Would they make things difficult for the next day?
There were plenty of buntings, with Chestnut-eared Bunting particularly conspicuous. I couldn't find the bunting I was looking for though. The boardwalk at Sarobetsu is supposed to be the most reliable place in Japan for Yellow-breasted Bunting, but there was no sign of any on my fairly thorough walk around. Once I got back to the visitor centre I asked if they had been seeing any. I was told that 'the striped bluefish' (the bizarre English translation of Yellow-breasted Bunting's Japanese name) was not present around the boardwalk this year. Frustrating. I suspected there would be others around the marsh, but it's a big area and most of it is inaccessible. The cold, windy conditions weren't helping either.
I decided that, with plenty of driving still to do, I would continue on. Given the brisk northerly winds, I thought it might be interesting to try some seawatching right in the far north of Hokkaido at Cape Noshappu. I was curious to see what was passing and the main answer was 'hundreds of Rhinoceros Auklets'. Among them was the only Common Guillemot of the trip. Slightly more exciting were a couple of Harlequin Ducks that showed nicely just offshore.
I had a long drive ahead of me but it was quite pleasant on the fairly quiet roads of northern Hokkaido. As I headed southeast, I eventually passed through quite rugged and heavily forested mountains to Sounkyo, where I was staying for the night in a rather fancy but slightly past its best spa resort. I had a wander along the valley before it got dark. Although they weren't even my first of the day, I was very pleased to find a couple of Harlequin Ducks along the river. I was more concerned about the low clouds that were drifting down from the mountains. Would they make things difficult for the next day?
I was up fairly early the next morning and headed the short distance from my hotel to the cable car that goes up Mount Kurodake. After buying my ticket for both the cable car and the chair lift that takes you further up, I was floating up over the mountain forests. The views were good initially but then we hit the low cloud that was still lingering. That made it hard to see around as I continued serenely on the chair lift. Luckily, the clouds seemed to lift once I arrived at the upper chair lift station and the weather looked to be set fair.
I began by wandering along the short forest trail near the chair lift station. I soon heard a couple of the birds I was hoping for: Grey Buntings. They proved extremely hard to get good views of however, as they stuck resolutely to the thick layer of dwarf bamboo that formed the forest understory. A couple of species that were common in the area were Red-flanked Bluetails, which were singing all over the place but were hard to see, and the beautiful Grey-bellied Bullfinches - the distinctive Japanese subspecies of Eurasian Bullfinch. A few Spotted Nutcrackers also appeared, with one giving nice views as it busied itself around a nearby tree.
I decided that the best bet after this was to head up the trail towards the top of the mountain. The trail was quite steep and there was still snow lying in places. I wasn't seeing too many birds and suspected the situation wouldn't change that much even if I got to the top, so I eventually decided to head back down. One of the birds I'd been hoping to find was Japanese Accentor but there was no sign. Fairly predictably, I found a pair as I headed back down, not that far above the start of the trail. Then I found another pair right next to the chairlift station!
With the day pressing on, I reckoned that the best bet for interesting birds was the forest in between the upper and lower chairlift stations, so rather than getting the chairlift back down, I headed down the path through the forest. It was fairly quiet aside from another Japanese Accentor and my first Siskins of the trip. The biggest surprise came when I was almost back down at the lower station. A medium sized bird suddenly hopped onto the track a short distance in front of me. I initially thought it might be a Turtle Dove but it turned out to be a lovely male Hazel Grouse. It trotted about for a minute or so before disappearing back into the bamboo.
It was early afternoon now and I needed to move on. I headed back down the cable car and got into my car for a two-hour drive to the northeast coast of Hokkaido. I stayed by Lake Abishiri and had a quick potter about the hotel grounds, getting nice views of Asian House Martins as they came down to a puddle to collect mud. I ended the day checking the shore by Lake Notoro. A couple of White-tailed Eagles were the best of it there.
I began by wandering along the short forest trail near the chair lift station. I soon heard a couple of the birds I was hoping for: Grey Buntings. They proved extremely hard to get good views of however, as they stuck resolutely to the thick layer of dwarf bamboo that formed the forest understory. A couple of species that were common in the area were Red-flanked Bluetails, which were singing all over the place but were hard to see, and the beautiful Grey-bellied Bullfinches - the distinctive Japanese subspecies of Eurasian Bullfinch. A few Spotted Nutcrackers also appeared, with one giving nice views as it busied itself around a nearby tree.
I decided that the best bet after this was to head up the trail towards the top of the mountain. The trail was quite steep and there was still snow lying in places. I wasn't seeing too many birds and suspected the situation wouldn't change that much even if I got to the top, so I eventually decided to head back down. One of the birds I'd been hoping to find was Japanese Accentor but there was no sign. Fairly predictably, I found a pair as I headed back down, not that far above the start of the trail. Then I found another pair right next to the chairlift station!
With the day pressing on, I reckoned that the best bet for interesting birds was the forest in between the upper and lower chairlift stations, so rather than getting the chairlift back down, I headed down the path through the forest. It was fairly quiet aside from another Japanese Accentor and my first Siskins of the trip. The biggest surprise came when I was almost back down at the lower station. A medium sized bird suddenly hopped onto the track a short distance in front of me. I initially thought it might be a Turtle Dove but it turned out to be a lovely male Hazel Grouse. It trotted about for a minute or so before disappearing back into the bamboo.
It was early afternoon now and I needed to move on. I headed back down the cable car and got into my car for a two-hour drive to the northeast coast of Hokkaido. I stayed by Lake Abishiri and had a quick potter about the hotel grounds, getting nice views of Asian House Martins as they came down to a puddle to collect mud. I ended the day checking the shore by Lake Notoro. A couple of White-tailed Eagles were the best of it there.
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3rd July was a fairly low key day, with fine weather. I started at 'Swan Park' by Lake Tofutsu. There was a good mix of stuff, including Long-tailed Rosefinch and White-bellied Green Pigeon. I had a decent look around the rest of the lake, although the views of the water were mostly distant. There were good numbers of Scaup and Pochard and I was pleased to find a drake Falcated Duck lurking around the edges. The surrounding wetlands and scrub held a Siberian Rubythroat and a singing Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler.
I drove on to Utoro, where I was staying for the night. A look offshore produced good numbers of Spectacled Guillemots in breeding plumage. I've seen these birds in winter, but they look particularly striking in summer. There were also a few Rhinoceros Auklets and a Short-tailed Shearwater. A pair of Blue Rock Thrushes showed well along the shore. A look around the bay later in the day produced a similar selection of birds, although there were now large numbers of Pelagic Cormorants roosting in the harbour. A White-tailed Eagle loafed about on a rock next to my hotel. Large numbers of Pacific Swifts gathered over the town and Asian Stubtail and Narcissus Flycatcher were both singing from the woodland edges.
I drove on to Utoro, where I was staying for the night. A look offshore produced good numbers of Spectacled Guillemots in breeding plumage. I've seen these birds in winter, but they look particularly striking in summer. There were also a few Rhinoceros Auklets and a Short-tailed Shearwater. A pair of Blue Rock Thrushes showed well along the shore. A look around the bay later in the day produced a similar selection of birds, although there were now large numbers of Pelagic Cormorants roosting in the harbour. A White-tailed Eagle loafed about on a rock next to my hotel. Large numbers of Pacific Swifts gathered over the town and Asian Stubtail and Narcissus Flycatcher were both singing from the woodland edges.
raymie
Well-known member
I've never seen Common Guillemot but I've seen Harlequin Duck quite a few times, so I think you're right, the guillemot are the ones that are better.
I spent the morning of July 4th exploring the Shiretoko Peninsula. My first stop was along Iwaobetsu Hot Spring Road, which had some attractive forest along a river valley. A couple of juvenile Brown Dippers were along the river and the area was good for Meadow Buntings. My first Black Woodpecker of the trip (indeed my first ever in Japan) flew across the road. Soon after, a guy stopped in his car and told me there was a bear about 500 metres further along the road. Suggesting I might be wise to go back to my car, I did so and drove up the road to see if I could find the bear. Sadly, it seemed to have moved on.
I then went up the road to the Five Lakes car park (one of the only places in Japan I had to pay to park). A couple of Japanese Grosbeaks perched briefly in a tree but then the low cloud came down and things were pretty misty along the boardwalk. I did manage to see an Olive-backed Pipit and a few Latham's Snipes were gurgling.
I went back to my hotel to check out and then headed up along the road over Shiretoko Pass. Sadly, the pass was also really misty and there wasn't much to see there. I headed down the other side and spent a bit of time in the vicinity of Rausu Hot Spring campground. The small dam near here proved very productive. I immediately saw a very nice pair of Crested Kingfishers, closely followed by a much smaller Common Kingfisher and a female Mandarin Duck. I then noticed a pair of Long-billed Plovers circling about calling in protective fashion. One of the landed nearby to give excellent views. At the campground itself, I had good views of a Grey-headed Woodpecker that came down onto the ground to feed. At the nearby visitor centre, I stumbled rather fortuitously on an erupting geyser, something I wasn't expecting.
In the afternoon, I continued south along the coast. A stop at the roadside Shunbetsu Estuary was quite pleasant. An Oystercatcher (of the isolated and potentially splittable east Asian subspecies) was loafing about, along with good numbers of Scaup and Goosander. Passerines included Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler and Siberian Rubythroat.
I arrived at Lodge Furen, where I would be spending the next couple of nights. Sadly, the propriety Takeyoshi was away so I was looked after by his wife and daughter. The weather was quite cool and breezy by this stage. I had a look around the lakeside boardwalk over the bridge near the lodge for a while. Things were quiet but I did find a couple of pairs of Red-crowned Cranes, as well as the usual White-tailed Eagles. Five Chestnut-cheeked Starlings were around the lodge on my return.
I then went up the road to the Five Lakes car park (one of the only places in Japan I had to pay to park). A couple of Japanese Grosbeaks perched briefly in a tree but then the low cloud came down and things were pretty misty along the boardwalk. I did manage to see an Olive-backed Pipit and a few Latham's Snipes were gurgling.
I went back to my hotel to check out and then headed up along the road over Shiretoko Pass. Sadly, the pass was also really misty and there wasn't much to see there. I headed down the other side and spent a bit of time in the vicinity of Rausu Hot Spring campground. The small dam near here proved very productive. I immediately saw a very nice pair of Crested Kingfishers, closely followed by a much smaller Common Kingfisher and a female Mandarin Duck. I then noticed a pair of Long-billed Plovers circling about calling in protective fashion. One of the landed nearby to give excellent views. At the campground itself, I had good views of a Grey-headed Woodpecker that came down onto the ground to feed. At the nearby visitor centre, I stumbled rather fortuitously on an erupting geyser, something I wasn't expecting.
In the afternoon, I continued south along the coast. A stop at the roadside Shunbetsu Estuary was quite pleasant. An Oystercatcher (of the isolated and potentially splittable east Asian subspecies) was loafing about, along with good numbers of Scaup and Goosander. Passerines included Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warbler and Siberian Rubythroat.
I arrived at Lodge Furen, where I would be spending the next couple of nights. Sadly, the propriety Takeyoshi was away so I was looked after by his wife and daughter. The weather was quite cool and breezy by this stage. I had a look around the lakeside boardwalk over the bridge near the lodge for a while. Things were quiet but I did find a couple of pairs of Red-crowned Cranes, as well as the usual White-tailed Eagles. Five Chestnut-cheeked Starlings were around the lodge on my return.
Wonderful trip report! Am super impressed that you can get around so fluidly, do you speak Japanese?
Thanks! I barely speak a word of Japanese. I would say that English is spoken widely in Japan but that not that many people speak English really fluently. Usually people speak enough to work out simple situations though and, when they can't, Google Translate can help. There tend to be signs in English in most situations and e.g. English menus in restaurants and labels on food in supermarkets. Also, almost everything is extremely logical and well organised, so it's pretty easy to do most stuff.
I spent 5th July around the Nemuro Peninsula, an area I knew well from the winter but was keen to explore in the summer. I began near Lodge Furen at the woodlands around the Shunkunitai Nature Centre but things were rather quiet. I then went the short distance to the track that runs along the north side of Lake Onneto and into some nice mixed forest. Along the first part of the track, a pair of Red-crowned Cranes gave wonderful views as they stalked along the edge of the lake. Things improved as I got into the forest. Sakhalin Leaf Warblers were singing and I managed some nice views of one individual in particular. Better still was a bird I'd been looking for in various places but had failed to find. A heard a shimmering trill and soon managed to entice in a fantastic Japanese Robin, which give brilliant views at close range.
After breakfast, I set off around the peninsula. I stopped by the bridge on Lake Onneto and counted 19 Red-crowned Cranes, including a juvenile. Eventually, I reached Cape Nosappu at the eastern end of Hokkaido (indeed, the eastern end of Japan). I spent a while seawatching, which was reasonably successful. Over a thousand Rhinoceros Auklets passed by and there were good numbers of Spectacled Guillemots too. A couple of Pigeon Guillemots on the sea seemed to be the sometimes split Snow's Guillemot. A couple of Sooty Shearwaters also went through, along with 20 Short-tailed Shearwaters. A drake Harlequin heading into eclipse was on the sea, as was a partial summer plumage Red-necked Grebe. I had some good views of Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler, a few of which were singing in the weedy fields and edges around the Cape.
After that, I stopped off at a few harbours and coastal viewpoints that are good in the winter. In the summer, the fare was much more subdued with two more Harlequins at Kurumaishi about the best of it. I finished up at Lake Chobushi, a nice spot with a good mix of habitats. A couple of Lanceolated Warblers were singing, with one seen fairly well as it crept about the marsh edges. Latham's Snipe, Long-tailed Rosefinch and Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler were all about. Two White-throated Needletails steamed over the treetops across the lake. A White-tailed Eagle flew in with a fish and promptly landed at a nest in the trees, which was occupied by a very large chick.
After breakfast, I set off around the peninsula. I stopped by the bridge on Lake Onneto and counted 19 Red-crowned Cranes, including a juvenile. Eventually, I reached Cape Nosappu at the eastern end of Hokkaido (indeed, the eastern end of Japan). I spent a while seawatching, which was reasonably successful. Over a thousand Rhinoceros Auklets passed by and there were good numbers of Spectacled Guillemots too. A couple of Pigeon Guillemots on the sea seemed to be the sometimes split Snow's Guillemot. A couple of Sooty Shearwaters also went through, along with 20 Short-tailed Shearwaters. A drake Harlequin heading into eclipse was on the sea, as was a partial summer plumage Red-necked Grebe. I had some good views of Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler, a few of which were singing in the weedy fields and edges around the Cape.
After that, I stopped off at a few harbours and coastal viewpoints that are good in the winter. In the summer, the fare was much more subdued with two more Harlequins at Kurumaishi about the best of it. I finished up at Lake Chobushi, a nice spot with a good mix of habitats. A couple of Lanceolated Warblers were singing, with one seen fairly well as it crept about the marsh edges. Latham's Snipe, Long-tailed Rosefinch and Middendorf's Grasshopper Warbler were all about. Two White-throated Needletails steamed over the treetops across the lake. A White-tailed Eagle flew in with a fish and promptly landed at a nest in the trees, which was occupied by a very large chick.
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