Hakodate Japan (1 Viewer)

HokkaidoStu · Apr 10, 2007

Spring in Hokkaido can be a chilly affair. Strange to see the recently arrived Asian House Martin twittering in the sleet this lunchtime. 2 great birds this week. Yesterday a superb male Red Flanked Bluetail was flitting around the bushes near my flat and on Sunday an Osprey was hunting on the tiny river also very close to my place.

Winter stuff still present the last couple of days include Brambling, Daurian Redstart and lots of Dusky Thrush. Arrivlas from southern Japan have been Common Reed Bunting, Oriental Turtle Dove, Japanese Skylark, Bull Headed Shrike, Grey Wagtail and (in addition to the residents that braved the winter) lots of Oriental Greenfinch and Brown Eared Bulbul.

Commmon Bullfinch and Varied Tit have been feeding on the newly budding cherry blossoms. Japanese Pygmy and Great Spotted woodpeckers were drumming in the forest at the start of the month. I haven't done too much seawatching this month although I got a few Red Necked Grebe offshore on Sunday.

More info on my blog linked below.

I've attached photos of the (rather grainy) Bluetail and (underexposed) Osprey. Teach me not to have camera settings prepared in anticipation of other things.

Laurence H · Apr 10, 2007

That's a great pic of the bluetail! (I've only seen one ever, a uk autumn vagrant, which was a great bird, but would love to see one in breeding plumage. )

Mark Bruce · Apr 11, 2007

I would guess that quite a few of the Taiwan wintering Red Flanked Bluetails move up to your area, Stu. Looking forward to hearing more :t: !

HokkaidoStu · Apr 11, 2007

A quick look near my apartment early this morning revealed 3 Varied Tits feeding on the newly budding trees. A quick look on the sea on the way somewhere else was a bit disappointing. Only a few of the commonest seaducks (Red Breasted Merganser mainly) and no Divers or Grebes at all.

However there were 9 White Fronted Geese on the beach. And just outside my local patch was another Osprey being muggged by a Crow.

HokkaidoStu · Apr 13, 2007

Some more nasty weather the last souple of days but a few more migrants passing through too. The first Siberian Stonechats made their appearance yesterday-at leat 1 male plus yet more Dusky Thrush and Bull Headed Shrike (see attched pics).

The real action will be starting in 10 days or so. The mountain and cape are the prime spots and I hope to be there at dawn once or twice work/weather pemitting.

I haven't been down to the sea much recently so thet could be stuff there I'm missing.

Damn rain.

Mark Bruce · Apr 17, 2007

stuprice68 said:
The real action will be starting in 10 days or so. The mountain and cape are the prime spots and I hope to be there at dawn once or twice work/weather pemitting.

Wow, you have some good stuff passing through, now, Stu ! It must be pretty awesome if it gets better.

Dave B Smith · Apr 17, 2007

Great photos!

HokkaidoStu · Apr 19, 2007

A pretty quiet last week not helped by a nasty cold and an absurdly loud election campaign that seems to be scaring lots of the birds away (or at least persuading them it isn't worth resting in Hakodate for a day's feeding en route north).

The awaited deluge of migrants has yet to materialize (although I haven't been to the cape recently). Next week, next week.

Greater Scaup, Black Scoter and Red Breasted Merganser were offshore and there were also Glaucous Winged Gull and Pacific Diver. Small numbers of Dusky Thrush and Stonechat continue to pass through. A trio of Northern Shoveler were around a few days ago.

The regular breeding Bull Headed Shrikes were looking for a nest site today. The female is pictured below. Oriental Greenfinch, Great Tit and Black Backed Wagtail were all singing and Common Teal were displaying on the small river near my flat.

I did some birding a few km outside Hakodate during the last week or so. I got some shots (not very good ones) of Black Woodpeckers. Check out my blog linked below if you're interested.

Colin Bushell · Apr 19, 2007

stuprice68 said:
Greater Scaup, Black Scoter and Red Breasted Merganser were offshore and there were also Glaucous Winged Gull and Pacific Diver.

Sounds like a home-from-home Stu!

Nice blog too - bet you can't wait to see Lancashire again ......... ?

Colin

HokkaidoStu · Apr 19, 2007

Colin Bushell said:
Sounds like a home-from-home Stu!

Nice blog too - bet you can't wait to see Lancashire again ......... ?

Colin

Hi Colin. Late August it's looking like. Only 2 weeks.

A pint of English beer in a real pub (and the new smokefree law helps as I've quit smoking since I was last home) , walks down the river with a SCOPE (it'll be my first time!) checking out the waders, watching live footy games at normal times of the day, watching ANY form of cricket on TV.........yup can't wait. I really enjoy my infrequent trips home.

HokkaidoStu · Apr 27, 2007

A few more spring arrivals the last week. LOTS of Black Faced Bunting, Japanese Bush Warbler (see pic below) and Japanese White-eye. A brief trip to the cape got me Rustic Bunting, Whites Thrush, Pale Thrush and Red Flanked Bluetail. Japanese Grey Thrush was singing in the forest. The first red Cheeked Starlings appeared a few days ago (see the lousy pic of a female below. The males look much much nicer).

Not any Warblers or Flycatchers yet though. The first week in May is generally the peak migration period and I have 3 or 4 days off so hopefully will be able to post some more interesting sitings.

Lots of Glaucous Gull around south Hokkaido recently and last weekend I saw not one but two Hoopoe just outside Hakodate. Nearby a few days earlier was this female Black woodpecker checking out a nesthole.

If you're interested more info on my blog linked below.

MKinHK · Apr 30, 2007

Red-cheeked Starling

HI Stu

Do you also get Daurian (Purple backed) Starlings? If so how do you separate the females of Chestnut-cheeked and Daurian.

Female Chestnut-cheeked is never claimed in HK. . .

Cheers
Mike

HokkaidoStu · Apr 30, 2007

MKinHK said:
HI Stu

Do you also get Daurian (Purple backed) Starlings? If so how do you separate the females of Chestnut-cheeked and Daurian.

Female Chestnut-cheeked is never claimed in HK. . .

Cheers
Mike

Hi Mike. I think Daurian is a vagrant to Japan. I just checked my bird books and yes the females do look rather similar (though the Daurian appears to have a different wing pattern). Perhaps I should start checking!

I think Red (Chestnut) Cheeked are pretty much confined to northern Japan in summer and the Philipines in winter.

I've attached a crummy pic of a pair of Red Cheeked Starlings from this afternoon plus a female Red Flanked Bluetail. Both near my flat today.

A strained back has curtailed my birding and I can just about manage to pop out near my place for a few minutes here and there. I'm off work, it's beautiful spring weather and it's the peak migration season. But I'm virtually immobile. How annoying is that!?!

MKinHK · May 6, 2007

Thanks Stu

We've had a couple of records of female Daurian this spring which is surprising since there have been almost no records previously, while Chestnut-cheeked is just about annual in spring.

Currently planning a girlfriend (i.e minimal birding) holiday to Hokkaido. Any advice for nice places that we could both enjoy. I will have the chance for some morning birding if I choose the right spots?

On my only previous trip I went from Tokyo to Tomakomai on the ferry and then straight to Lake Furen, where I stayed a few days before heading straight back again, so my experience is a bit limited.

Any advice would be most welcome.

Cheers
Mike

HokkaidoStu · May 6, 2007

The nasty backache has restricted my birding the last week or so. Just some low level birding on the river near my apartment produced a Wryneck, a Brown Thrush plus the first Oriental Great Reed Warbler of the year.

A trip just outside Hakodate produced my first Blue & White Flycatchers and Eastern Crowned warblers of the spring.

Normal birding should be resumed next week......

Hi Mike. A 'girlfriend' holiday!?! Sounds like you'll be leaving the wife at home then!

I'd recommend Shiretoko in the NE as the ideal place for a scenery, food, relaxing and birds (plus it's close to the famous birding spots in E Hokkaido). I'm going there myself at the end of May. I went there last autumn and saw several Brown Bear.

If you pass through Sapporo you could check out Niseko and Shikotsu-ko if you like mountains/forests/lakes etc. If you pass through Hakodate let me know. You can PM or e-mail me if you want more specific info about SW Hokkaido (I don't know the rest of the island so well alas).

HokkaidoStu · May 7, 2007

I went up Mt Hakodate today showing 4 visiting birders my local patch. A fair few migrants about but no quite as good as I'd been hoping. The more interesting species included Sakhalin Leaf Warbler, Eastern Crowned Warbler, Blue & White Flycatcher, Red Flanked Bluetail, Pale, Brown and Japanese Thrush and a female Rosy Finch.

I've attached a crappy pic of the female Rosy Finch and a singing Black Faced Bunting (perhaps the most numerous migrant).

HokkaidoStu · May 11, 2007

Some more stuff passing through town the last few days. A female Smew was the most interesting Duck and amongst the commoner migrants was a superb Wryneck this morning.

The Oriental Great Reed Warblers are starting to sing anywhere near water, the Little Ringed Plovers have returned and my first Chestnut Eared Bunting of the spring was hopping around in the grass. I saw some Grey Tailed Tattlers yesterday-the commonest wader in both spring and autumn.

Another visit to Mt Hakodate next week should provide new species for the year list.

HokkaidoStu · May 16, 2007

Some more stuff passing through town this week. Narcissus Flycatcher, Eye Browed Thrush, Oriental Cuckoo and Japanese Robin were the latest arrivals and there have been more Red Flanked Bluetails, Pale Thrush, Eastern Crowned Warblers, Grey Tailed Tattlers and Siberian Blue Robins.

I'm still awaiting the huge flocks of Red Necked Pharalopes that appear off the local coasts in mid May. I had a look today but nothing doing.

Just outside town Japanese Green Pigeon and Asian Brown Flycatcher were around but these have yet to grace Hakodate with their presence in 2007.

StuartReeves · May 16, 2007

Interesting stuff Stu, and nice photos too.

Suffolk Stu

Marmot · May 16, 2007

You have some great birds in Japan. I love the Bull headed Shrike and Hoopoe.

I hope you don't mind me bringing up another thread which was on yesterday but Avi is coming to Japan next month and was wanting some info....any chance of you helping out.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=86141&highlight=stoop

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