What are these Swans in Hokkaido Japan? (1 Viewer)

I saw a flock of swans flying south high in the sky this afternoon and am struggling for a firm ID.

Whooper Swan is the main wintering species in Hokkaido but normally don't arrive this early. Bewicks Swan occur on passage only (they winter further south).

So which ones are these? Very heavily cropped (100% or more) but I hope enough detail remains.

I'm thinking (hoping) they might be Bewicks but am not sure, any help appreciated........

They seem to have less yellow than black, of course it's impossible to see where the nostril is on the bill at this resolution...........and of course the individuals have somewhat variable bill patterns anyway.

They look like Bewicks to me but I prefer to see them moving to ID them!

Clearly Bewick's, even when frozen!

Pete

Thanks for the replies, I though that's what they were.........

They should be Bewick's Swans passing over. They have been arriving at Lake Biwa during the past week.

http://www.biwa.ne.jp/~nio/

l'd like to say how stunning your Hakodate Birding site is. And you've kept it up unlike a lot of people, who start but only later realise what a lot of work it is. I'd love to get up to Hokkaido in winter some year, but something always seems to crop up to keep me away.

I went to Hegura Island a couple of weeks ago, for just one night. It was my first time. There wasn't a lot there, but what there was, was special. I saw the Booted Warbler (third record in Japan, I believe, not yet in the books) and the Ortolan Bunting (also super-rare), and another four which are not so rare, but were new to me - Tristram's Bunting, Little Bunting, Common Rosefinch (female, unfortunately), and Chestnut-flanked White-eye. I've only been to northern Japan for a few days a couple of times (wife is from Nagasaki down south, but I still haven't been to Arasaki yet, either). I was hoping I could get rather more common, but first-for-me birds in Hegura, but still these two rareties made the national papers, so I guess that will have to do. I'll try to go again next spring.

Hi MacNara, thanks for your nice comments about my blog.

I haven't been to Hegura alas, would love to go one day.

If you ever pass through Hakodate you know where to contact me...........