birdmeister
Well-known member
Fantastic pictures Mike, not only the eagles but also the scenery!
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Eagles and Snow Monkeys: Japan in the Polar Vortex (25 Dec 2018- 6 Jan 2019) (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter MKinHK
- Start date
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
I've long envied you your patch of land and the wildlife you attract onto it Jos. Living on the 22nd floor in one of the densest cities on the planet rather limits such options for me!
Thanks Birdmeister - braving the gaps between the snow storms - especially that morning at Hakodate - seems so much more worthwhile when contemplating the pix from the comfort of my sofa!
The nuthatch was a pain - 20 other shots were somehow not sharp, but I agree they're brilliant birds.
We moved to Honshu for the second part of our trip – flying from Hakodate to Tokyo Haneda and then catching the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagano (approx 3 hrs) in order to visit the famous snow monkeys at Jigokudani, a 45 minute bus ride from the city.
Each of the two mornings before heading up there I birded the Susobana River between its confluence with the Sai River and the railway bridge two kilometres upstream. Having seen twenty-odd White-cheeked Starlings on the drive down on 31st Dec I started birding the snow-covered sports fields along the river bank. Jan 1st was a bit warmer and yesterday's snow had melted.
On 31st a wonderful flock of thirty Rustic Buntings was in the riverside scrub, interspersed with a couple of Meadow Buntings and a Dusky Thrush that called once and disappeared downriver at high speed. Birds on the larger Sai River included forty-odd Chinese Spotbills, 55 Eurasian Teals, a couple of Grey Herons and Great Cormorants, on the shingle banks, and two Carrion Crows and an Oriental Turtle Dove catching some early morning rays in one of the larger trees. On the first morning half-a-dozen Azure-winged Magpies appeared atop a fir tree after announcing themselves with their distinctive cheerful rasp, and on both days a pristine male Bull-headed Shrike hunted the scrub close under the road bridge, which also held feeding Oriental Greenfinches and four bulkier black-chinned Hawfinches.
More to follow . . .
Thanks Birdmeister - braving the gaps between the snow storms - especially that morning at Hakodate - seems so much more worthwhile when contemplating the pix from the comfort of my sofa!
The nuthatch was a pain - 20 other shots were somehow not sharp, but I agree they're brilliant birds.
We moved to Honshu for the second part of our trip – flying from Hakodate to Tokyo Haneda and then catching the Shinkansen bullet train to Nagano (approx 3 hrs) in order to visit the famous snow monkeys at Jigokudani, a 45 minute bus ride from the city.
Each of the two mornings before heading up there I birded the Susobana River between its confluence with the Sai River and the railway bridge two kilometres upstream. Having seen twenty-odd White-cheeked Starlings on the drive down on 31st Dec I started birding the snow-covered sports fields along the river bank. Jan 1st was a bit warmer and yesterday's snow had melted.
On 31st a wonderful flock of thirty Rustic Buntings was in the riverside scrub, interspersed with a couple of Meadow Buntings and a Dusky Thrush that called once and disappeared downriver at high speed. Birds on the larger Sai River included forty-odd Chinese Spotbills, 55 Eurasian Teals, a couple of Grey Herons and Great Cormorants, on the shingle banks, and two Carrion Crows and an Oriental Turtle Dove catching some early morning rays in one of the larger trees. On the first morning half-a-dozen Azure-winged Magpies appeared atop a fir tree after announcing themselves with their distinctive cheerful rasp, and on both days a pristine male Bull-headed Shrike hunted the scrub close under the road bridge, which also held feeding Oriental Greenfinches and four bulkier black-chinned Hawfinches.
More to follow . . .
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MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
As I moved upstream I was surprised by the number of dabbling ducks - over 200 Chinese Spotbills and 40+ Mallards, plus a single Shoveler, a female Goosander, two Northern Pintails and thirty more Eurasian Teals. Other waterbirds included a half-dozen Little Grebes and five Great Egrets. Each visit produced seven or eight Japanese Wagtails and single Black-backed Wagtails as well as Long-tailed Rosefinch (four and one) and four personata Black-faced Buntings. On my second morning I had a rather grey female redstart sp. with a very prominent eyering, which was presumably Daurian, and a big Peregrine that swept over and landed on a pylon, giving itself a mouth-watering view of the duck-filled river.
Cheers
Mike
Cheers
Mike
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Nice birds! I'm also enjoying reading this trip report - Japan in winter is pretty exciting.
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StuartReeves
Local rarity
Oooh, nice! Hope you had a great trip and that you'll write it up on here at some point.
I did thanks. I'll maybe try a write up, although maybe don't hold your breath!
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
Great photo of Reeves's Pheasant Andrew!
Just about the only birds in two days of visits to the Snow Monkey Park were a flock of a dozen Japanese Grosbeaks seen from the bus as it approached the very scenic village of Kanbayashi on our first visit, Despite this the wonderful views of a Japanese Serow – officially classified as a goat antelope, and looking like a committee-designed cross between a wild boar and a large scruffy tailless dog (with little goat horns) – making its way ponderously through the snow on the second day was an unexpected mammal bonus.
Just about the only birds in two days of visits to the Snow Monkey Park were a flock of a dozen Japanese Grosbeaks seen from the bus as it approached the very scenic village of Kanbayashi on our first visit, Despite this the wonderful views of a Japanese Serow – officially classified as a goat antelope, and looking like a committee-designed cross between a wild boar and a large scruffy tailless dog (with little goat horns) – making its way ponderously through the snow on the second day was an unexpected mammal bonus.
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MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
Somewhat to my surprise the monkeys – Japanese Macaques with terrific long winter-appropriate fur - were great. In many places in Asia macaques are fed by visitors and as a result become thieves with the strength and dentition to be properly frightening. In contrast Japanese organization ensured everyone (meaning several hundred people per day) had genuinely safe and enjoyable close views of the monkeys in and around the hot spring where they famously come to bathe.
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Great report
We really loved Japan in winter - those eagle pictures bring back great memories
We really loved Japan in winter - those eagle pictures bring back great memories
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
But wait . . . there's more!
Apologies for the delay in transmission - a small matter of three monster birds on my San Tin Fishponds patch at the weekend and a now fixed problem with photo software are the guilty parties.
Next day we headed to the upscale mountain retreat of Karuizawa where I would be in hot pursuit of two Japanese endemics - Copper Pheasant and Japanese Accentor, plus one of Asia’s most difficult waders - Solitary Snipe. We stayed at the Kajima no Mori Hotel, which was in a rural setting complete with large trees and a stream in which I hoped to find Solitary Snipe, but in the end delivered nothing but a Grey Wagtail and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk which zipped through at dusk on a low level hunting run. The large trees did attract a couple of hundred Bramblings – a species that tends to appear in Hong Kong only as single birds plus the usual array of tits.
Having struggled through what thankfully failed to turn into full-blown flu the day before a delayed walk from the hotel around Kogame Pond next morning produced a couple of flocks of 20-30 Parus tits, along with Great Spotted and Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, and two dozen Chinese Spotbills, ten Mallards and a trio of Tufted Ducks on the water. The highlight of an otherwise quiet morning was a pair of dark brown Japanese Accentors, grotting unobtrusively along a hedge at the edge of the path just like the more grey-headed Dunnocks do in the UK.
Pleased as I was to see them my real targets were still out there. A late morning walk in the Yachi No Mori bird forest revealed just my second ever sighting of Japanese Green Woodpecker, and behind the extraordinary Stone Church a beautiful male Green Pheasant feeding stopped just long enough in crossing the path for his portrait! It seems churlish to call such a stunning specimen the “wrong” pheasant, but I’ve seen Green Pheasants on several previous trips to Japan, and, well … I’m sure you get it!
The next morning was my last chance for my remaining big targets. Having found the relevant stretches of river where various birders on the Kantori Facebook group (mostly Japan-based foreign birders and birders visiting Japan) had posted photos – and even video- of Solitary Snipe near the unglamorous-sounding 7-11 in the Hoshino Onsen section of the town. I had peered hopefully along various stretches accessible from the path and the little shopping centre without getting a single sniff during our afternoon’s shopping they day before, so a proper early morning start on my own immediately focused on this objective.
Except . . . having read that Copper Pheasants had also been seen in the scrub behind the 7-11 I couldn’t resist a quick look, which resulted in a 45 minute detour back to the quiet valley next to the stone church in the hope that lightning - of two different colours - would strike twice in the same place! It didn’t, but I was amazed to see no less than six and probably seven Japanese Green Woodpeckers, including one individual that was much more interested in feeding than in me and perched less than 10 metres away in the morning sunshine.
Eventually the search for the Solitary Snipe did commence, but almost an hour’s search revealed nothing on the riffles in the main river except two or three Brown Dippers. As a last throw of the dice I followed an irrigation channel away from the road, past a couple of refuse trucks and an enormous tip for all the leaves that doubtless fall untidily onto the immaculate lawns around the onsen. Having searched every inch of the banks with the utmost caution I had no choice but to step up to the rim in order to continue and instantly put up a snipe sp. that flew off around a bend in the channel. I was elated to have found it, but after my Woodcock revelation in Onuma there was no way I was ticking it on flight views! Once again I crept along scouring every inch of the channel, and once again where I had no choice but to step up to the rim it flew back round the same corner it had come from. Edging carefully back I somehow missed the bird hunkered down in the leaf litter and it flew off for the third time, never to be seen again.
So despite the build up there was no happy ending. I saw a large dark-winged snipe with very fine white “tramlines” on the outer edge of the mantle where no other species should be, but could not hand on heart claim it. The Brown-eared Pheasant I twice dipped on untickable flight views over 20 years ago finally has a rival in the “ screaming frustration” category. Harrumphing aside it was a very enjoyable morning’s birding under clear blue skies and bright sunshine in a very beautiful part of Japan.
Apologies for the delay in transmission - a small matter of three monster birds on my San Tin Fishponds patch at the weekend and a now fixed problem with photo software are the guilty parties.
Next day we headed to the upscale mountain retreat of Karuizawa where I would be in hot pursuit of two Japanese endemics - Copper Pheasant and Japanese Accentor, plus one of Asia’s most difficult waders - Solitary Snipe. We stayed at the Kajima no Mori Hotel, which was in a rural setting complete with large trees and a stream in which I hoped to find Solitary Snipe, but in the end delivered nothing but a Grey Wagtail and a Eurasian Sparrowhawk which zipped through at dusk on a low level hunting run. The large trees did attract a couple of hundred Bramblings – a species that tends to appear in Hong Kong only as single birds plus the usual array of tits.
Having struggled through what thankfully failed to turn into full-blown flu the day before a delayed walk from the hotel around Kogame Pond next morning produced a couple of flocks of 20-30 Parus tits, along with Great Spotted and Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, and two dozen Chinese Spotbills, ten Mallards and a trio of Tufted Ducks on the water. The highlight of an otherwise quiet morning was a pair of dark brown Japanese Accentors, grotting unobtrusively along a hedge at the edge of the path just like the more grey-headed Dunnocks do in the UK.
Pleased as I was to see them my real targets were still out there. A late morning walk in the Yachi No Mori bird forest revealed just my second ever sighting of Japanese Green Woodpecker, and behind the extraordinary Stone Church a beautiful male Green Pheasant feeding stopped just long enough in crossing the path for his portrait! It seems churlish to call such a stunning specimen the “wrong” pheasant, but I’ve seen Green Pheasants on several previous trips to Japan, and, well … I’m sure you get it!
The next morning was my last chance for my remaining big targets. Having found the relevant stretches of river where various birders on the Kantori Facebook group (mostly Japan-based foreign birders and birders visiting Japan) had posted photos – and even video- of Solitary Snipe near the unglamorous-sounding 7-11 in the Hoshino Onsen section of the town. I had peered hopefully along various stretches accessible from the path and the little shopping centre without getting a single sniff during our afternoon’s shopping they day before, so a proper early morning start on my own immediately focused on this objective.
Except . . . having read that Copper Pheasants had also been seen in the scrub behind the 7-11 I couldn’t resist a quick look, which resulted in a 45 minute detour back to the quiet valley next to the stone church in the hope that lightning - of two different colours - would strike twice in the same place! It didn’t, but I was amazed to see no less than six and probably seven Japanese Green Woodpeckers, including one individual that was much more interested in feeding than in me and perched less than 10 metres away in the morning sunshine.
Eventually the search for the Solitary Snipe did commence, but almost an hour’s search revealed nothing on the riffles in the main river except two or three Brown Dippers. As a last throw of the dice I followed an irrigation channel away from the road, past a couple of refuse trucks and an enormous tip for all the leaves that doubtless fall untidily onto the immaculate lawns around the onsen. Having searched every inch of the banks with the utmost caution I had no choice but to step up to the rim in order to continue and instantly put up a snipe sp. that flew off around a bend in the channel. I was elated to have found it, but after my Woodcock revelation in Onuma there was no way I was ticking it on flight views! Once again I crept along scouring every inch of the channel, and once again where I had no choice but to step up to the rim it flew back round the same corner it had come from. Edging carefully back I somehow missed the bird hunkered down in the leaf litter and it flew off for the third time, never to be seen again.
So despite the build up there was no happy ending. I saw a large dark-winged snipe with very fine white “tramlines” on the outer edge of the mantle where no other species should be, but could not hand on heart claim it. The Brown-eared Pheasant I twice dipped on untickable flight views over 20 years ago finally has a rival in the “ screaming frustration” category. Harrumphing aside it was a very enjoyable morning’s birding under clear blue skies and bright sunshine in a very beautiful part of Japan.
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JWN Andrewes
Poor Judge of Pasta.
Shame to end on a bit of a low, but some great stuff there nonetheless. Particularly like the look of that Serow - smart looking beast.
Owen Krout
Well-known member
I'm really enjoying catching up with your trip, Mike! For some reason, I hadn't gotten any notifications of this thread until today.
I had a laugh here as it is an entirely familiar situation for me! That excitement of a new species dashed as you see the evidence of having confused a common bird I should have recognized displayed on the screen in front of me. To me though that is one of the biggest reasons to haul the camera along with me. Besides, sometimes it works just as well in the opposite direction when I realize that I captured something special photo bombing my target.
Never too many eagles! The Bald Eagles or bigger Golden Eagles in the US will sometimes display the same disdain for the lowly humans annoying them while snapping pictures. Just not worth the bother of flying off.
Nice shot of the White-Backed Woodpecker. I have had one probable sighting as they are a possibility but not common here. Unfortunately, just as I pushed the shutter on a rather long distance telephoto shot, a couple of young ladies came dashing up from behind to loudly ask for a selfie with me and one bumped my arm, scaring off the woodpecker and ruining the shot and hence the ID verification. Seeing yours, I am even more sure that is what I had in my sights.
Owen Krout
Well-known member
LOL - Another one I totally identify with
One of the worst for me has been the Treecreeper. Trying to get an in focus ID photo while the camera auto focus is struggling with the lack of contrast with the tree bark and going, "What bird, where?" Then trying to manually focus on the little fellow as he refuses to sit still for a moment. The landscapes are wonderful :t: I had never really even considered Japan, but now it is tickling at the back of my mind. Hmmm...
MKinHK
Mike Kilburn
I loved the Serow James - a big compensation for the missed snipe and pheasant.
Thanks Owen - its comforting to hear of others' frustrations. My treecreeper pic did not make the grade for uploading - and at least I got one of the Nuthatch! I cannot recommend Japan highly enough - especially now when the yen is low and its relatively more affordable. With careful planning it really need not be too expensive.
Tokyo and Yokohama
This was never a dedicated birding trip and after lunch shopping in Tokyo took over the agenda, although as if to prove that birders are basically birding if they are awake I was pleased to see a Cormorant sp. thermalling its way past my 37th floor window as I was admiring the view from our downtown hotel!
Next morning local birder Chris Cook had invited me to join him and another visiting birder at the XX gate of one of Tokyo’s magnificent Imperial Palace Park. While much of the park was closed the huge moat topped by high stone walls covered in mature trees provided a superb backdrop for a little wildfowling. A good 100 Falcated Ducks headed the bill, the drakes’ perfectly coiffed manes of deepest red and green shining iridescent bronze in the sunshine, perfectly counterpoised by the bright white spot above the bill and the velvet-black choker around its neck. I especially enjoyed them as the birds on my patch a few weeks ago had all been more demurely plumaged females. There were plenty of these in evidence too, along with 30–odd Gadwalls, and similar numbers of Coot, my first Common Moorhen of the trip, plus a few Shoveler, five Common Pochards, and half-a-dozen Little Grebes. A solitary Black-headed Gull and a trio of House Swifts hunting over the trees - not something I expected on a chilly January morning - were Chris’s first in the city. The Northern Goshawk that appeared briefly above the trees was my first for many years.
Either side of meeting Chris I spent 300-odd minutes in Hibiki Park (which is open 24/7). Japanese White-eyes – looking significantly darker than the lemon-tinged birds in Hong Kong - were new for the trip, and I finally got a picture (not a good one) of Brown-eared Bulbuls I’d seen and failed to photograph almost everywhere. There were bathing in a pond in the NE corner of the park, which was also the venue of choice for fifty odd White-cheeked Starlings and Azure-winged Magpies to perform their morning ablutions. A solitary Grey Heron admired its own reflection while ignoring the noisy rabble, that were also clearly far beneath the dignity of the Chinese Spotbills warming themselves in the first rays of sunshine. In amongst the White-eyes was one mystery bird – a small warbler foraging high in one of the large oaks (I think) next to the bandstand. It had no more than a hint of eyestripe and supercilium just before and behind the eye, a thin dark warbler’s bill and a short partly-cocked tail. With little else to go in given the poor views The nearest I could get was a skinny Japanese Bush Warbler channeling a short-tailed Common Tailorbird. Not helpful, I know! Four Oriental Turtle Doves, a Varied Tit and a monstrous Large-billed Crow drinking from a pelican-shaped drinking fountain completed the picture.
My final birding – a chilly 90 minutes in Neshiki Park in Yokohama – delivered more of the usual suspects – Oriental Turtle Doves, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Tits, a Dusky Thrush, Large-billed Crows and finally a trio of Hawfinches that allowed close enough approach for a decent photo. As a bird I very much associate with winter birding and saw throughout the trip in small numbers it was not at all a bad way to finish. As usual I’d be happy to answer any questions about the birds, sites and logistics for anyone who might be interested.
Many thanks to everyone for your views and comments - feedback it always make the report more fun to write.
Cheers
Mike
Thanks Owen - its comforting to hear of others' frustrations. My treecreeper pic did not make the grade for uploading - and at least I got one of the Nuthatch! I cannot recommend Japan highly enough - especially now when the yen is low and its relatively more affordable. With careful planning it really need not be too expensive.
Tokyo and Yokohama
This was never a dedicated birding trip and after lunch shopping in Tokyo took over the agenda, although as if to prove that birders are basically birding if they are awake I was pleased to see a Cormorant sp. thermalling its way past my 37th floor window as I was admiring the view from our downtown hotel!
Next morning local birder Chris Cook had invited me to join him and another visiting birder at the XX gate of one of Tokyo’s magnificent Imperial Palace Park. While much of the park was closed the huge moat topped by high stone walls covered in mature trees provided a superb backdrop for a little wildfowling. A good 100 Falcated Ducks headed the bill, the drakes’ perfectly coiffed manes of deepest red and green shining iridescent bronze in the sunshine, perfectly counterpoised by the bright white spot above the bill and the velvet-black choker around its neck. I especially enjoyed them as the birds on my patch a few weeks ago had all been more demurely plumaged females. There were plenty of these in evidence too, along with 30–odd Gadwalls, and similar numbers of Coot, my first Common Moorhen of the trip, plus a few Shoveler, five Common Pochards, and half-a-dozen Little Grebes. A solitary Black-headed Gull and a trio of House Swifts hunting over the trees - not something I expected on a chilly January morning - were Chris’s first in the city. The Northern Goshawk that appeared briefly above the trees was my first for many years.
Either side of meeting Chris I spent 300-odd minutes in Hibiki Park (which is open 24/7). Japanese White-eyes – looking significantly darker than the lemon-tinged birds in Hong Kong - were new for the trip, and I finally got a picture (not a good one) of Brown-eared Bulbuls I’d seen and failed to photograph almost everywhere. There were bathing in a pond in the NE corner of the park, which was also the venue of choice for fifty odd White-cheeked Starlings and Azure-winged Magpies to perform their morning ablutions. A solitary Grey Heron admired its own reflection while ignoring the noisy rabble, that were also clearly far beneath the dignity of the Chinese Spotbills warming themselves in the first rays of sunshine. In amongst the White-eyes was one mystery bird – a small warbler foraging high in one of the large oaks (I think) next to the bandstand. It had no more than a hint of eyestripe and supercilium just before and behind the eye, a thin dark warbler’s bill and a short partly-cocked tail. With little else to go in given the poor views The nearest I could get was a skinny Japanese Bush Warbler channeling a short-tailed Common Tailorbird. Not helpful, I know! Four Oriental Turtle Doves, a Varied Tit and a monstrous Large-billed Crow drinking from a pelican-shaped drinking fountain completed the picture.
My final birding – a chilly 90 minutes in Neshiki Park in Yokohama – delivered more of the usual suspects – Oriental Turtle Doves, Oriental Greenfinch, Japanese Tits, a Dusky Thrush, Large-billed Crows and finally a trio of Hawfinches that allowed close enough approach for a decent photo. As a bird I very much associate with winter birding and saw throughout the trip in small numbers it was not at all a bad way to finish. As usual I’d be happy to answer any questions about the birds, sites and logistics for anyone who might be interested.
Many thanks to everyone for your views and comments - feedback it always make the report more fun to write.
Cheers
Mike
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Classic trip, top stuff ...and as for that bonus mammal at the Snow Monkeys, fantastic. Isn't Serow a pretty difficult mammal to catch up with? I sure didn't see...
James Lowther
Well-known member
I saw a Serow without really trying at Mt Moto Shirane in Gunma province but may just have got lucky.
James
James
Seem to remember I thought the species was difficult, so didn't actually try ... perhaps I was wrong in my assumption
foresttwitcher
Virtually unknown member
Agree with the other's comments, Mike, a good read with some nice photos and a great way with descriptive writing.
