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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dandsblair" data-source="post: 3360768" data-attributes="member: 107571">Last full day in JapanToday was our last full day in Japan. We were flying out from Tokyo to Dubai early tomorrow morning but having heard horror stories from some friend who missed international flight last year due to bad weather in Kushiro we decide to take an afternoon rather than evening flight to Haneda. This left us with half a day to do a last bird of birding. We decided to head up to the lighthouse and hide at Cape Nosappu and also stop at a neighbouring hide where some Rock Sandpiper were about.It was a bout 50 minute drive from the hotel to the car park. When we got there the weather was poor with freezing rain making things unpleasant, particularly as the hide was still locked. We set up the stuck together tripod and scope in the shelter of the hide and lighthouse so it wasn't too windy.We quickly found the Red-faced Cormorant (seems to be regular here), then a couple of Pigeon and Spectacled Guillemots before we found the target birds a couple of Long-billed Murrelet quite distant good enough.We were now soaked so we headed round to another hide - head towards the Hippo Primeval Flower Garden, we were luckier here with the Rock Sandpipers flying into view immediately rather than sitting on the rocks for hours as we expected. We had an outside hope of Asian Rosy Finch here a bird was seen on some fishing basket 2 days before but unsurprisingly there was nothing willing to sit out in the open.The drive back to Furen took us past a pond with some Wigeon before we stopped at the Lake where the feeding was just about to take place. So we stopped and had our fill of over 60 eagles Mainly Steller's with about 20 White-tailed  on the ice with just a couple of Black-eared Kites for company. On an open bit of Lake there was a small group of Whooper Swans. Doesn't time get away from you when you are enjoying a spectacle, we realised it was going to be a bit tight to get to Tsurui for a final look at the cranes. Instead we drove to Akkeshi for a quick stop adding Glaucous-winged and Slaty-backed Gull and a last pair of Harlequin Duck.The trip back to the airport was uneventful until we realised that we were at the airport and hadn't refuelled, there isn't a petrol station any where near if you come in off the new road. Fortunately we had enough time to drive 10K to get fuel and then get back, probably worth filling up in Kushiro. We didn't do that as on our last car hire in Karuizawa they wanted to see a receipt showing that the fuel was bought nearby.Anyway sods law having picked an early flight to avoid possible weather delays, there were delays but in Tokyo where the weather was an unseasonal 20C with thunderstorms. Still it was too bad and we were in Haneda before dark seeing a last bird White Wagtail.We stowed our luggage Y1000 (on same floor as monorail) and headed into Tokyo for a trip up the Tokyo Tower and a final meal before returning to the Airport for our flight early the next morning.</blockquote>

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