On a gorgeous summer day, going to Kujukuri is one of the best options for birding.
a Terek Sandpiper (sorihashishigiソリハシシギ) was resting on a rubbish heap..
Kentish Plover (shirochidoriシロチドリ）
saw some Little ringed plovers, Little terns and some more.
Kujukuri never disappoints me, or I even could say with confidence, any birdwatcher in all season.
If you saw a turtle dove in the UK now, it would be a blessing since the British population has plummeted since the 70s.
The Oriental turtle dove (Kijibatoキジバト) in Japan, on the other hand, are one of the most common birds. Some visit our garden every day and a pair even succeeded in breeding early spring!
We found a nest on 15Feb2022
We had a storm over night and the sea was raging the next morning
and we found this poor fellow in a sheltered fishing harbour.
This Spectacled guillemot (Keimafuriケイマフリ) looked distressed and weak.
Hope it will get some rest in the quiet harbour and go back out in the open water where it belongs soon.
Actually, we were not sure what bird it was because it was our first encounter with one! I asked my ornithologist friend (or my mentor, rather) to identify and he told me it probably was a young one which had been born last year as the adults should be in breeding plumage by now.
We were excited on the spot and feel more excited after learning these facts.
a small group of Black scoters (Kurogamoクロガモ) was also sheltering in the harbour.
The rocky cliff facing the harbour is a Slaty-backed gulls' breeding site, we were told.
On another rock was full of Pelagic cormorants (Himeuヒメウ)
Are you sure you're going to lay eggs there?!
Sea otters were in their elements.
The Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) is a different species from the otters found on the coasts of the UK but live on the coasts of the northern Pacific. I've only seen ones kept in zoos so it was very exciting to see ones in wild!
The ground of the woodland was still covered with thick snow but we had chance to see woodland birds near feeders.
Jay (akesuカケス) - a subspecies found in Hokkaido has a very distinct cinnamon coloured head.
We had never seen so many Jays in one place!
Nuthatch (Gojukaraゴジュウカラ) - a very white underparts compared with the ones we are familiar in Britain.
Dusky thrush (Tsugumiツグミ) & Jay
Japanese tit (Shijukaraシジュウカラ)
Long-tailed tit (Shimaenagaシマエナガ) - completely white face
Carrion crow (Hashibosogarasuハシボソガラス)
All of a sudden, the little ones started to be agitated with alarm calls, and this is why: a beautiful Red fox (Kitsuneキツネ)
Lake Furen and Shunkunitai sandbar
Gulls, ducks, swans, cranes and eagles are thriving among the drift ice.
Black scoters (Kurogamoクロガモ) & Slaty-backed gulls (Oosegurokamomeオオセグロカモメ)(?)
One of the main target birds was the Blakiston's fish owl (Shimafukuroシマフクロウ). This owl is the biggest owl species and endangered due to habitat loss, only found in the northeastern part of Asia - northeastern China, southeastern Siberia, Sakhalin and part of Hokkaido. In Hokkaido, the Wild Bird Society of Japan has been working hard to do conservation work and the number has been increasing, which is great news. It is controversial in a way because the information is not open to the public and there is no official place to visit and see them. If you want to see one, you would have to wander in the wild by yourself or visit one of the two non-official places - the one is a privately run Shiretoko observatory, the other an onsen ryokan (a traditional inn with a hot spring) in Yoroushi. We chose to stay in Yoroushi and had pleasure meeting one!
off he went with a fish in his beak, disappeared in the total darkness.
It was ENORMOUS! The feathers were so beautiful.
This inn and its hot spring complex is located alongside a river and has been feeding the owl pair for a long time. I couldn't find much information about the owls in the inn, which I thought was a shame. I know most of the guests were there to relax and enjoy their onsen experience, not knowing anything about the owl but if both the inn and the guests made a little bit of effort, there could be more chance for the owl to survive.
After several stressful weeks, unable to decide whether we could travel to and back from Britain, we finally had to abandon the plan and decided to go on a short trip to the Eastern parts of Hokkaido instead.
YES! CRANES! EAGLES! & SNOW! ⛄
Our first encounter with Red-crowned cranes (Tanchoタンチョウ)
three White-tailed eagles (Ojirowashiオジロワシ) & a Steller's sea eagle (Oowashiオオワシ)
Red fox (Ezokitsuneエゾキツネ)
We came across some amazing wildlife there and would like to share some of it with you:)
