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Birding Japan
Introduction
After the holiday had finished I spent an intense five days birding. The first on the ferry across to Tomakomai, then three days in eastern Hokkaido and the last in the south at Utonai Nature Reserve between Tomakomai and Chitose airport.
Itinerary
It was just light enough to see at 05.00 and was fully dark by 18.00. On Hokkaido low tide was approximately 06.00 and again at 18.00.
Daily diary
17/09 Up at 05.15 to begin exploring. The lodge was located in a small country park at the top end of a no-through road. There were areas of mixed forest, scrub woodland, a mini ‘golf course’ and open campsite (unoccupied at the time) along a narrow wooded ridge to the south and a formal recreational zone. The northern, upper end, of the park merged into the dense forested slopes of an adjacent mountain, its peak hidden by a dividing ridge. Several trails criss-crossed the park, allowing easy access to all but the most overgrown sections. Most of the commoner forest birds were present, including Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, Japanese Bush Warblers, Varied Tits and Meadow Buntings. I heard a Copper Pheasant in dense scrub but couldn’t locate him. A mixed flock of tits and Japanese White-eyes produced 2 Arctic Warblers, an immature male Blue-and-White Flycatcher, a Sooty Flycatcher and 2 Asian Brown Flycatchers. Close by I located a nice female Narcissus Flycatcher and then a flock of rather elusive thrushes which turned out to be Grey, including some superb adult males. Add Pacific Swifts, Olive-backed Pipit and Short-tailed Bush Warbler and you have a great first morning. Also of interest were the large numbers of Eurasian Jays which descended from the higher forest areas down into the valley bottom woodlands. They were in search of acorns and I noticed this every morning during my stay at Yoshida and at other localities in the mountains. After breakfast we drove a few km to the worksite in the Akai Forest, a small rural community about fifteen minutes out from Ueda city. Although I didn’t have time to do any serious birding, I did record a resident pair of Common Buzzards with 7 passing south on migration, a Grey-faced Buzzard, Bull-headed Shrikes and 4 Hawfinches. 18/09 Out and about by 05.15. With migration in full swing, birds were passing through the mountains all the time. Although I virtually repeated the list of species I saw yesterday, most were new birds, such as an adult male Blue and White Flycatcher and at least 20 Grey Thrushes. A flock of 14 Japanese Grosbeaks were searching for fruit in the ornamental part of the park and a nice male Northern Goshawk flew through. At Akai, 3 Oriental Honey Buzzards passed over, whilst a final wander around Yoshida in the late afternoon produced a Waxwing sp. 19/09 Had a bit of a lie-in until 05.30 (!) and set off through the camp site, which runs for about 1 km along the southern ridge. Three Olive-backed Pipits, at least 5 Grey Thrushes, 5+ Blue-and-White Flycatchers, a Sooty Flycatcher and 12-15 Japanese Grosbeaks (probably same flock as yesterday). Akai yielded another Oriental Honey Buzzard and 2 Grey-faced Buzzards, as well as the only Willow Tits of the trip. An afternoon walk along the campsite produced 2 Asian Brown Flycatchers in among the tits and white-eyes and then 3-4 fabulous White-throated Needletails only 100m above the ridge. 20/09 Decided to have a proper lie-in this morning, as we were leaving at 08.00 for Nagano city and our day off. A solitary Japanese Wagtail perched on electricity wires as we left Ueda, but then nothing else until Nagano due to low cloud in the mountains. Two big rivers in the city were being fished by Grey Herons and Little Egrets, whilst Grey Starlings flew across the rooftops. As we approached Togakushi the mountain mist cleared and it became warm and sunny like the lowlands. The trees around the middle shrine in the village held Goldcrest, tits and Eurasian Nuthatches, with two large flocks of Brown-eared Bulbuls (c75 and c30) moving through. However, the best was yet to come. Our hosts had said that this area was well known for its raptor migration, with spirals of birds regularly seen each autumn. By now (11.45) it was quite sultry, with high cloud and a light northerly wind and as I scanned the skies I picked up some distant raptors drifting south. I traced them back to a spiral of birds, the first of at least 5 or 6 large spirals I noted during the next half an hour. In all some 500 or so Oriental Honey Buzzards moved south, along with at least 50 Grey-faced Buzzards and best of all 4 Greater Spotted Eagles. Up to 1991 there had only been 7 previous records of this species (Brazil, 1991), so unless there had been an upsurge in sightings since then, I’d just added considerably to the records !! By 12.20 the migration had tailed off, so after a lunch of Sopa Noodles in a nearby restaurant, we drove up to the Forestry Botanical Gardens at Shinrin Shokubutsu-en. Here we were met by a couple of local naturalists who guided us around the ‘gardens’ for the next hour and a half. We first called in at the visitor centre to see the exhibits and a film about Togakushi and then wandered around the pond and along the boardwalks. A few additional Oriental Honey Buzzards and Grey-faced Buzzards passed through, together with 2 Japanese Sparrowhawks, 2 Common Buzzards, several White-throated Needletails and at least 100 Asian House Martins. The pond contained a Little Grebe and a Spot-billed Duck, whilst the woods held Japanese Bush Warblers, tit flocks and several Black-faced Buntings. Some of the group saw a confiding Marten sp. (like a Beech Marten) but little else due to the dull overcast conditions which had now developed. As the afternoon drew to a close we drove back to Nagano and our hotel - a Buddhist Inn close to the Zenkoji Temple. After a stroll around the temple before dusk we had dinner and then popped out to the temple again to see it before all the illuminations were switched off. I continued around the gardens in the dark, hearing several Black-crowned Night Herons squawking as they flew over. A Collared Scops Owl was also calling, but it was too shy and confiding to reveal its exact whereabouts. 21/09 We attended the early morning prayers at the Zenkoji Temple with our Buddhist Priest host, found the key to eternal happiness and then had another turn around the gardens before breakfast ! Not many birds, although single Sooty, Asian Brown and Narcissus Flycatchers livened up the pace. After breakfast we drove back through the city and then south into the mountains towards Ueda. A Black-backed Wagtail was a new bird for me, totally overlooked on two previous BTCV holidays to Kyushu ! We arrived at a place called Matsushiro, a forest area 850m up in the mountains between Nagano and Ueda. Here we joined a large team of local Forestry workers in woodland management activities, breaking for lunch about 12.30. By now the weather was deteriorating, with low cloud and mist beginning to swirl around the trees. A short stroll among the stands of cedar and cypress brought me up to a flock of thrushes tukk-tukking in a dense patch of understorey. After several moments of fleeting silhouettes I latched on to one bird perched on an exposed branch - a fabulous adult male Siberian Thrush ! Altogether there were at least ten, with one or two Grey Thrushes amongst them. Feeling rather pleased I returned to work as drizzle set in. 22/09 The weather cleared up during the night, bringing typical autumnal conditions by dawn, such that it was cold and crisp at first light with excellent visibility across to the neighbouring mountains. My early morning stroll around Yoshida produced the male Copper Pheasant feeding along one of the trails, as well as 10-15 Grey Thrushes and two super Brown Thushes. We drove out to Matsushiro again to participate in traditional Japanese handicrafts and a walk around the woods. My second male Copper Pheasant of the day flew past on one of my solo rambles and I saw my first squirrel (Sciurus lis). On a final wander around Yoshida before dusk I found a family of Japanese Green Woodpeckers. 23/09 Last morning in the mountains. Again it was crisp and clear at first light and I spent quite a bit of time in the open just looking across the valley to see what was passing over. An immature Japanese Green Pigeon was a pleasant surprise, whilst Asian House Martins, Olive-backed Pipits and Jays were more expected. The trees along the campsite ridge were full of tits, white-eyes and flycatchers, as well as three species of woodpecker. After breakfast we drove down to Ueda station and caught the train bound for Tokyo. A single Great White Egret was noted among the Little Egrets and Grey Herons, and I saw a Spot-billed Duck on a small pond. Most impressive however, was Karuizawa volcano smoking into the clear blue sky and snow capped Mount Fuji off in the distance. In Tokyo we were met by an NCV volunteer who took us on a tour of the capital by City Bus - quite enjoyable if you want to ‘see the sights’. The moat around the Imperial Palace Gardens had Great Cormorant, Mute Swan and Common Kingfisher in it, but there wasn’t time to explore the gardens proper. Spent the night in the Ginza Capital Hotel Annex. 24/09 I accompanied my BTCV volunteers as far as Narita airport and saw them safely off through check-in. I then continued on to Mito on the bus with Hiromichi Sugimoto, one of the NCV volunteers. His family lived near to Oarai ferry port, so I was invited to spend the day with him, his sister and his parents. Lots of egrets on the journey to Mito, including the only Cattle Egret of the trip. After lunch in a Chinese (!) restaurant with an Afghan theme (!!), we drove out to a small country park near Naka. It was very busy and we didn’t see much, although I bet it would be very productive first thing in the morning before anybody was around. Nevertheless, the ponds held several Spot-billed Ducks, a female Northern Pintail, a female Common Teal and a Black Swan. The park was also the base for a bird rehabilitation centre and it was full of Black Kites, Common Buzzards, Whooper Swans and Green Pheasants. Sadly most were beyond return to the wild, with broken wings injured by flying into electricity cables of which there is an abundance in Japan. Back to the Sugimoto house for a delicious sushi dinner and then on to the port and ferry check-in. A few Black-crowned Night Herons flew over the terminal whilst we waited to depart and then at 23.59 we were off. 25/09 I’d booked second class and was sharing a room with about twenty other passengers. We all had our own mattress, sheets, pillow and blankets and slept in three rows across the room. I set my alarm for 5.00 am, but didn’t sleep much, partly due to the anticipation of a whole day’s Pacific seawatching and partly due to the drunken singing and shouting of the long distance lorry drivers in the room next door ! At first light I was on deck with all my day’s gear and there I stayed for the next twelve and a half hours, bar three brief visits to the loo !! My main rucksack was left downstairs in the bedroom - perfectly safe thanks to exemplary Japanese morals and ethics. Birding was fantastic, although I was a little disappointed to see just one albatross (Laysan) and only a quick glimpse of an Oceanodroma petrel. Nevertheless, highlights included five species of shearwater, including 1 Flesh-footed, 1 Wedge-tailed, 1 Sooty and 4 Short-tailed, among tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Streaked Shearwaters, 26 Grey Phalaropes, 8 Pomarine Skuas, 6 Arctic Skuas, 23 Vega Gulls, 2 Glaucous-winged Gulls, 7 Common Terns, c10 Little Terns, a Rhinocerous Auklet and 3 small alcids, as well as a nice Blue Shark basking on the surface and two Flying Fish ! The last shearwater, a Streaked, was seen at 17.30, by which time visibility was very poor and it was almost dark. We docked at 19.45 and I walked up to the check-in desk where a man from the car rental agency was waiting for me. He drove me to his office, a few km from the port, where I presented my licences, signed the papers and paid for the car. I was a little daunted about driving in Japan, let alone in the dark and whilst feeling a bit tired. Fortunately the vehicle had an on-board GIS, so the agency man programmed in Kushiro and the computer did the rest. Not only that but ‘she’ spoke in English, telling me to turn right here or bear left there ! This certainly helped with my first driving experience and by the time I reached Kushiro I was feeling much more confident. So much so, that I put the GIS away and used the Japanese road atlas after that. I left Tomakomai at 20.30 and arrived in Akkeshi at 02.00, a five and a half hour epic drive along the coast, across several mountain ranges, through dense forest and in busy towns and cities. It was also quite foggy in places, adding to the initial tension. At Akkeshi I pulled up on a bit of waste ground facing the bay and grabbed a few hours sleep. 26/09 Up at 06.00 to a bright, clear morning. I drove over the bridge into Akkeshi town itself and had a quick look on the tidal lake. Unfortunately I was looking right into the sun, so couldn’t see much. From there through the town up to Cape Aikappu. The car park was deserted and the surrounding trees were buzzing with activity. Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, tits, Eurasian Nuthatches, Common Treecreepers and Black-faced Buntings in the main, but also Winter Wrens, Japanese Bush Warblers and unidentified thrushes calling from the canopy. Overhead were Eurasian Skylarks, several Olive-backed Pipits and a couple of Bramblings. Not much at the cape except Northern Goshawk and a Siberian Stonechat. Back into Akkeshi and then the coast road towards Kiritappu. At Lake Hichirippu and a smaller lake before it, I found my first Japanese Cranes as well as thousands of dabbling duck (Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal and Northern Pintail), most still in eclipse plumage. At Kiritappu there is a car park and an observation platform giving commanding views across the marsh. Looking down onto the bog, it is hard to believe you are in Japan, the whole area more reminiscent of Kamchatka or Alaska. Here were more Japanese Cranes, as well as Goosander, another Northern Goshawk and a distant White-tailed Eagle. The first of the day’s Buff-bellied Pipits flew over and several Oriental Greenfinches perched on the fences surrounding the adjacent horse paddocks. On then to Cape Kiritappu and the last car park before the lighthouse. A few visitors were around, but they had all left by the time I reached the point. Harlequin Ducks bobbed in the waves at the foot of the cliffs, whilst Japanese and Pelagic Cormorants flew back and forth across the bay. More cormorants were perched on the rocky islets at the point, where I also saw 3 Black-throated Divers together, an Arctic Skua chasing Black-legged Kittiwakes and two immature Tufted Puffins, one close in, the other far off. The surrounding fields held Buff-bellied Pipits, White Wagtails, Siberian Stonechats, Oriental Greenfinches and Black-faced Buntings. Continuing on to Cape Ochiishi I was hopeful that its summer birds would still be in residence, as the cape is an excellent place for rubythroats and bluetails. Sadly they were long departed and the Sahalin Spruce forest was virtually devoid of birds except for a few tits and Eurasian Nuthatches. The cape too was very quiet, so I returned to the car and drove out to the north-eastern side to check the bay. Plenty of cormorants but little else, although a single Pacific Swift was unexpected. The bay on the western side was rather better, with several hundred Black Scoters, a single Velvet, 4 Greater Scaup and two Red-necked Grebes. From Ochiishi to the visitor centre at Lake Furen. ‘En route’ I photographed some Sika Deer feeding at the side of the road. The lake produced 7 more Japanese Cranes and lots of dabbling duck, but I didn’t stay long as I had to drive back to Kushiro and then on another 50 km to the Kinashibetsu Wetland Trust reserve at Chokubetsu. This was another BTCV project site, with holidays being held in June each year. I knew the reserve was 50 km from Kushiro, but for some reason I’d assumed it was 50 km east, not west, otherwise I would have stopped here on my way through, rather than having to come all the way back !! I arrived shortly after 19.00 and at the request of my host, Genshi Sakakibaru, ensconced myself in the Trust house. Genshi produced some dinner and we sat talking until late about nature conservation in Japan and the UK. 27/09 The weather was in complete contrast to yesterday, being dull and overcast, which turned out to be rather good for grounding migrants. I was out and about at 05.30 and was joined by Genshi at 06.00 who then showed me around the reserve. The Kinashibetsu Wetlands lie in a broad flat valley about 3 km wide. They face the Pacific and are protected by a line of low dunes rich in flora. Behind the dunes are tidal creeks and then the marshes. These contain areas of wet woodland (mainly alder) and a small river which floods during the winter. Part of the valley bottom is taken up by Genshi’s farm - a complex of hay meadows, river flood plain and small woodlands. This he manages on behalf of the National Trust of Japan, and he also has a management agreement to look after the adjacent wetlands which belong to a neighbouring landowner. On either side there is extensive virgin broadleaf forest, whilst inland the valley sweeps up into the mountains, in a combination of woodlands and agricultural fields. We walked through the hay meadows and down to the tidal marsh just inside the dunes. Large numbers of Oriental Greenfinches were passing over, along with Bramblings, Olive-backed Pipits, Red-throated Pipits and buntings, mainly Black-faced. A Dusky Thrush perched up in a dead tree and several Siberian Stonechats flitted along the fence lines. At the marsh we found Black-browed Reed Warblers and a few Long-tailed Rosefinches, as well as more Siberian Stonechats. A flock of 13 Bean Geese honked noisily overhead when suddenly a huge warbler hopped up into a dead bush only a couple of metres from me. Superficially like a big Hippolais, with yellowish underparts, brown upperparts (streaked on the head) and a large beak, this was an immature Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler and a complete surprise. A line of scrubby wind breaks fronted the tidal marsh and these were full of birds, including tits, Eurasian Nuthatches, Black-faced, Meadow and Reed Buntings, Eurasian Siskins, Bramblings and more Long-tailed Rosefinches. We returned to Genshi’s house for breakfast, watching Hawfinches eating cherry plums in his garden, and then drove out to the beach. Climbing up the valley side we had great views over the marsh, where Japanese Cranes breed. Although there were no cranes present, we did see a Northern Goshawk, a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and more Dusky Thrushes. About 150 Black Scoters bobbed on the sea and the beach held 9 Sanderlings and a single Ruddy Turnstone. The afternoon was given over to visiting attractions around Kushiro. At our first stop, the Japanese Crane Reserve and Breeding Centre, we met up with two ladies who accompanied us to our next stop, Kushiro Zoo (worth going just to see their Japanese Bears, Kuril Seals and Blakiston’s Fish Owls). Genshi left us here and the two ladies guided me on to Kushiro Shitsugen, a massive wetland area to the north of the city. A visitor centre has been built on the marsh and a boardwalk runs out into it. Unfortunately the weather and daylight were against us, but there were several Black-browed Reed Warblers and a very late adult Common Cuckoo. If I’d had more time I would have spent several hours there. We were hoping to go on to a viewpoint across the marshes, but the weather closed in and it began to rain a little. Instead the ladies guided me on to the road for Akkeshi (avoiding Kushiro) and we said our goodbyes. I was due to spend the night at a tourist lodge in Tobai, a small village between Lake Furen visitor centre and Lake Onetto, but when I arrived I couldn’t find it. This was somewhat unfortunate, because not only was I expected for dinner, but the Matsuo’s who owned the lodge knew where I could find Blakiston’s Fish Owl !! Apparently they were acquaintances of Genshi and the husband was a ringer. Although he was away on business, his wife knew the location of the owls and she was all set to show me on the map. Luckily Genshi had been given the name of the site, Hattaushi Bridge, and he had shown me where the Hattaushi River was in my atlas. However, this stretched for several kilometres and was crossed by quite a few roads. Fortunately, I also had a reference to the location from a previous bird report (Lehto, 1997), although the latitude given (Japanese atlases give latitude and longitude as their grids) put the site out in the Pacific Ocean ! Whilst this must have been a typing error, the longitude figure intersected the aforementioned river at what appeared to be a bridge. Putting two and two together Genshi and I decided that this must be the site, and that Mrs Matsuo would confirm it for me. Without that confirmation I had no choice but to put my faith in fate. I drove back about 10 km along Route 44 to the turning down to the bridge. In the dark it was not easy to know if this was the right road, but it was and I can now tell you that it lies between the ‘99.5 km’ and ‘100 km from Kushiro’ marker signs. The bridge is about 200 m down the road and at first sign doesn’t appear at all likely as the site for one of the rarest and biggest owls in the world. For a start it is very close to Route 44, and apart from the riparian forest along the river, is surrounded by farmland. The bridge itself is covered in yellow flags and these were all fluttering noisily in the breeze when I arrived. However, on closer inspection there are owl road signs (in Japanese) and nearby a nature protection area. I parked up in an entrance track leading into the reserve and walked back to the bridge. Nothing calling so I got my head down for a few hours. 28/09 I awoke at 04.00, dressed and walked back to the bridge. The wind had dropped and it was dead still. A few lorries thundered along on the main road and a single car passed me on the bridge. Suddenly at 04.20 a deep, booming hoot echoed around the narrow river valley. Gripped with excitement I strained to see in the darkness. Over the next five minutes about 10 calls were made, the three-note hoot being a combination of male and female owls calling together. Despite my trying to mimic the call, no owls responded and it went very quiet. A few Eurasian Woodcocks flew around as it grew lighter and I resigned myself to returning in the evening for a second try. At 05.00 I gave up hope of seeing an owl float across the valley and walked back to the car checking the forest on each side of the road. Incredibly I suddenly found myself staring straight into the eyes of an immature Blakiston’s Fish Owl perched in a large oak tree. It called in alarm and even more miraculously one of the adults flew in with a loud whooshing of huge wings - yes, I was that close !! The adult eyed me up and down and after a few minutes flew off into the forest. The youngster continued to stare at me and I left it in peace. Feeling totally elated I could hardly control my good fortune as I drove to the visitor centre at Lake Furen. The tide was low and I could see a few distant waders on the far side flying out towards the end of the Shunkunitai Peninsular. There were also large flocks of duck on the lake, as well as a few Japanese Cranes. Several White-tailed Eagles appeared, each diving in succession on to the rafts of duck, trying to grab one as they scattered in panic. I continued around the lake on Route 44 and turned off down to the bridge across to Shunkunitai. The wind was howling in off the ocean as I pulled up in the car park and I toyed with the idea of exploring the forest around Lake Onetto instead. But the sight of more waders flying past and flocks of sea duck out on the waves strengthened my resolve and I headed out to the end of the peninsular. The 8 km walk to the very end was exhilarating in the gusting winds and it took me about two and a half hours. This was mainly due to lots of sea watching along the way, picking out 3 Black-throated Divers, 3 Red-necked Grebes, 2 Black-necked Grebes, c200 Black Scoters, c25 Velvet Scoters, 6 Greater Scaup, 3 Arctic Skuas (right over my head) and at least 10 adult and one second winter Glaucous Gull among the large numbers of Black-tailed, Vega and Slaty-backed Gulls. Waders on the beach included a Lesser Sandplover, 2 Sanderling, a single Red-necked Stint and 2 Whimbrels. In addition a Wood Sandpiper and 2 Common Snipe came up off a small freshwater pool. At the tip of the peninsular I was hoping to come across large numbers of waders, but I was disappointed, finding only 18 Pacific Golden Plovers and 3 Grey Plovers. There were waders somewhere, but at this time of year they are in small numbers and presumably scattered along miles of suitable coastline. I now wanted to get into the woodland which makes up half Shunkunitai’s habitat, but rather than retrace my steps, I decided to wade across the shallow inlets at the end of the peninsular. The sun was shining brightly and on the lee side of the low dunes it was quite warm and sheltered. I stripped down to my boxer shorts and set off across the first inlet. No problem, the water was only shin deep. The next inlet was a bit deeper and I decided to skirt round it on the sand. The many shells were rather sharp and I had to tread carefully. The final inlet was about 300m wide and as I set off I was feeling confident. About half way across little pockets of deeper mud began to suck at my feet and I became tense in case one pocket turned out to be really deep and I went right in. A temporary distraction came in the form of an immature White-tailed Eagle hanging just 20m above me as it checked me out. I slowly edged forward as the water got deeper and deeper. Soon it was lapping round my waist and I wondered if I was going to make it over. As my panic level increased the worst was suddenly over and I was surging out onto the sandy shore not far from the forest edge. I put my boots back on and pushed through the reeds which fronted the trees. An immature Peregrine Falcon flew past and Common Reed Buntings flushed from the marsh. In the cool of the woods I got dressed and set off back towards the car. I was rather hoping for Hazel Grouse, and a Eurasian Woodcock certainly got my pulse racing as it shot up from under my feet. There were lots of tit flocks and I saw plenty of delightful white-headed Long-tailed Tits of the race A.c.caudatus. A medium sized bird flying up into a pine tree turned out to be a superb Eye-browed Thrush and I watched it for several minutes as it posed for the telescope. A short while later a movement on the forest floor found me watching a family of Red-flanked Bluetails, the male even giving a few short snippets of song ! It took another two hours to reach the end of the forest and footsore I flopped into the car. A quick bite of food and I was off to explore the extensive woodlands around Lake Onetto. The road into the forest was literally just before the large bridge over the lake’s tidal inlet and I almost missed it as I scanned the water ahead. It is a gated dirt track and as a consequence attracts very little traffic. I kept left and stopped a couple of times to wander down forest tracks in search of birds. Apart from a few tits and Black-faced Buntings, nothing much was around. I continued on and then turned left through more open gates (marked by a large colourful sign warning of the dangers of fire) and drove slowly along the track with the windows open. A strange, high-pitched four-note whistle made me pause to listen. It sounded again and I mimicked the cry. Expecting a passerine of some kind, I was more than a little surprised to see a large grey bird fly up into the tree next to the car. Fixing my binoculars onto it I was thrilled to find a gorgeous male Hazel Grouse only 4m away !! He called again and as I replied he strutted up the branch, wings drooped, tail cocked and chest thrust out. We duetted for a while and then he flew off into some dense trees on the other side of the track. A single feather fluttered down from where he had perched and I have it as a momento of a truly memorable moment. Wow, what a day I was having ! I returned to Route 44 and headed west, turning right on to Route 243 a few minutes later. At the 134 km sign I swung into a small turning area on the right and parked up. I was overlooking the northern shore of Lake Furen, but had to scramble down to the lake edge to get a decent view. A couple of old boats provided a suitable vantage point. There were many duck in several large rafts, and with the exception of 3 Mallards and a redhead Smew, all of them turned out to be Greater Scaup, about 4000 in all. There were also lots of grebes, and I counted at least 250 Black-necked and 5+ Slavonians. Brazil (1991) states that Black-necked Grebe is rare around Hokkaido and usually occurs in February and March. He also says that a flock of 30 birds off southern Kyushu was exceptional. Now, either it had increased dramatically since 1991 or I’d just broken all Japanese records for this species ! Whilst I was there a flock of 12 Bean Geese flew past, a White-tailed Eagle drifted over distant woodlands and a Grey-headed Woodpecker called from nearby trees. I also disturbed a lovely little Ground Squirrel, who scolded me with loud, bird-like whistles. I moved on to the Hashiritokan Peninsular which forms the north eastern side of Lake Furen. There was very little to see because of the high tide and I didn’t bother driving right down to the end to search for waders. The town of Hakuchodai which lies at the base of the peninsular has a small harbour and here I found more Glaucous Gulls, about 30 Black-legged Kittiwakes and a flock of 200 Common Terns, including several full adult S. h. longipennis. Continuing on up the coast, I passed Lake Odaito, and here I stopped to check a collection of ducks loafing on the banks. Among the 200 Mallard and 50 Eurasian Wigeon, Common Teal and Northern Pintail were 3 Northern Shovelers and 8 Falcated Teal. There were also 40 Goosanders out on the lake and about 450 Greater Scaup just offshore. Reaching the Notsuke Peninsular shortly after 15.00, I was attracted to an area of tall grass and rose scrub. I put up a couple of buntings and after several brief glimpses in the strong wind I finally pinned one down in a bush - it was just a Common Reed Bunting. As I moved slowly down the peninsular road the sun began to set and I began to run out of time. I found some waders sheltering in an area of wind blown seaweed, identifying a Greater Sandplover, 2 Lesser Sandplovers, 4 Grey Plovers and 2 Red-necked Stints. Three Bar-tailed Godwits a short while later added to the wader tally. As it grew dark I turned westwards and set out on the long drive back towards Tomakomai. 29/09 I arrived at Utonai Nature Reserve about 1.30 in the morning and pulled up in the main car park. After snatching a few hours sleep, I got up at 05.15 and began to explore. It was quite cold and there was even a touch of frost on the ground. A bird had been singing loudly when I’d arrived during the night and I now discovered that it was the warden playing a tape to attract migrants to his mist nets. I could also hear geese out on the lake. The first bird I saw was a small brown job hopping around at the edge of the car park. As it searched for food it suddenly turned around and revealed a shining gorget of red - a fabulous adult male Siberian Rubythroat ! I saw several more during the day and reckoned on at least 15 birds altogether. I first walked along the lake shore to the south, passing along a boardwalk through reedbeds and then an area of open woodland. The bushes around the lake were alive with birds and I clocked up an excellent list of species, including a Lanceolated Warbler, which hopped low into a bush just a few metres from me, several Black-browed Reed Warblers, Long-tailed Rosefinches, Black-faced buntings and a pair of Grey-headed Buntings. The woodland held Brown Thrushes and a tit flock with accompanying Pale-legged Warbler. A parkland at the end of the reserve produced an immature male Blue-and-White Flycatcher, but no Russet Sparrows or Red-cheeked Starlings. By this time the sun was quite high and I could more easily identify some of the waterfowl. (The reserve faces east so you are looking straight into the sun in the early morning). There were several Little Grebes, about 30 Mute Swans and 20 Whooper Swans (some of which were injured birds looked after by local people), 16 White-fronted Geese, c50 Bean Geese, 3 Mandarin Ducks (the first of the season according to the warden), lots of dabbling ducks and a mixed flock of Common Pochards and Tufted Ducks. A White-tailed Eagle sat in a small tree on the far side of the lake and a Water Rail squealed from reeds nearby. There wasn’t much wader habitat, but I did see a Spotted Redshank and 2 Greenshank and then put up a large dark snipe from under my feet. From that view and the slightly longer observation when I flushed it again, it could only be a Solitary Snipe - most unexpected. I next walked the trails to the north, finding a Northern Wryneck, several Siberian Stonechats, more Brown Thrushes, an Arctic Warbler in another tit flock, a Japanese Grosbeak, Long-tailed Rosefinches, lots of Black-faced Buntings and a few Common Reed Buntings. I stayed on the reserve all day, apart from a fruitless thirty minute break when I tried to find some more open habitat in the neighbourhood. If you do look for open fields, don’t try to the west, it is all forest. Back at the reserve I paid a visit to the nature centre and chatted to the warden about what I had seen. A final look at the lake revealed 2 Great Crested Grebes, an Osprey, 2 immature Eastern Marsh Harriers quartering the reedbeds on the far side and a couple of Pacific Swifts. Then it was back to the car where I repacked all my stuff in preparation for the journey home. I drove the few km into Chitose, refilled the petrol tank and dropped the car off at the airport rental office. My flight to Haneda was uneventful, but I had missed the last bus to Narita. I therefore slept on the seats in the airport which were surprisingly comfortable when you stretched right out. The airport closes down for a few hours during the night and the security guards ask all people sleeping over to go to one area where they take your name and address and flight details. They were very helpful and in the morning let me know where to take the bus from. 30/09 At 07.45 the first limousine bus arrived and about 70 minutes later I was at Narita. My flight to the UK departed on time at 11.20.
Literature
Instead, I used ‘A Field Guide to the Birds of Korea’ by Woo-Shin Lee et al (2000) (ISBN 89-951415-1-4). It covers most of the species recorded in Japan, with the exception of the endemics and some near endemics, and the distribution maps are the same as the Japanese guide. I later found the Japanese version of ‘A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan’ (ISBN 4-931150-13-6) for sale at the nature centre in Utonai, price 3464 Yen.
For birding sites, I used ‘A Birder’s Guide to Japan’, by Jane Washburn Robinson (1987) (ISBN 0-934797-02-1). Although a little out of date, it proved invaluable on Hokkaido and I strongly recommend it.
I also made use of previous birders’ trip reports, and an excellent one is by Harry J Lehto : 15th - 28th August 1997. I found it on the internet at: Finally, as a source of reference, is ‘The Birds of Japan’ by Mark Brazil (1991) (ISBN 1-56098-030-3). This a fairly large hardback book with useful information on status and distribution.
Travelling around
The ferry cost me 6400 Yen one-way for a second class ticket. My host in Nagano reserved a place for me, but I had to buy a ticket at least three days before the sailing. Although my host did this for me at a local travel agent, when I arrived at the ferry check-in, I still had to fill in another form to be given the boarding pass. This comes in three sections, one for boarding, one for disembarking and one for you. The telephone number for the ferry company is 029 267 4133. A word about the ship. Passengers were only allowed on two outer decks, lower and middle, so I watched from the lee of the crew’s cabins on the middle. This afforded shelter from the wind and gave views out from both sides of the ship, but not much of the front. To view forward, you had to move to either side of the deck or look out through the large glass windows which sheltered the middle deck. The disadvantage of the former, was that it was very windy at the sides and difficult to keep the telescope still, whilst with the latter, the deck vibrated considerably, again making it difficult to keep the telescope still. It was also very noisy from engine reverberation and the glass was rather smeared from salt spray. Even in my location there was still some cyclical deck shudder, and you often had to keep on a bird for some time and hope for a calm moment to identify it. Unless you happen to have a folding chair, you might want to take advantage of one of the wooden loungers tied to the walls of the deck. I untied one and moved it around with me as I shifted position according to the sun and wind. No-one seemed to mind and I retied it at the end of my session. I was also able to leave all my gear on the chair whilst I popped to the toilet. I didn’t sample the restaurants, but they seemed OK. Instead, I took a supply of junk food and scoffed that so I could keep birding. However, there were several vending machines around, including a food dispenser. There were about 30 foot passengers on the ship, along with 100 or so lorry drivers and a small number of bikers and car drivers. Only a few of them came up on deck to peer out, despite the bright sunshine, so for much of the day I was on my own. Finally, you should note that the Tokyo - Kushiro ferry stopped taking passengers in autumn 1999. It still operates, but only takes vehicles, so the days of being right out in the Pacific are sadly long gone. Nevertheless, with the right weather conditions, time of year and observer coverage, I’m sure the Oarai - Tomakomai route will prove to be just as good. For car rental I used Toyota Renta-Lease Sapporo. They had a small office in Tomakomai (open 08.00 - 20.00) and a big depot at Chitose airport. I hired a Toyota Plats, a comfortable, automatic, 1300cc car in the cheapest (P1) range. It cost 7000 Yen for the first day and then 6000 Yen for each day thereafter, including collision waiver and insurance. I paid up front by credit card. They waived the extra 1000 Yen for delivering the car to the ferry port, preferring to pick me up themselves and then deliver me to the car. Although they asked where I was going, there didn’t appear to be any mileage restrictions and I assume it is unlimited mileage. The Plats also had an on-board GIS and there was an instruction manual if I wanted to make more use of it. The agency staff spoke little English, but they had a procedures booklet in English, and with this I was able to complete all the paperwork and understand the terms of the agreement. An International Driving Licence is needed as well as your UK Licence. Unleaded petrol was available everywhere, but not all filling stations took credit cards, so beware of that if you have little cash left. The attendants knew which grade of fuel the car needed and I left it up to them to fill the tank. A full tank cost about 4500 Yen (115 Yen per litre). Driving is on the left and the national speed limit is 60 km/h. Lorries seem to have their own speed limits, whether in town or countryside, so keep out of their way if you can ! There are speed cameras around, but you are unlikely to receive a ticket as you are in a rental car and will soon be out of the country. Of more concern are the police. They are keen to prevent speeding and conceal themselves in unlikely places. If you are caught, expect an on-the-spot fine, tourist or not. Furthermore, the faster you go, the more the fine ! Finally, watch out for the traffic lights, as they are 1) abundant, and 2) rather confusing at first. Your first light is before the junction but above the opposite lane, whilst the second is above your lane but way over the other side of the junction. If you miss the first light but halt at the second, you would end up stopping right in the middle of the crossing, so keep your eyes peeled when in urban areas. Internal flights are a quick and easy way to travel round, but quite expensive. My 21.15 flight to Tokyo was with Nippon Air Systems, usual cost 28,000 Yen one-way. I was lucky as they had a special deal on and I got it for 15,000 Yen. I chose to go back to Haneda airport since there are many more daily flights, the last being at 21.50. Flights direct to Narita are still very limited and the times wouldn’t have allowed me to complete a full day’s birding up to dusk. My Nagano host reserved the flight for me, but I only paid for it when I got to the airport. I was also able to use my credit card for this transaction. The exchange rate at the time of my trip was £1.00 Sterling to 162 Yen.
Maps
It gives grid references in latitude and longitude and I have noted a few localities using this system. Harry Lehto also uses such grid references in his report.
Accommodation
Genshi’s e-mail address is If I had found it, I would have stayed at Matsuo’s Tourist Lodge, 213-7 Tobai, Nemuro City. Tel: 01532-5-3919. Their rates seem very reasonable, 6200 Yen per night including breakfast and dinner. And as I said earlier, Mr Matsuo is a local bird ringer, so will know lots about where to go and what to see. Systematic List
1. Black-throated Diver Gavia arctica
2. Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis
3. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus
4. Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena
5. Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus
6. Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis
8. Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas
9. Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus carneipes
12. Short-tailed Shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris
~ Storm-type Petrel Oceanodroma sp
13. Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo
14. Japanese Cormorant Phalacrocorax capillatus
16. Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax
20. Great White Egret Egretta alba
22. Mute Swan Cygnus olor
23. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
24. Bean Goose Anser fabalis
25. White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons
26. Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata
27. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope
29. Common Teal Anas crecca
31. Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
32. Northern Pintail Anas acuta
36. Greater Scaup Aythya marila
37. Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus
38. Black Scoter Melanitta (nigra) americana
40. Smew Mergus albellus
41. Goosander Mergus merganser
43. Oriental Honey Buzzard Pernis orientalis
45. White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla
47. Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis
48. Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
49. Grey-faced Buzzard Butastur indicus
50. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo
51. Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga
53. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus
54. Hazel Grouse Bonasa bonasia
55. Copper Pheasant Syrmaticus soemmerringii
56. Water Rail Rallus aquaticus
57. Japanese Crane Grus japonensis
58. Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus
59. Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii
60. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva
61. Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
64. Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago
65. Solitary Snipe Gallinago solitaria
66. Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
67. Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
68. Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
69. Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus
70. Greenshank Tringa nebularia
71. Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola
72. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres
73. Grey Phalarope Phalaropus fulicarius
74. Pomarine Skua Stercorarius pomarinus
75. Arctic Skua Stercorarius parasiticus
76. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus
78. Vega Gull Larus vegae
80. Glaucous-winged Gull Larus glaucescens
81. Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus
82. Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
83. Common Tern Sterna hirundo
84. Little Tern Sterna albifrons
85. Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata
~ Murrelet/Auklet Brachyramphus sp/Aethia sp
86. Tufted Puffin Lunda cirrhata
87. Feral Pigeon Columba livia
88. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis
89. Japanese Green Pigeon Treron sieboldii
90. Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
91. Collared Scops Owl Otus bakkamoena
92. Blakiston’s Fish Owl Ketupa blakistoni
93. White-throated Needletail Hirundapus caudacutus
94. Pacific Swift Apus pacificus
95. Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
96. Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla
97. Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus
99. Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendropocus major
101. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Dendropocus kizuki
102. Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis
103. Sand Martin Riparia riparia
104. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
105. Asian House Martin Delichon dasypus
106. Olive-backed Pipit Anthus hodgsoni
108. Buff-bellied Pipit Anthus rubescens
109. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
111. Black-backed Wagtail Motacilla lugens
113. Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis
114. Winter Wren Troglodytes trogloytes
117. Siberian Stonechat Saxicola (torquata) maura
118. Siberian Thrush Zoothera sibirica
119. Grey Thrush Turdus cardis
121. Eye-browed Thrush Turdus obscurus
122. Dusky Thrush Turdus naumanni
123. Short-tailed Bush Warbler Cettia squameiceps
125. Lanceolated Warbler Locustella lanceolata
126. Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler Locustella fasciolata
127. Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
128. Pale-legged Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes
129. Arctic Warbler Phyllscopus borealis
~ Leaf Warbler sp Phylloscopus sp
130. Goldcrest Regulus regulus
131. Blue-and-White Flycatcher Cyanoptila cyanomelana
132. Sooty Flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica
133. Asian Brown Flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris
134. Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina
135. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
136. Marsh Tit Parus palustris
137. Willow Tit Parus montanus
138. Varied Tit Parus varius
139. Coal Tit Parus ater
140. Great Tit Parus major
141. Eurasian Nuthatch Sitta europaea
142. Common Treecreeper Certhia familiaris
143. Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonica
145. Eurasian Jay Garrulus glandarius
146. Carrion Crow Corvus corone
147. Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos
148. Grey Starling Sturnus cineraceus
149. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
150. Brambling Fringilla montifringilla
151. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica
152. Eurasian Siskin Carduelis spinus
154. Japanese Grosbeak Eophona personata
158. Grey-headed Bunting Emberiza fucata
159. Common Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus
* * * * *
Bat sp
Squirrel Sciurus lis
Ground Squirrel (like North American Chipmunk)
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes japonica
Sika Deer Cervus nippon centralis
* * * * * Reptiles and Fish
Snake sp
Blue Shark
Flying Fish
Tuna sp
* * * * * Compiled by Andy Warren, Lane Cottage, Middlehurst Farm, Campden Road, Shipston-on-Stour, Warks, CV36 4PZ, UK
e-mail: andy.warren@severntrent.co.uk
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