Tag: Bewick’s Swan

Late Winter Trip 2022 Day 5 #9

by Stuart Price, posted in Geese, Mukawa, Wildfowl
Bean Goose

I only saw 1 Bean Goose (Taiga I think) amongst the main flocks in Mukawa. There was a flock of them a few miles east but they were impossible to get close enough to photograph.

There were also quite a few swans. Not photogenic in the harsh spring sunshine. Mainly Whoopers but I found at least 1 Bewick’s.

Bewick’s Swan

The nearest I could get to a comparison shot:

Bewick’s and Whooper Swans

A foggy morning in Onuma

by Stuart Price, posted in Geese, Onuma, Wildfowl
White-fronted Goose

On Monday morning we went back to Onuma to check the huge geese/swan flocks.

But it was foggy……………

Some of them were resting on the lake.

Bewick’s Swan
Bean Goose

Also around were lots of ducks including large numbers of Pintail, 2 Steller’s Sea Eagle, 1 White-tailed Eagle, several Great Egret and a pair of Japanese Wagtail.

Bewick’s

by Stuart Price, posted in Onuma, Wildfowl
Bewick’s Swan

There were huge numbers of Bewick’s Swans near Onuma, in addition to the huger numbers of White-fronted Geese.

This is only a passage visitor to Hokkaido. Whooper Swans are common here in winter (and there were plenty of those around too ) but Bewick7s are always worth a second look in Hokkaido.

Bewick’s Swan
Bewick’s Swan

An ID Error

by Stuart Price, posted in Onuma, Wildfowl
Bewick’s Swan

Oops. I thought I’d found a real rarity today at Onuma. This black-billed Swan was one of many Swans at Onuma today. I thought, wow……………….it’s a Trumpeter Swan. I even told some people there about it. And then I came home and double-checked the ID.

Oh no. It’s the North American race of Bewick’s Swan, sometimes called Whistling Swan. Cygnus columbianus columbianus. In my defence, I have no experience of this subspecies.

So if you are one of those Japanese birders I talked to today about the ナキハクチョウ all I can say is sorry I made a mistake. It is a アメリカコハクチョウ. Still interesting but not as interesting as I’d thought.

Oh the shame.

ナキハクチョウ じゃないです!!!

アメリカコハクチョウです