Category: East Hokkaido

Bears

by Stuart Price, posted in East Hokkaido, Mammals
Brown Bear

Although my recent trip to east Hokkaido was pretty quiet birdwise I did get excellent views of Brown Bear. A mother and her 2 cubs were feeding riht next to the road.

These photos were taken from the car. The bears caused a small traffic jam and a couple of park officials armed with bear spray were nervously looking on and telling people to stay in their cars.

After a few minutes the bears walked down the road a bit and disappeared back into the forest.

Brown Bear

Brown Bears also occur in the Hakodate area (I’ve seen them a couple of times and often see tracks/scat) but sadly are often shot if they come near towns or villages.

A late summer trip out east

by Stuart Price, posted in East Hokkaido
Pacific Swift

We had a quick trip to east Hokkaido. Not the best time of year for birding there it must be said but we still saw a few interesting species.

Pacific Swift were abundant everywhere, the above photo was taken at Kiritappu. At Rausu the weather was awful but we did manage White-tailed Eagle and offshore Rhinoceros Auklet and Sooty Shearwater. Across the mountains in Utoro the weather was much better and here we could see Hazel Grouse, more White-tailed Eagles, Peregrine, Goshawk and the usual common resident species of this part of the world.

Notsuke was quiet: lone Terek Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Grey-tailed Tattler and more White-tailed Eagles. The latter were also at Lake Furen as well as White-throated Needletail and Japanese Crane.

Nosappu had Rhinoceros Auklet offshore as well as Harlequin Duck, Sooty Shearwater, Black Scoter and a Great Knot heading south. Kiritappu had more of the same…………..

East Hokkaido 2019 #10

by Stuart Price, posted in East Hokkaido, Raptors
White-tailed Eagle

We headed up to Shiretoko to try for Pine Grosbeaks at the top of the pass there. The weather was pretty nasty on the way…….here are 2 oft seen roadside birds on the way up there……….

Latham’s Snipe

And on the way north we came across some White-throated Needletails………..

White-throated Needletail

East Hokkaido 2019 #5

by Stuart Price, posted in East Hokkaido
Spectacled Guillemot

I did the boat trip from Ochisihi last week. It was a grey cold windy day: not ideal for photographs. My target species was Tufted Puffin, a would-be lifer. One adult did fly over briefly but no photo alas………….

There were plenty of Spectacled Guillemots that did pose for the camera at least.

Spectacled Guillemot
Spectacled Guillemot

Other species seen included Rhinoceros Auket and White-tailed Eagle………….