Slaty-backed Gull
A common north-east Asian gull. I suppose it’s equivalent of the more western Lesser Black-backed Gull.
These were very abundant in Hokkaido, some close-ups after the sunset shot and some bonus Pelagic Cormorants in the last pic.
#birds #birding #gulls #hokkiado
There certainly was something magical watching them around sunset on a partially frozen lake.
Whooper Swan
There is something quite emotionally stimulating about swans and few birds have been such an inspiration to human culture.
Whopper Swans have a huge range, those that that breed in Far Eastern Russia winter in Japan.
Hokkaido, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido
Japanese Serow
A type of goat-antelope endemic to Japan. After severe overhunting nearly made them extinct they were made a National Monument in the 1955. Numbers are now at a sustained level.
#mammals #serow #japan #wildlifephotography
There certainly was something magical watching them around sunset on a partially frozen lake.
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Another species that spans Eurasia at mid-high latitudes. Ssp. Dendrocopos major japonicus
Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #hokkaido #woodpecker
Thanks Richard, if anyone knows it’s you 🙏
I spent quite a long time trying to decide what these were at the time and clearly got it wrong. Though I’m sure we had both Willow and Marsh at different times. The Ssp in Japan did seem closer in appearance to each other than those in W Europe.
Thank you 🙏
Willow Tit
Yet another widely ranging species across mid-high latitude Eurasia. This one being Ssp. Poecile montanus restrictus - endemic to Japan.
Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birdjng #birdphotography #hokkaido
There always one…
The #Birdoftheday theme being “shout it out”.
Slaty-backed Gulls and Pelagic Cormorants.
Hokkaido, Dec 25 - it was even colder than it looks.
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido #japan
Short-eared Owl
A winter visitor to Hokkaido, probs from Russia (east Siberia, Kamchatka).
Widespread and on most continents except Australasia and Antarctica. This one seen in Japan, but the same Ssp. as nearly all of the Nth hemisphere.
#birds #birding #owls #hokkaido
Thank you 🙏
Japanese Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris orientis
A sub-species of Eurasian Red Squirrel that is endemic to Hokkaido.
Rather cute!
Hokkaido, Dec 25
#squirrels #hokkaido #mammals #wildlifephotography
For taxonomy fans, this is Sitta europaea clara. The last part of the trinomial refers to Clara Stein, the wife of a German taxidermist.
Eurasian Nuthatch
An enormous range across the much of Eurasia. Like the Jay i posted there is a lot of variation across the range, the birds in Hokkaido are very clean and almost a bit icy compared to the UK birds.
Hokkaido, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido
Charming little birds. I saw quite a few of these on our trip, the best sighting was a few as part of a little mixed winter feeding flock. They certainly made a chilly walk worthwhile…
Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
A small 13-15cm woodpecker found in Japan (as the name suggests) and also parts of E Russia, E China, N & S Korea.
Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido
Birds (Ssp. Garrulus glandarius bambergi) in Japan look really quite different to the birds in the UK, note the really orangey head and dark iris.
A smart looking bird in any case, and really good at hiding nuts. Forgotten nuts can grow into trees, so these birds are beneficial for reforestation.
Eurasian (Brandt’s) Jay
This species has a huge range across much of Eurasia, the Middle East, parts of North Africa, parts of SE Asia and Japan. There is quite a lot of variation across the range.
Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido
Japanese Raccoon Dog or Tanuki
Canid, endemic to Japan. In 🇯🇵 folklore, they are mischievous, jolly, shape shifting masters of disguise who play their belly drums to scare unsuspecting travellers. See the film Pom Poko.
Tsurui, Hokkaido, Dec 25
#mammals #wildlifephotography #hokkaido #japan
Masked Bunting
A cool little bird that breeds in forests in N Japan and Russia, then winters in S Japan. This one at Kasai Rinkai park near Tokyo.
Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #japan
Dusky Thrush
I saw quite a few of these, my first at Kasai Rinkai Park, set against a backdrop of pink flowers was especially memorable.
Breeds central and eastern Siberia, winters in China, the Koreas, Japan, Taiwan.
Kasei Rinkai Park, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #japan
P 5 & 6. Is an immature.
On winter mornings you can see considerable numbers of eagles warming up around Furen Lake, Hokkaido. Quite magical on a still sunny day. Bloody freezing otherwise…
#japan #naturephotography
White-tailed Eagle
A widely distributed species across Eurasia. They eat a lot of fish, but also mammals and birds.
Pic 4. Additional aStellar’s Sea-Eagle and Black-headed Gull.
Dec 25, Nemuro Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido
Bull-head Shrike
Kasai Rinkai Park, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #japan #birdphotography
Brown-eared Bulbul
A common bird in Tokyo parks and other places we visited. Their spooky call does grate after a while. Screechy and with a fingernails on a blackboard quality. Surprisingly hard to photo unless at a feeder.
Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #birding #birdphotography #hokkaido
I’d also recommend “Owls of the Eastern Ice” by Jonathan Slaight, very entertaining.
The M has an injured eye, but that doesn’t stop it catching mice or fish, it’s apparently 27 years old. The F was much more shy and mostly stayed up a tree.
A contender for the world’s heaviest owl and Vu to extinction. The Japanese birds might get split off from the Russia/China birds too.
There are a couple of regular spots to see these in Hokkaido. We saw a pair on the first night at about 9pm, but didn’t see them again as they showed up well past bed time. What was quite fun was reception calling those staying at the Onsen to come and have a look, everyone was truly thrilled.
Blakiston’s Fish Owl
The most exciting bird we saw in Japan, an amazing, beautiful creature. I was thrilled to bits seeing them!
Nos. 1-6 the male. No. 7 female. No. 8 the aging, heavy, weatherworn (but handsome) male…
Yoroushi, Hokkaido, Japan, Dec 25
#birds #owl #birdphotography #hokkaido
