Steller’s sea eagle looking mean
Japan has several claims to fame as a travel destination, but relatively few people think of the country as a wildlife destination. Fewer still choose to brave the bone-chilling temperatures on the northern island of Hokkaido to see the birdlife which is drawn to this harsh winter climate.
Yet there we were, certainly not self-confessed birdwatchers, standing in temperatures below -10C and gazing at a succession of flying giants. Perhaps I’d be stretching the truth to say we were so impressed by the sight of these birds that we forgot about the chill. That said, when I think back to watching the sea eagles on the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk, my over-riding memory is of the majestic birds in flight and not of the many layers I’d piled on to see them.
So, here’s a gallery of Japanese winter birds from our trip to Hokkaido in February. The Steller’s Sea Eagles (the black and white birds with yellow beaks) and the white-tailed eagles (the eagle-shaped birds with white tails) were seen on an ice-breaker trip from Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula in the far north. We saw the cranes on the Tsurui marshes near Kushiro, and it was here that we also spotted the Ural owl.
All photos are by Sameena Jarosz.
White-tailed eagle
Cranes in flight
Ural Owl
Steller’s sea eagles interrogating a raven
Steller’s sea eagle coming in to land
Ice breakers on the drift ice in the Sea of Okhotsk
Two cranes on the Tsurui marshes
Cranes at Kushiro
Cranes at sunrise
Cranes singing
We were not alone
We were in Japan to research a set of commissioned articles (published in Spring 2014 issue of Journeys Magazine and TRVL iPad app). Many thanks to Inside Japan Tours for their valuable help along the way.
This post has made me want to travel to Japan to see these birds! Reading through your blog, I really like the general layout and content that you’ve included, and I look forward to reading more of your travels!
Epic. I always thought that if I was in Hokkaido and it was minus 10, I would have a snowboard strapped to my feet but now I’m thinking I could probably fit in some bird watching too.