Japan in Summer, Parts I and II May 16—30, 2007
Posted by Susan Myers
Susan Myers
Susan Myers absolutely loves birding and traveling in Asia. As she says, "The combination of incredible and diverse wildlife, ancient and fascinating cultures, and the...Related Trips
Japan is my second home. I have lived and traveled in this remarkable country for over 20 years now and have loved every minute of it! It is impossible to visit Japan, for any reason whatsoever, without experiencing the unique and, for some at times, baffling culture of these surprisingly diverse islands. On a birding tour, where it is nearly always necessary to get off the beaten track, this is especially so. Every day brings a new discovery! This is without doubt the most comprehensive tour of Japan operated by any birding tour company. We saw more of Japan than most Japanese people will see in a lifetime. From the center, to the south, and then to the north, we explored a vast swathe of the country and saw some wonderful things.
We enjoyed some very special birding, and also, as we've come to expect, wonderful food and many extraordinary experiences in this amazing and unique country. Starting in Tokyo, we moved westward to the foothills of the Japan Alps at Karuizawa. These lush broadleaf forests are a wonderful place to start; not only are they very picturesque, but they hold some great birds that are difficult to find elsewhere on our tour. The scarce Japanese Yellow Bunting is regular here and we were very happy to have super views of two or three. We then spent a day at that most Japanese of icons, Mount Fuji, where we had some excellent birding and saw this almost perfect peak in its full splendor.
Our next destination was the far-away island of Hachijojima, in the Izu Islands group. This chain of volcanic islands stretches from just south of Tokyo down into the Pacific Ocean to Aogashima, a very distant 1,000 kilometers from Tokyo. Many people are very surprised to find that even on Hachijojima—300 km from Tokyo—they are technically still part of this massive city; in fact, the whole chain is part of Tokyo City! We had a great time exploring the island in search of the endemic warbler and thrush. Birders used to visit Miyakejima in order to see the Izu endemics, but a recent volcanic eruption saw the island evacuated, and from the ferry trip we were able to observe firsthand the damaged forests of the island.
After returning to Tokyo, our next destination was Miike in the Kirishima mountain range straddling Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures. This small lake is famous for its migratory population of Fairy Pitta, one of the scarcest of its kind. There are only two places in the world where there is a realistic chance of seeing this stunning bird: here in this small park, or at a couple of sites in Taiwan. It is certainly one of the rarest birds in Japan. Alas, the bird arrived late this year due to an unusually long winter. We met with great success otherwise, recording all our hoped for species including Ruddy Kingfisher, Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, and more.
From Kagoshima we continued on to Amami Oshima, an island less than an hour's flight from Kyushu. We had a great time here; our terrific bus driver and the friendly island people all contributed to our brilliant birding success! Again we succeeded very admirably, seeing all on our wanted list. One night on Amami Oshima, one of the smaller islands with a number of endemics, we went out in search of the Amami Woodcock. In balmy weather we searched the narrow backroads through beautiful subtropical forest. Here we found the woodcock in abundance, as well as a fantastic Japanese Hawk-Owl, the elusive Ryukyu Scops-Owl, and many very kawaii Amami black rabbits, extraordinary creatures with very un-rabbit-like features. This topped off an excellent day of birding during which we found a number of other endemics and specialties including Lidth's Jay, Owston's Woodpecker, Ruddy Kingfisher, the very distinctive Owston's (Narcissus) Flycatcher, Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, and the endemic race of Ryukyu Robin. Personally, this is one of my favorite places in Japan.
Next we visited Okinawa—the least Japanese of any of the Japanese islands. In fact, this is not really a part of Japan at all. Historically it belongs to the Ryukyu Kingdom, an autonomous realm that once was the gateway between Japan and China. In the northern, forested quarter of the island we pursued those fantastic Ryukyu endemics, as well as many others. On our first outing on Okinawa we immediately found the alarmingly rare Okinawa Woodpecker in the unusual Yanbaru Forest. Undoubtedly the highlight of the first part of our Japan tour though, was an amazing total of seven separate sightings of the Okinawa Rail. The elusive nature of this very beautiful and colorful skulker is illustrated by the fact that the species was only discovered in 1978! At one stage we watched as a bird came out onto a quiet road in the pouring rain to bathe in a puddle for a minute or two. Our encounters with the Okinawa Rail and Pryer's Woodpecker will stay in our memories for sure!
From the southernmost part of Japan we returned to Tokyo and traveled to Hokkaido by ferry. This ferry trip is always a highlight of a Japan tour, and this year was no exception. When we woke off the north coast of Honshu in the very early morning, we were disappointed to find visibility reduced to about 5?10 meters at most. We rushed up on deck every time the fog lifted and enjoyed a few hours of exciting birding until we arrived in Tomakomai. Thousands and thousands of Streaked Shearwaters (and giggling schoolchildren) provided the backdrop to beauties such as Japanese Murrelet, Laysan Albatross, and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel.
The last part of our travels was spent touring the incredible island of Hokkaido—the northern sea path. This island was only relatively recently colonized; it is Japan's new frontier. Wide-open spaces, dairy farms, and plentiful wildlife are Hokkaido's calling cards, attracting domestic travelers in droves. For birders this island is a real treat with a whole suite of birds not found in the rest of Japan. In fact, traversing the Tsugara Straits between Honshu and Hokkaido, we entered a different zoogeographic zone when we crossed Blakiston's Line, and here there is a much stronger Siberian influence. We visited a selection of sites from the center to the east, experiencing a variety of habitats and many very exciting birds.
On the second part of our tour in Hokkaido we enjoyed remarkable displaying Latham's Snipe (this really has to be seen to be believed!), close up views of Spectacled Guillemots with their startling bright red legs, many roding Eurasian Woodcocks, and family groups of foraging Hokkaido brown bears and Japanese Cranes with chicks. But something that will endure as one of those unforgettable birding experiences was our encounter with a pair of truly incredible Blakiston's Fish-Owls. Using our vehicle as a hide, we collectively gasped as first the male flew in to a perch right in front of our eyes, and then the female. With a wingspan of two meters it is hard not to be impressed. Absolutely phenomenal!
From the wetlands of Utonaiko in the south to the dramatic cliffs of Kushiro in the east, we traveled over the central mountain range through the superb Daisetsuzan National Park (Japan's largest) to the beautiful Shiretoko Peninsula, then down to the extraordinary Notsuke Peninsula and the saltwater marshes of Lake Furen. This variety of habitats allowed us to observe an exciting range of Hokkaido's special birds. The White-tailed Eagle was a much hoped for prize and we were fortunate to see many around the lakes and eastern seashores, even though numbers decline in Japan over summer.
We saw 13 Japanese endemics (out of a possible 14), 4 endemic breeding birds, and 13 near endemics. On top of this we recorded a number of distinctive endemic subspecies that are not only intrinsically interesting, but could well be recognized as full species in the future. We enjoyed a great tour with many memorable experiences and lots of fun! This birding tour is about everything Japanese though—chopsticks, soy sauce, futon beds, toilet slippers, tatami mats, sumo wrestling, o-sake, rice, sashimi, temples and shrines, ancient Japanese cedars, and many more baffling, unique, wonderful, memorable experiences!
Many thanks to you all for your great company on this terrific tour! I'd also like especially to thank Motoi san on Amami Oshima, Sasaki san on Hokkaido, Matsuo san at Lake Furen, and Ishikawa san at Hankyu, all of whom contributed very much to the enjoyment of our trip.