Japan

Japan: winter

Thursday 19 February to Thursday 5 March 2009
with Fergus Crystal as leader.

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Cost: £3330 plus about £600 for flights
Single room supplement: £50

Click here for explanation of price breakdown

Note that in some places we stay in traditional Japanese inns where single rooms are not available and where washing facilities can be shared.

Maximum group size: 12 with 1 leader.

Bird List

Booking Form

'I can only write that your tour to Japan was for me a fantastic trip. Please forward my thanks to James and Fergus for their excellent leadership. The combination of their skills is to be commended and made the trip even better.' J. Warner 2008.

A visit to Japan in the winter is something every world birder should experience. The long chain of islands that make up Japan straddle the Pacific coast of Asia, providing an ideal wintering ground for a some of the world's most sought-after birds, and although the species list is not large, it contains some real gems.

Our tour visits three islands in the long archipelago. First we spend time on the main island of Honshu, where we visit the densely wooded slopes of one of Japan’s many extinct volcanoes, haunt of endemics and winter visitors. Then we travel south to Kyushu to see one of the greatest gatherings of cranes in the world. Finally we head north to the island of Hokkaido, a winter wonderland and home to some iconic birding images such as Red-crowned Cranes dancing in the snow, mighty Steller’s Sea Eagles swooping over the pack ice, and a huge Blakiston’s Fish Owl staring back at you in the frosty night air.

Japan is much more than just a birding trip – it’s a complete cultural event and one that is bound to captivate even the most hardened birdwatcher. In some places we stay in Japanese inns where we can gain an insight into the traditional lifestyle, and everywhere we go the Japanese passion for order and neatness is evident. And of course there is also all that fascinating food to sample.

Day 1: The tour begins in London with an overnight flight to Tokyo.

Day 2: We arrive at Narita Airport, from there we transfer by coach to Tateshina, situated in the mountains northwest of Tokyo. On the way we should catch sight of Mount Fuji and arrive in time to see some of the birds local to the region. Night at Tateshina.

Day 3: After our previous day of travelling, this morning will be the perfect introduction to Japanese birding. As it gets light we can sit with a cup of coffee and watch as our hotel’s well-stocked bird tables attract a mouth-watering selection of species. During a leisurely breakfast we should see good numbers of Brambling, Hawfinch, Japanese Grosbeak and Asian Rosy-Finches all feeding just feet away from the windows. Also likely are Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers, and Lesser Grey, Varied, Long-tailed and Willow Tits. The local race of Bullfinch with its striking pink cheeks should be seen and Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and the local race of Eurasian Jay are all possible. In some years even Pallas’s Rosefinch pays a visit although it’s never guaranteed.

After breakfast we’ll explore nearby woodland and streams that may provide our first Meadow and Elegant Buntings or maybe a Brown Dipper. In the afternoon we change accommodation to another small guest house slightly higher up the mountain. From here we are ideally situated for exploring habitat ideal for two local specialities - Copper Pheasant and Japanese Woodpecker. Night near Tateshina.

Day 4: After another breakfast spent watching a different set of bird feeders we’ll head out for the day in search of Japanese Macaques – the famous Snow Monkeys. A few hours drive from our hotel is a hot spring where the Macaques come to bathe each day. Birds are likely throughout the day and we may see Bewick’s Swans, Goosander and Smew on the river, or maybe our first Japanese Wagtail, Daurian Redstart or Rustic Bunting. Night near Tateshina.

Day 5: Today we leave the mountains and return to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport for our afternoon flight south to the island of Kyushu. From Kagoshima airport we will transfer to Izumi, our base for the next three nights.

Days 6-7: A few miles from the town of Izumi is the coastal reclaimed land of Arasaki, an expanse of coastal rice fields that every winter play host to an amazing gathering of more than ten thousand cranes. As autumn approaches, elegant White-naped Cranes make their way from remote breeding grounds in northeast Asia, by way of the Korean Peninsula, to spend the winter here in southern Japan. Over 3000 join far greater numbers of the smaller Hooded Cranes which winter here and at only one other site in Japan. The area is well protected and served by an excellent visitor's centre that allows for watching in comfort if the weather is poor. On their journey to this one small region from vast areas of eastern Asia, these birds manage to pick up other crane species along the way and it is usually possible to see individual Common and Sandhill Cranes here and occasionally even a Demoiselle or a majestic Siberian Crane. There may also be a few of the highly-endangered Black-faced Spoonbills joining the throng.

Cranes aside, Arasaki boasts many more wintering birds. There is a rich mosaic of habitats here that make it one of Japan’s best all-round birding sites. Daurian Jackdaws can be seen feeding among the cranes, along with the local race of Rook. Close by are agricultural fields and small stands of trees that hold various species including Oriental Turtle Dove, White-cheeked Starling, Brown-eared Bulbul, Dusky Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Daurian Redstart, Bull-headed Shrike, and Japanese Grosbeak. The fields can be a good place to find smaller birds such as Meadow (and perhaps other) Buntings and Buff-bellied and possibly Red-throated Pipits, while Green Pheasant is also possible.

Having two full days to explore this region we’ll search other sites in the area. Along the coast we may encounter such east Asian specialities as Japanese Cormorant, and various wintering gulls including Saunders’s Gull, and the larger Vega Gull, while Black-faced Spoonbill and Pacific Golden Plovers are also possible. Small stands of scrubby reeds should hold White-crowned Penduline Tit, and Black-faced and Chestnut-eared Buntings, and perhaps the much rarer Pallas’s Reed Bunting. Along small streams and rivers we’ll search for waterfowl, egrets, Japanese Wagtail,and perhaps Ruddy-breasted Crake and Long-billed Plover, while in overgrown parks lurk Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Pale Thrush, and Japanese Bush Warbler.

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Day 8: Weather permitting, we’ll spend a last dawn with the cranes before leaving Izumi to head southeast towards the wooded hills and volcanic slopes of the Kirishima-Yaku National Park. Along the way we will make stops at local rivers to search for Long-billed Plover and Crested Kingfisher. Our destination today is Miike, a neat circular lake surrounded by lush evergreen laurel forest.

At this time of year the lake throngs with wildfowl and we should find the exquisite Mandarin Duck along with Asian Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Pintail and, with luck, a few delightful Baikal Teal. Wandering the adjacent forest we’ll look for the secretive Copper Pheasant, Japanese Green Pigeon, and local woodland species including Varied Tit.

Day 9: After a final morning's birding we’ll transfer to Kagoshima airport for our flight to Tokyo, and then connect with our next flight to the northern frontier island of Japan - Hokkaido. We land in darkness at Kushiro Airport and drive across country to our friendly and comfortable family-run hotel where a welcoming open-air hot-spring bath awaits in which to relax after our long day. Night in Tsurui.

Days 10-11: We’ll notice a distinct change in the climate as we wake to a snow-covered landscape with Hokkaido’s northerly position ensuring that the temperatures will be low. Not far from our hotel is one of Japan’s most famous wildlife spectacles - stately Red-crowned Cranes. More than 100 (and innumerable photographers!) gather here to feed and dance in the snow, an iconic image guaranteed to get the cameras going.

We’ll take in a circuit of Kushiro Marsh today, stopping at frozen lakes in search of White-tailed Eagles, Eastern Buzzard, and perhaps our first flocks of Whooper Swans. Timing our arrival at another crane gathering, we’ll watch as food for the cranes attracts a melee of White-tailed Eagles and Black-eared Kites. Once the frenzy has died down we’ll head east to our hotel in a secluded forested valley and our base for the next two nights. As darkness falls we gather outside to search for one of the world’s largest, and rarest, owls – Blakiston’s Fish Owl. Our two night stay may turn into a vigil, but we are in prime territory and as it's already the breeding season, birds should be calling.

On our second day here we’ll take an early morning stroll near the river to watch for Brown Dipper, Eurasian Jay (the attractive cinnamon-headed brandtii form), woodpeckers, Eurasian Nuthatch (a distinctive subspecies), and another chance for Crested Kingfisher. The bird tables are likely to be active during breakfast, but we’ll tear ourselves away and head southeast for a day on the coast where, time-permitting, we’ll visit Cape Kiritappu, Cape Ochi-ishi and Lake Furen, for our first Harlequin and other sea duck, wintering gulls, including Glaucous, Glaucous-winged and ‘Kamchatka’ Common Gulls, and with a very good chance of our first Steller’s Sea Eagles. Seawatching from one of the headlands could reveal Ancient Murrelet, Common, Brünnich's, Pigeon and Spectacled Guillemots, Least and Crested Auklet, and possibly even Long-billed Murrelet. Nights in central Hokkaido.

Day 12: Today we head east to the low coastal spit called Notsuke Peninsula, where we can expect Black and Asian White-winged Scoters on the sea, perhaps accompanied by other sea duck, and this is a another good place to see Asian Rosy Finch. Our journey then takes us north along the east coast eventually to the harbour town of Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula. Night in Rausu.

Day 13: Sea-ice permitting, we leave Rausu before dawn by boat for the waters separating Shiretoko from Kunashiri Island offshore. Our destination is the extensive rafts of sea-ice which we should reach just as the rising sun catches the awesome snow-clad mountains of the Shiretoko Peninsula. The ice floes here are covered with Siberian, Glaucous and Glaucous-winged Gulls, but dwarfing them are the eagles. White-tailed Eagles seem impressive enough, but they fade in comparison to the star of the show - perhaps the most impressive raptor in the world – the mighty Steller’s Sea Eagle. They can be incredibly confiding, especially when our well-prepared captain begins to put out fish onto the ice for them. The effect is amazing as these superb raptors come in right alongside the boat, creating no end of superb photographic opportunities.

Returning to Rausu from our dawn adventure, we’ll warm up, take breakfast and then make a later start to explore further along the peninsula, checking harbours, or perhaps heading over to the Okhotsk Sea Coast for further winter wildlife. Night in Rausu.

Day 14: A second dawn in Rausu gives us a second crack at the fabulous eagles, and even if we do not put to sea, there are plenty to be found around the town with hundreds sometimes seen roosting in roadside trees. Later we drive to Kushiro for our flight to Haneda and our road transfer to Narita. Overnight in Narita.

Day 15: After some final birding in the grounds of the hotel, we’ll connect with a flight back to London where the tour ends later that day.