Shikaribetsu-ko and Erimo-misaki in Hokkaido

May 29 - June 2

Takako Takano-san and members of her ECO-club had organised yet another trip to the "Wonderful Nature of Japan." This year to south Hokkaido: the Hidaka-mountains which can be seen as the appendix of a vast mountain range that on the map seems to start already in the former USSR with Sachalin via Daizetsusan to Cape Erimo.

We visited lake Shikaribetsuko and Cape Erimo. Shikaribetsuko is an old lake in the mountains some 50 km north of Obihiro in the Tokachi plane. The surrounding mountains have peaks of about 1200 meteres which gave a view of snowy peaks of at least 2000 meter. The lake contains its own species of trout. We stayed there for two night and then drove south to Cape Erimo.

Close to Erimo we visited the small lake Toyoni which has the southern most colony of Pikas.

Cape Erimo is an impressive point. A high and rocky Lands Ends followed by a tail of smaller and smaller rocks which harbor the Harborseals. The coastal area directly north of the cape seems to consist of dunes and beaches mainly. This period is too late for the migration, but still some migrants could be seen.

Sakino-san of the Nature centre in Shikaribetsuko and Sato Miho-san were enthusiastic fellow birdwatchers on this trip. The other participants showed a very nice interest in birds and birdwatching. It seemed that their main lesson was that the activity of birdwatching is better captured by the word birdlistening.

The weather was fine: warm and sunny. The days before our arrival it had been stormy with lost of rain.

  1. Temminck's Cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u]
    • Erimo-misaki
  2. Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus [Hime-u]
    • Erimo-misaki
  3. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  4. Greater Scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
    • Erimo-misaki
  5. Harlequin Duck Histronicus histronicus [Shinori-gamo]
    • Erimo-misaki
  6. Black Scooter Melanitta nigra [Kuro-gamo]
    • Erimo-misaki
  7. Common Merganser Mergus merganser [Kawa-aisa]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: at least 5 males and 3 females on the lake
  8. Rhinoceros Auklet Cerorhinca monocerata [Utoo]
    • Erimo-misaki: several hundreds
  9. Slaty-backed Gull Larus schitisagus [Oo-seguro-kamome]
    • Erimo-misaki
  10. Black-tailed Gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
    • Erimo-misaki
  11. Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis [Ama-sagi]
    • Erimo-misaki: 1 ex in summerplumage on the rocks of the cape
  12. Gray Heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  13. Dunlin Calidris alpina [Hama-shigi]
    • Erimo-misaki
  14. Gray-tailed Tatler Tringa brevipes [Kiashi-shigi]
    • Erimo-misaki
  15. Latham's Snipe Gallinago hardwickii [Ooji-shigi]
    • Erimo-misaki
  16. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus [Akaeri-hireashi-shigi]
    • Erimo-misaki
  17. White-tailed Sea Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla [Ojiro-washi]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  18. Black Kite Milvus lineatus [Tobi]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  19. Common Buzzard Buteo buteo [Nosuri]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  20. European Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus [Hai-taka]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  21. Japanese Lesser Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis [Tsumi]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    Blakiston's Fish Owl Ketupa blakistoni [Shima-fukurou]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: wisely we were not allowed to visit the breeding owls.
  22. Oriental Scops Owl Otus scops sunia [Konoha-zuku]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  23. Brown Hawk Owl Ninox scutula [Aoba zuku]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  24. Hazel grouse Tetrastes bonasia [Ezo-raichou]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: one abandoned egg found in nest next to path.
  25. Rufous Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  26. Japanese Green Pigeon Sphenurus sieboldii [Ao-bato]
    • Erimo-misaki
  27. Rock Pigeon Columba livia [Do-bato]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  28. Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus [Kakkoo]
    • Erimo-misaki
  29. Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus [Tsutsudori]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: calling during full moon
    • Erimo-misaki
  30. Horsfield's Hawk Cuckoo Cuculus fugax [Juu-ichi]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: calling during full moon
  31. White-throated Needle-tailed Swift Chaetura caudata [Hario-amatsubame]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  32. Black Woodpecker Dendrocopos martius [Kumagera]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: one breeding pair; in total three individuals seen
  33. Great spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major [Akagera]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  34. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  35. Japanese Skylark Alauda japonica [Hibari]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  36. Bank Swallow Riparia riparia [Shoodo-tsubame]
    • Erimo-misaki
  37. Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica [Tsubame]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  38. Gray Wagtail Motacilla cinerea [Ki-sekirei]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  39. Black-backed Wagtail Motacilla lugens [Haku-sekirei]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  40. Japanese Wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]
    • Erimo-misaki
  41. Bull-headed Shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
    • Erimo-misaki: on the way to Ohibiro
  42. Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus lucionensis [Aka-mozu]
    • Erimo-misaki
  43. Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii [Kawagarasu]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  44. Winter Wren Troglodytes troglodytes [Misosazai]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  45. Japanese Robin Erithacus akahige [Komadori]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  46. Siberian Blue Robin Erithacus cyane [Koruri]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  47. Siberian Bluechat Tarsiger cyanurus [Ruri-bitaki]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  48. Stonechat Saxicola torquata [No-bitaki]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  49. Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius [Iso-hyodori]
    • Erimo-misaki
  50. White's Ground Thrush Turdus dauma [Tora-tsugumi]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: calling mainly during the night
  51. Brown Thrush Turdus chrysolaus [Akahara]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  52. Bush Warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  53. Goldcrest Regulus regulus [Kikuitadaki]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  54. Lanceolated Grashopper Warbler Locustella lanceolata [Makino-sennyuu]
    • Erimo-misaki
  55. Gray's grashopper warbler Locustella fasciolata [Ezo-sennyuu]
    • Erimo-misaki: calling mainly in the night
  56. Black-browed Reed Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps [Ko-yoshikiri]
    • Erimo-misaki
  57. Eastern Crowned (Willow) Warbler Phylloscopus coronatus [Sendai-mushikui]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  58. Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis [Meboso mushikui]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  59. Pale-legged Willow Warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes [Ezo-mushikui]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  60. Narcissus Flycatcher Ficedula narcissina [Ki-bitaki]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  61. Asian Brown Flycatcher Ficedula latirostris [Ko-same-bitaki]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  62. Great Tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  63. Marsh Tit Parus palustris [Hashibuto-gara]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  64. Willow Tit Parus montanus [Ko-gara]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  65. Coal Tit Parus ater [Hi-gara]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  66. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus [Enaga]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko: siberian version with white head
  67. Nuthatch Sitta europaea [Gojuu-kara]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  68. Siberian Meadow Bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  69. Gray-headed Bunting Emberiza fucata [Hoo-aka]
    • Erimo-misaki
  70. Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  71. Reed Bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Oo-jurin]
    • Erimo-misaki
  72. Oriental Greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  73. Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula [Uso]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  74. Tree Sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    • Erimo-misaki
  75. Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans [Nyuunai-uzume]
    • Erimo-misaki
  76. Gray Starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    • Erimo-misaki
  77. Red-cheeked Starling Sturnus phillippensis [Ko-mukudori]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
  78. Carrion Crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
  79. Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
    • Shikaribetsu-ko
    • Erimo-misaki
    Birds in Japan and Asia
    Last modified: Tue Jun 15 18:34:34 JST 1999