A trip from Tokyo to Hokkaido

14th June to 22th June 1997

Introduction

Fer-Jan de Vries and I (as well as my father-in-law) just finished
an excellent week long trip to Hokkaido. The 30 hour Ferry ride
from Tokyo to Kushiro was very fruitful enabling good views of
three species of ALBATROSS [*-Ahodori], 4 species of SHEARWATER
[Mizunagidori], several POMARINE JAEGER [Toozokukamome],
PIGEON GUILLEMOT [Umibato], and a host of other pelagics.
I highly recommend this ferry.

Extensive birding of Eastern (the Shiretoko peninsula, Kushiro, etc.)
and central (Daisetzu-san National Park) Hokkaido gave us
loons, WHOOPER SWAN [Oo-hakuchoo], GARGANEY [Shimaaji],
BLACK SCOTER [Kuro-gamo],
nine WHITE-TAILED EAGLE [Ojiro-washi], JAPANESE CRANE [Tanchoo], 
EURASIAN WOODCOCK [Yama-shigi],
courtship-displaying LATHAM'S SNIPE [Ooji-shigi], SPECTACLED 
GUILLEMOT [Keimafuri],
JAPANESE GREEN PIGEON [Ao-bato], ORIENTAL SCOPS OWL [Konoha-zuku], 
JUNGLE NIGHTJAR [Yotaka],
White-throated Needle-tailed, GREATER PIED KINGFISHER [Yamasemi],
BLACK WOODPECKER [Kuma-gera], WHITE-BACKED WOODPECKER [Ooaka-gera],
BROWN SHRIKE [Aka-mozu], BROWN DIPPER [Kawagarasu],
JAPANESE ACCENTOR [Kayakuguri], JAPANESE ROBIN [Komadori],
SIBERIAN BLUE ROBIN [Ko-ruri], SIBERIAN THRUSH [Mamijiro],
WHITE'S THRUSH [Tora-tsugumi], GREY THRUSH [Kuro-tsugumi],
BROWN THRUSH [Akahara], MIDDENDORFF'S WARBLER [Shima-sennyuu],
LANCEOLATED WARBLER [Makino-sennyuu],
Brown Creeper [Kibashiri], GRAY-HEADED BUNTING [Hooaka],
YELLOW-BREASTED BUNTING [Shima-aoji],
LONG-TAILED ROSEFINCH [Beni-mashiko], and RUSSET SPARROW [Nyuunai-suzume].

We also had the luck of discovering nests of MARSH TIT [Hashibuto-gara],
EURASIAN NUTHATCH [Gojuu-gara], RED-CHEEKED STARLING [Ko-mukudori],
and GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER [Aka-gera],

What seemed to be a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON [Goi-sagi] flyover (as 
confirmed
by subsequently listening to the call on a CD) would be a rare
occurence for Hokkaido at this time of year.

See Fer-Jan's homepage at
http://www.etl.go.jp/etl/etlclu/~ferjan/birds.html
for a detail list and schedule.


        .-----------------------------.
        |     Neil J. Fergusson       |
        | Mechanical Engineering Lab  |
        | Tsukuba City, Ibaraki 305   |
        | mv124@ripsport.aist.go.jp   |
        | 81-298-58-7147 (work)       |
        `-----------------------------'

Useful books

Description of the traveling

• June 13: late in the evening departure of ferry from Tokyo to Kushiro
• June 14: Seawatching all day from ferry.
• June 15: Seawatching before arrival of ferry. Trip by car from Kushiro to lake Kussharoko. Stay at seminar house near lake.
• June 16: Trip to from Kushiro to Furenko and back. Stay at seminar house near lake.
• June 17: In the morning bird watching around Ayakyu, then trip to Raus in Shiretoko. Stay at minshuku in Raus.
• June 18: From Shiretoko via coast of Shari and the lake Tofutsko to our campsite near Rubeshibe along route 39. Camped along river.
• June 19: From Rubeshibe to Sounkyo valley in Daisetsuzan. We climbed Kurodaka. Camped a few kilometers NE of Sounkyo.
• June 20: From Sounkyo to Shirogane Onsen. Stay at bungalow at camping
• June 21: From Shirogane Onsen to Sapporo. Stay at hotel.
• June 22: From Sapporo via forest of Tomakomai. Departure by ferry from Tomakomai to Sendai one hour before sunset.
• June 23: Arrival of ferry in Sendai at 9.15 am. By car back to Tsukuba.

Daily observations

1. June 13
   1. Thin-billed guillemot: 2
   2. Marbled murrelet: 3
   3. Rhinoceros auklet: 1
   4. Short-tailed albatross: 1
   5. Black-footed albatross: 28
   6. Laysan albatross: 35
   7. Streaked shearwater: >8000
   8. Flesh-footed shearwater: 5
   9. Sooty shearwater: 3
   10. Short-tailed shearwater:>15000
   11. Swinhoe's storm petrel: 1
   12. Pomerine Skua: 8
   13. South polar skua: 1
   14. Slaty-backed gull
   15. Herring gull
   16. Black-tailed gull
   17. Rufous turtle dove: 1
2. June 14 After arrival in Kushiro we spent the whole morning and part of the afternoon in the area aound the crane observatory tower. The tower itself is nonsens, apart from a nice view. However the area just south of it as well as area just north of it are nice. Marsh area with trees. In the meadows north of of the tower we found the first Japanese cranes: perfectly at ease in the relatively new environment. We also experienced a weird earthquake, while standing on the former marshland.
   1. Temminck's cormorant: 10
   2. Mallard
   3. Common guillemot:
   4. Black-footed albatross:
   5. Short-tailed shearwater:
   6. Slaty-backed gull
   7. Black-tailed gull
   8. Glaucous gull
   9. Gray heron
   10. Japanese crane
   11. Northern phalarope
   12. Black kite 3
   13. Japanese green pigeon
   14. White-throated needle-tailed swift
   15. White-rumped swift
   16. Great spotted woodpecker
   17. Skylark
   18. Bank swallow
   19. White wagtail
   20. Brown shrike
   21. Stonechat
   22. Short-tailed bush warbler
   23. Black-browed reed warbler
   24. Crowned willow warbler
   25. Narcissus flycatcher
   26. Marsh tit
   27. Great tit
   28. Reed bunting
   29. Oriental greenfinch
   30. Siskin
   31. Long tailed rosefinch
   32. Carrion crow
   33. Jungle crow

List of observed birds (still under deliberation)

1. Pacific loon ? Gavia [Shiroeri-ouhamu]: Summer plumage.
2. Artic loon Gavia artica [Ouhamu]: Winter plumage.
3. Temminck's cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u]
4. Pelagic cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus [Hime-u]
5. Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus [Ou-hakuchou]
6. Mallard Anas Platyrhynchos [Ma-gamo]
7. Spot-billed duck Anas poecilorhyncha [Karu-gamo]
8. Garganey Anas querquedula [Okayoshi--gamo]: male.
9. Falcated Teal Anas falcata [Yoshi-gamo]
10. Gadwall Anas strepera [Okayoshi-gamo]
11. Northern Pintail Anas acuta [Onaga-gamo]
12. Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope [Hidori-gamo]
13. Tufted duck Aythya fuligula [Kinkuro-hajiro]
14. Greater scaup Aythya marila [Suzu-gamo]
15. Black scooter Melanitta nigra [Kuro-gamo]
16. Common guillemot:
17. Thin-billed guillemot Uria aalge [Umigarasu]
18. Spectacled guillemot Cepphus carbo [Keimafuri]
19. Pigeon guillemot Cepphus columba [Umibato]
20. murrelet sp. [umisuzume sp.]
21. Marbled murrelet Branchyramphus marmoratus [Madara-umisuzume]
22. Rhinoceros auklet ? Cerorhinca monocerata [Utou]
23. Short-tailed albatross Diomedea albatrus [Ahoudori]
24. Black footed albatross Diomedea nigripes [Kuroashi-ahoudori]
25. Laysan albatross Diomedea immutabilis [Ko-ahoudori]
26. Streaked shearwater Calonectris ieucomelas [Ou-mizunagidori]
27. Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus [Haiiro-mizunagidori]
28. Flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes [Akaashi-mizunagidori]
29. Short-tailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris [Hashiboso-mizunagidori]
30. shearwater sp. Puffinus [Hashiboso-mizunagidori]
31. Swinhoe's storm petrel ? Oceanodroma monorhis [Hime-kuro-umitsubame]
32. Great skua ? Stercorarius skua [Ou-touzokukamome]
33. Pomarine jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus [Touzokukamome]
34. Pomarine jaeger [Touzokukamome]
35. Slaty-backed gull Larus schitisagus [Ou-seguro-kamome]
36. Herring gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome]
37. Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
38. Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus [Shirokamome]
39. Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus [Yuri-kamome]
40. Black-crowned night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax [Goi-sagi]
41. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
42. Japanese crane Grus japonensis [Tancho]
43. Common sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos [Iso-shigi]
44. Redshank Tringa totanus [Akaashi-shigi]
45. Latham's snipe Gallinago hardwickii [Ouji-shigi]
46. Woodcock Scolopax rusticola [Yama-shigi]
47. Northern phalarope Phalaropus lobatus [Akaeri-hireashi-shigi]
48. White-tailed sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla [Ojiro-washi]
49. Black kite Milvus migrans [Tobi]
50. Honey buzzard ? Pernis apivorus [Hachikuma]
51. Common buzzard Buteo buteo [Nosuri]
52. Eastern Marsh harrier Circus aeruginous [Chuuhi]
53. Northern goshawk Accipter gentilis [Ou-taka]
54. European sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus [Hai-taka]
55. Hobby Falco subbuteo [Chigo-busa]
56. Scops owl Otus scops [Konoha-zuku]
57. Collared scops owl Otus bakkamoena [Ou-konoha-zuku]
58. Hazel grouse ? Tetrastes bonasia [Ezo-raichou]
59. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
60. Japanese green pigeon Sphenurus sieboldii [Ao-bato]
61. Rock pigeon Columbia livia [?]
62. Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus [Kakkoo]
63. Oriental cuckoo Cuculus saturatus [Tsutsudori]
64. Jungle nightjar Caprimulgus indicus [Yotaka]
65. White-throated needle-tailed swift Chaetura caudata [Hario-amatsubame]
66. White-rumped swift Apus pacificus [Amatsubame]
67. Greater pied kingfisher Ceryle lugubris [Yama-semi]
68. Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis [Kama-semi]
69. Black woodpecker Dendrocopos martius [Kumagera]
70. White backed woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos [Ou-akagera]
71. Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major [Akagera]
72. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
73. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]
74. House martin Delichon urbica [Iwa-tsubame]
75. Bank swallow Riparia riparia [Shoudo-tsubame]
76. Gray wagtail Motacilla cinerea [Ki-sekirei]
77. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
78. Japanese wagtail Motacilla grandis [Seguro-sekirei]
79. Indian tree pipit Anthus hodgsoni [Binzui]
80. pipit ? Anthus []
81. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
82. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
83. Brown shrike Lanius cristatus lucionensis [Aka-mozu]
84. Brown dipper Cinclus pallasii [Kawagarasu]
85. Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes [Misosazai]
86. Japanese accentor Prunella rubida [Kaya kuguri]
87. Japanese robin Erithacus akahige [Komadori]
88. Siberian rubythroat Erithacus calliope [No-gamo]
89. Siberian blue robin Erithacus cyane [Koruri]
90. Stonechat Saxicola torquata [No-bitaki]
91. Blue rockthrush Monticola solitarius [Iso-hyodori]
92. Siberian thrush Turdus sibiricus [Mamijiro]
93. White's ground thrush Turdus dauma [Tora-tsugumi]
94. Brown thrush Turdus chrysolaus [Akahara]
95. Gray thrush Turdus cardis [Kuro-tsugumi]
96. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
97. Short-tailed bush warbler Cettia squameiceps [Yabusame]
98. Goldcrest Regulus regulus [Kikuitadaki]
99. Middendorff's grashopper warbler Locustella ochotensis [Shima-sennyuu]
100. Lanceolated grashopper warbler Locustella lancelolata [Makino-sennyuu]
101. Black-browed reed warbler Acrocephalus [Ko-yoshikiri]
102. Crowned willow warbler Phylloscopus occipitalis [Sendai-mushikui]
103. Pale-legged willow warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes [Ezo-mushikui]
104. Narcissus flycatcher Ficedula narcissina [Ki-bitaki]
105. Blue and white flycatcher Cyanptila cyanomelana [Ou-ruri]
106. Brown flycatcher Muscicapa latirostris [Ko-same-bitaki]
107. Sooty flycatcher Muscicapa sibirica [Same-bitaki]
108. Marsh tit Parus [Hashibuto-gara]
109. Willow tit Parus montanus [Ko-gara]
110. Coal tit Parus ater [Hi-gara]
111. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
112. Nuthatch Sitta europaea [Gojuu-kara]
113. Brown treecreeper Certhia familiaris [Kibashiri]
114. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
115. Gray-headed Bunting Emberiza fucata [Hou-aka]
116. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
117. Yellow-breasted bunting Emberiza aureola [Shima-aoji]
118. Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Ou-jurin]
119. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
120. Siskin Carduelis spinus [Ma-hiwa]
121. Long tailed rosefinch Uragus sibiricus [Beni-mashiko]
122. Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes [Shime]
123. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
124. Russet sparrow Passer rutilans [Nyuunai-uzume]
125. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
126. Red-cheeked starling Sturnus phillippensis [Ko-mukudori]
127. Jay Garrulus glandarius brandtii [Kakesu]
128. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
129. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]

Encountered mammals

1. Brown bear Ursus arctos [] At various places we found fresh looking scratch marks at trees.
2. Raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyoides [Tanuki]
3. Red fox Vulpes vulpes schrencki
4. Sika deer Cervus nippon [Shika]
5. Siberian chipmunk Tamias sibiricus lineatus [Shima-risu]
6. Japanese Hare Lepus brachyurus [No-usagi] ??
7. whale ?
8. dolphin ?
9. seal ?

Encountered reptiles and amphibians

• Shima-hebi (Elaphe quadrivirgata) which looks quite similar to Ao-daishou (E. climacophora).
• Karasu hebi (Elaphe quadrivirgata f. atra)

Encountered Chrysomelidae

Some plants