A trip from Tokyo to Hokkaido

June 27 - July 5 1998

• Seabirding during the trip Tokyo (departure 23.55 hr 26/6/98) - Kushiro (arrival 7.30 hr 28/6).
• Landbirding by train and foot on 28/6: I took the small and scenic one track train from Kushiro to Nemuro. I did not go to Nemuro, but got off near Cape Ochiishi-misaki.
• Hillbirding (29/6 - 3/7) in the on the slopes of the 600m high hills near Jozankei, some 25 km SW of Sapporo. The seminar I was involved in did not allow extensive explorations...
• Seabirding during the trip Kushiro (departure 12.30 hr 4/7) - Port of Tokachi (stop 15.30-17.30 hr 4/7) - Tokyo (arrival 20.45 hr 5/7)

Seabirding

Which birds one encounters on such a ferry trip depend on numerous factors. Season, weather, time of the day will have there influence. I doubt that one can draw firm conclusions on the presence or non-presence of certain species based on one or two trips.

The weather

Comments and highlights

• Auks. This I find a difficult family. Especially under the coast of Hokkaido I could see many unidentifiable auks which seemed small and dark. Yet I got good views of Ancient murrelet, Japanese murrelet, Rhinoceros auklet and unexpectedly a Horned Puffin (but dipped the in principle more common Tufted Puffin!).
• 4 species of albatrosses: 1200 Laysan of 28/6 was an astonishing number. Even more so, because one week later there were only a few.
• 5 species of shearwaters: rough relative occurrence I encountered was Sooty:Flesh-footed:Short-tailed:Streaked = 1:10:100:1000. Sooty and Flesh-footed shearwaters were not scarce on June 28, but on July 5 I saw only a few of them. Similar for the fulmar. The colors of the fulmars seemed much more mottled to me than depicted in the various guides. Almost all were in dark fase, but a few birds were almost entirely white, much whiter than the standard light phase that I know from the Atlantic.
• Storm-petrels. The scope makes it relatively easy to find them. But one sees them typically far. A detail like whether or not they have a white rump is often also not a problem to spot, but then...
  Is it so simple that petrels with white rumps near Hokkaido are Leach's, near Kinkasan (Sendai) Band-rumped and near Chooshi are Wilson's? The seize difference and especially difference of flightpattern between Sooty and Swinhoe's seems to make it easier to name the dark rumped Storm petrels. But how much is flight pattern dependent on the wind? There is a lot to be learned here.
• Skuas: Got nice views of Great Skuas and Pomarine Jaegers. I failed to properly recognize Long-tailed and Parasitic Jaeger.
• Pigeons: on July 5 we could see three Rufous Turtle-doves which were somehow passengers of the ship, every now and then flying a circle round it. We saw them first near Kinkasan (Sendai), but near Chooshi they were still present. Apart from these "passenger pigeons" we also saw two Japanese Green Pigeons all of s sudden flying behind the ship near Kinkasan.

Landbirding

The Lathams'snipes did not allow themselves to be flushed like the hazelgrouse. When walking from the small station of Ochiishi to the nearby scenic cape Ochiishi-misaki I could see several times snipes calling from posts next to the railtrack. They all fled when the sound of an approaching train could be heared in the far distance. Around 5 pm I could hear a nightjar near the station. There was only one female cuckoo.

The cape was beautiful. It can be described a a steep huge rock covered by a highmoor and a highmoor forest. Middendorff's and Gray's grashopper warbler were abundant, just as Great and Black-browed reed warbler. Long-tailed rosefinch, Bullfinch and Russet sparrows. Breeding gulls on the rocks in the ocean. And deep down at the bottom of the steep cliff on the east side of the cape of the light a single Spectacled Guillemot was diving for fish.

Hillbirding

Near the top of the quiet 600 high mountain north of Jozankei I found a scratchmark of possibly a bear. The forest did not have many big trees, yet near the top I could find typical Black Woodpecker damage and holes at some of them. Not from this season, apparently. At one moist spot in the hill forest I found a number of saprophytic Monotropastrum humile, Gin-ryou-sou, which as Ikenaga-san explained me, means Silver Dragon Flower. An elegant name for an elegant little plant. Searching the internet with the keyword "Monotropastrum" gives ample information.

List of observed birds

1. loon ? Gavia [ouhamu]
   • July 4. 2 ex south of Port of Tokachi: one in winter the other in summer plumage. Either Pacific or Arctic loon. Location makes Pacific more plausible.
2. Temminck's cormorant Phalacrocorax filamentosus [Umi-u]
   • June 28
   Thin-billed Murre Uria aalge [Umigarasu]
   • July 4. 1 ex which I dipped.
3. Spectacled guillemot Cepphus carbo [Keimafuri]
   • June 28: 3 ex before arrival in Kushiro, 1 ex fishing next to the rocks of Ochiishi-misaki. All summerplumage.
   Marbled murrelet Branchyramphus marmoratus [Madara-umisuzume]
   • July 4. 1 ex, which I dipped.
4. Ancient murrelet Synthliboramphus antiquus [Umisuzume]
   • July 4.
5. Japanese murrelet Synthliboramphus wuzizusume [Kanmuri-umisuzume]
   • July 4. 1 ex.
6. Rhinoceros auklet Cerorhinca monocerata [Utou]
   • July 4.
   Tufted Puffin Lunda cirrhata [Etoopirika]
   • July 4. 1 ex 18.30 hr (I dipped)
7. Horned Puffin Fratercula corniculata [Tsunomedori]
   • July 4. 1 ex 13.15. 1 ex 18.30 hr
   I could see the gigantic big bill (almost as high as long). Color of bill and head was kind of greyish. Back was dark, but breast and what the waves allowed me to see from the belly was white.
8. Short-tailed albatross Diomedea albatrus [Ahoudori]
   • June 27. 2 ex immature (pink bill) at 5 am and 11 am
9. Black footed albatross Diomedea nigripes [Kuroashi-ahoudori]
   • June 27. About 60 ex mainly in the afternoon.
   • June 28. Some.
   • July 4. 1 ex.
   • July 5. A few.
10. Laysan albatross Diomedea immutabilis [Ko-ahoudori]
    • June 27. About 1200 ex mainly in the afternoon and evening.
    • June 28.
    • July 5. A few, less than 50 ex.
11. Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis [Furima-kamome]
    • June 27. More than 2000, around noon and towards the evening. Almost all dark morph. Quite a lot were not uniformly colored but on the contrary rather pied... Even the ones with white head, seemed never to be the typical light morph: the back and wing would be rather mottled.
    • June 28. Two specimen near Kushiro could be rather white: the whole body would be white (head and back), with only on the wings some smaller dirty snow like. spots.
    • July 4. Common
12. Streaked shearwater Calonectris ieucomelas [Ou-mizunagidori]
    • June 27. Uncountable many during the whole day except between 13-16 hr
    • July 4. None.
    • July 5. Uncountable from Kinka-san southwards. Only before the hour noon a few could be seen. At least 100.000, Maybe 1.000.000.
13. Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus [Haiiro-mizunagidori]
    • June 27. A few hundred, mainly around noon.
    • July 5: at least 10 ex.
14. Flesh-footed shearwater Puffinus carneipes [Akaashi-mizunagidori]
    • June 27. At least 1000, around 7-8hr and around noon.
    • July 5: at least 10 ex.
15. Short-tailed shearwater Puffinus tenuirostris [Hashiboso-mizunagidori]
    • June 27. At least 2500. About 100 around 7-8hr, about 800 just after noon and the rest around 18hr.
    • July 4. At least 3000 between Kushiro and Port of Tokachi.
    • July 5. At least 3000 before 11hr. Only a few later.
16. storm petrel (sp) Oceanodroma (sp) [umitsubame (sp)]
    • July 4. 1 ex around 15.00hr, possibly Leach?. 13 ex between 17.45hr, possibly Swinhoe?
17. Sooty storm petrel Oceanodroma tristrami [Ou-suton-umitsubame]
    • June 27. 1 ex 14.30 hr, not far from Kinkasan. 18.00 hr 3 ex.
    • July 5. At least 7 ex.
18. Band-rumped storm petrel Oceanodroma monorhis [Kuro-koshijiro-umitsubame]
    • June 27. 2 ex around 13.45 hr. Not far from Kinkasan. 18.00 hr 2 ex.
    • July 5. At least 18 ex.
19. Swinhoe's storm petrel Oceanodroma monorhis [Hime-kuro-umitsubame]
    • June 27. 3 ex around 10 am.
20. Great skua Stercorarius skua [Ou-touzokukamome]
    • June 27.
    • July 5. 2 ex with double white patches on wing.
    Long-tailed jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus [Shirohara-touzokukamome]
    • July 4. 2 ex near Kinkasan, which I dipped
21. Pomarine jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus [Touzokukamome]
    • June 27.
    • July 4. 2 ex, with clear pomarine tail.
    Parasitic jaeger Stercorarius parasiticus [Kuro-touzokukamome]
    • July 4. 2 ex which I dipped. 1 ex, which I doubt I could have named with certainty myself.
22. Slaty-backed gull Larus schitisagus [Ou-seguro-kamome]
    • June 27.
    • June 28.
    • July 4. Breeding on the roofs of the harbor buildings. Lots of 1-2 week old chicks, at most 2 per nest.
23. Herring gull Larus argentatus [Seguro-kamome]
    • June 28.
    • July 4. few ex, in harbor of Kushiro and along coast.
24. Black-tailed gull Larus crassirostris [Umineko]
    • June 27.
    • June 28, breeding.
    • July 4. Breeding on the roofs of the harbor buildings. Lots of 1-2 week old chicks, at most 2 per nest.
25. Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus [Shirokamome]
    • July 4. Port of Tokachi: few ex.
26. Gray heron Ardea cinerea [Ao-sagi]
    • June 28. Lots at marshes and rivers along the railtrack
27. Japanese crane Grus japonensis [Tancho]
    • June 28. 1 ex along railtrack east of Akkeshi
28. Latham's snipe Gallinago hardwickii [Ouji-shigi]
    • June 28.
29. White-tailed sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla [Ojiro-washi]
    • June 28. 1 immature flying at Ochiishi-misaki
30. Black kite Milvus migrans [Tobi]
    • June 28.
31. Common buzzard Buteo buteo [Nosuri]
    • June 28.
32. Hazel grouse Tetrastes bonasia [Ezo-raichou]
    • June 28. 1 ex along the railtrack near Hamaka.
33. Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis [Kiji-bato]
    • June 28.
    • July 5. 3 ex sitting on ship.
34. Japanese green pigeon Sphenurus sieboldii [Ao-bato]
    • June 29. 1 ex killed itself by flying into some wire. It all of a sudden deviated from a straight course: either because it got distracted by me ot the Junglecrow which just started to alarm my presence...
    • June 30. Just before sunset, 2 singing ex.
    • July 1. Near beginning of path to NW mountain about 6 ex.
    • July 5. 2 ex at 11.20 from ship. They appeared all of sudden out of nowhere.
35. Rock pigeon Columbia livia [?]
    • July 4. Kushiro harbor.
36. Common cuckoo Cuculus canorus [Kakkoo]
    • June 28. 1 female, calling.
37. Oriental cuckoo Cuculus saturatus [Tsutsudori]
    • June 30.
38. Little Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus [Hototogisu]
    • June 30.
39. Horsfield's Hawk Cuckoo Cuculus fugax [Juu-ichi]
    • June 30.
40. Jungle nightjar Caprimulgus indicus [Yotaka]
    • June 28. One calling at 18 hr.
41. White-rumped swift Apus pacificus [Amatsubame]
    • June 28, June 30 - July 3
    Black woodpecker Dendrocopos martius [Kumagera]
    • Only old signs: possibly nest and typical BWP damage on some old trees on mountain just north of Jozankei
42. Great spotted woodpecker Dendrocopos major [Akagera]
    • June 29.
43. Japanese pygmy woodpecker Dendrocopos kizuki [Ko-gera]
    • June 30 - July 3
44. Skylark Alauda arvensis [Hibari]
    • June 28.
45. White wagtail Motacilla alba [Haku-sekirei]
    • June 28.
    • June 30.
46. Indian tree pipit Anthus hodgsoni [Binzui]
    • June 28.
47. Brown-eared bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis [Hiyodori]
    • June 29.
48. Bull-headed shrike Lanius bucephalus [Mozu]
    • June 30.
49. Winter wren Troglodytes troglodytes [Misosazai]
    • June 28.
50. Japanese robin Erithacus akahige [Komadori]
    • June 29.
51. Siberian rubythroat Erithacus calliope [No-gamo]
    • June 28.
52. Siberian blue robin Erithacus cyane [Koruri]
    • June 29.
53. Stonechat Saxicola torquata [No-bitaki]
    • June 28.
54. Bush warbler Cettia diphone [Uguisu]
    • June 28.
    • June 30.
55. Short-tailed bush warbler Cettia squameiceps [Yabusame]
    • June 29.
    • June 30.
56. Goldcrest Regulus regulus [Kikuitadaki]
    • June 28.
57. Middendorff's grashopper warbler Locustella ochotensis [Shima-sennyuu]
    • June 28.
58. Gray's grashopper warbler Locustella fasciolata [Ezo-sennyuu]
    • June 28.
59. Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus [Oo-yoshikiri]
    • June 28.
60. Black-browed reed warbler Acrocephalus [Ko-yoshikiri]
    • June 28.
61. Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis [Meboso mushikui]
    • June 28.
    • June 29.
62. Pale-legged willow warbler Phylloscopus tenellipes [Ezo-mushikui]
    • June 28.
63. Narcissus flycatcher Ficedula narcissina [Ki-bitaki]
    • June 28.
    • June 29.
    • June 30.
64. Blue and white flycatcher Cyanptila cyanomelana [Ou-ruri]
    • June 29.
65. Marsh tit Parus [Hashibuto-gara]
    • June 28.
    • June 30.
66. Coal tit Parus ater [Hi-gara]
    • June 28.
    • June 30.
67. Great tit Parus major [Shijuu-kara]
    • June 28.
68. Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus [Enaga]
    • June 30.
69. Nuthatch Sitta europaea [Gojuu-kara]
    • June 28. Very white, no brown at all.
70. Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides [Hoojiro]
    • June 28.
    • June 29.
71. Black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala [Aoji]
    • June 28.
72. Reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus [Ou-jurin]
    • June 28.
73. Oriental greenfinch Carduelis sinica [Kawarahiwa]
    • June 28.
74. Long tailed rosefinch Uragus sibiricus [Beni-mashiko]
    • June 28.
75. Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula [Uso]
    • June 28.
76. Tree sparrow Passer montanus [Suzume]
    • June 28.
77. Russet sparrow Passer rutilans [Nyuunai-uzume]
    • June 28.
78. Gray starling Sturnus cineraceus [Mukudori]
    • June 28 -July 3
79. Jay Garrulus glandarius brandtii [Kakesu]
    • June 28.
80. Carrion crow Corvus corone [Hashiboso-garasu]
    • June 28.
    • July 4.
81. Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos [Hashibuto-garasu]
    • June 28.
    • July 4.

Other happenings

• June 27 and July 5 between Chooshi and Kinkasan. Flying fish, tobiwa.
• June 27. One small distant iceberg at 18hr.
• Near Kinkasan: during some light fog: fragments of double whitish mist bow: outer bow rather broad, the inner bow was narrow.

Encountered mammals

1. Brown bear Ursus arctos (scratch marks near Jozankei)
2. Red fox Vulpes vulpes schrencki[Kitsune]
3. Sika deer Cervus nippon [Shika]
4. whale: July 5. Merely a flash of a sinking grey back...
5. dolphin: July 4: Near Kushiro: a group of 6 dolphins, black with white bellies. rather large, compared to the other dolphins.
6. dolphin: July 4-5: at various places, greyish fins of a small dolphin(?) type. Belly remained below surface.
7. sea lion, which I dipped.