Hakodate Japan (1 Viewer)

[MKinHK]

Hi Mike. A 'girlfriend' holiday!?! Sounds like you'll be leaving the wife at home then!

Thanks for the info Stu it looks like we'll be flying to Narita, then taking the ferry from Oarai to Tomakomai - and we're still planning the next bit.. . .and for the sake of clarity . . . there is no wife to leave at home - just a wonderful grifriend who (inexplicably) has no interest in birds!

Cheers
Mike


PS enjoying your records of passage through Hakadote, which seems to be about a month later than HK

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Hi Mike. I've never done that ferry trip but you should see some great birds (albatrosses....I've never seen any species of albatross anywhere).

It's been pouring rain the last 2 days so I've done vitually no birding at all. I did manage a quick look on the sea this afternoon and there were groups of Red Necked Pharalope offshore. Maybe 500 metres or so offshore so photos were out of the question. There were also large numbers of dark shearwaters (Short Tailed Shearwater probably but too far out to ID).

For more on the Pharalopes with some crappy pics from last year click here or for a discussion of the first time I noticed them back in the early days of birdforum click here

 

[HokkaidoStu]

A bit quiet on the local patch birding front since my last entry. Some new arrivals in the last couple of weeks though. Today in the eastern part of my patch there were lots of singing Oriental Great Reed Warbler, 2 or 3 Black Browed Reed Warbler, Siberian Stonechat, Commmon Cuckoo, Black Faced and Chestnut Eared Bunting (see lousy pic below), Bull Headed Shrike, Red Cheeked Starling and Japanese Bush Warbler.

Nearer to my flat there were more Oriental Great Reed Warbler (see pic below) and a singing Chestnut Eared Bunting on the same patch of wasteground it has occupied for the last 4 summers. Judging by their jumpiness the Bullheaded Shrikes must have some newly arrived shrikelets, the Spot Billed Ducks have ducklings and the Carrion Crows were feeding their offspring.

If I can brave the mosquitoes I may venture out to the forest at Mt Hakodate...........or I may just wait until autumn.

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Northern hemisphere local patch birding often gets pretty quiet in summer and Hakodate is no exception. My own laziness contributes of course but there simply aren't that many birds about locally. I could brave the forest on Mt Hakodate but I'm no big fan of ticks or mosquitoes. Plus the birds are all hiding in the greenery anyway. Yes. That's a good excuse. I'm not just plain lazy..........

So I potter around on the small river near my flat. Common Kingfisher, Bullheaded Shrike, Red Cheeked Starling, Spot Billed Duck, Black Backed Wagtail, Chestnut Eared Bunting, Oriental Great Reed Warbler, Oriental Greenfinch and Asian House Martin are the more interesting breeders. Further eastwards there are Common, Oriental and Little Cuckoo, Siberian Stonechat and Black Browed Reed Warbler............

Here are some not so great pics. More info on my blog below..........

 

[MKinHK]

Hi Stu

the middle pic makes an excellent mystery bird.

It looks too small for Oriental Reed Warbler, so my best guess is Black-browed Reed Warbler.

Cheers
Mike

PS went to Japan with a girlfriend and came back with a fiancé! (the snowy, still smoking peak of Mt Asahidake was the magic spot (some things are more magical than even Pine Grosbeak!). So girlfriend holidays are right off the agenda from now on!

PPS Many thanks for your help in suggesting where to bird in Hakodate - Didn't get to the river near the supermarket for Black-backed Wagtail, but did find one on my last day in Japan back on Honshu.

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Congratulations Mike. I proposed to my wife at a Hokkaido beauty spot too but I had the mother of all hangovers at the time.............she still said yes mind you.

Yes it's a Black Browed Warbler. Loads of them in the summer...........

 

[Colin Bushell]

Hi Stu,

Still coming back to Lancs next month? I think you'll be missing your Black-browed Warblers after a few days of "wet season" birding here.

Can't beat Japan for romantic proposal sites. Mind you not many birders can say they managed to get their wife out to Southerness Point in SW Scotland looking at Purple Sandpipers on their wedding day afternoon! Oh yes ..... I know how to treat a girl. And we're still together!

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Hi Stu,

Still coming back to Lancs next month? I think you'll be missing your Black-browed Warblers after a few days of "wet season" birding here.

Can't beat Japan for romantic proposal sites. Mind you not many birders can say they managed to get their wife out to Southerness Point in SW Scotland looking at Purple Sandpipers on their wedding day afternoon! Oh yes ..... I know how to treat a girl. And we're still together!

Hi Colin.

The trip home has been put off until March to co-incide with my parents' 40th anniversary......just spoke to them and they were moaning about the weather too.

The day after my wedding was spent with my wife watching me and a friend screaming at a TV screen watching Sweden v England in the 2002 World Cup.

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Well summer is coming to an end and the wader passage is well underway. Red Necked Stint are by far the most common and the last few days have seen flocks of 30 or 40 on the local beaches. Lone Sanderling and Dunlin have been mixed in and there have also been a few Terek Sandpiper about too. 2 Bar Tailed Godwit (a local tick) were the most interesting but didn't come close enough for a picture alas.

Not much else happening though. Black Crowned Night Heron and Peregrine have been the most noteworthy non wading birds.

The main migration season for passerines here is from late September, and Ducks/Raptors from early October. The first Wigeon of the autumn was around today mind you.

More info and non local patch birding on my blog linked below.

 

[MKinHK]

Great stint pix Stu - looks like you had very good light.

Are these digiscoped or DSLRed?

Cheers
Mike

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Hi Mike. They were with my DSLR (with ultra cheap 70-300). The Stints were pretty tame..........I could get to within 10 feet no problem.

 

[HokkaidoStu]

Bit of a quiet autumn so far, calm clear weather meaning everything is just passing straight through (or over). I haven't been up Mt Hakodate yet this season though..............next week a dawn trip beckons.

Earlier last month I was over at Matsumae to watch the Oriental Honey Buzzard migration but here in Hakodate the most noticeable migrants have been Siberian Stonechat and Black Crowned Night Heron (see pics below). Loads of them.

Other migrants on their way south have included Arctic Warbler, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Japanese Bush Warbler and the usual common Ducks of this part of the world. Winter returnees have included Greater Scaup and Glaucous Winged Gull (below).

 

[HokkaidoStu]

It's been a pretty good autumn so far. Beautiful weather and a few interesting birds. Bird of the month was definitely a Mugimaki Flycatcher. An immature male yesterday in the forest at Mt Hakodate. Only a brief view before it disappeared into the forest.

Other things passing through since my last post have included Merlin, Long tailed Rosefinch, Brambling, Pale Thrush, Eye Browed Thrush, Siskin, Hawfinch, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Grey and Rustic Buntings, Arctic Warbler, lots of Goldcrest. thousands of Japanese Bush Warbler and Japanese White-eye, lots more Stonechat, several Siberian Rubythroat, Red Flanked Bluetail and loads more Black Crowned Night Heron.

Here's some pics of the Night Heron and White-eye.