Tomakomai cruising -South Polar Skua-

The best bird in this cruise was South Polar Skua, I could observed very close range.
It was first time to see it.

Tomakomai Cruising -White-sided Dolphin-

Flock of White-sided Dolphin attended in assemblage of Shearwaters.

 They stay at Funka bay for bleeding in summer.
So, it has been dolphin watching in Muroran (western city from Tomakomai).

They are very friendly, they came short range at our boat themselves.

 

Tomakomai cruising -Albatrosses-

Black-footed Albatrosses are so friendly, they came at close my boat itself.

They assembled for our food. Finally, I counted 8 individuals at one seen.

I also saw one Laysan.

Tomakomai Cruising -Shearwaters in July-

I could observed 4 Shearwaters and Fulmar.

Mainly Sooty Shearwater.
I also saw Short-tailed Shearwater, but Sooty was dominant.

There were many flocks of them.

In this flocks, my friend saw Flesh-footed Shearwater, but I couldn't see.
After cruise, I checked my photos and dug up Flesh-footed.......

It was mortifying.

The number of Streaked Shearwater are increasing.
It may change dominance Sooty to Streaked next month.

 Fulmar light morph. Dark morph of Fulmar is dominant in Japan, it was first time to see light morph.
Unfortunately, I missed exposure......

Of course, there were other animals in assemblage of Sheawaters.

I will upload their photos at later entries.

Tomakomai cruising -July introduction-

Today, I organized Tomakomai sea animal Cruising.
Fortunately, the weather blessed me despite forecast told bad weather.

Although small number of species was observed, the abundance and matter were very exiting.

I'm arranging photos.

Chicks in campus

Many birds breed in my university.

Mallard chick.
They breed around pond in campus, but I found only an individual, the others were killed by predators like crows and cats.

It ate  Poplar fluff.

 Mandarin Duck also bred around this pond.
Small forest lays at this pond, it might used tree cavity.

Great Spotted Woodpecker bled at very attractive public attention site, many people observed its breeding.
This photo is the last chick to leave this nest.

Large Billed Crow. Mouse of chick is red (adult is black), it is a sign of child.
Chick shows its parent and mooch food.

These photos in Sapporo, Hokkaido. mid-June.

Onece more Sarobetu

Last Sunday, my friend said that wanted to see Red-necked Grebe's chick, I went to Sarobetu again with him.

At first, we were forward to Toyotomi to see Yellow-breasted Bunting etc., but we couldn't see the Bunting.

Chicks of Stonechat.

Tree Sparrow.

Barn Swallow.
Japanese subspecies of swallow has white belly, it seemed to be a Eurasian subspecies.

We moved to Horonobe for our main target.

Though there were over 20 birders to see the Grebes, we could see at short range.

According to a person stood by here before our arrival, a chick hatched in this morning.
We were lucky.

The grass impeded us to see chick, we could see chick on parent's (mother?) back, and observed feeding from father (?) to chick.

Reed Bunting.

Sarobetu2

Red-necked Grebe made its nest at short range from shore in Horonobe.

The parents change every about 30 minutes.

When they change role of incubating, they did display.

Reed Bunting had worm for its chicks.

The photos in Horonobe, Hokkaido. 3th/Jul/2010.

Sarobetu1

Last weekend, I went to Sarobetu moor, northern Hokkaido, to see famous birds in this place.
I left Sapporo at A.M. 0:00 and return to Sapporo at 22:30. It was very hard driving.

At 7:00, I arrived Toyotomi which is famous place for Yellow-breasted Bunting and Yellow Wagtail.

 Yellow Wagtail.

I could see Yellow-breasted Bunting which is known to be a endangered species.
It seemed growing its chicks because it had a worm.

It flew away.

Many Japanese Snipe sang around here.

Skylark.

Additionally, I saw Middendorff's Grasshopper Warbler and Lanceolated Warbler.

All photos in Toyotomi, Hokkaido. 3th/Jul/2010.