Tomakomai Cruise -unexpected encount-

In this cruise, I saw three unexpected species.

White-billed Diver. I first saw its summer plumage.
It was very beautiful.

 There were two individuals.
White-billed Diver is a very large species, like White-tailed Eagle. But it had cautious at our boat and hided in the sea.


And...

Red-legged Kittiwake juvenile!!

It was very friendly, flied and hovered front of me.

Sea Turtle (species unknown) and Fulmer.
Sea Turtle is scarce in Hokkaido. Where does it come from?

Tomakomai Cruise

Last Saturday, I organized birding Cruise in Tomakomai.

This day, I saw large flocks of Streaked Shearwater over ten thousands from coast to off shore.

There were many sardine and mackerel under the sea, they aimed them.

Some Sooty and Flesh-footed contained in this flock.

Rhinoceros Auklet.

I expected there were many Kittiwakes and Pomarine Skuas, but they were not so many comparing to the number last year. It is said that migration of sea birds delay. Actually, There were few Streaked Shearwater last year.

In the small chance, I could take photo of Pomarine at short range.
I noticed that Skua has long claw which uses to attack to Gulls.

Slender Shrew

Slender Shrew Sorex gracillimus is distributed in Hokkaido of Japan and Far eastern Russia.
It is very small mammal; its body weight is about 3 to 5 gram, the second smallest mammal in Japan (the smallest is Least Shrew Sorex minutissimus; 2 to 3 gram).

In general, shrews have very large appetite for there high metabolism, it mean that they will die without feeding about 2 hours.

Though we can see dead shrews on trail, it is very difficult to see their living activity.

This individual is a juvenile which can be identify by its hair of tail; adult one is bald and needle like tail hair is feature of this species.
 Tomakomai, Hokkaido.

Hawk migration in Muroran

Last Saturday I went to Muroran to see hawk migration.
Rain fell on Friday, so I hope many hawks could be seen in this day.
Actually, I saw many hawks; Common Buzzard, Northern Goshawk, Sparrow Hawk, and Japanese Lesser Sparrow Hawk.
But hawks didn't come short range.

This is only photo of Sparrow Hawk taken short range.

Muroran, Hokkaido. 16/Oct/2010.

Rainbow

My friend told me  that Red-legged Kittiwake was in Mukawa on Saturday, so I went there on Sunday.
But I couldn't see it....

And strong rain fell...

After raining, rainbow appeared.

 

The root of rainbow with Mallards.

Mukawa, Hokkaido. 17/Oct/2010.

My recomendations

Here is my recommendation of Japanese book for naturalist, I pick up picture books.

Click here.

Sudden encouner in rain

Finishing my work in forest, on my way to office, I found a Oriental Cuckoo suspecting juvenile.

Sometimes it flew on the ground and picked insect, above photo's one was Short-horned Grasshopper.

At first, I took it by 300mm lens. Because it was not escape far away, I got back to office and brought 500mm lens as soon as possible. This photo is taken by 500mm.

Tomakomai, Hokkaido. 15/Oct/2010.

Maruyama

I went to take photo of Chipmunk to Maruyama.

But it was cloudy and leaves didn't fall yet, so light was not enough for shutter speed.
I will try again.

Sapporo, Hokkaido. 9/Oct/2010.

Gang

On the boat in Tokachi, we contacted assemblage of gulls around troll fishery ship.
This assemblage consisted Herring Gull (mainly), Kittiwake, and Black-tailed Gull. And Pomarine Skuas attacked gulls.

Though we were very exited, it was sorry to gulls...

At fishery port, a Black-necked Grebe was short range.

Tokachi cruise in Oct.

My acquaintance organizes research of sea birds in Tokachi. Last week,  I went to Tokachi to assist his work.

Though it was cloudy and high wave, some members got sea sick, I was satisfied to see good scene.

Kittiwakes already came to Hokkaido, I suspected to be Red-foot in assemblage but didn't see.  My acquaintance confirmed of Red-legged in his photo after cruise.....

I saw many Rhinoceros Auklet, as like Kittiwake my acquaintance confirmed juvenile of Tufted Puffin in his photo....

I contacted flock of Streaked Shearwater, I could be short range of them.

They fed on sardine. Probably, they obsessed with food and didn't mind our boat.

One day in Tomakomai

When leaves start changing to autumn color, Japanese White Eye migrates to southern Japan. A flock of them staying on a Crimson Glory Vine.

A young Japanese Grass Lizard was front of my lodging in Tomakomai.

Morning to see Geese

I got up 3:00 and went to Miyajima-numa again.

 Their calls were resounding around here.

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Coming to light, they took off all at once.
It was too dark to photo, I challenged to take video.

I found an interesting individual which was a mutation one I suspected.

Bibai, Hokkaido. 5/Oct/2010.

Geese to roost

I went to Miyajima-numa to see roosting of Geese (manly White-fronted Goose).
They come across Miyajima-numa between end September to mid October.
This day, about 50,000 stayed here.

Assemblage of geese came back to this lake at evening, it was very spectacle.

It was too dark to take fine photo, I upload video, it would catch on context.

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Bibai, Hokkaido. 3/Oct/2010.

End season of shore birds

I went to Ishikari to see shore birds.
Usually shore birds decrease in this season, but I saw many species.
Bar-tailed Godwit, Spotted Redshank, Greenshank, Red-necked Stint and as follow.

There were many Sharp-tailed Sandpipers in the Artificial pond.

I saw over 10 individuals.
It was my first time to see multiple Sharp-taileds.

Black-bellied Plover.

Marsh Sandpiper.

Wood Sandpiper.

Long-billed Dowitcher.

All photos in Ishikari, Hokkaido. 2/Oct/2010.