Hokkaido, the land of ice and birds

Greetings everyone, having just returned from Hokkaido last night, I am still in awe and wonder at what was one of the most beautiful and harsh places I have ever visited. Although I fell ill just before I was due to fly to Hokkaido, it did not deter me from having an amazing 4 days in what I can truly call a heaven and hell on earth. Now, stuck at home with Type A influenza for my troubles, I shall tell you all a bit about my trip. Before you all make a face and groan about this being a birding post, I will spare you all the torture by adopting a bird-absent post for all you avesphobes and post a birding entry for my avesphiles when I get a chance to process the couple of hundred of photos I took.

Having left noisy, polluted and cold (at least that what the weather man said) Osaka, we flew up to Hokkaido via Tokyo (that's a bad photo of Mt. Fuji from the plane on the right), arriving at 1.30pm on Thursday. We rented a Toyota 4WD RV and headed east to Shibetsu and then south to Nemuro peninsula for two nights. The drive down to Nemuro was spectacular, and would be a common sight for the remainder of the trip. Firstly, the amount of snow we encountered was phenomonal and secondly, the bays, harbours, inlets and rivers were frozen solid, with pack ice washing up on the tide and in some places, the sea frozen as far as the eye could see. A truly winter wonderland. With temperatures averaging at -9C (not taking the windchill factor into account), it was cold to say the least. There were times when I thought my camera batteries would be too cold to work! Nemuro peninsula was stunning, with ice covered cliffs, snow fields for miles and beaches covered with snow, meeting the frozen tide line as the sea, slushy with ice, washed over the edges of the snow line. It was mindblowing. The roads were in great condition and were clear of all snow and ice for most of the 90 minute drive from the airport to Nemuro. I thought we would be taking our time on the roads but to be honest, there was no problem.

We stayed in the world famous Furen Lodge Minshiku (pictured above), run by Matsuo-san and his wife. A very friendly couple who served us up the best meal I have EVER had in Japan. Matsuo-san ate with us (both breakfast and dinner) while his wife was elsewhere, doing other household chores no doubt or eating by herself in the kitchen. I am not sure of this but it was a custom that was mirrored when we stayed in Hegua-jima last October. Fresh fish, homemade pickle, rice, fruit, soup, homemade cranberry shoschu (a liquer) and mandarains were piled high on our many dishes. We ate cod, saffron cod and cod roe which I was surprised at, seeing as the species is heavily protected now in European waters. Matsuo-san was aware of it but said they were plentiful in Hokkaido although numbers were begining to decrease slightly. He had excellent English and when we signed the guest book I noticed that a few Irish birders had stayed there the week perviously...such a small world. We birded Nemuro peninsula and Nosappu Misaki (the headland on the peninsula) the next day and had amazing views of Ringed seals, feeding alongside Black and White-winged scoters. The seals were huge and very beautiful. We tried to get out to another lighthouse but the road was impassable and we didn't have snow shoes to walk through the snow fields, which was a pity.

Saturday morning, Rob and I decided to head back out to Nosappu Misaki to try and get better views of red-faced cormorant. However, when we got up at 5am, a massive blizzard was blowing and the temperatures had dropped to -12C. We looked at each other and decided what the hell. Rob is a very experienced driver in snow and ice as he goes snowboarding from Jan-Mar every year in Japan near his in-laws house. I knew I was in safe hands so off we went. We got beyond Nemuro itself but then could get no further as the roads past the "city" were closed due to drifting snow on the roads. So, we decided to drive around the "city" (well, a large town really) looking for waxwings and ended up getting stuck in a snow drift. Firstly we had to dig someone else out of a snow bank before attending to our car. It was not pleasant and my face was sore...frostbite fears soon took hold of my frozen mind. I couldn't see past my nose but finally, after much digging and pushing, we got the RV out and away we headed back to the Minshiku for breakfast. Matsuo-san was very worried about us and we apologised for not calling him to tell him we were okay. This part of Hokkaido is the coldest in Japan and it was having the worst snow in living memory. This meant that we couldn't get to a lot of places we wanted to and we couldn't go walking in the fields, forests and sometimes the beaches due to the snow. In some places we walked it was unbelievable. I was walking across a field to get to the frozen bay of Furen to see if the Steller's Eagles were on the ice when I was suddenly chest-deep in snow and couldn't get out. In the end, I had to crawl and drag myself out but it was all good fun. Actually, standing on the frozen sea, looking at Steller's eagles fly around in a snow shower, with the wind howling and some crazy Japanese fisherman sitting in a tent fishing was a high point of the trip to the Nemuro penisula for me.

A change of plan on Saturday after the snow storm, saw us drive further south and west along the coast to Kushiro, an area famous for the Japanese Crane. It is one of the natural wonders of the country and it was one not to be missed. We birded down the coast, looking on in continued amazement at the frozen rivers, sea and cliffs. How anyone lives here in winter is beyond me. It was such a bleak, flat, desolate place in many areas and oh so cold. We stayed in a really nice hotel near Tsuri-mura, nestled in the hills on the south coast. An visit to an onsen that evening to wash away the weariness and cold of the day, was well earned. There was something quite peaceful and relaxing, sitting in a natural hot spring outside, with the temperatures at -9C, ice forming on one's head...it was really good. The open fire in the hotel, with burning logs was nice while having my last ciggie of the day. An early start the next morning saw us standing at a roost site for the Japanese cranes. It was -18C!!!! I couldn't believe how cold it was but we stuck it out for 90 minutes, watching the sun rise over the hill, creating a misty, eerie scene over the river, listening to the Cranes call and seeing them dance in the dawn light...a truly fantastic memory to cherish.

After the cranes, we headed up north again, driving through the hinterland and mountains to Rausu. Passing by volcanoes with steam (for want of a better word) rising form the peaks was tremendous and incredible. The scenery changed so drastically driving to Rausu, from mountain valleys to flat plains but with one constant...snow, ice and blue skies. Rausu is a fishing port on the very nothern part of the east coast and it was COLD. All the harbours were frozen over, the bays were frozen, as were the rivers and the roads. Mountains rose up from the frozen sea, themselves covered in snow and ice. As we drove across the sea front at dusk, White-tailed and Steller's Sea Eagles were coming into roost on the mountain sides. Alighting on trees in peoples back yards, calling and grappling with each other. I was in heaven. All I could do was look on in awe and wonder at these beautiful creatures, thinking how Jim would be speechless if he was here with me and Ciaran would just light a ciggie, sit down and shake his head in wonder. It was a moment I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Rausu, for me at least, was the brightest jewel of the trip. A beautiful coastal village sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. It left an indelible mark with me, something I will always have. I would dearly like to go back there again, not just for the amazing birds we saw (a Blakiston's fish owl that just blew me away), but the place itself. Truly magical. In summer,the most spectacular salmon run in Japan occurs here, so I was told. However, the salmon are not just hunted by eagles and owls, but bears also. I may have to reutrn to witness that. So it was with a heavy heart (and dodgy bowels and stomach) that we left Rausu and headed back for home. I felt truly rotten coming back on the Monday and it put a small dent in what was an amazing adventure, but not enough to tarnish the memory. That would be impossible.


Hokkaido is a must for anyone coming to Japan. I hope the photos can do it some justice and I just wanted to throw one picture of a White-tailed eagle in that flew just past me, as it is the best one I have processed so far. More photos will be posted on my photopage (see link) for you all to peruse at your leisure, birds included when I have time to process them!! I have probably left loads out but I am sure I will be talking about Hokkaido again soon...now back to my sick bed and the copious amounts of drugs I was given this morning.

Carmo's Diet: This week, I've mostly been living the dream....