Japan Breeding and migrants of Birdwatching Breaks is pleased to offer you a summer tour to Japan concentrating on Honshu, Hokkaido and the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa, Amami Oshima, Ishigaki-jima and finally Miyake-jima – a part of the Izu Island chain. This tour takes you to some of the most beautiful and remote areas of Japan. ■ Please note the itinerary is subject to change at short notice due to weather conditions and air travel timetables in the Ryukyu Islands. We have alternative birding sites if this happens.

Days 1-2: A morning flight to Tokyo arriv- ing on the following day. Transfer to Dates Sasagawa for a night’s stay. Our main inter- Tuesday June 1st – Sunday June est is locating the scarce Marsh Grassbird 20th 2021 which displays above the reeds. Other Leaders: Mark Finn and Kiwako species present include Oriental Reed Minami Warbler, Zitting Cisticola and Japanese Group size: 8 Reed, Masked and Meadow Buntings. We Species: 190-220 may find Great, Intermediate and Little Egrets and possibly late waders – Eurasian browed Reed Warbler and Chestnut-eared Whimbrel, Ruddy Turnstone and Grey- Bunting. tailed Tattler. Days 5-6: Today we transfer to Gotemba, which is located near Mount Fuji and its Days 3-4: Today we transfer to Karuizawa, extensive forested slopes on the northern which is situated in and undulating and eastern edges. On the afternoon of hills close to Asamayama, a volcano rising Day 5 we make an initial exploration of the to 2,500 metres, for a two-night stay. Our forest searching for White-bellied Green base is situated among mixed deciduous Pigeon, Oriental , Northern Hawk- and forest. Hotels have feeders Cuckoo, Olive-backed Pipit, Red-flanked attracting Great Spotted and Japanese Bluetail, , Pygmy Woodpeckers, Japanese Grosbeak Japanese , , Grey- and Grey-bellied Bullfinch. Our interest, bellied Bullfinch and the shy Siberian however, is Hoshino Onsen, an area of Thrush. Areas near the tree line offer us fast-flowing rivers, and clearings. our best chances of the localised Japanese Along the rivers we should find Ruddy and Accentor. On Day 6 we revisit forest areas Crested Kingfishers, Japanese and Grey before transferring to Tokyo docks and an Wagtails and Brown Dipper. The wood- overnight ferry to the island of Miyake-jima lands support Copper Pheasant, Japanese in the Izu Islands. Green, Pygmy and White-backed Woodpeckers and summer visitors includ- Day 7: On arrival in Miyake-jima we head ing White’s, Japanese and Brown-headed to a forested area for Ijima’s Leaf Warbler, Thrushes, Ashy Minivet, Siberian Blue Izu Thrush and the endemic island race of Robin, Japanese Bush and Pale-legged Warbling White-eye. Other species inhabit- Warblers and Blue-and-white and Asian ing the forest include the island-endemic Brown Flycatchers. With a little luck we may race of Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Izu find the endangered Yellow Bunting. Near Robin and Izu Tit. Around the island we Karuizawa, abandoned rice fields hold may find Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler, Green Pheasant, Latham’s Snipe, Black- Brown Shrike and Lesser Cuckoo. At Tairo-

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Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Photo: Neil Norvock ike Western Osprey and Black-eared Kite through the forest searching for the endem- are possible, with the surrounding forest ic Amami Woodcock, Ruddy Kingfisher and holding the scarce Japanese Woodpigeon. Ryukyu Scops Owl. After dinner we search wooded areas for Japanese Scops Owl and displaying Day 10: Today we check the forest areas Eurasian Woodcock. and gardens for two island endemics – Lidth’s Jay and Amami Robin. The coast Day 8: Today we recheck Miyake-jima for has rocky headlands and bays attracting any species we may have missed. Striated Heron, Common Kingfisher and Afternoon ferry back to Tokyo with possible occasionally migrant waders and terns. If sightings of Laysan and Black-footed required we take another night drive to Albatrosses, Streaked and Short-tailed catch up with any missing species. Shearwaters, Brown Booby, Pomarine Skua and Tristram’s Storm Petrel. Night in Days 11-12: Transfer to the airport for a Tokyo. flight to Naha in Okinawa and then on to Ishigaki-jima, in the southern Ryukyu Day 9: Morning flight to Amami Oshima in Islands. Our main interest is in locating the Ryukyu Islands for a two-night stay. On Ryukyu Serpent Eagle (another Japanese arrival we transfer to the main town of Naze endemic) and Ishigaki Tit, while there is which is close to the forest habitats of the also a chance of the secretive and rare island. Woodland species can be numer- Malayan Night Heron. Other species we ous, including Ryukyu Green Pigeon, may see on Ishigaki-jima include Owston’s Woodpecker, Ryukyu Flycatcher Cinnamon Bittern, Pacific Reef Egret, and Owston’s Tit. As dusk falls it is a good Purple Heron, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, time to look for the rare Amami Thrush on Common Moorhen, White-breasted the forest floor or singing from a low perch. Waterhen, Greater Crested and Little After dinner we embark on a night drive Terns, Emerald Dove, Pacific Swallow,

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bring us Eastern Buzzard, Grey-headed and White-backed Woodpeckers. On one night we visit a private farm for Blakiston’s Fish Owl. Tofutsu-ko, adjacent to the Sea of Okhotsk, is a large lake with reedbeds and sand dunes where we should locate Siberian Rubythroat, Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler and Lanceolated Warbler singing from stands of wild roses. Other summer visitors include Latham’s Snipe, Middendorf’s Grasshopper Warbler, Meadow Bunting and Long-tailed Rosefinch. Open water with emergent veg- etation attracts wildfowl, Eastern Marsh Harrier, White-tailed Eagle and Eurasian Hobby. Cape Ochiishi has a boardwalk Varied Tit Photo: Neil Norvock leading to a lighthouse. At the cape, and on the sea below, a search may provide us Light-vented, Bulbul, Ryukyu Minivet and with views of Pelagic and Red-faced Eastern Blue Rock Thrush. Chinese Egret Cormorants, Harlequin Duck, Spectacled is another possibility and the island is also Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet and Slaty- home to rarer species such as Watercock backed Gull. Cape Kiritappu is a large and Slaty-legged Crake. rocky promontory jutting into the sea. Our main interest is locating Tufted Puffin – a Days 13-14: Morning flight to Okinawa rare breeding bird in Japan. On our return and transfer to the small town of Ada for to Nemuro we can search for Ural Owl two nights. The Yambura Forest is close by along birch-dominated roadsides. and this site attracts Ryukyu Robin, Okinawa Woodpecker, Japanese Day 19: Today we head back to Kushiro Woodpigeon, Japanese Bush Warbler and and our flight to Tokyo. En route, we make Brown-eared Bulbul along with the beauti- a return visit to Furen-ko for Japanese ful Japanese Paradise Flycatcher. In the Robin and other woodland birds. evening after dinner we take a night drive to locate the flightless Okinawa Rail and Day 20: Morning departure to Europe Pryer’s Scops Owl. Several areas of rice arriving later the same day. paddies around the coast attract egrets and herons plus Black-naped and Roseate Prices Ter ns in coastal waters. Ground Price: £5,695 Day 15: We take and an internal flight to Single room: £500 Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido via Tokyo and Deposit: £500 transfer to Nemuro, which is our base for *Air Fare: £1,500 four nights. This tour is fully inclusive of Days 16-18: Our first stop is Furen-ko, an accommodation, meals, transport, exceptional area for birds which is home to entrance fees and permits, tips and White-tailed Eagle, Whooper Swan and taxes. majestic Red-crowned Crane. The lake is typical of those on Hokkaido, being Not included: drinks, insurance, and extremely shallow and bordered by stands items of a personal nature. of fir and spruce. June brings Red-necked Grebe, Tufted and Falcated Ducks, Greater *Please refer to our terms and Scaup and Eurasian Teal to breed on the conditions relating to flights lagoon. Walking through woodland should

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