JAPAN IN WINTER JANUARY 19–31, 2019 Red-crowned Crane roost, Setsuri River, Tsurui, Hokkaido - Photo: Arne van Lamoen LEADERS: KAZ SHINODA & ARNE VAN LAMOEN LIST COMPILED BY: ARNE VAN LAMOEN VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS, INC. 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM JAPAN IN WINTER: A CRANE & SEA-EAGLE SPECTACLE! By Arne van Lamoen For a trip as unique as VENT’s “Japan in Winter” tour, it is very difficult to reduce an eleven-day trip into a single, representative highlight. Moreover, to do so would be to eschew a great many other lifetime memories unlikely to be objectively less remarkable. I content myself here to a smattering then, in the interest of brevity, but as is so often the case when describing the beauty and majesty of nature—and birds in particular—mere words will not do these sightings justice. This tour featured several new life birds for even our most seasoned and almost impossibly well-traveled participants, Trent and Meta. I know that for them, the Japanese endemics (and near endemics) such as the Ryukyu Minivet sighted in Kyushu ( Pericrocotus tegimae ) and resident Red-crowned Cranes in Hokkaido ( Grus japonensis ) were among several trip highlights. For others, the inescapable grandeur and majesty of Steller’s Sea-Eagles ( Haliaeetus pelagicus ), both perched on snowy trees and overhead in flight, could not be denied. I count myself among them. Still others were enamored with the rare Baikal Teals ( Sibirionetta formosa ) spotted in a partially iced-over reservoir on Kyushu and the even (globally) rarer Black-faced Spoonbills ( Platalea minor ) and solitary Saunder’s Gull ( Chroicocephalus saundersi ) which we sighted not five minutes apart along the Hi River. And for our most capable guide, Kaz, the unexpected—and unlisted(!)—bonus sighting of a Eurasian Wryneck ( Jynx torquilla ) solicited much excitement and an ear-to-ear smile. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 2 Japan in Winter, 2019 Steller’s Sea-Eagle, Rausu, Shiretoko UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hokkaido - Photo: Trent Miller Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 3 Japan in Winter, 2019 It is easy to imagine that almost every bird sighted at length and in conducive light conditions could be considered a highlight. That being said, the total number of birds sighted was—especially when compared to countries with a far greater variety of species—quite low, at only 129 species. This number belies several important truths, however; Japan in winter is a place unlike any other and, coupled with birds, offers sights and experiences which transcend ‘mere’ birding and bridge the often difficult to cross gaps of culture, history, and cuisine with unrivaled frequency and success. Here the Yoroshi “Dai-ichi” Onsen—a large, mostly traditional ‘ryokan’ or Japanese inn—comes readily to mind. Where else can you observe at a range of less than ten feet the spectacular Blakiston’s Fish-Owl catching its dinner while luxuriating in a warm, cozy lounge sipping crisp, smooth Japanese sake? As we recounted on the tour, attempting a sighting in the wilds of Siberia, in winter, at night, would be the sort of endeavor a Spartan would have been averse to. Similarly, Japan is a land with a living history, with traditional architecture, ancient religions, and some 21 (and counting) UNESCO World Heritage Sites smattered throughout the islands, one of which is home to the threatened population of Steller’s we visited. As a resident, I am forever at risk of forgetting just how remarkable are the startling differences between a historically isolationist Japan and the world beyond its borders, then and now. I take for granted the fact that every location we visited in Japan was clean to the point of being immaculate, safe to the point of being able to leave expensive optics unattended knowing they will still be there when you get back, and well-organized to the point that even in the most remote of birding locales good food, a toilet with an electrically warmed seat (a favorite among foreign visitors and Japanese alike), and well-mannered, hospitable people are never far away. Moreover, Japan offers its own unique versions of otherwise mundane, even ubiquitous objects such as vending machines, convenience stores, and sake bottles, which defy their lowly stature in their careful design, thoughtful functionality, and proliferous selection. It is always a pleasure to explain the myriad beguiling choices for our stop-and-go roadside lunches, in an attempt to maximize birding time, at convenience stores. More so still is the surprising joy of the participants when they (bravely) try some food combinations they would dismiss as 'unappetizing' at home, only to discover the Japanese really do know what they are doing and having it turn out to be delicious. The same can be said for our often incomprehensibly elaborate formal Japanese meals (properly: feasts!). Alternatively, the expressions of dawning understanding when you are able to explain the vastly different—often opposite—perspective of the Japanese on common problems. I know that on VENT’s Japan in Winter tour the participants get a great deal more than is the aggregate of the species count and pictures of dancing cranes. What you actually get is a glimpse into a world most foreign visitors never see by confining themselves to the bigger cities and the beaten path between Japan’s most famous sightseeing spots. What you get are fantastic, lifelong memories and a desire to come back (or in my case, stay) for as long as possible. Before we return to the matter at hand, I would be remiss were I not to include here a few words of praise for Kaz Shinoda, who—despite making it look utterly effortless—spent countless hours ensuring that every last detail of the trip that could be reasonably accounted for (the whimsical nature of birds Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 4 Japan in Winter, 2019 Whooper Swans, Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido - Photo: Trent Miller and local municipal governments notwithstanding) was planned to precision. Tying together a faultless, three-island, eleven-day itinerary spanning the length of Japan is a feat of professional dedication for which Kaz should be commended with the highest praise words can convey. In addition to being a master of logistics, his birding experience in Japan is all but without equal, and he is able to transition between bird expert, guide, tour operator, cultural attaché, historical scholar, encycopledia Japonica , and friend so smoothly that it is easy to forget how hard that actually is for most. Kaz was a constant source of fascinating information, as well as the lens through which we experienced Japan and its winter birds. His presence, his patience, his composure, and his expertise made what would have been without him simply an excellent trip, a truly fantastic one. Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 5 Japan in Winter, 2019 ITINERARY: Days 1-2 Travel to Tokyo area. January 20-21. Day 2 As the participants were all accounted for prior to the official start of the tour, the ever-popular pre-tour day featured perfect attendance with the exception of one person who was, upon arrival, surreptitiously recalled to the United States for work-related reasons. His absence was regrettable. I myself was also not party to this excursion, as the vehicle was at maximum occupancy. The participants visited the Edosaki Reclaimed Land area; Motono Swan Reserve near Motono Village in Chiba Prefecture; and Inbanuma Marsh. The participants stayed the night at the Narita View Hotel, Narita, Japan. Day 3 From the Narita View Hotel, the tour set off for Choshi port on the far Eastern tip of the Chiba Peninsula where it borders Ibarki Prefecture delineated by the Tone River. Excellent seafood lunch at restaurant 'Shou' ('Reef'). Afternoon stops at Gonoike Reservoir adjacent to Kamisu City Hall; and Ukishima Marsh near mouth of Tono River for harriers, particularly Eastern Marsh Harriers ( Circus spilonotus ). Return to Narita View Hotel in light of construction work at the Kasai Seaside Park precluding use of the regular, in-park hotel. Falcated Duck (male), Gonoike Reservoir, Kamisu, Honshu - Photo: Trent Miller Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 6 Japan in Winter, 2019 Day 4 Post-breakfast birding in Kasai Seaside Park. Mixed forest and wetlands, including a marsh which is a designated bird sanctuary. Seaside area along the Northern edge of Tokyo Bay. Bus to Karuizawa in the Japanese Alps, with a lunch stop at a large roadside service area with a surprisingly good, and filling(!) lunch. Planned stop at Ura-Myogi—literally 'behind Myogi'—referencing Mt. Myogi (1,103m). Night at Shiotsubo Onsen Hotel & Spa in Karuizawa. Baikal Teal (male and female), Chikuma Reservoir, Saku city, Nagano - Photo: Trent Miller Day 5 Brisk, pre-breakfast walk in Karuizawa Wild Bird Forest in search of the endemic and elusive Copper Pheasant ( Syrmaticus soemmerringii ) to no avail. Post-breakfast vigil at bird feeders at hotel and an optional light hike up the trail for views of Mt. Asama and possible Japanese Green Woodpecker (Picus awokera )—another endemic bird, Pallas' Rosefinch ( Carpodacus roseus ), and others. Trails walked were in and along Kose Forest Path. Late morning departure followed by convenience store lunch and brief visit to Chikuma Reservoir, which is part of Tokyo Electric Corp’s reservoir in Saku City in Nagano Prefecture. Night at Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu in Terminal 2 of Haneda Airport, Tokyo. Convenient! Day 6 Morning flight from Haneda to Kagoshima on southern main island of Kyushu. Departing the airport at Kagoshima we visited a small serpentine reservoir near the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant (not to be confused with the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant nearer to the city of Sendai on Honshu) including Victor Emanuel Nature Tours 7 Japan in Winter, 2019 Mandarin Duck sightings and various raptors.