Day 11 - Winter in Japan for Bird's Wildlife & Nature - 15th February 2026

This was a final day and notionally a lazy morning at Yoroushi but I was still up early and packed and staring out of my window into the still illuminated river below where two Brown Dippers played chase and a Crested Kingfisher sat in the gloom and surveyed the gurgling water below.  This was my best perched view of one.

Crested Kingfisher

Brown Dipper

I noticed my messages.  Chris had got up at four with a headache and headed downstairs to be confronted with male Blakiston’s Fish Owl once and but this time the female was in tow and sat above watching his fishing exploits.  They had stayed for about forty minutes and then drifted back into the woods.  Somehow our group had seen four of this most famous of owls.

Blakiston’s Fish Owl - the male - Chris Darby

Blakiston’s Fish Owl - the female - Chris Darby

It was still early for breakfast so Chris joined me for a walk down the lane. The woods were just coming to life as the birds made their way towards the hotel and the feeders positioned out front of that window.  A few Brambling called and a Wren was ticking madly close into the bank.

Chris Darby got a much better pic the Crested Kingfisher 

There was lots of Brandt’s Jay activity but although we looked along the river we failed to find a Solitary Snipe and this one will have to wait for another visit.  Back for breakfast before it got too busy and outside there was a busy commute of Jays, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, frosty clara Nuthatches and Tits with Northern Long-tails, Coal, Japanese and the off looking Marsh Tits that feel more like a Black-capped Chickadee and sound like a Willow Tit.

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major japonicus - Jim Willett

Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major japonicus

Northern Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus caudatus - Chris Darby

European Nuthatch- Sitta europaea clara -  Jim Willett

European Nuthatch- Sitta europaea clara - Chris Darby

European Nuthatch- Sitta europaea clara

European Nuthatch- Sitta europaea clara

Japanese Tit - Parus cinerous minor

Japanese Tit  - Parus cinerous minor

Coal Tit - Periparus ater ater

Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris hensoni

Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris hensoni

Marsh Tit - Poecile palustris hensoni

Brandt's Jay - Garrulus glandarius brandtii - Chris Darby

Brandt's Jay - Garrulus glandarius brandtii

Brandt's Jay - Garrulus glandarius brandtii

Brandt's Jay - Garrulus glandarius brandtii

Brandt's Jay - Garrulus glandarius brandtii

Brandt's Jay - Garrulus glandarius brandtii - Jim Willett

Smoky grey Red Squirrels with a tinge of rust came into the feeders but did not like company.  They had silky white underparts and amazing ear tufts.  But there was an even better mammal with a Sable that popped out at one end of the decking.  It was very nervous and I think it was just after a few sunflower seeds or dropped fatty morsel from the cages rather than having its blackberry eyes on squirl for breakfast.  It was a special moment to watch this fabled mustelid at such close range.

Red Squirrel - Sciurus vulgaris orientis

Red Squirrel - Sciurus vulgaris orientis

Red Squirrel - Sciurus vulgaris orientis

Sable

Sable

Sable

There was enough time to chill by the window with a coffee before it was time to leave and as I walked out to get the van I spied a movement underneath it and out popped another Sable that bounded energetically across the car park and over the snow bank at the road side!

Sable

Sable

Sable

Our journey to the coast was about 90 minutes and through the snowy landscape we encountered several Eastern Buzzards, the odd Eagle and several family groups of Red-crowned Cranes including three against a pristine which sloping field that would have been the perfect picture if they had stayed put and not glided over the vans and into the next farmyard.  As expected there were very few small birds with just a few Bramblings and Tree Sparrows and the odd Fox and herds of Sika was regularly seen.

Red-crowned Cranes

After getting lunch we headed up onto the top car park of Cape Kiritappu.  It was windy and cold and we ate inside up until the point that Chris pointed out a Sea Otter down below which resulted in some hasty scoping.  All too soon we were on the walk to the point, quickly finding a closer Sea Otter on the leeward side of the headland where Black Scoter, Mergansers, Goldeneye and Holboll’s Red-necked Grebes paddled around. 

Sea Otter doing the stone bashing thing on his belly!

Sea Otter - Jim Willett

Sea Otter - Jim Willett

It was a but muddy and slippy to get to the far end but we all made it and were joined by a gorgeous Red Fox who unfortunately we had nothing for.  His coat was amazing and blowing in the increasing wind and looked incredibly warm.  A Harbour Seal bobbed around but there were no more Sea Otter sightings.

Our furry friend - Elaine Chuang

Red Fox

Two Steller’s Sea Eagles flew over without a beat and there were Slaty-backed, Black-tailed and Glaucous-winged Gulls around the sea stacks. We found a single Spectacled Guillemot and even better a winter plumaged Snow’s Guillemot although getting everyone onto it in the deteriorating visibility was proving tricky.  It went from ok to very poor in about ten minutes and soon the sea was not discernible at all so it was time to work our way back up to the lighthouse and the car park beyond.

And just like that...

Asian Rosy Finch was still missing and the weather was not making it any easier but amazingly a party of nine were found grovelling in the rank grasses and patchy snow on the leeward side just off the path and soon shuffled right up to us.  It was good to see then close this time and see those rich pinks in the wings and almost ginger buff nape.  Pleased to have seen one of our final target birds we pushed on to the warmth of the vans. 

Asian Rosy Finches in the fog

Asian Rosy Finch

Asian Rosy Finch

Asian Rosy Finch

Asian Rosy Finch

Asian Rosy Finch - they were quite variable

Asian Rosy Finch - a final look before the moved out of sight

Asian Rosy Finch - Jim Willett

As we drove slowly out a Short-eared Owl glided across the road and then hunted around the fields either side of us for a few minutes.  This is very scarce Japanese winterer and only Dave’s second at this time of year.

From here we dropped back down to Hamahaka harbour and the large pool nearby but the visibility was now truly appalling and we had to manage essence of diving and dabbling ducks of the usual species and some Whooper Swans echoing across the waters.

Kishiru Airport was the end point but we still managed a short break along the harbour front at Akkeshi although you could only just see the breakwaters!  There were 68 Whooper Swans on the calm water and some came to see us and were rewarded with lunch leftovers while Glaucous-winged and Slaty-backed Gulls did not seem at all interested but it was great to see them so close up. I scanned the breakwater and found an two adult Thayer’s Gulls sleeping there and they would prove to be the last new bird for the crew on this trip of a lifetime.

Whooper Swan

Whooper Swans - I do not ever remember the bills on 1w Whoopers being this yellow or the heads and necks being this dark and can find nothing about subspecific variation

Whooper Swans

Whooper Swans

Thayer’s Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Slaty-backed Gulls

Glaucous-winged Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull - they always look slightly squashed in 

On to our final internal flight and a swift journey back to Tokyo where we arrived late in the day and headed to our rooms exhausted. We reconvened early the following morning before saying our farewells and heading through departures for the long journey home.