Reasons Why Teuri Island Became a Sanctuary for Seabirds
Teuri Island is a small island with a circumference of about 12 km, and as of 2024, it has a…
The Spectacled Guillemot : A Timeless Favorite among Teuri Island’s Seabirds
The Spectacled Guillemot: A Timeless Favorite among Teuri Island’s Seabirds The Spectacled Guillemot, known as “ケイマフリ” (Keimafuri) in Japanese, holds…
The Nocturnal Creatures of Teuri Island (Hokkaido)
Teuri Island is located at 44 degrees north latitude, so during the period from spring to summer, the daylight hours…
Mt. Fuji in the Summer! Observing Subalpine birds at Okuniwa and the White-bellied green-pigeon on the Oiso Coast
Reported by YOSHINARI TOSHITAKE for a tour conducted from August 21 – 23. Day 1 Meeting at the Shinjuku bus…
Shiretoko Peninsula: Red Foxes Born at the Fisherman’s Hut (Banya)
We met a family of Red Fox in Rausu during the spring months, when the temperatures had not yet risen…
Seeing the Ryukyu Robin of Okinawa’s Main Island and Amami Oshima
There are two subspecies of the Ryukyu Robin (Akahige in Japanese): Larvivora komadori komadori which inhabits Amami Oshima Island, and…
Ezo Chipmunks Preparing for Winter
You might have a chance to encounter the small animals in the parks and shrines while vising the Eastern Hokkaido…
Common Guillemot observation update 2023
Teuri Island is the only breeding site of the Common Guillemot in Japan. At one time the birds’ population was…
White Orca (Shiretoko, Hokkaido)
In May 2023, a ‘white killer whale’ appeared in the Nemuro Strait after two years of absence. White orca /…
The key highlights for three most popular sea birds on Teuri Island (Spectacled Guillemot, Common Guillemot and Rhinoceros Guillemot)
We have summarized the features of three species of birds in the Auk family that are popular amongst birders visiting…
Seabirds breeding on Teuri Island (Hokkaido)
Common murre, Common guillemot Uria aalge Common Murre or Common Guillemot has a distinctive penguin-like appearance due to its legs positioned…
Japan’s Largest Crane Migration Site – from the Ariake Sea to Izumi (2)
There were two tours conducted in December 2022. This is the first tour report that took place Dec 12-16, 2022….
Japan’s Largest Crane Migration Site – from the Ariake Sea to Izumi (1)
There were two tours conducted in December 2022. This is the first tour report that took place Dec 7-11, 2022….
Shakotan’s Undersea Columnar Joints and Hokkaido’s Marine Life
By car from Sapporo, the Shakotan Sea is 1 hour and 30 minutes by car. The scenic spot called the…
<Red-crowned Crane> Report for FEB, 2023 Eastern Hokkaido Wildlife Tour in the Winter
For 6 days from February 17、I traveled to Eastern Hokkaido. This article introduces the Red-crowned Cranes in the village of…
Herping Okinawa, Reptiles and Amphibians in Japan
This is a summary of the wild creatures you might encounter while herping in Okinawa. The Japanese cave gecko (Goniurosaurus…
Wildlife Sightings for January in Eastern Hokkaido
February is generally the peak season in Hokkaido’s eastern region, but what is it like in January? In this blog,…
From Japanese Bullhead Sharks to Dragon Moray Eels! Diving in Isu Oshima
At the start of July, we were in the waters around Izu Oshima. We could see Bullhead sharks, Dragon Moray…
Raising The Next Generation of Blakiston’s Fish Owl; Observed in Rausu
Two chicks were born in 2022 Usually, the Blakiston’s fish owls will mate in February and lay two eggs in…
Brown Bears Awaiting The Salmon Run On Shiretoko Peninsula
The fall of 2022 was a rough start to the winter for the bears. The pink salmon, which usually go…
Ezo Sika Deer of the Notsuke Peninsula in Winter
The Notsuke Peninsula in the winter has many charms. One of them was an encounter with the Ezo sika deer,…
Ezo Red Fox in Winter
The Ezo red foxes live all over Hokkaido island. Officially a subspecies of the red fox, Vulpes vulpes schrencki, they…
Sea Otters of Eastern Hokkaido
The wild sea otters in Japan, can only be found breeding in the eastern part of Hokkaido. The species that…
The Snow Fairy: Hokkaido’s Long-tailed Tit
The Long-tailed tit in Hokkaido is Aegithalos caudatus japonicus, a sub-species of the Long-tailed tits found on Honshu. Unlike the…
Winter in Hokkaido:The Season of Love for the Ural Owl
In Hokkaido you can find 10 out of the 11 species of owls that live in Japan, making it an…
Steller’s Sea Eagles and the White-tailed Eagles Living in the Drift Ice in the Sea
This year (2022), many Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles have come to Shiretoko and Rausu to pass the winter….
East Hokkaido Wildlife Photography Tour in Early Summer (Part 2)
This is part two of a report of the Wildlife Photography Tour lead by Gaku Tozuka, wild bird photographer (conducted…
East Hokkaido Wildlife Photography Tour in Early Summer (Part 1)
This is a June field report on the tour conducted by Gaku Tozuka, a photographer, when we toured Eastern Hokkaido…
Traditional Summer in Shiretoko Rausu: Kelp Harvesting
Our guesthouse in Rausu, Shiretoko Serai’s Nature guide, Shouhei Morita sent us a report from the 2021 Summer Season. It…
The Sea of Izu Oshima: The Underwater Geopark (2)
Diving in Izu Oshima. The special here is that you can see Hammerhead sharks by the beach dives. Dive in…