- Goose family - Wildlife of Japan

2022.04.27 update

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

Flight of the Snow Goose and Cackling Goose

This is the second part of Kaito Imahori’s tour report of the October 26 – 30, 2021 tour.

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

On the 3rd day of our tour, I went in search of the Snow Goose just before daybreak. Just upon my arrival, I heard the noise and when I looked out, the geese were flying all around me!

I went down to the wetland, and could see many Snow Geese and Cackling Geese. Over and over again, I could see about 1000 Snow Geese swirling over my head, as they took flight and landed. It was a relatively short distance away and I could observe them from the car, so it was a great time.

In the afternoon of the second day at that location, I went to observe the Ural Owl, but unfortunately, I could not find it. In the park, I saw the Hokkaido Squirrel, running about and they were so cute.

Again in the evening, I went in search of the flocks of Cackling Goose, but they were in a totally different spot. The evening light shone on them beautifully as they were spread out across the open field.

The Snow Geese and Cackling Geese flying at dusk

On the 4th day, we went in search of the pikas in the mountains. When I was waiting quietly in the morning, I could hear it calling and could make a sighting as well! While I was there, I heard a noise of rustling in the distance and saw a brown bear, so decided to descend from the mountain for safety. Then as we neared our car, and did a quick search nearby, we found another pika and everyone in the group could see it! We were so elated!

After we descended from the mountain, we looked for the Hokkaido squirrel in the afternoon. I was able to capture this lovely moment of a little squirrel standing on a carpet of yellow leaves of the Ginko trees.

In the evening, upon the request of one of the group members, I went looking for a Hazel Grouse. I couldn’t get a good photo, but we did get a great chance to see a male Hazel Grouse take flight directly in front of us. We ended this day watching the sunset from the observatory, as it silhouetted the Hidaka Mountain range.

On the final day of the tour, I set out before sunrise to catch the flocks of snow geese, but the swamp was so quiet. When the sun rose, we could see there were no geese in the water. It seems they all returned to the mainland sometime in the evening the day before! It was too bad we could not see them on our final day, but as we looked out over the quiet wetlands, I offered a prayer that they could all safely navigate their migration ahead.

As a final stop, we stopped in Obihiro City’s park to look for some more bird species. We were looking for bird species that we still had not yet seen, like the Great Spotted Woodpecker, Marsh Tit, Eurasian Nuthatch, which we were able to see. We even got to see another Hokkaido Squirrel.

We were able to see a total of 7 species of Geese during the tour. It is only in Hokkaido that you can see all the species that can be found in Japan, in one single tour. And easily, at that, if you move from location to location in time to see their migrations. In the spring, the geese will come back where there is still snow on the ground, so please come then to see them! Thanks for reading this report and hope to see you here!

Photo & text: Kaito IMAHORI
Tour date: 26-30 Oct 2021, Tokachi, Hokkaido

*Contact us, Saiyu Travel for more information about wildlife and bird watching in Hokkaido. We can make various arrangements for your trip. We have a guesthouse, Shiretoko Serai, in Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula.

Tags: Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Tokachi heiya, Bird watching tour Japan, Eurasian Nuthatch, Birds of Hokkaido, Hakugan, Bird Watching Japan, Marsh Tit, Birds of Japan, Kaito Imahori Photography, Wildlife in Japan, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, 知床サライ, Hokkaido Squirrel, Wildlife tour in Japan, Kaito IMAHORI, Pika, Birds Photography of Japan, Shiretoko Serai, Snow Geese, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Snow Goose, Cackling Goose, Tokachi Plain, Cackling Geese, Geese migration, Birding tour Japan, Wildlife of Hokkaido, 十勝平野

2022.04.15 update

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 1)

The Flock of Brant Goose, Notsuke Bay, Hokkaio

This is a report from Saiyu Travel’s Bird Guide, Kaito IMAHORI for a trip from October 26 to October 30, 2021.

Experiencing Autumn From the Notsuke Peninsula to Tokachi Plain: Seeing Flocks of Snow Geese, Brandt, and Pika (Part 2)

Arrived at the Notsuke Peninsula. The main purpose of this tour is to observe a particular species of goose. The Notsuke Peninsula is a famous migration stopover for the Brant Goose, which is designated as a National Natural Monument, and up to about 5,000 birds can be seen at this location. Looking out at Notsuke Bay, there are many black and slightly larger birds at the surface! Immediately, we accomplished our goal, to see the Brant. There are many spread far apart, but a quick count reveals a flock of over 1000 birds.

Whooper swans foraging with the Brant Geese nearby

After further observation, a white colored swan is mixed in with the Brandt. When I was trying to confirm the new species we were seeing, there, mixed in with the Whooper Swans, were actually two individuals of the flock that were slightly smaller and had a round yellow pattern on the beak. They are the Tundra swan. So this confirmation made it the third type of waterfowl observed.

As we went up the shoreline, there were other wintering birds, the Glaucous Gulls up on the shore. Can you see a difference in the two species that are there, the more common species of Hokkaido, the Slaty-backed Gulls (with the darker wings), and their size is different as well.

On our return trip we further enjoyed the Notsuke Penninsula, as we saw red foxes, and a male deer chasing after a female deer. We headed to Nemuro feeling fulfilled.

The male deer chasing after the female deer

On the second day of the tour, we started from Lake Sunset, our inn on the Shores of Lake Furen.

Very close by is the Shunkunitai Wild Bird Sanctuary, where we could observe from a distance a pair of Red-crowned Cranes and a flock of Northern Pintails. From here, we drove to Tsuri Village. We made a short detour along the way to observe a Ural Owl. Then, during lunch, a Eurasian Sparrowhawk showed up and gave us a nice long arcing swirl overhead.

From the afternoon, we moved to observe the Japanese cranes in Tsurui Village. The autumn leaves were finishing their color show, but the yellow leaves of the Japanese larch still remained and were very beautiful.

Towards the end, the two cranes did their mating dance, and it was the best closing act!
We watched over our shoulders as the last of the cranes flew off, and we headed to Tokachi.

Photo ＆Text: Kaito IMAHORI
Tour date: 26-30 Oct 2021, Notsuke Peninsula, Lake Furen, Tsurui village

Tags: Red-crowned Crane, Wildlife of Hokkaio, Ezo Sika Deer, Whooper swan, Notsuke Peninsula, Wildlife in Japan, Brant goose, Birds Photography of Japan, 知床サライ, Tundra swan, Kaito IMAHORI, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Shiretoko Serai, Wildlife of Japan, タンチョウ, Notsuke, Wildlife in Hokkaido, Birds of Hokkaido, Kaito Imahori Photography, Birding tour Japan, 羅臼, Birds of Japan, Bird tour Japan, 野付半島, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Bird watching tour Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Hokkaido Sika Deer

2021.07.15 update

（Video）The First Flight of Dawn with the Geese in Kabukuri Wetlands

Kabukuri-numa in Miyagi Prefecture is a place where you can see geese which form large flocks together from Tohoku, Northern Japan for overwintering. The Greater White-fronted Geese and the Cackling Geese can be seen in large flocks. Also the Bean Geese and Lesser White-fronted Geese can be seen as well.

This is the morning scene around Kabukuri Wetlands in mid-November. On this particular day, perhaps due to the weather, the geese took flight in smaller groups, instead of taking off all at once.

The flight formation of the geese (called Gankou in Japanese), made for a breathtakingly beautiful scene with the Japanese snowy mountains as a backdrop.

Kabukuri-numa ・Geese take flight at dawn｜Saiyu Travel 蕪栗沼・雁の飛び立ち夜明けの蕪栗沼｜西遊旅行
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Video & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: End of November, Kabukuri-numa wetlands, Miyagi
Special Thanks: Hobby’s World, Mr.Yoshinari TOSHITAKE

Tags: Cackling Geese, Birds Photography of Japan, Bean Geese, Bean Goose, Kabukuri-numa, Lesser White-fronted Geese, Izunuma, Lesser White-fronted Goose, Kabukurinuma, Greater White-fronted Goose, Cackling Goose, Gan, Wildlife of Japan, Kabukuri wetlands, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Izu-numa, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Izunuma wetlands, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Greater White-fronted Geese, Wildlife in Japan

2021.07.05 update

（Video）Geese Going to Roost at Dusk (Kabukuri-numa Wetlands)

This is a winter report from Japan’s goose migration at Kabukuri-numa in Miyagi Prefecture.

The video below shows scenes of the geese heading to roost as dusk approaches. The weather on this day was not very good, but the Greater White-fronted Geese and Cackling Geese were coming in from all directions. It was so moving to take it all in, with the calls and the sight of Geese in every direction.

The Roost of Thousands of Geese at Kabukuri-numa in the moonlit night 月夜・雁のねぐら入りの景色

The formation of the flocks of geese as they fly (skein), in Japanese is called Gankou [雁行（がんこう）]. And geese alighting together in Japanese is called Rakugan [落雁（らくがん）] … beautiful Japanese words that bring such imagery when they are mentioned, can be seen in this video as the geese fly in unison as they enter the roost. It is so elegant to watch as they flutter and slow down just as they land in the water.

Video & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: End of November, Kabukuri-numa, Miyagi
Special Thanks: Hobby’s World,　Mr.Yoshinari TOSHITAKE

Tags: Cackling Goose, Birding tour Japan, Kabukuri wetlands, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Izu-numa, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Japan, Greater White-fronted Geese, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Cackling Geese, Wildlife tour in Japan, Greater White-fronted Goose, roost of geese, Birds Photography of Japan, Izu-numa wetlands, Gankou, Kabukuri-numa, Rakugan, Kabukurinuma, Geese wintering in Japan

2021.06.15 update

Cackling Geese Wintering in Japan’s Kuril Islands

The Cackling Goose in the Kuril Islands

Once deemed extinct in the Kuril Islands when it was still under Japanese rule, the cackling geese have been reintroduced to the Islands and I was fortunate enough to encounter a flock when visiting there.

Coming to Japan for over-wintering and for breeding, the cackling goose will use the central islands of the Kuril Island Archipelago (in Japanese called ‘Chishima retto’ or in Russian called ‘Kurilskiye ostrova’). Before WWII, when the Kuril Islands were under Japanese rule, Blue Foxes (dark-colored morphs of Arctic Foxes) were introduced to the islands for the purpose of fox fur farming. As a result, the cackling goose was driven into extinction. The last record of observations was made in Miyagi Prefecture in 1935, with geese in flocks of hundreds, before they disappeared.

At first in Alaska, the fur industry was booming in the Aleutian Islands as red foxes were introduced to the islands and ended up decimating the cackling goose populations. Then in 1962, some breeding cackling geese were discovered in the Aleutian Islands. Due to conservation and breeding efforts to restore the population, the number of birds began to return. These birds were then used to help continue to restore populations in the Kuril Islands by the ‘Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection’ in close partnership with the ‘Sendai Yagiyama Zoological Park’ (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture), the US Government and Russian researchers over many years. From 1995-2010, birds were released on fox-free Ekaruma Island as a project to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

So, this is about the first time that I could see these wild cackling geese. We were travelling the eastern coast of Shiashkotan Island during a “Kuril Islands Adventure Cruise” when I saw a flock of birds landing on the water. I asked aloud, “Oh, what birds are those?” Luckily, they landed relatively close enough for us to be able to ID.

The touring bird photographers and the sea bird guides were so ecstatic to see them!

These are the breeding cackling geese of the central Kuril Islands. The ones without a white ring on their necks are the juvenile individuals. We approached them in an inflatable rubber boat, keeping enough of a distance, so they did not fly off.

Cackling Goose, flying against the Shiashkotan Island backdrop, in the Kuril Islands.

Starting with a relatively small number of geese released in the central Kuril Islands, on Ekarma Island, populations expanded, and more birds learned the migration route over the years, coming back repeatedly. Currently, now the birds migrating to Japan annually number over 8,000.

That first encounter with them was in mid-August 2018. Since then, I wanted to see them here in Japan again, but didn’t have an opportunity to do so until winter of 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic limiting international travel, I could finally be lucky enough to see the cackling goose here with domestic travel.

These are the geese of Kabukuri-numa (wetland). I was blown away by how many there were!

I have now been on the cruises to the Kuril Islands 9 times so far, but I have only been lucky enough to see the cackling geese twice – once in 2018 and the other time in June 2019 on Ekarma Island. Due to Covid in 2020, I could not go on a trip to the Kuril Islands, but I do hope the population continues to increase!

Keeping my fingers crossed to be able to go again to the Kuril Islands!

Photo & Text: Mariko SAWADA
Observation: Aug 2018, Shashikotan Island, Kuril Islands, Russian Far East, Dec 2020, Kabukuri-numa、Japan
Reference : Mr. Masayuki Kurechi, Japanese Association for Wild Geese Protection

Tags: Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds Photography of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildllife in Japan, Kabukuri-numa, Izunuma, Kabukurinuma, Cackling Goose, Wildlife of Japan, Kuril Islands, Birds of Hokkaido, Ekarma Islands, Birds of Japan, Kuril Islands cruise