GAKU TOZUKA - Wildlife of Japan

2022.08.14 update

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 during the early summer.

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 1

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 2

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June 12 (Sunday)　Cloudy with Heavy Rain
We started with taking photos around Lake Furen, early in the morning. Typically, on good weather days, we would start the morning around 4:30 to 5am, but on this day, it was dark and cloudy so we gathered in front of the lodging to begin shooting.

A pair of Red-crowned Cranes were in the marsh.

The yellow flowers of the Thermopsis montana in the foreground help to frame the pair off in the distance.

I was loading the bags in the car after breakfast when I saw a bright red male Long-tailed Rosefinch just on the opposite side of the road. Everyone started clicking away.

We head to the Ochiishi port, and on the way there were a pair of White-tailed Eagles perched on a large tree. We approached quietly and slowly and showing no signs of wanting to fly away, we could get photos of them from the bridge.

I was honestly a little worried about the rough seas and being able to get out for the cruise in Ochiishi, but we were able to leave safely.

The Rhinoceros auklet was the first thing we saw, appearing now and then. But the real challenge is taking photos with the waves rocking the boat…it was really swaying. Such difficult conditions to get a good photo!

So I happened to look up just as a bird was flying over us…(It was stubby and plump, but flew higher than a puffin…!) So I blurted out “Tufted Puffin!” and luckily or unluckily by the time everyone looked up, the bird had flown so close, but all they could see was the tail as it flew away. These recent years have seen a decrease in the number of sightings, so we were just lucky to see it at all!

*Side note: In Japan, these species are so rare to be seen but they do breed on Yururi Island and Moyururi Islands.

After that, our guide spotted a young Horned Puffin which we photographed. The other tour participants seemed to have trouble getting a good photo of it that was in focus. But this bird is rarely seen in Japan and on top of that, it was in its summer plumage, which is even more rare!

There was some information going around that many Red-faced Cormorants were around this year, so we went to the rocky outcrops. It is very challenging to photograph from the rocking ship, but the tour members did a pretty good job.

We then made our way to the rocky area where we could observe the Sea Otters, and the first ones we saw were a baby with its parent. Soon after that we encountered a raft of sea otters, maybe 10 or so who were wrapped in kelp. It was like we transported to California! For me, this was the first time to see such a scene and I was super excited! In Hokkaido the sea otters only breed in the Nemuro area (Cape Kiritappu and the Moyururi Islands) so again, we were so lucky to see this many at once.

The otters wrapping themselves in the kelp beds. Sea otters found in Hokkaido are subspecies, Enhydra lutris lutris. It had at one time disappeared from the wild in Japan, but it was confirmed to be breeding since 1980.

There were some Spectacled Guillemots in the area so now and then we could grab some photos of them as well. Just before entering the harbor to alight, the Arctic Skua also made an appearance. I could not get a good photo of them, but typically they live offshore, so again, we had a fortunate chance to get to see some so close to the port.

June 13 (Monday) Rainy and Remained Cloudy after the rain
We headed to the Nosuke Peninsula in the early morning. There, the deer had already finished off the grass in the most easily accessible areas for photography. This is usually the place that the birds go for collecting nesting materials, but due to the overgrazing, the bird’s numbers are decreasing, and we could not see them. We moved on to some spots where we could see some flowers blooming, but it was quite cold there, so the birds were not feeding near the flower blooms. This is because when the temperatures are cold, the bugs stay close to the ground.

The Ezo deer in their summer coats.

However, the Common Cuckoo was flying around in the area. We could see some other small bird species that were nesting in the area as well.

This day’s lodging in Rausu was the Shiretoko Serai, an inn run by our Saiyu Travel Agency. The dinner was so elaborate and presented to nicely, that I could not believe I was in Rausu. Then at night, we were off to see the Blakiston’s fish owls…if only we could have stayed to relax and enjoy the meal a little longer! lol

This year, the pair of fish owls had 2 chicks, so the parents were at the feeding spot often to catch food for them. They came at 7:50pm, then again at 8:50, but we did not see them again after that. We finished our evening birding activities as planned around 11PM. (If the Owls had not made any appearance, we would have stayed until midnight, just in case.)

Photography & Text : Gaku TOZUKA (Bird photographer)
Visit: 2022, 11-16 JUN, Eastern 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 our guesthouse Shiretoko Serai in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula.

Please see other article related “Birds Photography in East Hokkaido”

Bird Photography : Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle (Rausu, Hokkaido)

Spectacular View! Rausu Drift Ice Cruise at Dawn (Rausu, Shiretoko Peninsula)

Rausu’s Drift Ice Cruise and the Drift Ice in the Port of Rausu・The Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle

Icy Lake Furen: Steller’s Sea Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle (Lake Furen, Hokkaido)

Long-tailed Tit : Winter Photography Tour (Nemuro, Hokkaido）

Tags: Wildlife of Hokkaido, 知床, Wildlife of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Hokkaido, Bird Watching Japan, Birds of Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Blakiston’s Fish Owl, Rausu, Blakiston’s Fish Owl observatory, Washi no yado, Shiretoko, GAKU TOZUKA

2022.03.02 update

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 2

This is the second part of the winter tour report by bird photographer Gaku Tozuka, during the Tsurui Village Tour to capture Red-crowned Cranes, Jan 10 – 13, 2022.

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 1

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In the middle of the night, while at the lodging, I heard a large sound, which was like “Zuzaa…” from outside several times, and I thought it was sound of the strong winds blowing. But when I looked out in the morning, I figured out it was instead, the sound of the snow falling off the roof. I cancelled the early morning photo outing because it was very windy and some occasional snow. After our breakfast, I was planning to go out shooting, but the sleet had turned into rain, so I decided to wait until noon. In the meantime, while waiting with everyone, I conducted a course on how to get good shots, for about an hour.

Ural owl

After lunch, the snow and rain had stopped, and so I took the group to see the place where the Ural Owl had been seen. At first, I had to check the trail and location ahead of the group. After I had confirmed the location of the Owl, I went back to get the group and lead them into the woods. We still had some time after that, so we headed to see the Red-crowned Cranes and get photos of them. As soon as we arrived, we spotted the cranes, amongst the fresh snowfall and captured some beautiful scenes. Gradually, the sky grew dark and we were forced to call it quits at 4PM. We were lucky, because in Tsurui Village, the snow had been relatively mild, as I heard reports later, that there were other places that suffered considerable damage due to the heavy snowfall.

And then, it is the last day of the Photography Tour.
Departure was scheduled at 6am. The stars were twinkling in the night sky. There were some clouds to the east, but the weather looked stable enough to go out. However, it was a warm minus 3°C (26°F) and so we would not be able to get photos of the “rime ice” or the fine powdery ice frost we had seen before. Just the fact that it was not snowing or raining was a blessing.

When we arrived at the Otowa Bridge, it was still dim, but there were no other tourists there! It is unbelievable compared to the time when there were so many inbound customers before the Covid-19 Pandemic. It was too warm for the rime ice, but as the sky brightened up, the mallards started moving around and flew away. Back in the Setsuri River, we could see the whooper swans swimming in the beautiful river.

Red-crowned crane

The sun was rising, the temperature fell, and even though the tips of my fingers were hurting from the cold, everyone was focused on their photography. At 8am, the car came to pick us up and we had breakfast. When we went for getting photos of the Red-Crowned Cranes, yesterday’s fresh fallen snow was shining so brightly making it a dazzling scene. I was aiming for their flight and calling, but they were only doing their display towards the back of the flock…so it was difficult to get a good photo!

I was deeply appreciative of Mr. Wada, the owner of HOTEL TAITO, and all the staff who took care of us for the 4 days.

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The Birds Photographed: Red-crowned Crane, Ural Owl, Whooper Swan, Eurasian Nuthatch

Birds Observed: Steller’s Sea Eagle, White-tailed Sea Eagle, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Japanese Wagtail, Great Tit, Bulbul, Long-billed Plover, Crested Kingfisher, Carrion Crow, Jungle Crow

Mammals Observed： Sika deer

Photography & Text: Gaku TOZUKA (Bird photographer)
Visit: 2022, 10-13 JAN, Tsurui Village, Hokkaido

Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1966 and currently resides there. Became interested in photography when he was a junior in high school. He has been taking photographs mainly of natural scenery and wildlife, which he has loved since he was a child. Currently, rather than taking “pretty, cute, and cool” photos, he focuses on taking photos of scenes that have a human touch and environmental scenes that show the relationship with human life. Ultimately, he aims for “photographs that have a smell. His work has been published in photo collections and exhibitions, and used in magazines, illustrated books, and calendars. His photographic collections include “Raicho Korokoro” and others.

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

Tags: Tsurui village, Rausu, GAKU TOZUKA, Wildlife in Japan, Birding tour Japan, Tsurui mura, Bird tour Japan, Otowa-bashi, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Bird Watching Japan, Otowa bridge, Wildlife of Japan, Red-crowned Crane, Ito sanctuary, Birds of Hokkaido, Tancho, Birds of Japan, Tanchou, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Photography tour of Red-crowned carane, Wildlife tour in Japan, Photography of Red-crowned crane

2022.02.22 update

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 1

This winter tour report was written by the Bird Photographer Gaku Tozuka, during the “Crane Photography Tour of Tsurui Village” that took place January 10 -13, 2022.

Winter Photography Tour of Red-Crowned Cranes, Tsurui Village -Part 2

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Hokkaido this winter saw heavy snowfall. I was so nervous as I watched the weather forecast, but when we arrived in the Kushiro area, the weather was fine. We immediately visited the Ito Crane Sanctuary upon my arrival. I had prepared boxed lunches (bento) for the participants of the tour, so they could fully enjoy the good weather and their photography without having to worry about stopping for lunch. As soon as we arrived, I gave a quick orientation with pointers about recommended photo spots, and then everyone was given free time to take their own photos. However, I was nearby to offer support on what camera settings to use, while also keeping an eye on the wind so you could predict possible flight patterns of the Red-crowned Cranes we had come to photograph. The participants asked if we would see the “Courtship dance” but unfortunately, it is still a bit before the breeding season, so I replied we would have to leave it to our luck.

The courtship dance of Red-crowned cranes

We moved to a different spot so I could explain ahead of time, the challenges of getting good shots of cranes flying in the evening sky as the sun was setting. I had gotten some local information ahead of time that there were many cranes that fly to roost early, and we wanted to get the photos of the cranes flying with the clear skies until sunset. It is quite difficult to predict the number of cranes and where they might fly in from because it is always different every day, but it seemed to me that all the participants could get good photos.

Red-crowned crane returning to its roost

The next morning, we had good weather and left the lodging at 6am. I took the group to get photos of the cranes as they were roosting. Every moment was magical with the soft dusting of rime ice that had formed on the branches of the trees by the riverside, and the changing colors of the sky.

The distance to the flock was quite far but they were visible as well.
Suddenly a bird plunged into the surface of the water, and as it emerged again, it turned out to be a White-tailed Eagle! I wonder, perhaps it was aiming for some leftover salmon carcass? After a little time passed, we heard the shrill bird calling “Kyara Kyara,” it was a medium-sized bird, which was the Crested Kingfisher! Then, there was a very large bird who appeared, and it was a Steller’s Sea Eagle!

Of course, I had my cameras set to slower shutter speeds for capturing the shots of the slow-moving cranes, so when I turned to get photos of the other birds, I could not get the shots. I guess you cannot kill two birds with one stone, or camera in this case!

A red-crowned crane in the river mist, Otowa bridge

Whooper swans flying towards us, Otowa bridge

After that, I changed my camera settings to capture the Red-crowned Cranes as they approached our position. But after I did that, I realized the large bird flying towards me was a Whooper Swan, not a Crane.
By the time 8am rolled around, the car had returned to pick us up and everyone was thoroughly chilled by the -20 below Celsius (-4°F) and ready to get warmed up.

Whooper swan at Setsuri river, from Otowa bridge

Photography & Text : Gaku TOZUKA (Bird photographer)
Visit: 2022, 10-13 JAN, Tsurui Village, Hokkaido

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Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

Tags: Otowa-bashi, Birds of Japan, Japanese crane, Otowa bridge, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Tancho, Ito sanctuary, Wildlife tour in Japan, Tanchou, Tsurui village, Photography tour of Red-crowned carane, GAKU TOZUKA, Photography of Red-crowned crane, Birding tour Japan, Bird tour Japan, Bird watching tour Japan, Crane Photography Tour of Tsurui Village, Wildlife of Hokkaido, Bird Watching, Wildlife in Japan, Wildlife of Japan, Widlife in Japan, Tsurui mura, Birds of Hokkaido, Red-crowned Crane

2021.08.15 update

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (May15-16, 2021)

This is a report for the “BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR” by Gaku Tozuka.

Just to check out the conditions, I visited the site three days before the tour was scheduled to start and took some photos. The weather forecast for the past few days was not accurate. The tour started as scheduled with everyone meeting at Murodo Terminal.

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (April 23-24, 2021)

It was forecasted that the weather for the next day would be bad, but since the weather was good at the moment, we stopped at the roof of the terminal in order to get some photos of the Asian House Martin (Delichon dasypus) for about 30 minutes.

We walked to the inn at 12:30PM and are our lunch right away. Conducting a simple orientation, I explained the general schedule, some basic biology and behaviors of the rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta japonica). After we finished lunch, we put our luggage away and had a quick explanation of the lodging and we started shooting more photos quickly thereafter. There were people gathering outside already, by the time I stepped outside. Right off, we found a pair of rock ptarmigans and could get some photos right away, but they quickly hid in the Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila), so we moved on to find some other ptarmigans.

A Pair of Rock Ptarmigans (Lagopus muta japonica)

In April we had an average amount of snowfall, but now considering that it is May, there was still a lot of snow on the ground for this time of year. Perhaps it was due to that, but the rock ptarmigans didn’t stand on top of the large rocks, as they usually do. This is one of the shots we are aiming for, so it was a bit challenging that they did not do it. So, we returned to the first location where we saw the birds earlier and we found the female resting on the dwarf pine and got photos of it there. As we watched, a male moved slightly in the background, and as we positioned in the direction of their movement, we could get the two birds together making all the participants satisfied with some exciting action! Lol! The pair made their way back to the cover of the tree, and so we moved on to the next photo point.

At the new spot, another ptarmigan was there as well! It was good for photos, but a white fog rolled in, and after a while, it flew away.

We were planning to take a break around here, but then a different male bird came out on the opposite side. It looked like it was possibly being wary of other males, and when we looked more closely, we could see a female was nearby. As we were getting the photos, we realized there was a second female close by as well! So, we were able to get a rare chance to see and photograph two females in the same shot. It really does not happen often, so we were careful to get many photos of the scene as we could.

After getting the photos, the females started fighting each other and the male had to chase one of the females away. I am not sure how much of the drama the other group members could catch of the exchange, but it offered an exciting variation from the normal behavior. A heavy fog rolled in, so we took a break at the lodging. Even though I was thinking that the sunset won’t be visible, the fog suddenly lifted, so we prepared with some warmer clothing and headed out to look for ptarmigans again. We quickly found another pair again. The light on the birds was good for photos, but unfortunately the ropes and posts were in the way, so it was hard to get a good photo. These birds didn’t move at all, so we packed up our gear and moved over to the sunset photo point.

We were going to set up the tripods to get the photos of the sunset, but a strong wind was blowing, and we just couldn’t risk using the tripods. So, we took photos holding our cameras firm in hand. The weather was changing rapidly but amidst enduring the cold, we were still excited for the rare chance to get photos of a nice sunset.

On the second day, we met at 5 AM, but the heavy rain prevented our getting any photography time. We all had our breakfast at 6 AM. We gathered up again at 8 AM to discuss what to do next. There was a consensus to head back home, so we packed up our bags and arrived at Murodo terminal in the rain and concluded the tour there.

Sleeping Male Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta japonica)

In April and May, we conducted these 2 days and one night tours, but perhaps it is a bit too hard of a schedule? I am thinking perhaps it is to tough. It is an high-altitude location, so it is harder for people to adjust to the lower oxygen levels, when compared to photographing on flat ground at lower elevations.

For all the participants, it was quite difficult to walk in the snow for 2 days, especially also due to the strong winds and in the heavy rain. But I do hope they were able to fully enjoy the chances to see some rock ptarmigans and the beautiful sunset. Thank you so much for participating in the tour!

Image & Text: Gaku TOZUKA
Observation: May 2021, Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture

Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

Tags: Birding tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan, 立山, ライチョウ, Rock Ptarmigan, Tateyama, Tateyama Rock Ptarmigan Photography, GAKU TOZUKA, Raicho, Wildlife of Japan

2021.06.05 update

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (April 23- 24, 2021)

This a report for our “BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR” by Gaku Tozuka.

Rock Ptarmigan of Tateyama – Photography Tour Report (May15- 16, 2021)

Some of the participants for this tour did not carry sunglasses with them, so they immediately needed to purchase them at the shop. It is best to have sunglasses during this tour because the ultraviolet rays in the alpine areas from April to June can be more intense and dangerous for your eyes, when compared to being on flat ground at lower altitudes. Once you get affected by snow blindness, it could take up to one week before you can start to see again, in the worst case scenario, so for your own safety please follow our recommendation to bring your sunglasses.

After walking a snowy path for about 20 minutes, we arrived at Mikurigaike Onsen. We were 1 hour earlier than originally planned, so we decided to go photograph a rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta japonica) that we had found before we ate. Upon arriving back at that spot, the white rock ptarmigan male starting moving out from under the Siberian Dwarf Pine (Pinus pumila) as if he was saying “I was waiting for you” as we got some great shots.

White Rock Ptarmigan Male (Lagopus muta japonica)After that, the bird moved to an area where we couldn’t enter, so we decided to go for lunch. Right then, another male popped right out from the same place, and we quickly positioned to get more photos again. Then, this bird also eventually moved to the closed area, so we proceeded and had our orientation while we were eating lunch. We covered the basic behaviors of the rock ptarmigans, tips on how to photograph them and explained details about the lodging where we would be staying.
At 3 PM, we gathered at the front desk and started to make the rounds at the various photo points. We couldn’t locate the birds at the nearby point, so we moved a little further away. When we arrived at that point, there were a pair of rock ptarmigans, tucked under the Siberian Dwarf Pine and staying put. If they had not been there, we would have continued on to look for more birds, but because we knew they were in there, we just decided to stick around and wait. After an hour, the rock ptarmigans finally started moving out and we could get photos of the pair of ptarmigans with a beautiful mountain backdrop.

After that, they moved back under the pine again, so we moved to the evening sunset photo point, where another white male ptarmigan could be photographed. We wished to be able to get a photo of the sunset with the bird together, but unfortunately, we could not.

A White Male Rock Ptarmigan, with the steam rising from Jigokudani

On the second day, we gathered at 5 am in the early morning to look for more ptarmigans and worked our way around various photo points, but we could not find them too easily. While walking, a member of the group saw a place where the feathers of a small bird were scattered. I explained, “In this case, it looks to be like a stoat（Mustela erminea nippon）not a bird of prey.” And after walking a little farther, someone exclaimed, “Oh, there’s a stoat!” When we looked in the direction he was pointing to, we could see the stoat! As we observed it, it popped in and out of sight among the rocks, just in front of us. It was really challenging to get a shot of it, but I managed to get a couple. The other members of our group did not seem to be able to catch a photo of it, but either way, we were all really lucky to see it so clearly at such a close distance! I have been doing this kind of tour for over 20 years, and this is only the 6th time that I could see a stoat!

When it is hot, the conditions are not good for the rock ptarmigans, so they often hide in the Siberian Dwarf Pines, and often do not come out. (So, the two days of ‘good weather’ means we don’t see the birds, so perhaps in this case it was “bad weather”? lol!) Ultimately, we were able to see and get photos of the male and the female white phased ptarmigans and even a pair together. In addition, we could observe the Asian house martin (Delichon dasypus), the Alpine accentor (Prunella collaris), the Japanese accentor (Prunella rubida).

Image & Text: Gaku TOZUKA
Observation: April 2021, Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture

Profile：Gaku Tozuka （戸塚学）

*Please contact us, Saiyu Travel for arrangements for wildlife and bird photography tours in Japan.

Tags: Rock Ptarmigan, Tateyama, Tateyama Rock Ptarmigan Photography, GAKU TOZUKA, Raicho, Wildlife of Japan, Birding tour Japan, Birds of Japan, Bird tour Japan, Wildlife Photography tour in Japan, Bird Watching Japan, Wildlife tour in Japan, Wildlife in Japan