Tokyo—Izu Is.

Apr. 8, 2018 Tokyo—Hachijo-jima (Izu Is)

We on boarded the Tachibana-Maru (Tokai Kisen Co.).
The outward journey:Apr. 7-8
We departed fromTokyo (Takeshiba Terminal) at 22:30 pm and arrived at Hachijo-jima at 9:00 am (Next day)
(arrived ten minutes late because of bad sea condition).

The homeward journey:Apr. 8
We departed from Hachijo-jima at 9:20 am (Early departure because of bad sea condition) and arrived at Tokyo (Takeshiba Terminal) at 20:00 pm (arrived ten minutes late because of bat sea condition).
Weather : cloudy-sunny
Temperature : around 12 ℃
Wind speed : >15 m/s
Wave height : 2-4m

It is the best season for observing Short-tailed Albatrosses (mainly adult birds) and flocks of Tristram’s Storm-petrels.In this trip, we could see several target birds from Miyake-jima to entrance of Tokyo Bay! Adult Short-tailed Albatrosses are so beautiful.Flying Tristram’s Storm-Petrels througth the waves are cool! (but too far to take a photo…) 
I’d like to recommend this ferry trip to you.

Bird list

  • Black-footed Albatross 13
  • Laysan Albatross 1
  • Short-tailed Albatross 8
  • Streaked Shearwater ++
  • Blackish Shearwater sp. (Sooty or Short-tail?) 2?
  • Tristram’s Storm-petrel 5
  • Storm-petrel sp. 1
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Grey Heron
  • Great Egret
  • Phalarope sp. 2
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Long-tailed Jaeger 2
  • Skua sp. 1
  • Japanese Murrelet 11
  • Murrelet sp.
  • Blue Rock Thrush
  • Eurasian Tree Sparrow