タグ: trip report

New Zealand (Stewart I.)

Feb 8, 2019 Stewart Island Pelagic
Partly cloudy
Calm sea condition

We joined the Pelagic trip arranged by the Wrybill birding tours. It was peaceful wether and there were many seabirds. We were happy !! I want to thank phil and the captain!

Bird List

  • Fiordland Penguin 4
  • Yellow-eyed Penguin 1
  • Little Penguin 20+
  • Grey-backed Storm Petrel 2
  • White-faced Storm Petrel 3
  • Southern Royal Albatross 3
  • Aukland Shy Albatross 70+
  • Salvin’s Albatross 1
  • Southern Buller’s Albatross 15
  • Northern Giant Petrel 1
  • Cape Petrel 15
  • Fairy Prion 30+
  • Cook’s Petrel 5+
  • White-chinned Petrel 2
  • Sooty Shearwater <1000
  • Short-tailed Shearwater 2 
  • Fluttering Shearwater 30+
  • Common Diving Petrel 50+
  • Spotted Shag 4
  • Australian Pied Cormorant 
  • Otago Shag 80+
  • Weka 1
  • Chatham (Brown) Skua 4
  • Red-billed Gull
  • Black-billed Gull
  • White-fronted Tern
  • Black-fronted Tern 4

Others…

  • New Zealand Far Seal
Fjordland Crested Penguin
Grey-backed Storm Petrel

Hokkaido (Ochi-ishi)

Dec 23 2018 Ochi-ishi (Nemuro city, Hokkaido) Nature Cruise

We joined the Ochi-ishi Nature Cruise (Ochiishi Nature Cruise)
The above website is only displayed in Japanese. We can help you with your reservation if necessary.

We departed Ochiishi Fishing Port (Nemuro City, Hokkaido) at 9:00 am.
Weather : Cloudy and Windy
Temperature : around 3℃
Wind speed : around 5-8 m/s

The number of seabirds was generally small. But we were happy becouse we could see some Pigeon Guillemots and Spectacled Guillemots! And it was lucky that we could meet a Red-faced Cormorant.

Bird list

  • Falcated Duck
  • Common Pochard
  • Greater Scaup
  • Harlequin Duck
  • White-winged Scoter
  • Black Scoter
  • Long-tailed Duck
  • Common Goldeneye
  • Red-breasted Merganser
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Black-necked Grebe
  • Pelagic Cormorant 
  • Red-faced Cormorant
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Eurasian Coot
  • Glaucous-winged Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Pigeon Guillemot
  • Spectacled Guillemot
  • Ancient Murrelet
  • White-tailed Eagle
  • Steller’s Sea Eagle

Others…

  • Habour seal

Aomori—Hokkaido

Oct 20-21, 2018 Aomori—Hokkaido

We onboarded the Silver Ferry (Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisya,LTD.).

DAY 1 :We departed Aomori (Hachinohe port) at 8:45 am and arrived at Hokkaido (Tomakomai port) at 16:00 pm.
Weather : cloudy with occasional rainy and snowy
Temperature : around 10~15℃
Wind speed : around 1~4 m/s

DAY 2 :We departed Hokkaido (Tomakomai port) at 9:30 am and arrived at Aomori (Hachinohe port) at 18:00 pm.
Weather : cloudy and then snowy
Temperature : around 8~15℃
Wind speed : around 1~5 m/s

We had calm voyages.Solander’s Petrels are in the middle of a trip to their breeding grounds.

Bird List

  • Whooper Swan
  • Swan sp.
  • Northern Shoveler
  • Greater Scaup?
  • Black Scoter
  • White-winged Scoter
  • Red-breasted Merganser
  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Oriental Turtle Dove
  • Black-throated Loon
  • Pacific Loon
  • Loon sp. 
  • Black-footed Albatross
  • Laysan Albatross 
  • Northern Fulmar 
  • Solander’s Petrel
  • Streaked Shearwater
  • Pelagic Cormorant
  • Great Cormorant
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • Black-headed Gull
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Mew Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Pomarine Skua 
  • Japanese Murrelet
  • Rhinoceros Auklet
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Eurasian Skylark
  • Buff-bellied Pipit?
  • Eurasian Siskin

Others

  • Short-finned Pilot Whale
  • Dall’s Porpoise

Tokyo—Ogasawara Is.

Sep. 14-19 2018, Tokyo – Chichi-jima – Haha-jima (Ogasawara Is.).

We on boarded the Ogasawara-Maru (OgasawaraKaiun Co.).

Tokyo (Takeshiba Terminal) at 11:00 am Sep. 14 → Chichi-jima (Ogasawara Is.) at 11:00 am Sep. 15
Chichi-jima (Ogasawara Is.) at 12:00 am Sep. 15 → Haha-jima (Ogasawara Is.) at 14:00 am Sep. 15
Sep. 15-18 : Stayed in Haha-jima
Haha-jima at 12:00 am Sep. 18　→ Chichi-jima at 14:00 pm Sep. 18
Chichi-jima at 15:30 pm Sep. 18 →　Tokyo (Takeshiba Terminal) at 15:30 pm Sep. 19

Weather : cloudy-sunny
Temperature : around 30 ℃
Wind speed : 3-10m/s (at sea)
Wave height : ＜2.5m

Generally, it was a very calm voyage. At off Hachijo-jima (the first day), there were strong wind and swell. The significant result was that Stejneger’s Petrel, White-necked Petrel and Bryan’s Shearwater! A White-necked Petrel looked like a Vanuatu type.

Bird list

  • Bulwer’s Petrel 201+
  • Stejneger’s Petrel 1
  • Bonin Petrel 13
  • Providence Petrel 17 
  • White-necked Petrel 1
  • Streaked Shearwater <10000
  • Wedge-tailed Shearwater <1000
  • Bryan’s Shearwater 1 
  • Bannerman’s Shearwater 4
  • Leach’s Storm Petrel 1 
  • Swinhoe’s Storm Petrel ? 2
  • Long-tailed Jaeger 1
  • Skua sp. 3
  • Brown Booby 
  • Red-footed Booby 4
  • Sooty Tern 9
  • Common Tern 100+
  • Brown Noddy 143+
  • Red-necked Phalarope 31
  • Phalarope sp. 44+
  • Pacific Golden Plover
  • Ruddy Turnstone
  • Buff-breasted Sandpiper (A surprising bonus)
  • Ruff
  • Common Sandpiper
  • Japanese woodpigeon
  • Grey Heron
  • Eastern Buzzard
  • Brown-eared Bulbul
  • Blue Rock Thrush
  • Japanese Bush Warbler
  • Japanese White-eye
  • Bonin Honeyeater
  • Oriental Greenfinch

Others…

  • Common Bottlenose Dolphin
  • Pygmy Sperm Shale

Tokyo—Ogasawara Is.

July 27-29 2018, Tokyo – Chichi-jima (Ogasawara Islands)

We on boarded the Ogasawara-Maru (OgasawaraKaiun Co.).

We departed fromTokyo (Takeshiba Terminal) at 11:00 am July 27. And arrived at Chichi-jima (Ogasawara Islands) at 12:30 am July 28. (arrived one and a half-hours late because of bad sea condition).

We departed from Chichi-jima at 15:30 pm July 28. And arrived at Tokyo (Takeshiba Terminal) at 15:30 pm July 29. 
Weather : cloudy-sunny
Temperature : around 32 ℃
Wind speed : >15 m/s
Wave height : 2-4m

Typhoon No.12 had appeared in the south of Japan.
We expected that coming rare seabirds by the typhoon.
The significant result was that Black-winged, Kermadec, White-necked Petrel and White Tern !
And fortunately, we could observe a Swhinoe’s Storm Petrel at close by our ship!!

Bird list

  • Black-footed Albatross 1
  • Laysan Albatross 3
  • Bulwer’s Petrel 385+
  • Black-winged Petrel 1
  • Bonin Petrel 168+
  • Kermadec Petrel 2
  • Providence Petrel 2
  • White-necked Petrel 6
  • Streaked Shearwater <10000
  • Wedge-tailed Shearwater <1000
  • Bannerman’s Shearwater 3
  • Bryan’s Shearwater 1 (I couldn’t see… 🙁
  • Wilson’s Storm Petrel 2
  • Swhinoe’s Storm Petrel 1
  • Storm Petrel sp. 5
  • Long-tailed Jaeger 1
  • Skua sp. 1
  • Brown Booby 70+
  • Red-footed Booby 5
  • Crested Tern 1
  • Sooty Tern 17
  • Common Tern 3
  • Brown Noddy 20+
  • White Tern 5
  • Pacific Golden Plover
  • Snipe sp.
  • Brown-eared Bulbul
  • Japanese Bush Warbler
  • Japanese White-eye

Hawaii (Kona)

Apr. 28, 2018 Kona pelagic, Hawaii Island

6:50-13:50
Rainy with occasional cloudy

We joined the Kona pelagic trip arranged by Alex Wang. It was little rough sea condition and some scenes were difficult to observe. However we were happy to see a couple of Hawaiian Petrels. If we have a next chance, we want to see Hawaiian (Band-rumped) Storm Petrel and Newell’s Shearwater.

Bird List

  • Leach’s Storm Petrel ±10
  • Hawaiian Petrel 4
  • Wedge-tailed Shearwater ±100
  • Bulwer’s Petrel ±50
  • Great Frigatebird 3
  • Red-footed Booby 6
  • Brown Booby 4
  • Brown Noddy
  • White Tern
  • Sooty Tern 
  • Arctic Tern

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

Aomori—Hokkaido

Feb 10-11, 2018 Aomori—Hokkaido

We onboarded the Silver Ferry (Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisya,LTD.).

DAY 1 :We departed Aomori (Hachinohe port) at 8:45 am and arrived at Hokkaido (Tomakomai port) at 16:00 pm.
Weather : cloudy with occasional rainy and snowy
Temperature : around 1~5℃
Wind speed : around 5-10 m/s

DAY 2 :We departed Hokkaido (Tomakomai port) at 9:30 am and arrived at Aomori (Hachinohe port) at 18:00 pm.
Weather : cloudy and then snowy
Temperature : around -2~2℃
Wind speed : around 2-10 m/s

The Auks’s season came in!
Winters in North Japan are very cold, but seabirds are very powerful!

Bird List

  • Eurasian Wigeon
  • Greater Scaup
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Black Scoter
  • White-winged Scoter
  • Common Goldeneye
  • Red-breasted Merganser
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Loon sp. (1)
  • Laysan Albatross (1)
  • Northern Fulmar (38)
  • Great Cormorant
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Red Phalarope (1)
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Mew Gull
  • Glaucous Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Pomarine Skua (1)
  • Brunnich’s Guillemot (174)
  • Ancient Murrelet (339)
  • Parakeet Auklet (1)
  • Least Auklet (24)
  • Crested Auklet (405)
  • Rhinoceros Auklet (25)
  • White-tailed Eagle
  • Peregrine Falcon
  • Carrion Crow

Others

  • Northern Fur Seal
  • Dall’s Porpoise
  • Whale sp.

Hokkaido (Ochi-ishi)

Dec 23 & 24, 2017 Ochi-ishi (Nemuro city, Hokkaido) Nature Cruise

We joined the Ochi-ishi Nature Cruise for 2 days. (Ochiishi Nature Cruise).

Dec 23 :We departed Ochiishi Fishing Port (Nemuro City, Hokkaido) at 9:00 am.
Weather : fine
Temperature : around 3℃
Wind speed : around 2 m/s

Dec 24 :We departed Ochiishi Fishing Port (Nemuro City, Hokkaido) at 9:00 am.
Weather : fine
Temperature : 0-2℃
Wind speed : around 4 m/s

The sea conditions were very good! of these days. It was not so cold even in winter of Hokkaido. Several Common Murres, dozens of Pigeon Guillemots and Spectacled Guillemots could be observed. It was good that I could watch some plumage variations of Pigeon Guillemots. It was lucky that met a Tufted Puffin !

Bird List

  • Pacific Loon
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Black-necked Grebe
  • Eurasian Wigeon
  • Northern Pintail
  • Greater Scaup
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Long-tailed Duck
  • Black Scoter
  • White-winged Scoter
  • White-tailed Eagle
  • Steller’s Eagle
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Common Guillemot
  • Spectacled Guillemot
  • Pigeon Guillemot
  • Ancient Murrelet
  • Tufted Puffin

New Zealand (Whitianga)

Nov 26, 2017 Whitianga Pelagic Trip

13:00-19:30
Cloudy
Wave height : 1-1.5m (a swell from the east)
Wind condition : 4-5m (from the northeast)
We joined the pelagic trip by Wrybill Birding Tours.

We want to see a certain Pycroft’s Petrel. Because there are uncertainty records of Pycroft’s Petrel? in Japan. So we wants to make sure of Pycroft’s Petrel! In the Mercury Islands, at off Whitianga, there are colonies of Pycroft’s Petrel. The main purpose of this pelagic trip is observing Pycroft’s Petrels around their colonies. In the end, we could observe 3? Pycroft’s Petrels! We understood that ID is very difficult…  But the body balance, face and neck pattern and bill size are certainly different! It is exciting that we could observe 2 Little Shearwaters. In comparison to Bryan’s Shearwater, the under parts (especialy under wing and under tail) of Little Shearwater Puffinus assimilis looks more white! In addition, we could observe many Buller’s Shearwaters and some Cook’s Petrels, Parkinson’s Petrels and White-faced Storm-petrels.
And the seafood in Whitianga is very delicious!! It was good day :)!

Bird List

  • Blue Penguin
  • Cook’s Petrel
  • Pycroft’s Petrel
  • Fairy Prion
  • Parkinson’s Petrel
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater
  • Buller’s Shearwater
  • Hutton’s Shearwater
  • Fluttering Shearwater ?
  • Little Shearwater
  • Common Diving-petrel
  • White-faced Storm-petrel
  • Australasian Gannet
  • Little Pied Cormorant
  • Pied Cormorant
  • Swamp Harrier
  • Variable Oystercatcher
  • Red-billed Gull
  • Black-backed Gull
  • Caspian Tern
  • White-fronted Tern