Aomori—Hokkaido

7-8 March 2020, Aomori—Hokkaido.

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

Bird List

  • Bean Goose 2
  • Greater White-fronted Goose 80
  • Brant Goose 2
  • Whooper Swan 30
  • Eurasian Wigeon
  • Northern Pintail 40
  • Eurasian Teal 20
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Siberian Scoter
  • Black Scoter
  • Red-breasted Merganser 6
  • Red-necked Grebe
  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Red-throated Loon 2
  • Arctic Loon 3
  • Pacific Loon 2
  • Laysan Albatross 25
  • Short-tailed Albatross 1
  • Northern Fulmar 5
  • Pelagic Cormorant
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Kamchatka Gull
  • Glaucous-winged Gull
  • Glaucous Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Thick-billed Murre 182
  • Ancient Murrelet 141
  • Parakeet Auklet 14
  • Least Auklet 81
  • Crested Auklet 108
  • Rhinoceros Auklet 64
  • White-tailed Sea-eagle
Laysan Albatross
Crested Auklet

Aomori — Hokkaido

Nov. 9, 2019 Hokkaido to Aomori.

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

Bird List

  • Bean Goose 14
  • Greater Scaup
  • Red-breasted Merganser 2
  • Great Crested Grebe
  • Mallard? 7
  • Northern Pin-ail? 2
  • Swan sp. 5
  • Red-throated Loon 2
  • Loon sp. 4
  • Short-tailed Albatross 2
  • Northern Fulmar 66
  • Streaked Shearwater
  • Sooty Shearwater
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater 8
  • Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel 3
  • Great Cormorant 23
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • Black-headed Gull
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Mew Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Pomarine Skua 5
  • Ancient Murrelet 9
  • Rhinoceros Auklet 14
  • Brambling 1
Short-tailed Albatross
Northern Fulmar
Pomarine Skua

Aomori—Hokkaido

Oct 19, 2019 Aomori—Hokkaido

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

Birds list

  • Eurasian Wigeon : 2
  • Mallard : 1
  • Greater Scaup : X
  • Pomarine Jaeger : 28
  • jaeger sp. : 1
  • Black-tailed : X
  • Mew Gull : X
  • Slaty-backed Gull : X
  • Glaucous-winged Gull : X
  • Laysan Albatross : 2
  • Black-footed Albatross : 2
  • Leach’s Storm-Petrel : 1
  • Northern Fulmar : 34
  • Providence Petrel : 200
  • Streaked Shearwater : X
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater : 2
  • Sooty Shearwater : 218
  • Short-tailed Shearwater : 20

Aomori—Hokkaido

Sep. 22-23, 2019 Aomori-Hokkaido

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

Bird list

  • Green-winged Teal 6
  • duck sp. 21
  • Snipe sp. 8
  • Pomarine Jaeger  10
  • Japanese Murrelet  2
  • murrelet sp.  9
  • Black-headed Gull  X
  • Black-tailed Gull  X
  • Slaty-backed Gull  X
  • Tern sp. (It would be Common Tern.) 2
  • Laysan Albatross 5
  • Black-footed Albatross 1
  • Leach’s Storm-Petrel 2
  • storm-petrel sp. (white-rumped, Leach’s or Band-rumped Storm-Petrel.) 2
  • Northern Fulmar 1
  • Providence Petrel 340
  • Streaked Shearwater 100-1000
  • Sooty Shearwater 6
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater 1
  • Great Cormorant X
  • Japanese Cormorant X
  • Peregrine Falcon 1

Aomori—Hokkaido

Aug 23-24, 2019 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 
Temperature : around 25℃
Wind speed : around 5~8 m/s

DAY 2 :We departed Hokkaido (Tomakomai port) at 9:30 am and arrived at Aomori (Hachinohe port) at 18:00 pm.
Weather : sunny partly cloudy
Temperature : around 25℃
Wind speed : around 3~5 m/s
There were various species, we were happy!

Bird List

  • Black-footed Albatross 25
  • Laysan Albatross 18
  • Northern Fulmar 6
  • Solander’s Petrel 51
  • Streaked Shearwater ~1000
  • Sooty Shearwater 115
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater 4
  • Japanese (Bund-rumped) Storm Petrel 1
  • Leach’s Storm Petrel 14
  • Fork-tailed Storm Petrel 2
  • Storm Petrel sp. 2
  • Great Cormorant
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Whimbrel 150
  • Grey-tailed Tattler 3
  • Red-necked Phalarope 12 
  • Red Phalarope 1
  • Phalarope sp. 26
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Aleutian Tern 3
  • Common Tern 5
  • Tern sp. 20
  • Pomarine Jaeger 8 
  • Arctic Jaeger 3
  • Long-tailed Jaeger 2
  • Jaeger sp. 1 
  • Japanese Murrelet 4
Black-footed Albatross
Laysan Albatross (juv.)
Japanese (Band-rumped) Storm Petrel
Leach’s Storm Petrel
Aleutian Tern
Pomarine Jaeger
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger

Aomori—Hokkaido

Aug 11-12, 2019 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 
Temperature : around 18℃
Wind speed : around 3~8 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 
Temperature : around 23℃
Wind speed : around 5~8 m/s
Migratory season is started.

Bird List

  • Black-footed Albatross 3
  • Northern Fulmar 6
  • Streaked Shearwater ~1000
  • Sooty Shearwater 29
  • Short-tailed Shearwater 11
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater 2
  • Great Cormorant
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Whimbrel 1
  • Red-necked Phalarope 204
  • Phalarope sp. 7
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Aleutian Tern 2
  • Pomarine Jaeger 1
  • Arctic Jaeger 1
  • Long-tailed Jaeger 1
  • Jaeger sp. 1
  • Japanese Murrelet 6
  • Rhinoceros Auklet 5
  • Tufted Puffin 2
  • Auk sp. 1

Others…

  • Sunfish sp. 1
Aleutian Tern (juv.)
Aleutian Tern
Parasitic Jaeger
Long-tailed Jaeger
Tufted Puffin

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

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.

Aomori — Hokkaido

Oct. 21-22, 2017 Aomori — Hokkaido

We on boarded 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 : rainy later cloudy
Temperature : around 15℃
Wind speed : around 3-8 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
Temperature : around 15℃
Wind speed : around 5-8 m/s
Typhoon No.21 had formed in the south of Japan.

There was a little strong swell, and a east-north wind.
Continuing from last month, There were more Providence Petrels than we had expected.
We wanted to see Buller’s Shearwater and Red-legged Kittiwake.Buller’s Shearwater is known that common migration visitor around off Hokkaido and Northern Honshu in fall.Hiroyuki and his group had discovered that Red-legged Kittiwake can be seen at this ferry in fall.In this trip, we were able to see both species by good fortune !We were blessed with good birding friends, it was very fun trip 🙂

Bird List

  • Greater Scaup
  • Harlequin Duck
  • Black Scoter
  • Pacific Loon (5)
  • Black-footed Albatross (23)
  • Laysan Albatross (164)
  • Northern Fulmar +
  • Providence Petrel (225)
  • Streaked Shearwater +
  • Buller’s Shearwater (4)
  • Sooty Shearwater +
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater
  • Fork-tailed Storm-petrel (23)
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Red Phalarope
  • Phalarope sp.
  • Red-legged Kittiwake (1)
  • Black-legged Kittiwake
  • Black-headed Gull 
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Herring Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • South Polar Skua (1)
  • Pomarine Skua (50)
  • Arctic Skua (2+)
  • Rhinoceros Auklet (17)
  • Black Kite
  • Japanese Sparrowhawk ? (1: attacked by Peregrine Falcon)
  • Eurasian Sparrowhawk  (1)
  • Peregrine Falcon  (1)
  • Carrion Crow
  • Eurasian Skylark
  • Common Reed Bunting 

Aomori—Hokkaido

Sep. 16-17, 2017 Aomori – Hokkaido

We on boarded 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, sunny and sometimes rainy
Temperature : around 15℃
Wind speed : around 3 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
Temperature : around 17℃
Wind speed : around 7 m/s
Typhoon No.18 had formed in the southwest of Japan.

There was a strong swell, and a southeasterly strong wind.There were more Providence Petrels than we had expected.And fortunately, we were able to observe several Storm-petrels (many of them were Leach’s Storm-petrel).These good fortune seems to be the result of good weather condition (strong swell and strong wind) and timing (migration of Providence Petrels and fledging of Leach’s Storm-petrels)

Bird List

  • Black-footed Albatross (10)
  • Laysan Albatross (29)
  • Short-tailed Albatross (1)
  • Providence Petrel (183+)
  • Streaked Shearwater ++
  • Sooty Shearwater (4)
  • Flesh-footed Shearwater (4)
  • Leach’s Storm-petrel (8)
  • Storm-petrel sp. (White rump) (9)
  • Japanese Cormorant
  • Cormorant sp.
  • Red-necked Phalarope 
  • Red Phalarope
  • Black-tailed Gull
  • Slaty-backed Gull
  • Common Tern
  • Tern sp.
  • Pomarine Skua
  • Carrion Crow
  • Japanese White-eye