North Hokkaido Trip 2014 #2

There are lots of coastal grasslands on the Ohotsk coast of Hokkaido...................




The most productive one was near our campsite, about 20 minutes drive.

Long Tailed Rosefinch were very common here..............

Here is a new bird for me to photograph: Middendorffs Grasshopper Warbler. Record shots only though.

These were a little shy and difficult to photograph. They stayed hidden in the long grass, occasionally emerging in short song flights.

I was hoping to see Lanceolated Warbler (which would have been a lifer) but I couldn't see (or hear) them anywhere.

Other birds in this particular grassland were Sand Martin, Black Browed Reed Warbler, Common Reed Bunting, Little Ringed Plover, Wryneck (more of those in a later post) and Siberian Rubythroat. These weren't as approachable as the ones near our campsite.

Overhead there were Japanese Green Pigeon, White Tailed Eagle, Peregrine and Kestrel.

There were lots of just fledged Siberian Stonechat, presumably these are earlier breeders than most of the other grassland species.

We explored some other grasslands but none where as good.........more of the same species but not as many or as close. More White Tailed Eagles, a few Ospreys and Eastern Marsh Harriers but nothing posing for the camera.

A little local knowledge would have been helpful. We did see another photographer at the end of the trip who told us places to see Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Yellow Breasted Bunting (both target species, again both would have been lifers) but alas we had run out of time and had to head back home.................

Some more photos to come over the next few days..............