We spent a weekend at an inn in the mountains south of Yakumo....................
And very nice it was too, getting wasted on craft(ish) beers and walking barefoot (and well, naked) through several inches of snow to an outdoor hot spring..................
Despite sunny weather for some of the time the birding wasn't so great. There were plenty of eagles but not many decent photo chances, they were either too far away, behind twigs and branches or it was just too dark/snowy.
Even BIFs were few and far between.
You can't accuse the eagles of lacking backbone though...................
We had a long fruitless snowshoe trek to look for some Snow Buntings and there wasn't much around everywhere to be honest. Flocks of Hawfinch and Siskin but not many other small birds. At Onuma on the first morning the Ring Necked Duck was still absent (I'm sure it's gone for good) but the 4 Falcated Duck were still present. It was very dark and they kept as far away as possible, thse shots are all heavy crops.
They flew off before the sun came up from behinf the mountains. On the way back we checked again but they weren't there. There were some Smew but again, they stayed as far away as possible.
Other stuff at Onuma included Ural Owl (half buried in snow), White Tailed Eagle and Night Heron.
Naked in the snow!! Burr! Love bird shots.
ReplyDeleteIt was a 15 meter walk from the indoor to outdoor hot spring (well it was on the mens side).....................
DeleteWe stopped through Yakumo a few days ago and could see both eagles, as well as some smew and other ducks I've never seen in Japan before…couldn't take very good pictures but the view was enough! Now back in landlocked Kansai but will definitely visit again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment Pete, looks like we've been seeing the exact same birds.............
DeleteLove the shot with the stripped fish backbone!
ReplyDeleteThanks Wilma.............
DeleteIt sounds like a good weekend even if the photographic opportunities weren't great!
ReplyDeleteWell I drank some nice beers and took a hot spring bath outside in the snow...........
DeleteA snow shoe treck to see Snow Buntings..... seen them near the pier at Southport without the need for snow shoes. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOr Fleetwood. Mind you it's a bit of a long way from Hakodate for a day out.
DeleteGreat work! I am just on the final day of a vacation in Costa Rica but hope to get back to blogging soon. I am sure we will have snow when I return but I don't plan on walking naked in it!
ReplyDeleteI don't plan on doing it again any time soon.............
DeleteHope you had a great time in Costa Rica..........