EPIC JAPAN SOUTHERN ISLANDS CRUISE with Honshu, Hokkaido & Amami extensions
**** HONSHU PRE-TOUR EXTENSION****
Day 1 ARRIVAL IN TOKYO - 9th May
This is purely an arrival day for anyone attending the pre-tour extension and no birding activities are planned. Upon arrival we will transfer to a nearby hotel. Night in Tokyo.
Day 2 INBANUMA - OMIGAWA - KARUIZAWA
First thing this morning we will explore the marshes and waterways of Inbanuma and Omigawa for Green Pheasant, Marsh Grassbird & Japanese Reed Bunting. It promises to be a very pleasant few hours and easy birding all the way! Our Japan list will jump quite rapidly and we can add a variety of more widespread species such as Eurasian & Yellow Bitterns, Oriental Turtle-Dove, Bull-headed Shrike, Brown-eared Bulbul, Oriental Reed Warbler, White-cheeked Starling & Oriental Greenfinch.
Once we are finished here we will drive west to the rugged mountains around Karuizawa where we will stay for 2 nights.
Day 3 KARUIZAWA
We have a full day to explore this wonderful area of forested valleys targetting the rare Japanese Yellow Bunting. There's also Copper Pheasant here but this species is extremely elusive and we would count ourselves fortunate indeed to catch a glimpse of this shy species. But the forests resound to birdsong and there's so much to see here, with a fantastic selection of mouth-watering Asian gems to find. Just to give you a flavour of what is in this area: Eastern Buzzard, Ural Owl, Lesser Cuckoo, Crested Kingfisher, Pacific Swift, Japanese Green Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Wagtail, Ashy Minivet, Brown Dipper, Siberian Blue Robin, Brown-headed & Japanese Thrushes, Asian Stubtail, Asian Brown, Narcissus & Blue-and-white Flycatchers, Asian Azure-winged Magpie, Varied & Japanese Tits, Japanese White-eye, Japanese Grosbeak, Chestnut-cheeked Starling and both Chestnut-eared & Meadow Buntings. Night at Karuizawa.
Day 4 KARUIZAWA - MOUNT FUJI
We can spend the morning catching up with any species we still need before driving to our wonderful hotel close to Mount Fuji. And there should be some time later this afternoon to begin our exploration of this fantastic area, which is dominated by the spectacular Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest volcano at 3776m. We will have a second opprtunity to find Japanese Yellow Bunting if we missed it at Karuizawa. Night near Mount Fuji.
Day 5 MOUNT FUJI - TOKYO - FERRY TO MIYAKE-JIMA
We can spend most of the day day around Mount Fuji, visiting various elevations of the mountain. Initially we will birding on or around the treeline and high-elevation scrub searching for the elusive Japanese Accentor. As we explore the forests lower down we could well encounter White-bellied Green-Pigeon, Oriental & Northern Hawk (Rufous) Cuckoos, Red-flanked Bluetail, Siberian, Japanese & Brown-headed Thrushes, Narcissus Flycatcher, Eastern-crowned & Japanese Leaf Warblers. Olive-backed Pipit, Grey-bellied Bullfinch and Black-faced Bunting (personata).
In the late afternoon we will drive back to Tokyo in order to catch an overnight ferry to Miyake-jima. Night onboard ferry.
Day 6 MIYAKE-JIMA
It's going to be an early morning arrival around 5.30am but that gives us the full day to get to grips with some very special birds. High on our 'want list' will be Japanese Woodpigeon, Izu Robin, Owston’s (Izu) Tit, Ijima’s Leaf Warbler, Styan’s Grasshopper Warbler & Izu Thrush. Hopefully we can nail them quite quickly, giving us a chance to fully explore this small island for othe species such as Japanese Cormorant, Chinese Bamboo-Partridge, Black-tailed Gull, Lesser Cuckoo, Pacific Swift, Japanese Bush-Warbler and a few others. Night on Miyake-jima.
Day 7 MIYAKE-JIMA - FERRY TO TOKYO - 15th May
We have a full morning at Miyake-jima before catching the early afternoon ferry back to Tokyo. We will be on deck the whole way back, scanning the sea for seabirds such as Streaked, Short-tailed, Sooty & Flesh-footed Shearwaters, Bulwer’s Petrel, Laysan & Black-footed Albatrosses, Brown Booby and even rarer species such as Japanese Murrelet & Bonin Petrel. Night near Haneda, Tokyo.
Arrival day for anyone not doing the pre-cruise extension in Honshu.
***********JAPAN SOUTHERN ISLANDS CRUISE ****
Cruise Day 1 TOKYO (YOKOHAMA) - 16th May
The cruise begins at 4pm today in Yokohama Port, so we have a free morning to rest or maybe a quick sightseeing trip into Tokyo. We will meet this afternoon for an introductory briefing prior to boarding the ship. And we should see our first seabirds as we leave the port such as Short-tailed, Streaked & Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Bulwer's Petrel and others.
Cruise Day 2 & 3 AT SEA
.We have 2 full days sailing south past the Izu Islands, skirting the eastern side of the South China Sea.towards Taiwan. Japan is blessed with a long, rugged coastline which is home to a particularly high diversity of seabirds within Asia. Nearly a third of all known seabird species venture into Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which stretches 200 nautical miles from its coastline. What we see during these two full days at sea is largely dependant on weather systems further east and south but the possibilities are truly exciting. All 3 northern albatross species are possible, with Laysan & Black-footed being more numerous than the much-wanted Short-tailed Albatross, which breeds almost exclusively on islands off of Japan and we hope to get some good views of this fantastic species. It was believed to have been close to extinction in the early 20th Century due to the feather trade, but has slowly begun to recover and it is now thought to number around 2,500 birds. Wedge-tailed and Streaked Shearwaters should be amongst the commonest species, along with Short-tailed and Sooty Shearwaters. Other more expected species include Arctic, Pomarine & Long-tailed Skuas (jaegers), Red & Red-necked Phalaropes, with Ancient Murrelet and Rhinoceros Auklet also possible. And there's a chance of seeing the rarest of the world’s alcids, Japanese Murrelet. As we sail into waters largely unexplored by other pelagics, the list of possibilities is exceedingly interesting and we hope to see a sprinkling of the following species: Swinhoe's, Tristram's, Matsudaira’s, Leach’s and Band-rumped Storm-Petrels, Black-winged, Bonin, White-necked & Kermadec Petrel, the rare and localized Bannerman’s Shearwater and even Bryan's or Christmas Shearwater would be a very outside possibility.
Cruise Day 4 TAIWAN (TAIPEI - KEELUNG)
Taiwan has one of the highest concentrations of endemic birds in Asia and we are going to head up into the forested mountains behind Taipei to try and see as many endemics as possible today. High on our target list will be Mikado & Swinhoe's Pheasants, whilst a great deal of luck is required to connect with a Taiwan Partridge today. We will take some short walks, mainly along quiet mountain roads but also along a trail or two that traverses fine broadleaf and coniferous forests in search of Taiwan Barbet, Collared & Taiwan Bush-Robins, Taiwan Shortwing, Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, Flamecrest, Taiwan Wren-Babbler, Taiwan & Morrison's Fulvetta, Taiwan Yuhina, Rusty & White-whiskered Laughingthrushes, Black-necklaced Scimitar-Babbler, Taiwan Whistling-Thrush, Steere’s Liocichla, Taiwan Barwing, White-eared Sibia, Yellow Tit and Taiwan Rosefinch,
There's bound to be plenty of other birds present such as Crested Serpent-Eagle, Grey-capped Woodpecker, Asian House Martin, Collared Finchbill, White-tailed Robin, Yellow-bellied Bush-Warbler, Rufous-faced Warbler, Little Forktail, Snowy-browed & Ferruginous Flycatchers, Vivid Niltava, Rufous-capped Babbler, Black-throated & Green-backed Tits, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Bronzed Drongo to name just a few.
Cruise Day 5 TAIWAN (HUALIEN)
We've another chance of Taiwanese endemics today and hopefully add Taiwan Scimitar-Babbler, Taiwan Blue Magpie, and Styan's Bulbul to our list. The nearby Hualien River Estuary should hold some migrant shorebirds and possibilities include Pacific Golden Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Marsh Sandpiper, Great & Red Knot, Broad-billed & Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Gull-billed, Little, Roseate & Black-naped Terns, along with other more familiar species. Other possible species today include Besra, Grey-chinned Minivet, Black-naped Monarch, Dusky Fulvetta, White-bellied Erpornis, Grey Treepie, Swinhoe's White-eye, Black-naped and Maroon Oriole, We will depart port at 7pm and start the journey north.
Cruise Day 6 ISHIGAKI ISLAND
Ishigaki is one of the most southerly of the Ryukyu Islands and our shore excursion today gives us the opportunity to find Ryukyu Serpent-Eagle, Ryukyu Green-Pigeon, Ryukyu Minivet, Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, Ishigaki Tit and Ryukyu Flycatcher Other birds include Cinnamon Bittern, Malayan Night-Heron, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Greater & Mongolian Sandplovers, Pacific Swallow and Large-billed Crow of the race osai and a potential split.
Cruise Day 7 OKINAWA
We have 12 hours ashore on Okinawa, and it's going to be a two hour drive to the north of the island in order to reach Yanbaru National Park where we will meet a local ranger who will assist us in our search to find Okinawa Rail, Okinawa Woodpecker and Okinawa Robin. All three are tricky to see but our hopes are high! There's also Ruddy Kingfisher, Ryukyu Green-Pigeon, Ryukyu Minivet, the endemic form of Brown-eared Bulbul and Japanese Bush-Warbler amongst others.
Cruise Days 8 & 9 AT SEA
.As we head north back towards Tokyo we should have opportunities to see some tropical seabirds such as Great and Lesser Frigatebirds, Common Noddy, Masked and Red-footed Booby, and even Brewster's Brown Booby (S. l. brewsteri), White-tailed & Red-tailed Tropicbirds, White Tern (rare) and Sooty Tern, There's further chances of seeing some truly rare seabirds as we cross huge swathes of ocean rarely travelled by other birders. And we can keep an eye out for cetaceans such as Risso’s & Pantropical Spotted Dolphins, Humpback, Melon-headed & Cuvier’s Beaked Whale amongst others.
Cruise Day 10 Arrival in Tokyo (Yokohama) and End of Cruise - 25th May
Our time aboard the wonderful Diamond Princess is over and you can plan your international flights for later today if not participating in the post-cruise extension to Hokkaido.
****** HOKKAIDO POST-CRUISE EXTENSION ******
Post-Cruise Hokkaido Extension Day 1 TOKYO - KUSHIRO - 25th May
If continuing with the Hokkaido extrension we will transfer to Tokyo Haneda Airport for the flight to Kushiro and check-in to a nearby hotel. If time permits we can explore the nearby area. Night in Kushiro.
Post-Cruise Extension Day 2 KUSHIRO - RAUSU
We will be birding in a nearby forest this morning searching for two very special species - Japanese Robin & Sakhalin Leaf Warbler. There's a fine selection of other species including Hazel Grouse, Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Black, Japanese Pygmy, Grey-headed & White-backed Woodpeckers, Northern Hawk-Cuckoo, White's Thrush, Narcissus, Blue-and-white & Asian Brown Flycactchers and more familiar species that include Marsh Tit and Hawfinch. Then we will drive across eastern Hokkaido to the small fishing town of Rausu where we will spend the night.
And what a night this promises to be, as we will spend the evening waiting for the mythical Blakiston's Fish-Owl to come to feed at a small pool. Here, on the Shiretoko Peninsula there are apparently over 50 pairs of this huge owl present and we have a very good chance of seeing one tonight. Night in Rausu.
Post-Cruise Extension Days 3 - 4 RAUSU - KIRITAPPU
.We are going to focus our attentions on the lakes and marshes around Kiritappu for some really special species. High on our wish list will be Latham’s Snipe, which we should see displaying and often perched on roadside posts, Red-crowned Crane, along with a trio of locustella's - Lanceolated, Middendorff’s & Sakhalin Grasshopper Warblers. During our travels we couls also come across White-tailed Eagle, Black-browed Reed-Warbler, Siberian Rubythroat & Stejneger’s Stonechat. Depending on the weather, we can also make an attempt to find Grey Bunting at a high-altitude pass, whilst a boat trip from Ochiishi gives us chances of Laysan & Black-footed Albatrosses, Spectacled Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet & Tufted Puffin, as well as rarer species such as Horned Puffin and Ancient Murrelet. Nights in Kiritappu.
Post-Cruise Extension Day 5 KIRITAPPU - KUSHIRO - TOKYO
.We will have the morning to chase any new species before driving back to Kushiro where we take an afternoon flight to Tokyo. Upon arrival we will transfer to a convenient hotel for our last dinner together. Night in Tokyo.
Post-Cruise Extension Day 6 END OF HOKKAIDO EXTENSION - 30th May
You can plan your international flights from Tokyo Narita Airport today or continue with our exciting Amami extension.
**** AMAMI EXTENSION ****
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Day 1 TOKYO - AMAMI - 30th May
This morning we will take a flight from Tokyo to Amami and after checking in to our accommodation we can make our first attempt at one of our prime targets - Amami Woodcock. There's a great chance of finding one along the roadside and we hope to get some really great views. Night on Amami.
Day 2 AMAMI
.It's sure to be a very interesting and full day as we target the islands' endemics - Amami Woodpecker, Amami Thrush, Ryukyu Robin & Lidth’s Jay. In the evening we have another chance of seeing Amami Woodcock, and probably our best chance of Northern Boobook & Ryukyu Scops-Owl. There's a fine supporting cast here as well, with species such as Ryukyu Green-Pigeon, Japanese Woodpigeon, Ruddy Kingfisher, Ryukyu Minivet & Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher. Night on Amami.
Day 3 Amami - Tokyo - 1st June
.Morning flight back to Tokyo and end of what has been an epic tour.
