Tag: Animals

The Search for Shima-Enaga

Listed as one of the cutest animals in Hokkaido, I was in pursuit of shima-enaga or the Hokkaido long-tailed tits. However, in the three weeks that I have been looking for this elusive bird, I have encountered 3 other species of birds.

Flashnote: Cafe Of Owls

There are a number of owl cafes in Tokyo. And the most famous on the internet is the “Fukuro no Mise” which has many positive reviews. The name literally means “cafe of owls”. Located few blocks away from the Tsukishima station, its place is not that easy to find.

All About Squirrels

The Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is a tree squirrel common throughout Asia and Europe. Their number have declined drastically in parts of Europe due to the introduction of another tree squirrel from North America, the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).

Birdwatching In Tokachi Part 2

To continue my story about our birdwatching in Tokachi yesterday, our next goal was to see sea eagles. We went to Toyokoro, Taiki and finally to Hiroo but to no avail, it was hard to catch a glimpse of this bird of prey.

Birdwatching In Tokachi Part 1

We started our birdwatching at the Satsunai Garden Onsen. Near the entrance of the onsen is the Satsunai River where many ducks are just chilling out in the cold water. The sight of the birds with the foggy water just made it magical.

The Whooper Swans Of Hokkaido

The whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) is a large Northern Hemisphere swan in the Eurasian region. They come here in Hokkaido as one of their wintering sites which include southern Europe and eastern Asia. Whopper swans breed in subarctic Eurasia.

The Japanese Cranes Of Kushiro

The Kushiro-shitsugen Marsh serves as the nesting ground of the Japanese cranes. Since 1952, the habitat of these cranes has been assigned as a special natural monument in Japan.

Birdwatching in Eastern Tokachi

It was March 29th of 2015. My Japanese friend asked me to go with him for my very first birdwatching. Winter was ending and it was good to do birdwatching in Eastern Tokachi. Luckily, we saw some species of birds.