Bird Watching in Japan & Asia: Ancient Murrelet

Showing posts with label Ancient Murrelet. Show all posts

2026-06-30

Birdwatching in eastern Hokkaido (January 12-15, 2026) 1

I led a week-long tour of eastern Hokkaido for guests from Australia.

In addition to seeing popular birds, such as the Steller's Sea-eagle, Red-crowned Crane, and Blakiston's Fish-owl, we were also able to spot Solitary Snipe, Ancient Murrelet and Asian Rosyfinch.

Solitary Snipe

Red-necked Grebe

Greater Spotted Woodpecker

Ancient Murrelet

Hokkaido Sika Deer

Hokkaido Squirrel

Steller's Eagle

White-tailed Eagle

Eurasian Jay

Eurasian Nuthatch

Harlequin Duck

Blakiston's Fish-owl

Glaucous Gull

2025-11-08

Birdwatching in Ochiichi Nature Cruise, Hokkaido (11 July, 2025)

This was my first time on a nature cruise from Ochiishi Port. I was really looking forward to seeing seabirds in their breeding plumage this season. Soon after leaving port, Rhinoceros Auklets began appearing. They have a strange protrusion on their beak and a white whisker resembling a beard. Further offshore, we began seeing many Spectacled Guillemots. They're almost entirely black, but with round white areas around their eyes and bright red legs, they're very conspicuous in flight. The highlights of the day were the Tufted Puffin and the Pigeon Guillemot. The former used to breed commonly in eastern Hokkaido, but their numbers have declined significantly in recent years, making them a rare bird. The Pigeon Guillemot breeds in the Kuril Islands, making it a rare sight at this time of year.

We also spotted a White-tailed Eagle, Ancient Murrelet, and Red-faced Cormorant, making for a very productive and satisfying day.