All year long, Hokkaido is a birding photographer dreamscape, especially during the winter months. Hokkaido Birding Photo Tours during the winter include a wide variety of migratory birds as well as many birds that roost their year round.
On the North Eastern region of the Japan’s northern island, is a small lake, Lake Tofutsu, and the best season for birding photography and birding photo tours is between the months of mid- to late-fall into early spring. The area is considered a Ramsar site, a wetland that has so much value in terms of nature that is has been internationally recognized by a UNESCO Committee. When you see the birding photo ops the wetlands and lake hold, you’ll understand why Lake Tofutsu was chosen as a UNESCO site.
Japan Dreamscapes (JDS) Photography Tour Leaders have been taking clients on Hokkaido Photo Workshops for more than 20 years, and they know which locations nearby hold the best shutter chances for clients hoping to photograph birds such as Whooper Swans. The area has been recognized as so valuable that a Waterfowl and Wetland Center was recently opened to help visiting photographers and birding enthusiasts use on sight scopes to get better views of the more remote areas near the Sea of Okhotsk. The recent spike in popularity in this area means that more photographers have discovered its value, but your JDS Hokkaido Birding Photography Workshop Leader has also become familiar with the trends in the area and will have you prepared and ready to shoot in the best locations on Lake Tofutsu.
Heiwa Bridge is another location linked to Lake Tofutsu that has amazing birding photography potential. On the east end of the lake, the small bridge with a number of small areas seemingly reserved to birding photography. However, the spaces are limited, but your JDS Photography Tour Leader will make sure you arrive in time and without stress. The only concerns you will have are your equipment and staying warm while taking the birding photos of a lifetime.
Each season in Hokkaido brings an emphasis on different species. Some birds that you will be able to see in this area of Hokkaido are: Steller’s Sea Eagle, Short-eared Owls, and depending on the part of the season you are photographing Goosanders have also been photographed in this region. During a Hokkaido Winter Photo Workshop, you may also catch the White-tailed Eagle with more regularity than other seasons.