Photographers who are new to Hokkaido and joining a Hokkaido Photo Tour with JDS may ask what type of species they may see while visiting Japan’s northernmost island.  Truthfully, birding in Japan is becoming increasingly popular with international photographers, with over 600 bird species recorded, over 60% of these are migratory. Species that are either endemic or sub-regional endemic induced the Blakiston’s Fish-owl, Red-Crowned, Pyer’s Woodpecker, Japanese White-eye, Black Kite, there are over 60 species in this category.  Japan is latitudinally long at over 3000 kilometers, located in the Northwest Pacific Ocean, climates range from sub-arctic condition in the north, to subtropical in the south. There are two distinct ecological lines dividing Japans natural indigenous plant and animal life. “The Blakiston’s Line” and the “Watase’s Line.” Due to this uniquely rare ecological condition, Japan is avifauna abundantly rich, making it the perfect location for birding photography.  Many of the aforementioned bird species can be found in Hokkaido, but our lead photo workshop leader wanted to mention some of the less well-known species that you may find while taking a Hokkaido Birding Photo Workshop Adventure.

The first is the glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) is the second largest gull in the world which breeds in Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and winters South. This dominant gull is usually very pale in all plumages, and mostly with no black on either of the wings or the tail.  Blain Harasymiw Photographed this Glaucous Gull while leading a Winter Hokkaido Photography Tour group of international birders.

The next is the Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch.  Blain photographed this nuthatch while leading a Hokkaido wildlife winter photography tour workshop in northern Japan.

The final is the great spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly.  This species is found across Eurasia and parts of North Africa.  Photographed while leading a Hokkaido wildlife photo tour in northern Japan.