Sea eagles, Owls and Cranes Japanese winter birds

Stellers sea eagle looking mean

Japan has several claims to fame as a travel destination, but relatively few people think of the country as a wildlife destination. Fewer still choose to brave the bone-chilling temperatures on the northern island of Hokkaido to see the birdlife which is drawn to this harsh winter climate.

Yet there we were, certainly not self-confessed birdwatchers, standing in temperatures below -10C and gazing at a succession of flying giants. Perhaps Id be stretching the truth to say we were so impressed by the sight of these birds that we forgot about the chill. That said, when I think back to watching the sea eagles on the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk, my over-riding memory is of the majestic birds in flight and not of the many layers Id piled on to see them.

So, heres a gallery of Japanese winter birds from our trip to Hokkaido in February. The Stellers Sea Eagles (the black and white birds with yellow beaks) and the white-tailed eagles (the eagle-shaped birds with white tails) were seen on an ice-breaker trip from Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula in the far north. We saw the cranes on the Tsurui marshes near Kushiro, and it was here that we also spotted the Ural owl.