January 9-24, 2026 with Phil Gregory & Cory Gregory & Jun Matsui
Day 1, Sunday, Jan 11, 2026. Our Japan in Winter tour began as usual at Tokko Creek near Narita, in quite good conditions, with Falcated Duck, Common Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Common Kingfisher, Bull-headed Shrike and Japanese Wagtail as good additions, plus an all-too-brief flyby of a Brown-headed Thrush, the only one of the trip. Thrushes and buntings were remarkably scarce with very few Dusky and only one Pale Thrush seen by most.
Next came Hacchoike Pond with thousands of Baikal Teal, a species which has changed its wintering habits in recent years and is now frequent around Tokyo, plus great views of very vocal Bewick's (Tundra) Swans, and once again a vagrant Whistling (Tundra) Swan. A massive traffic jam at a local shrine caused us to abandon our quest for Taiga Bean Goose, and head for Komoro via a vagrant Greater Yellowlegs at Kumigaya Retention Ponds, ho-hum for Americans, but exciting for Jun and I, and I was amazed how similar it was to Greenshank when the legs could not be seen, with just a bit more streaking on the head. An unexpected Little Ringed Plover was here too, quite rare on the winter trip. Our 3-night stay at Komoro was good, with free alcohol of an evening, but this was like a prohibition-era group and only Jun, Marcia and I sampled various varieties of sake!
Day 2, Monday, Jan 12. We checked out a forest road above Karuizawa in hopes of Copper Pheasant, but it was really very quiet, with just Great-spotted Woodpecker (Japanese) a good candidate for a split. Next came the Nagakura Shrine and here we scored big-time with a flock of Japanese Waxwing, a scarce and irruptive migrant, plus Hawfinch, Meadow and Rustic Buntings. Japanese Woodpecker was an excellent find here as this species is easily missed. The Bird Forest was pretty quiet too, so we did lunch at a cafe with robot waiters at Saku as a bit of a cultural experience. On then to Saku Reservoir and the Chikuma River, with 18 Smew a big hit, plus Goosander (Common Merganser in the US), Gadwall, a single Long-billed Plover in bad light and a very sad sight of a Raccoon Dog with chronic sarcoptic mange so only the head and rear end were furred, poor thing, not long for this world in the very cold conditions. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker was a nice pick-up here as was Daurian Redstart and good numbers of Black-eared (Black) Kite.
Day 3, Tuesday, Jan 13. This was Snow Monkey day over at Jigokudani, a lovely 1.6 km walk in the snow in fine weather, with the monkeys in the hot spring at the end. Japanese Accentor was a very good find here, a hard species in winter. That afternoon we went back to Komoro and visited Kaikoen Park next to the hotel, with Phil and Jun briefly disappearing to retrieve my phone that I'd left at an ice cream place nearby! Japanese Waxwing turned up again with a mobile flock of 29 visiting the mistletoe, a very nice find, and Brambling and Long-tailed Tit also showed well.
Day 4, Wednesday, Jan 14. We left the hotel and went to nearby Karuizawa where Green Pheasant showed very well, then began heading back to Tokyo via Shidarekuri Forest Park near Ono, where Pallas's Rosefinch had been showing. We dipped on them, but did get a fantastic Japanese Serow (goat-antelope) right by the road, and then a male Copper Pheasant in the shrubbery, with 4 females not far away. This is always a hard bird to find, then we had a wonderful close flyover of the rare Mountain (Japanese) Hawk Eagle, a good bet for a split.
Day 5, Thursday, Jan 15, saw us fly to Miyazaki and after an excellent and entertaining lunch at the amazing oeconomoyaki Chez Copain ninja cafe, where the cook is the head of the local ninja club, we explored the Oyodo River mouth area and Sadowara Farm Ponds. Black-faced Spoonbill was seen distantly in the river, then at the farm we had 18 fly up and land again giving good views, a rare species. Black-tailed Gull made an appearance, as did Vega Gull. Common Shelduck was an addition here, and Shoveler, Tufted Duck and Pochard showed well again. A photographer showed me a photo of Greylag Goose here, which I am hoping were feral not wild birds as this would be new in Japan for me! A big flock of Russet Sparrow were nice, this used to be hard to find but seems to have become much more frequent in recent years.
Day 6 Friday Jan 16 A brief look in the hills above the harbor gave Yellow-throated (Elegant) Bunting for some of us, a good find by Robin, and Blue Rock Thrush on the harbour walls. The boat trip was in perfect conditions, a flat calm sea with no wind and good light on a well set-up fishing boat. An Ancient Murrelet was surprise find here, unreported on eBird and a nice comparative baseline for our later sighting of a single Japanese Murrelet, a much-wanted species. We then drove across the Yatsushiro, where a rising tide was just right and we had fabulous views of the rare Saunders' Gull, feeding along the mudflats and giving its distinctive squeaky flight call. The only Black-headed Gull of the trip was here too, very odd to see so few. Russet Sparrow was here, as well as Daurian Redstart. Shorebirds included Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Whimbrel for some, Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, Kentish Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler and a few Dunlin and Red-necked Stint.
Day 7, Saturday, Jan 17. A mega-day, one of the best we have ever had here, with a fabulous morning at Arasaki Crane Centre and the Eastern Fields, with wonderful views of thousands of Hooded Crane, about 1700 White-naped Crane, 2 Sandhill of the nominate race, a lone Common Crane, one marvelous Demoiselle Crane, and best of all, the vagrant one-legged Siberian Crane in some fields nearby. A Peregrine showed, a rather browny-looking immature bombing about above the crane flocks and terrorizing the ducks, and at least 2 and maybe 3 Eurasian Goshawk sat out amongst the cranes, which seemed quite unperturbed, one was an adult and I think there were 2 immatures. To add to the excitement, there were 2 Swan Goose in among the cranes, one of which I think is a returning bird from previous years, a lone Greater White-fronted Goose and the best of all, a subadult Lesser White-fronted Goose, with orange eye-ring, small stubby bill and steep forehead. That was great as we had not had time to try for one near Saitama earlier as we headed for Haneda, and it was new for I think all the clients and Cory. Corvids included big flocks of Eastern Rook, yet another possible split, and a few Daurian Jackdaw, plus the usual Carrion and Large-billed (Japanese) Crow. Marcia got her long-desired Hen Harrier when a ringtail flew right by the viewing area. A reedbed not too far away gave 2 fine Chinese Penduline Tit, another irruptive species which is often not seen on the tour, and a Eurasian Skylark was singing, whilst Gerald spotted a Peregrine sat on a pylon and a Japanese Bush Warbler (hardly any on the trip) called and gave glimpses for some.
Kogawa Dam that afternoon was at very low-levels, it has been unusually dry here, but we did find Baikal Teal (which never used to be here) and about 50 Mandarin showed nicely, whilst a Ryukyu Minivet was unfortunately only heard as it flew over. Marcia and Hanna saw a Crested Kingfisher at the river but it did not reappear.
Day 8, Sunday, Jan 18. Farewell views of Hooded and White-naped Cranes at the Eastern Fields, plus the Demoiselle again and 2 Sandhill and a very high count of about 70 Daurian Jackdaw, with just a couple of adults only. On then to the Sendaegawa Bridge where 4 Long-billed Plover showed very well as did Grey, White and Japanese Wagtails and unexpectedly 2 Siberian Pipit (formerly Buff-bellied), but hardly any other passerines. An immature Eurasian Goshawk was busy plucking a Coot on a rock in the river too, the latter species seems to be a favourite prey item. Lake Miike was for once in good weather with little wind, but it was very quiet. A vagrant drake American Wigeon was amongst the Eurasian flocks, with a hybrid bird nearby that looked like regular Eurasian but had big green eye patch. Olive-backed Pipit showed well, but the dreaded leaf-blower lady wrecked the peace and quiet and scared off most passerines. We did manage a surprise Yellow-browed Warbler, a J-tick for me, but for the first time ever I only heard and did not see Eurasian Nuthatch here. Pale Thrush made a brief showing at some berries.
Day 9, Monday, Jan 19. Primarily a travel day, flying from Kagoshima to Haneda and then on up to Kushiro where it was as ever very cold and overcast but not at all windy. We had time for a quick foray out to Tsurui to catch some Red-crowned Cranes in a field where they get fed, the seventh crane species for the tour.
Day 10, Tuesday, Jan 20. Tsurui Ito Crane Reserve from 0800-0900 was fantastic, not windy and with snow flurries making the crane photos more evocative. We had superb view of around 160 Red-crowned Cranes flighting in, calling, dancing and then being fed by the warden towing out a sled with grain, a wonderful experience. Common Redpoll was a good trip bird here too, then only ones we saw.
Lake Suigo at Teshikaga was in quite deep snow, but a foray along the track led to sightings of the white-bellied asiatica Eurasian Nuthatch, a Eurasian Wren, Marsh Tit, and best of all, Jun found us a White-backed Woodpecker, one that is easily missed on the tour. Whooper Swans were very photogenic and rewarded with my chocolate croissant present, and Tufted Duck and Goldeneye showed nicely. Venison burgers and ice cream at the cafe by the sumo museum was enjoyable, then because the weather had turned bad up at Rausu and the road was closed, we headed to Notsuke Hanto (peninsula), a great bleak windswept sand spit that curves out into the ocean. This was tough, very windy with snow squalls, but we did see an Eastern Marsh Harrier, Spectacled Guillemot, Long-tailed Duck and Black Scoter, and got close views of Sika Deer with some fine stags. We sheltered in the visitor centre and even braved the typhoon shelter, then decided to head north and hope the road had reopened. Fortunately for us, it had just before we got there, but even so we had a whiteout at one point and the driving was difficult, thank heavens for the red arrows that point down to the road edge and are even illuminated in some sections. It was nice to check in to our hotel and have an early Japanese banquet dinner before heading over to the famous Washi no Yado, the epicentre for seeing the charismatic Blakiston's Fish Owl. Here we had the viewing cabins to ourselves for once, a far cry from the crowded, noisy and cold mayhem of last year, and amazingly enough a Blakiston's Fish Owl swept in not 10 minutes after we got there. This was a young bird it seems and it was very nervous, constantly peering about and taking a while before it grabbed fish. We had wonderful views, and best of all did not have to sit up half the night in the hope of one appearing as can sometimes happen. I love the way this huge shadow appears over the snow and there it is!
Day 11, Wednesday, January 21. Rausu and the famous "Evergreen" boat trip 0800-0930, in calm conditions with a gentle sea; mega for photographers, with magnificent views of Steller's and White-tailed Eagles coming in to snatch up the fish thrown out by a crew member. This really is one of the great wildlife spectacles, with these huge spectacular birds so close, simply unforgettable. Brown Dipper on the river nearby was nice, then we went back down to Notsuke 1030-1300 for lunch and sea-watching, taking in Red Fox and 4 Asian Rosy Finch not too far from the lighthouse. Spectacled Guillemots showed well, as did Red-throated Diver (Loon) and Long-tailed Duck and Black Scoter but still no Stejneger's...... We then headed off to the great Yoroushi onsen (hot spring), arriving 1515 on and birding from the warm and comfortable sitting room- Brown Dipper, Eurasian Nuthatch , Marsh Tit, Coal Tit and Great-spotted Woodpecker showed very well. Some of us had a lovely soak in the hot springs too. That night we had a most enjoyable Japanese banquet and retired to bed, only to get a call at 2115 that a Blakiston's Fish Owl was on show. I chucked on a robe over my pajamas and headed down, those of us who got up being rewarded by fantastic close views of an immense bird sitting on the fishing trough right outside. I managed eventually to get an angle free of tourist heads, see my video on the Cornell and Smugmug sites, I was well-pleased by it.
Day 12, Thursday, January 22. Birded from the lounge till 0900 at Yoroushi, then drove to Odaito viewpoint with the well-known statue pointing out to the occupied Kurile Islands just offshore. We made a foray to Hashrikotan Barrier Spit down a road that is usually impassable by now, and this was really good, as we had excellent looks at 6 Stejneger's Scoter not too far offshore, 3 males and 3 maybe immature males, which were remarkably brown and lacked much head pattern. These were perhaps my best looks ever, with one flying drake showing the red legs really well. This is the Asian one of the 3-way splits from Velvet Scoter, with White-winged being the American version, and we usually see them way offshore or flying in a gale! Onnemato Bird hide was quiet, good conditions but not much showing beyond some distant Asian Rosy Finch on the islets. Nosappu misaki (Cape Nosappu) had a choppy sea but was not too windy, and we peered out offshore adding Steller's Sea Eagle, Pelagic Cormorant and Long-tailed Duck to our Russian list, whist a close flyby Japanese Cormorant was unexpected. Pacific Diver and both Horned (Slavonian) and Red-necked Grebe showed well. Alcids included Spectacled Guillemot, a Thick-billed Murre, a surprise Ancient Murrelet just offshore, and an intriguing small black and white alcid with a short bill which was potentially a vagrant Little Auk. Regrettably, Cory got some distant photos which showed a short quite slender bill, which eliminated my lifer Dovekie (Little Auk) and presumably belong to some odd plumage of Pigeon Guillemot, the Kurile/ Snow's form snowi. We await advice from the great and the good- hi Doug! - but this seems plausible.
Day 13, Friday, January 23. Meiji Park in Nemuro gave us the hoped-for and uncommon white-headed nominate race of Long-tailed Tit, known as the snow fairy here and now a marketing phenomenon, with its image on everything. Furen Boardwalk gave Oriental Greenfinch but no sign of a vagrant Redwing, then news came of an adult Bald Eagle at the Suwan 4 eagle feeding site not long before. We arrived and had lovely looks at White-tailed and Steller's, but the Bald beast had moved off; it is presumably the immature which turned up several years ago and is now resident here. Lunch at an oeconomakiyaki cafe at Nishibetsu was good, but a Ural Owl nearby was not on site, sadly our roost tree that held this species each year since 2014 blew down despite the iron bands supporting it, so now we have to get lucky to see this bird. We tried a further 3 spots without success, then just as it was getting late and we we heading back, a last site that Jun knew came good and there it was, a lovely Ural Owl blinking at us from a large hole in a tree- how good was that? It was not yet over however, as the river held 4 Falcated Duck, scarce on Hokkaido, and a stop at another bridge had a group of local folks who were looking at a Crested Kingfisher, the final trip addition for most and an always elusive low-density species.
A final stop was made to see the famous Otowa bridge, where photographers line up early each morning to picture the roosting cranes in the misty river amongst frosted trees, carrying the GDP value of a small country in camera gear.
My thanks to everyone for coming on the tour, it was an entertaining and compatible group, and we enjoyed showing you around. Also glad we managed to get Robin's bag delivered back..... Thanks also to Lee Ann and Nancy for sundry first aid and sunblock; that carnivorous elevator at Izumi is one I shall long remember and I still have the scar.
My thanks to Sue, Rowan and Jun at Sicklebill Safaris for setting up the main logistics, along with Karen at Field Guides. Special thanks to Jun for being such a good driver, bag packer and food facilitator, plus cultural interpreter and of course bird spotter, great job. Also nice to have Cory from Field Guides along in case I dropped off the perch after my cancer episode, and to learn the trip for some potential future time.
You can see my complete trip report on eBird at this link: https://ebird.org/tripreport/470417
You can download a combined PDF of this page and the eBird report at this link: https://fieldguides.com/triplists/jap26TRIPLIST.pdf
-- Phil Gregory (Sicklebill)