Japan 160203 Boat tour Rausu - Flight to Tokyo

Japan 160122-160204
Bird Photography trip

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© NF Photos 160203

Breakfast at 06.00 and ready to leave at 7.00h. I asked for help with my baggage because my legs was still wobbly from the cramp and I was on the second floor without a lift. Bus loaded with luggage and traveler´s and being waved of by the staff we headed for the harbor in Rausu. We were to board a boat for photographing eagles out on the ocean. And of course they brought breakfast for the eagles.

When we were out they stopped the boat and started to throw fish overboard. And soon enough we had eagles all over the place. Both kinds of sea eagles. But most of them were the Stellar´s Sea Eagle, the mighty bird. It is really a powerful bird. The rising sun was beautiful but who had time for that? There was eagles all around us. 

It was cold so the small heating pads was good to have in the boots and mittens. We moved the boat a little now and then so you have to be close to the fences for support. The floor too was slippery here and there. So, support was good. So, no crossing of floors if not necessary. 

From the beginning we were supposed to photograph eagles on ocean ice, but there was no ice so we were taken to the high pier instead. Looked kind of cool with all the birds on the top of the snowy pier. 

After about 2h we were done and was back on land boarding the bus that would take us down to Akan Tancho no Sato, the Crane sanctuary again. Due to the changes in plans we had time to visit the beautiful cranes again. We were there at 14.00h when they fed the birds with fish but today they landed the fish on the wrong place, so, not that much fuss among the eagles and cranes to our disappointment. But there was some fun with the fox.

lift off

  a fox payed a visit.

 A sea eagle steels the fish

After that we had to go to the airport for a trip back to Tokyo and the last night in Japan. Same hotel as before at the domestic part of the airport. We had time for dinner before takeoff at 20,10. Landed in Tokyo 22,00 just in time for bed. On the floor

Linking up with:  Our World Tuesday   Wild Bird Wednesday    Bird D´Pot

Japan on NF Photo  NF Birds around the world   

Labels:    Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, resa, travel, photo, bird, fågel, Japan,  Rausu, Akan Tancho no Sato, Steller's sea eagle, sea eagle, crane, White-naped Crane, Hokkaido, japan, Japansk trana, räv, fox,
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Japan 160126 Arasaki Crane Center - Tokyo

Japan 160122-160204
Bird Photography trip

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© NF Photos 160126, Arasaki Crane Center to Tokyo, Japan

Early morning as usual,hoping for a gorgeous sunrise at the same bridge as yesterday. And we were not disappointed. It was even better. It is such a perfect setting with the mountain range in the distance where the sun rises and the cranes all over the sky. And the ocean at the side. 

Everyone was very pleased when we headed back to the hotel for breakfast and to get ready to leave the hotel. 

One thing with Japanese customs is that when you leave a hotel the staff comes out to wave you off. Saying goodbye. and welcome back. And you are not supposed to leave until they are there. That would be very rude.

Now we headed back to the Arasaki Crane Center. Stopping for a while at a snowy and wet field where many cranes were feeding. It was a beautiful sight.  Today the Center was open and so the shops and roof deck. No climbing today.  :)  I walked around the area looking at cranes and other birds. And took a quick look in the shop. At lunch time we left the area to find a shop where we could buy lunch and then we were off to the Kagoshima´s airport. We had to do a little detour as they did not yet clean the entire highway. But we get to the airport in time for our tour to Tokyo.  The plane took off at 16,30. We stayed at the same airport hotel as last time. 

We heard at the news that 3000 schools had been closed due to the storm and it was 113 years since last time they had this amount of  snow. No wonder the center was closed yesterday.

We landed in Tokyo at 18,35 and had dinner at 20,30. The same kind of small dishes as all other meals. Took a shower and uploaded all images to the computer.

Tomorrow it is Monkey business! And breakfast at 6.45. Departure  by bus at 7.45. Going to see the snow monkeys. 

Linking up with:  Our World Tuesday   WATW

Japan on NF Photo  NF Birds around the world   

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26/1: Morgon vid Arasaki Crane Center. Buss till Kagoshima och flyg därifrån till Tokyo. Natt i Tokyo.

26 januari

Idag fortsatte vi med att fotografera tranor och andra fåglar vid Arasaki. Morgonen bjöd på en riktigt fin soluppgång, där de stora tranflockarna bildade snygga silhuetter mot den röda morgonhimmeln. Ytterligare några tusen bilder matades in i våra minneskort! Även idag såg vi fyra tranarter, då vi lyckades rota fram både trana (1) och prärietrana (4). Flera amurtrastar fanns runt vårt hotell, liksom svartryggad rödstjärt.

Efter lunch bröt vi upp och körde den några timmar långa bussresan till Kagoshimas flygplats, som nu hade öppnats igen då den mesta snön töat bort. Under eftermiddagen flög vi sedan tillbaka till Tokyo, där vi tog in på flygplatshotellet för en natt. 

Labels:    Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, resa, travel, photo, bird, fågel, Japan,  Arasaki, Arasaki Crane Center, bridge, glasögontrana, himmel, Hooded crane, Kagoshima, munktrana, sky, White-naped Crane,

Japan 160125 Arasaki Crane Center

Japan 160122-160204
Bird Photography trip

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© NF Photos 160125

In my room, no 205, in Akune it was cold. And the Japanese bed had only pillows stuffed with peas, I think it was. My head did not like it so I took one of the  seat cushions and had it over the pillow. Then I could sleep. I woke up at 5.30 as we were to leave the hotel for an early photo session at a bridge close to the Arasaki Crane Center. And we wanted to be there when the sun was rising and the cranes started to fly. 

It was one of those mornings you wish everyone could experience. We were standing on the top of the bridge overlooking the fields and the mountains behind them. In our backs there was a small village and mountains behind it. To our left there was some water. I don´t know if it was the edge of the ocean or a large lake. Probably the sea between Japan and China. 

When the light started to come so did the cranes. It was wonderful.

After about 2 h we headed back to the hotel for breakfast.

Japanese style.

When we were ready to go back to the Arasaki Crane Center it had started to snow again. The kind of Christmas snow with large flakes. When we left the hotel a couple of woman waved at us. :) 

When we arrived at the Center it was closed. It turned out that the staff was not able to come to work due to the unusual weather conditions. It was 10 cm snow on the parking lot and a bit more on the land. It seemed that the people did like the snow though.



 I noticed snow men and woman everywhere. At the Center they had made a large snow woman. But the shops were closed. So I guess the snow woman was guarding the place. 

There was lots of cranes in the area. Both in the fenced area where they fed them and outside. I learned that the fields were use for rice production in summer and as a sanctuary for the cranes in winter. That way they made money from tourists in winter. 

As I walked around the area checking things out I noticed a few men on top of the building. One of them said: there is a ladder on the side, you can use it to come up here and get a good view of the cranes. It was not easy to climb the ladder, then climbing over the fence with a locked gate, to get to the stairs. Carrying the backpack and camera. But I made it and got myself a good laugh. You should have seen me. :)

After taking a good look at the cranes from the top veranda, normally one could access the roof from inside the center, I had to take the same way back down. I made it without getting hurt or anything. 

There was so many cranes, some small birds and for raptors there was kites.  And for the most part of the day it was still snowing. We only made a break to get to a Convenience store to buy some lunch that we ate in the bus. 

When it darkened we headed back to the hotel for dinner. It was possible to take a bath in the Onsen, a hot spring bath, but I settled for a shower. And to upload all images to the computer. 

The dinner was Japanese style. Lots of small dishes and cooking pots on the table. The same kind of dishes as in the morning. I am not a "fishperson" but I tasted every dish I was offered. Most of them with seafood. 

After dinner I went to the Onsen. A hot spring bath. Nude only. But nowadays men and woman was separated so everybody could go and take a bath. It was nice. First you clean yourself, then you relax in the hot water. With a little smell of sulfur. There was also a bath outdoors with snow around it for the brave ones.

It will be another early morning tomorrow so I got to sleep early. 

View from the bridge close to Arasaki

I have made some artwork from that day. Follow the links below:
Watching sunise  Lonely reflection  White-naped Crane

Linking up with;  Sky Watch Friday   GOOD FENCES

Japan on NF Photo  NF Birds around the world   

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25/1: Heldag i  Arasaki Crane Center. Natt i Akune 

25 januari

Gårdagens blåsiga oväder hade dragit bort under natten, så en helt stilla och ganska klar morgon mötte oss! Marken var täckt med snö, vilket är väldigt ovanligt här. Vi startade morgonen med att besöka Arasaki Crane Center innan frukost, för tranfotografering i det fina morgonljuset där solen steg upp över bergen i fjärran. I området övervintrar mängder med tranor och i år mer än någonsin, då det räknats in rekordhöga 17 000 tranor. Mest munktranor, men även många vackra glasögontranor och en liten grupp prärietranor.

Efter en sväng tillbaka till hotellet för frukost återvände vi till trancentrat och stannade sedan i området hela dagen för att fylla minneskorten med tranbilder i alla tänkbara ljus, bakgrunder och positioner. 1 vanlig trana och 4 prärietranor sågs bland alla munk- och glasögontranor. Mycket andra fåglar också så klart, som tex större turturduva, japansk bulbyl, bruntrast, hedpiplärka, svartryggad rödstjärt, japansk glasögonfågel och rödkindad sparv. Efter kvällens middag i japansk stil passade många på att prova ett hett bad, onsen. Skönt och välgörande efter en lång dag i fält! 

Labels:    Resor, travel, trip, journey, Sverige, Sweden, sky, photo, photography, Monica Johansson, NatureFootstep, nfphoto, NF_photo, nature, natur, fågelskådning, birding, resa, travel, photo, bird, fågel, Japan,  Arasaki Crane Center, Arasaki, Akune, munktrana, Hooded crane, glasögontrana, White-naped Crane,