Japan 160131 Tsurui - Kawayu

Japan 160122-160204
Bird Photography trip

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© NF Photos 160131

The first day of our trip when we did not wake up in the middle of the night.

Our departure from the hotel was scheduled at 8.30. So I had a little time to take a look at the street outside the hotel in Tsurui. The interesting thing I had seen was that there was steam coming out from the sides of the street. So I think there was hot spring water flowing under the side of the street.

The breakfast was very tasty and I liked it a lot. We were also given a gift in form of calendars for this year from the hotel. There was two very beautiful calendars in the roll and they featured the Red-crowned cranes of course   :)

Today we are going north but first we made a stop at the Crane center in Tsurui to get some last morning images of the cranes. A man was preparing breakfast for the cranes but none was there. They were still at the river. But instead I spotted a Coal Tit. you can see it HERE

So we headed north to find our first target. An Ural owl (slaguggla)  that was sitting in a tree. An easy find if you know it is there. But, that is the reason why you have a local guide. We had to walk about 200 m in the snow to find it sitting in a hole in a tree.

After lunch at a restaurant with Japanese version  of pizza, we made a stop at Lake Mashu. Which was a volcano lake. It was very beautiful and had a gorgeous surrounding with snowy trees and mountains. In the sun it was almost too beautiful.

Our last stop for the day was Lake Kussharo where we were looking for mute swans in the mist from hot streams. A well known lake for that kind of shots. But I was a bit disappointed. The misty areas was very small with a rather small area of open water. But I soon realized that the images tricks you to think it is bigger. Nevertheless it was a nice place for photography. Two different locations with the surrounding mountains. 

A beautiful light in the low sun

Dancing Queens

The second place, with a center, had very strange icy features. And there the swans started to dance. Did look hilarious as they had to dance on those sharp icy edges. 

We did also see a male Falcated duck (praktand).

Night in a hotel in Kawayu. We had a party like dinner. Very nice. Even if I think the Japanese kitchen use too little spice. We met in a separate room dressed in the common clothing that was provided in every room we had so far on the trip. Coming back to the room after dinner my bed was set on the floor.

It´s a bit tricky sitting on the floor eating and working. Not used to it anymore.

Tomorrow we move again.

Whooper swans and ducks on Lake Kussharo

Linking up with:  Our World Tuesday   Wednesday Waters   Saturdays Critters

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, Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu, slaguggla, Tsurui, Ural owl, whooper swan, sångsvan, ånga, steam, ice, lake, is, snö, hot spring,

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31/1: Morgonen vid Tsurui Ito Tancho Crane Sanctuary. Transport norrut genom Akan National Park,

med stopp vid Lake Mashu. Kvällen vid Lake Kussharo (sångsvanarna). Natt i Kawayu.

31 januari

Efter ett kort inledande besök vid trancentrat i Tsurui körde vi vidare norrut. Först stoppet blev för foto av en fin slaguggla på dagkvist. Vi fortsatte norrut längs vackra Akan National Park i ett härligt vinterväder, med en värmande sol, blå himmel och gnistrande snö. Längs vägen sågs flera jättehavsörnar samt japanska sikahjortar.

Efter lunch stannade vi vid Lake Mashu för landskapsfotografering. Ett vackert landskap bredde ut sig framför oss, med vulkansjön och omkringliggande berg. Dagen avslutades med sångsvansfotografering i Lake Kussharo. Sjön måste vara ett av världens bästa ställe att fotografera sångsvan på! Svanarna ligger i små isvakar på sjön, där varmt vatten sipprar ut så det ryker i kylan och bildar dimridåer runt svanarna. Detta magiska scenario och med en vacker bakgrund med snöklädda berg, gav väldigt vackra bilder i det fina kvällsljuset! Där fanns även praktand och Crested Kingfisher.

 

150306 Varanger, Norway. Gardermoen to Båtsfjord

Varanger, Norway 150305-150311 
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© NF Photos 150306
For maps see blogpost Varanger

I did sleep on a couch but woke up because of cold drafts from a corridor so I had to move. But I got some sleep anyway. In the morning, after checking in, I met with my travel guide and fellow travellers. Lots of planes was cancelled due to the Norwegian pilots strike. see image of scedule reflected in airport,  but we was airborne according to schedule. It took two hours to get to Kirkenes. But in a way the trip was a disappointment. I had expected to see the mountain range but we travelled over Sweden and low country. I did not see mountains until we
got very close to Kirkenes. 

Image to the left, Varanger from above a few min before landing. 

After we picked up the rented cars we took off to Båtsfjord.

To start with it was a beautiful road,  now and then close to rivers and the arctic sea.

The sun came out occasionally and we made a stop at a frozen river with some water still flowing down a small fall.  First stop was at Skoltefossen.

When arriving at Varangerbotn we took a lunch break. And then continued inland due north west. We made a few photo stops and once we did see moose. A cow and half grown calf. 

31 km from Båtsfjord the road was closed due to snowy condition. There was a road barrier over the road. No passing permitted until they cleared the road of snow.  It was very windy and slippery and traffic had to wait to go in a caravan behind a truck with a snow blower the rest of the way. So we had to wait 1.5h before we could continue and then it was already dark. There was some piles of snow outside the house with the waiting room. The light from the room lit it up and I took some shots. People wondering why I shot them. But what I saw was not piles of  snow, I saw this: Watching. 


When the truck arrived it did not take long before we reached Båtsfjord. We arrived at the hotel around 18.00h. Got our rooms and took a quick shower before dinner was served at 19.00h.

After dinner we had an info meeting and was given our warm overalls to use in the hide. Well, that was kind of fun. You really feel clumsy in that suit. But it turned out to be great.  Then we were all very tired and forgot we was about to check for aurora.

I got to bed rather early as we were to meet again at 05.00h to go to the first session in hide. 

Winter in Varanger

Linking up with Sky Watch Friday

Varanger on NF Photo  NF Birds around the world   

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