Japan 160129 Jigokudani Monkey Park - Tokyo - Hokkaido

Japan 160122-160204
Bird Photography trip

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© NF Photos 160129, Jigokudani Yaenkoen

Today I woke up early as usual. I had time to take a walk around the area to take a look at the hot water river. There is a waterfall as well. And everything is very beautiful. I did even see a Brown dipper searching for breakfast. 

After breakfast we headed up to the Monkey Park. On the way up I spotted 2 guys taking a bath in the outdoor Onsen. Probably hoping for a monkey to join in. But no one did.  We had 2 h today at the monkey park before we had to go back through the forest to the Onsen where the bus is waiting o pick us up. And today it was snowing.

Today we were going straight to Haneda airport in Tokyo for transfer to Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. After landing in Kushiro airport we had to go by bus another hour to our first hotel up north in Tsurui. Everyone wanted a very late dinner but I did not. I don´t really like to have dinner at 22.00 in the evening. Instead I took a shower in the Onsen and just enjoyed myself.  There was no shower in the room but the Onsen, hot spring water bath in the other end of the hall, was great. So nice after all the sitting in busses and airplanes today.

Uploaded the images and then "hit the sack" in a normal bed today. No sleeping on the floor this time. 

Useful links: 

Snow Monkey Park   Snow Monkey Live cam

The mountain lodge a snowy morning

In lack of monkey company you can always take a selfie.  Outdoor hotspring  onsen.

Monkey gathering

The walk back to civilization with different types of trees on both sides.

At the Haneda Airport in Tokyo it was raining. Taking from our plane window

Hmm.....


Linking up with: Our World Tuesday

NF Trees n Bushes
Saturdays critters

Japan on NF Photo  NF Birds around the world   

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29/1: Morgonen i Jigokudani Monkey Park, sedan vandring tillbaka och buss till Tokyo. Flyg Tokyo –

Kushiro på Hokkaido på kvällen, sedan buss till hotellet i Tsurui.

29 januari

Idag inledde vi dagen med ännu ett besök hos de badande makakerna vid Jigokudani Monkey Park. Där även en brun strömstare. Sedan lämnade vi lodgen och vandrade vi ner för berget, till bussen som väntade på oss. Därefter väntade en lång bussresa tillbaka till Tokyo.

På eftermiddagen tog vi sedan flyget norrut, till Kushiro på Hokkaido, där vi körde en timme norrut till vårt hotell för de kommande två nätterna i byn Tsurui (vilket betyder "där tranorna finns", p g a av alla japanska tranor). Nu väntar resans sista del, med riktigt kalla och arktiska förhållanden och fler fantastiskt fina fotomöjligheter! 

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151012 Stötta Sten - Support the rock

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 There are also a bench to sit and rest on after supporting the rock.

Stötta Sten
© NF Photos 151012

This is a large rock that was moved by the ice long ago. It is located about 20 km north of  my city. It stands with only a small area on the ground. And of course there are a lot of sagas attached to it. It is said that a giant was throwing it at the Flodafors church built at the side of the map above. He did not like the sound of the church bells. Well, he did not hit the church, the rock landed in the forest.
As the rock stands the way it does there is risk for it to roll away. That is why every visitor has to put a branch up to support it.

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Our World Tuesday

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150906 Celebrating the people of Vrå

150906  Celebrating the people of Vrå
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Our World Tuesday    WATW

Trees n Bushes

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My neighbour wearing a local female dress from 6000 years ago

A male dress

Californian children learns the craft of making pottery in the rain

Old tools

Still raining. The fire needed big trunks to burn

The "kitchen". Salmon on the menu

Bows and arrows at the largest hut.

A badger and a sleeping hide

© NF Photos 150906, Vrå

This is a place about 20 km outside Katrineholm where I live. They found the remains of an old settlement and a group of people built this village from what was known about the area and period of time, approx 6000 years ago.

Despite of the rainy day many people visited. One family came all the way from California.

Föreningen Vrå-folket 

   Vrå-folket on wiki  The following is a translation with help from GOOGLE translate:
Vrå or Vråkeramik is a tidigneolitisk collection of settlements in Södermanland. Sometimes counted culture to ("trattbägarkeramik") funnel goblet pottery.

In 1935, regained Stone Florin a settlement at the croft little corner, in Stora Malm parish east of Katrineholm in Södermanland. The settlement had rectangular foundations of stone and stone tools, malstenar and potsherds. The literature also talks about Vrå pottery. The earliest pottery (funnel cups) were found in the settlement at Mogetorp, Stora Malm parish, just west of Katrineholm. The vessels have laces and seal impressions and round bottoms. They are made of clay with magring (?) free of lime of crushed granite.

Mogetorps habitation is high at Littorina highest boundary. The bone material is almost decomposed. In the little corner also has bone material is partially decomposed, but it has been able to draw conclusions that the Stone Age population there made a living by fishing, hunting, ranching and farming. The ceramics This is in comparison with Mogetorp richer and more varied decor. The color of the vessels are not from greyish to dark gray, but from greyish to brownish yellow.

Settlement at Brokvarn in Turinge west of Sodertalje representing the youngest phase in Vrå. Ceramics have flat bottoms and recalls pit pottery. Sometimes the mouth brink equipped with finger and nail impressions. The color of the vessels is from yellowish brown to grayish brown.

Even at Malma heath in Malmköping found a settlement related Vrå.

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Hjälmaren Canal and lock

Hjälmare Kanal och sluss vid Hällby
 Hjälmaren Canal and locks at Hällby

Lake Hjälmaren and Lake Mälaren are two of the largest lakes in Sweden. This is a 13 kilometres long canal that connects Lake Hjälmaren with Lake Mälaren in Sweden. 9 canal locks lower the boats 22 metres down to Lake Mälaren. Lake Hjälmaren is located about 30 km north of where I live. When I was a kid we had a summer cottage there.

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Bridge at Sundbacken, Värhulta

Hällby Mill where the canal passes a small lake
I was so taken by the beauty of the growth on the poles I forgot to take photos of the old mill.

Hällby Lock with my friend on top in a red jacket.

Hjälmare Docka, close to Arboga town, where the boats are stored in winter.
© NF Photos 150604

And, of course, I had some fun :)


Hjälmaren Canal on wiki   Hjälmare Kanal on wiki

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140910 Queensland More of Atherton Tablelands

Queensland, Australia 2014-09-05--09-25
140910Wednesday

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© NF Photos 140910

As before we birded the garden area at 6.30 before breakfast. The clothes I washed up two days ago are not yet dry so I had to let them hang in front of the fake fire-heater. Hopefully they dry till tomorrow.

 It was a fine morning with great birds in the trees.

After breakfast we left to visit the NP of an old tree but it turned out the tree was no longer there. It was blown down in a storm and the NP was gone with it.

Then we went to Lake Barrine, Crater Lake NP. We started with a walk in the forest and then arrived at the lake. There was some birds in the lake but the real treat was the flowering trees. Here I first met the honeyeaters. Such adorable birds. A little reminding me of the hummingbirds in CostaRica. So fun to watch. I also found a Wompoo Fruit-Dove  in one of the big trees. There was also time for people to have some snack at the NP Centre if they wanted.

Hastie's Swamp NP  aka Nyleta Wetlands was next to visit. A place with a great "hide", a two storey birding tower from where you had a great outlook over the lake. There was some rare ducks swimming in the lake too. I took this shot from the bus before we got to the hide.

Then lunch break in a village. With some bird as guests. We also had walk in a school area, Wom ECLA I think the name was. There was trees and a ditch behind a football plane. A few small, colorful birds in the trees.

Now we headed for Herberton Range a burned forest. The first burned forest I´ve walked in. I have seen some in the past, but not walked in them. We were looking for some birds but did not see many. And I was busy with trees. And cows. We did see at least two groups of cows in the NP.

We were back at Chambers rather early for dinner. Later on we went out again to the Curtain Fig Tree to try our luck with owls and other nocturnal birds and critters. We heard some but saw little. But we did see a tree kangaroo.

Back at Chambers I took a quick look at the balcony for Striped Possum. They really are sweet. Took a shower, uploaded images and packed as we are leaving tomorrow.

Last night at Chambers Lodge and my clothes are finally dry.

Below, a beautiful silvery tree sparkling against the sky at Herberton Range

Saturdays Critters  Sky Watch Friday   Travel Photo Thursday

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