: Hokkaido 2025
Westernized and yet profoundly Asian, Japan remains an enigmatic land. The Japanese archipelago with its jagged and broken coastline and its high mountain peaks possesses some of the most striking scenery in eastern Asia. Nowhere in Japan is far from the sea and this has an immeasurable influence on both landscape and people. If your mental image of Japan is of shiny consumer exports, high technology, endless overcrowding and automatic everything, then join us at Bird-Photo-Tours Asia to create images of Japan’s untamed side. Imagine seeing hundreds of the stunningly beautiful but rare Red-crowned Cranes on Hokkaido, dancing and displaying at their riverine roosts and at their feeding grounds. Experience a boat ride among the shimmering pack ice and photograph one of the world’s largest and most dramatic raptor: the Steller’s Sea Eagle. Not only are the raptors huge but this land is also home to the largest owl on our planet: the magnificent Blakinston's Fish Owl. This Bird-Photo-Tour will provide the opportunity to photograph this stunning owl at close range. Think of being within arm’s reach of hundreds of delightful Whooper Swans at ice-coated and mist-fringed lakes and wintry seacoasts. Herds of sika deer and red fox, flocks of sea ducks, several species of gulls and some inspiring scenic opportunities all add to the charm of Hokkaido. A visit to Hokkaido is an experience in itself and one that requires a spirit of adventure and a willingness to adapt to new ways. Simple things like eating Japanese food and sleeping on a futon are very different from back home, but add to our experience as we explore the cultural differences.
Cranes / Swans: Red-crowned Crane / White-naped Crane / Whooper Swan
Eagles / Owls: Steller’s Sea Eagle / White-tailed Sea Eagle / Blakinston’s Fish Owl / Ural Owl
Waterbirds: Harlequin Duck / Greater Scaup / Black Scoter / Red-breasted Merganser
Guiding Fees / Ground Transportation / Accommodation / Meals / Entrance Fees / Tipping for Drivers, Boatsmen, Hotel and Restaurant Staff.
International Flights / VISA Fees / Travel Insurance / Tips for Local Guide / Alcohol / Laundry / Items of a Personal Nature
Day 1-4 Kushiro Subprefecture [3N / 2D / 5S]. Arrive Kushiro Airport, drive 1-hour 40km to Kushiro Subprefecture. Photographic Targets: Whooper Swan / Red-crowned Crane / Ural Owl / Long-tailed Tit.
Day 10 Kushiro Subprefecture [0N / 0D / 1S]. Drive 2-hour 120km to Kushiro Airport for international departures [END].
[Key: N=Night, D=Full Day, S = Session / Half-Day]
Nick, a UK National, has been living in Asia for over 15-years and in this time has conducted over 125 bird photography trips across the whole of the Asian continent ranging from Kazakhstan in the west, through India and China to Japan in the east, and from the Kamchatka coastline in the north to as far south as Indonesia. In China alone Nick has photographed to portrait-quality standard over 1,200 of China's bird species taking him to all of China's provinces as well as most of those nations bordering China. These bird photography trips have ranged in length from a few days to many months, including a three-month bird photography expedition to China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, becoming quite possibly the most travelled foreigner in this region over the past decade. Nick has also conducted a four-month bird photography trek across the Himalayas, ranging from the Indian States of Ladakh and Kashmir in the west, into the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, then onto the Indian States of West Bengal and Sikkim, ending in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in the eastern Himalayas. Nick has had his images published across numerous media channels including the BBC and Chinese state-owned media outlets, various bird magazines and journals including the Oriental Bird Club's BirdingASIA. He has his own website on the Birds of China at www.BirdingInChina.com and his book 'Portraits of the Birds of China' is due for publication in 2026. Furthermore, Nick has presented films on photographing birds both in Asia and Europe, has his bird images published across many social media platforms within and outside Asia, and has led a number of bird photography lectures and walks, particularly targeted at children. Consequently, Nick has accumulated significant experience of photographing birds within the Asian continent and this expertise has formed the backdrop to setting up Bird-Photo-Tours Asia, trips designed by bird photographers for bird photographers.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping. It is for these five reasons that this tour has been graded as "Easy".
