PO Box 9021, Wilmington, DE 19809, USA
E-mail: font@focusonnature.com
Phone: Toll-free in USA 1-800-721-9986
 or 302/529-1876; Fax: 302/529-1085

 

  Focus On Nature
Birding & Nature Tours 
in Japan

in 2011

There have been Focus On Nature Tours in Japan for 20 years, 
with most of our birding & nature tours having been in the 
winter and the spring. There have also been some tours 
during the summer and fall. 

In 2011, in the spring, there will be a tour, both interesting 
and enjoyable, scheduled for breeding and migrant birds, 
with a visit to very small island in the Sea of Japan that is a tremendous bird-migrant trap. All that it has been during 
each of the 7 visits we've made there in the past, 
during our Japan Birding & Nature Tour in the Spring. 
That very small island in the Sea of Japan is called Hegura. 
On it, a large total of 180 species of birds have been seen 
during our tours. A number of them have been birds 
more common on mainland Asia than in Japan. 

Also In 2011, FONT will again do, in January, its annual 
Winter Birding & Nature Tour on the Japanese islands of 
Honshu, Hokkaido, & Kyushu, including, as in the past, 
a day of pelagic birding onboard a ferry. 
Highlights, as in the past, are to be the cranes, sea-eagles, 
and fish-owl.
Following the January 2011 Japan Winter Tour, there will an 
optional extension on the southern Japanese island of 
Amami, particularly for the endemic & specialty birds that 
occur there. 

There's still, as of now, availability on the upcoming FONT 
Birding & Nature Tours scheduled for 2011 (in January, May,
& in October; the last of these mostly on the northern 
Japanese island of Hokkaido).  
       
Itineraries and other information regarding the tours follow
.


Lesser Sand Plover


Highlights from some previous Japan Birding & Nature Tours 

FONT has conducted the most Japan birding & nature tours - 34 - during the last 20 years. 
During the spring tours, and those on the southern islands (Nansei Shoto), the leader will have sound recordings of all the birds, that could be used as needed. 

Itineraries in 2011 with prices (click on the underlined tour numbers/dates):

Winter
(Tour JA-1a)
Jan 10-22, '11

Honshu, Hokkaido, 
Kyushu

for cranes,
eagles,
& more
(Tour JA-1a&b)
Jan 10-26, 11

Honshu, Hokkaido,
Kyushu, Amami

for endemics
& specialities
Spring
(Tour JA-2)
May 12-29, '11

Spring Birding

  Honshu, Kyushu & 
Nansei Shoto
(Okinawa & Amami),
and little 
Hegura Island
with its big 
bird migration

Fall
(Tour JA-3)
Oct 17-31, '11

mostly 
Hokkaido 

for 
cranes,
eagles,
migrants,
& the Blakiston's 
Fish Owl,
with a pelagic trip
for albatrosses
& more  

 

Previous Japan
Tour Highlights

LISTS OF BIRDS
OF JAPAN 

Throughout
Japan
(with photos)
Part #1
(Pheasants
to Pitta)
Part #2
(Minivets to
Buntings
)
REGIONAL
BIRD-LISTS:

Honshu

Hegura Island
(Spring Tours)

Amami Island
(Spring 
& Winter)
Okinawa
(Spring
& Winter)
Throughout
Japan during 
FONT Spring
& Summer Tours
NARRATIVES relating to 
our previous Japan Tours:


A Tour with
Blakiston's Fish Owl, Eagles, Cranes,
Mandarins, & More
(in Jan 2008)
A Spring Tour on 
5 Islands: 
Honshu, Kyushu, Okinawa, Amami, 
and Hegura, 
a little island 
that's a big magnet for birds
(in May 2007)
A PHOTO GALLERY:

Photographs 
of Japanese Culture & Scenery
(during our 
Dec '04 Tour) 




Rare Birds 
of Japan



Cranes 
of Japan

Shorebirds
of Japan

Butterflies
of Japan
 

Mammals
of Japan

 

 

Mountains on Honshu: Fuji (above left) & Asama (above right).
By Mt. Asama, we see many birds during our spring tours.



Two small birds in Japan: the Little Grebe
(above) in breeding plumage
and Common Kingfisher
(below) both photographed during FONT tours in Japan.




In the city of Tokyo, there are no House Sparrows. 
Rather, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow  is common. 



  

   

The Hokkaido coast in winter, with Steller's Sea-Eagles.

   

The Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, where a bird we see in winter
is the Red-flanked Bluetail
(below).