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Birding in the Spring
in Central & Southern Japan

May 7–24, 2009

(tour: FON/JA–3, '09)

With, first, about a week of birding on  Honshu,
including the small Hegura Island in the Sea of Japan,
a magnet for migrating birds at a prime time

  Followed by birding 
for Specialties & Endemics
 in Southern Japan
On the Islands of Nansei Shoto
particularly Ishigaki & Iriomote
and Okinawa & Amami
And in Kyushu

Among the southern Japanese specialties and endemics: 
the Ryukyu Serpent-Eagle, the Malayan Night-Heron, Ruddy Kingfisher and Japanese Paradise Flycatcher, Okinawa Rail and Pryer's Woodpecker, Amami Woodcock, Ryukyu Robin, and Lidth's Jay.

And, the colorful Fairy Pitta!

These just a few of the many interesting birds to be found.

Included in the tour is an overnight in a beautiful natural setting with forest and a volcano, with a hot springs and a fine Japanese meal.

Cumulative Japan Bird-List    

Bird-List from previous Spring tours in Japan

Japan Past Tour Highlights

Birds of Hegura Island

Birds of the Island of Amami

Rare Birds during our Japan Tours

Butterflies      Mammals 

Photo Gallery 1:  Birds

Photo Gallery 2:  Birds &  Other Wildlife

Itinerary:

Thu: May 7, '09  Arrival in Japan. Most participants would be arriving at Narita airport, (2 hours north of Tokyo). Overnight at good hotel accommodation by Narita airport.
(Departure from the United States, for example, would have been the previous day, Wed. May 6. Remember travel west from the US to Japan crosses the international date line.) 

Fri: May 8  Birding, this day, at places by the upper Tokyo Bay particularly good for shorebirds (or waders), such as the Great Knot, Far Eastern Curlew, and Lesser Sandplover (also known as Mongolian Plover). A dozen or more shorebird species should be seen (and other birds too). Overnight again near Narita. 
 
Sat: May 9  Travel to Haneda Airport, in Tokyo, for a flight to Kanazawa. From there, travel by van, with birding enroute, to the coastal fishing town of Wajima on the picturesque Noto Peninsula by the Sea of Japan. Overnight in Wajima.

Sun: May 10  A morning pelagic trip from Wajima to Hegura Island (about 2 hours offshore). During the boat trip, seabirds that are possible include: the Japanese Murrelet, Rhinocreos Auklet, and  Swinhoe's Storm-Petrel. Streaked Shearwaters should be plentiful. Red-necked Phalaropes could be. Our first overnight on Hegura Island, at the minshuku, or "Japanese inn".

Hegura, a small island with many birds in migration.
The lighthouse in the middle of the island, the harbor to the right. 

Mon: May 11  Hegura Island is small (less than 1 kilometer by 2 kilometers in area) but birding there in early May can be tremendous. Last year, during our tour in late April there was a fall-out of migrating birds that was tremendous. This year, we're hoping for another at a time when there can be even more variety. Over 60 species of birds during a day in May on Hegura is easy. About 80 species is likely. Nearly a hundred species is possible. As there are no tall trees or dense forest on the island, birds that can be hard to see elsewhere can be easily seen on Hegura - birds such as the Japanese Robin and the Siberian Rubythroat. Many of the migrant birds on Hegura are those that go north to Hokkaido or mainland Asia. A number of species that occur regularly on Hegura are rare elsewhere in Japan. A list of Hegura birds is linked to this itinerary. During our tours on Hegura Island, in 2001  2002, and 2004, participants found the birding experience there to be among the best they've ever had. Our second overnight on Hegura Island.

Tue: May 12  Another nearly full day of what should be excellent birding on Hegura, as our boat departs the island late in the day. Following the two-hour pelagic trip, overnight in Wajima.

Wed: May 13  After some morning birding, travel to Kanazawa. From there, a flight to Tokyo, and then a connecting flight to the island of Okinawa. Birding, as time permits, upon arrival, in Naha at mudflats near the airport, a fine place for waterbirds and shorebirds (or waders) dependent upon the tide . From Okinawa, in the evening departure on an overnight ferry from Naha to the southern Ryukyu island of Ishigaki.

Thu: May 14   The ferry to stop at the island of Miyako in the morning, and then arrive at Ishigaki, where we'll disembark, in the afternoon. Upon arrival on the tropical island of Ishigaki, there will be land-birding for such specialities as the Barred Buttonquail, Ruddy Kingfisher, Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher, and at dusk: the Malayan Night-Heron. Ruddy and Banded Crakes, Watercock and White-breasted Waterhen occur, as do a number of other birds, notably shorebirds (or waders). Overnight on Ishigaki.

Fri: May 15  Travel, this day, by boat, to another island, further southwest, Iriomote. More than 80 per cent of this forested island is a national park (the home of the rarely-seen Iromote Wild Cat). Birds that can be seen at sea in the area of Iriomote include: Brown Booby, Bulwer's Petrel, Streaked Shearwater, and various tropical terns: Black-naped, Roseate, Bridled, and Sooty. On Iriomote, a prime avian attraction is the rare raptor, the Ryukyu Serpent Eagle (formerly regarded as a subspecies of the Crested Serpent Eagle). Most readily seen on Iriomote — with a large proportion of the species' population (about a hundred birds) there — over two-thirds of them are on the island. Overnight on Iriomote.

Sat: May 16  After morning birding, travel by boat back to Ishigaki. Additional birding and overnight there.

Sun: May 17  Birding on Ishigaki in the morning. A flight, in the afternoon, back to Okinawa. Overnight there in Naha.

Mon & Tue: May 18 & 19  What should be especially interesting birding on our third tropical island of the tour: Okinawa.  Where there are some especially interesting birds. Some rare, some endemic. Among the specialties, the very rare Pryer's Woodpecker (seen during previous FONT tours) and the Okinawa Rail (discovered only as recently as 1981). Also waterbirds such as: Cinnamon Bittern and Eastern Reef-Heron. Also occurring on Okinawa: the Ryukyu Robin and Amami Woodcock in the forests. At rice paddies, birds include the Cinnamon Bittern. Along the shoreline, Eastern Reef-Herons and Black-naped Terns. We'll be spending two nights in accommodations close to the best birdlife, at the north end of the island that's known as Yambaru, a region with forested hills, the special birds, and not many people.

   
The Okinawa Rail, that only became known to science
about 2 decades ago, can be very hard to see.
But in May, we could have a good chance to do so.

Wed: May 20  Flight from Okinawa to the island of Amami. This to be the first of 2 overnights on that subtropical, hill, mostly-forested island, surrounded by coral reefs. On the island, interesting birds can be found, some endemic (or nearly-so), some rare: the Amami Thrush, Amami Woodcock, the beautiful Lidth's Jay, the Ryukyu Robin, and Ryukyu Scops-Owl.

   
Two of the bird specialties of Amami Island,
the Lidth's Jay & Amami Woodcock 

Thu & Fri: May 21 & 22  Birding on Amami — a full day, and much of another. During our stay, we would have two evenings for birding (for the woodcock and owl), and two mornings (for the other good birds). During the afternoon of May 22, a flight from Amami to Kagoshima (on the southernmost main Japanese island of Kyushu). 
Upon arrival there, travel to the region of the nearby Ebino Plateau for an enjoyable evening and night at a Japanese inn, with some nice cuisine. The setting of that inn, by a beautiful national park: with forest, and a volcano and hot springs. Japanese hot baths (onsens) will be available for those who wish.

Sat: May 23  Today, our quest will be the most colorful of all Japanese birds: the Fairy Pitta.  Also in the area we'll be birding: endemics, the Copper Pheasant and Japanese Green Woodpecker. And, of course, other woodland birds as well. Overnight again near the Ebino Plateau. 

Sun: May 24  In the morning, a flight to Tokyo, to connect with international flights departing from Japan.

Price: US $3,395 per person, based upon double-occupancy.
Single supplement: US $395.

Includes: All overnight accommodations.
All meals (except on May 7 and 24).
Ground transportation.
Ferries to Ishigaki and Iriomote.
Services of the FONT birding leader and local guides.

Does not include: Drinks and other items of a personal nature.
Air transportation (to/from & within Japan).

Focus On Nature Tours can arrange economical fares for flights to/from and within Japan. Please contact us regarding the best fares possible. 

Participants can opt to do their own flights to/from Japan (maybe with "frequent flyer miles".) But, FONT will handle Japanese domestic flights during the tour.