Winter in Hokkaido Photo Gallery by Jan-Michael Breider at pbase.com

Winter in Hokkaido

The island of Hokkaido is located at the north end of Japan, near Russia, and has coastlines on theSea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Pacific Ocean. The center of the island has a number of mountains and volcanic plateaus, and there are coastal plains in all directions. Hokkaido is known for its relatively cool summers and icy winters. The average January temperature ranges from -12 to -4 °C (10.4 to 24.8 °F), in both cases depending on elevation and distance from the ocean, eastern side beeing the cooler.
Together with Jari Peltomäki (Fin) and a small group of photografphers from Sweden and Finland I visited Hokkaido during 10 days. Our mainpurpose was to see and photograph a handfull of famous birdspecies:
- Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) at Akan – The estimated total population of the species is only 2,750 in the wild, including about 1,000 birds in the resident Japanese population.
- Wintering Whooper Swans at lake Kussharo.
- White-tailed Eagles, Steller`s Eagles and Blakiston`s Fishowl at Rausau.
- Eagles and Black Kites at Lake Furen.

MOORE PICTURES TO COME .......

Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis - Japansk trana) - Akan Cranecenter	Old-fashioned Japanese photographer (panorama specialist?) waiting for cranes to act	Snow crane family arriving to Akan	Cranes display in snow	Cranes display in snow
Cranes display in snow - Japan	Cranes display in snow	Cranes display in snow	Flying in a frosty morning	-17 degrees Centigrade
Dancing Snow Cranes	Dancing Snow Cranes	Dancing Snow Cranes	Dancing Snow Cranes	Dancing Snow Cranes
Young crane display	White-tailed Sea-eagle among cranes looking for fish	Young Crane laying with snow	Flying Snow Cranes	Flying Snow Crane
Cranes leaving the area late evening	Cranes leaving the area late evening	Cranes leaving the area late evening	Whooper Swans and Akan forest	Sika Deers at Akan Crane center
A snowy morning in central Hokkaido	Whooper Swan (Sångsvan) at Lake Kussharo	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar) panorama	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)
Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans at lake Kussharo	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swan (Sångsvan) flying in	Wet Whooper Swan (Sångsvan)
Whooper Swan (Sångsvan) resting	Whooper Swan (Sångsvan)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)
Whooper Swan (Sångsvan)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar) in Lake Kussharo	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar) walking towards open water	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)
Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar)	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar) at dusk	Whooper Swans (Sångsvanar) in evening snowfall
Red Fox near Lake Kussharo - Hokkaido	Red Fox - Abashiri	Red Fox - Abashiri Hokkaido	Red Fox at Akan cranefeeding	Kawayo Hot Springs
Shiretoko Mountain Range	Looking for eagles at dawn in the pack ice outside Rausu	Steller`s Eagle at dawn	Adult White-tailed Sea Eagle (Havsörn) at dawn	Adult White-tailed Sea Eagle (Havsörn) at dawn
Adult White-tailed Sea Eagle (Havsörn) at dawn	Whit-tailed Sea Eagle at dawn	Adult White-tailed Sea Eagles (Havsörnar)	Adult White-tailed Sea Eagle (Havsörn)	White-tailed Sea Eagles (Havsörnar)
White-tailed Sea Eagle and Crow (Havsörn och Djungelkråka)	A flock of Steller`s Eagles (and one White-tailed) waiting in the pack-ice	Steller`s Eagle (Jättehavsörn)	Stellers`s Eagle with fish	Steller`s Eagle eating a fish
Stellers`s Eagle with fish	Steller`s Eagle	Steller`s Eagles in pack ice	Harlequin Ducks (Strömänder) in Rausu harbour	Preparing dinne before looking at the Fish Owl....
Blakiston´s Fishowl coming to catch fish in the night near Rausu	Blakiston´s Fishowl coming to catch fish in the night near Rausu	Blakiston´s Fishowl coming to catch fish in the night near Rausu	Kari Wallgren, myself & Jari Peltomäki in the daily bath....	Black Kites (Bruna glador) and some Eagles gather in the morning at Lake Furen
Black Kite (Brun glada) - Lake Furen	Young White-tailed Sea Eagle - Lake Furen	American Black Scoter (Amerikansk sjöorre - Melanitta americana)

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