www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

After lunch, we turned inland, to reach our last Hokkaido hotel early afternoon. Fortunately, the owners had put up some bird feeders, helping to retain birds that it would probably be to cold for, normally. They were British species, but some looked slightly different to ours. This we think is a willow tit. Great spotted woodpecker. Nuthatches here are white underneath. While jays are the form brandtii,

There were some Dutch birdwatchers staying at the hotel, and they kindly showed us a solitary snipe they had found by the river, as the light began to fade. But the best was yet to come, as the river behind the hotel is home to the rare and very impressive Blakiston’s fish owl, and we were delighted when it showed for us!

The next day was our last day in Hokkaido. It dawned very cold, perhaps-20C, but wonderfully clear and blue. Leaving our hotel, our first stop produced this excellent black (eared) kite, posing nicely by a frozen lake.

Fantastic shots essex, I've really enjoyed your Journey, Goldie

More to come, Goldie!

We then went down to the frozen lake Furen. On the edge, it was nice to see our last pair of Japanese cranes. We then had time for one last experience with the eagles. On the frozen lake, tho owners of the lakeside cafe regularly throw out discarded fish, and this brings in large numbers of white tailed and stellers sea eagles. Much squabbling and changeover takes place, and it all makes fantastic viewing. Sometimes, a stellers would watch another feeding for several minutes , then lose patience and try to steal it’s food. Others would just stomp around, looking very angry! In this situation,these amazing birds are quite comical to watch. Here is a stomping, angry looking stellers. At one point, this fox turned up, smelling food. But he should know better than picking a fight with a stellers sea eagle! Sadly, it was then time to head to the airport, for our afternoon flight to Tokyo . We were sorry to leave Hokkaido,as we had had a wonderful time there, and I have been blown away by this amazing place. The landscape, the people, who had been most welcoming, and the truly brilliant wildlife and weather. And our local guides, a big thank you to everyone involved. . I really hope I can go back someday.A few last pictures of the eagles.

That Owl was a great sighting/tick Essex That fox was lucky that it didn’t become the food

Have a goodun

Wurzel

I feel quite sad knowing this sequence of reports is coming to an end, Mark.

What a fantastic trip you had, to a fascinating country with even more fascinating wildlife.

It also shows how lucky we in the UK are to benefit from the jet stream. Japan lies at a more southerly latitude but temperatures of -20c and sea ice demonstrate just what would be in store for us were this atmospheric stream somehow extinguished!

That huge owl is a great rarity, Wurzel, and we were very lucky to see it.

David, all good things must come to an end, but it’s not the end just yet! It’s true Japan is further south than the UK, and this is reflected but the fact that, in winter, it gets more daylight than Britain does. Makes one wonder what our climate would be like if the earth went the other way around, with the prevailing wind from the east!

The next day, we visited the gardens of Imperial Palace in Tokyo. In the moat, we found a group of these falcated ducks. I’ve seen these at collections like WWT Arundel, but these were my first wild ones. The pied wagtails here had lovely white wings, when they fly it’s gorgeous. The white cheek starlings were here again. The pine trees in the park and elsewhere are heavily manicured into shape. Japan is well known for its spring blossom. It was just getting going in early March. Here is cherry blossom close up. The Japanese pygmy woodpecker was here again. Here is a Japanese white-eye. And this is my only butterfly of the trip, a Comma!

Here is a view, showing the trimmed pine trees.

More fantastic shots Essex and it was great that you managed to get a butterfly

Have a goodun

Wurzel

My first butterfly picture of the year, Wurzel!

Then, after lunch, we took the bullet train up to Nagano, for an overnight stay.

Really enjoyed your Journey essex, some interesting shots of the wild life there and only wish our blossom would arrive Goldie

Brilliant.

I think your comma is Polygonia c-aureum, not Polygonia c-album - so presumably a lifer ...

Guy

Guy, thanks very much! I thought it looked a little different...

Thanks Goldie, I hope you managed to get out Monday morning, as the weather down here has been pretty lousy since then. In fact, it’s better up north...

The next day, we took a short drive from Negano up to hell valley, home of the Japanese Macaques or ‘snow monkeys ‘. After about a two mile walk from the drop off point, through the woods of Cryptemeria or Japanese cedar, we arrived at a clearing and there they were! On dull, cold days they like to bathe in the hot spring baths. But today, while cold, they were warming up on a bank in the morning sun. They should much of the behaviour you would expect, including much grooming. They frequently came to drink warm water from the baths. They show little fear of humans, though you are asked not to feed them. They can survive colder conditions than any other primates, bar humans. Here’s a habit shot.

Also briefly showing in the cleaning was this Japanese serow. Once a very rare endemic, it’s numbers have recovered though it’s still hard to see, so a sighting was a treat. On the way out of the monkey park, I saw this lovely Japanese varied tit, which stayed just long enough for a picture. The last thing we saw before leaving was this black (eared) kite, near the car park.

Our time in Japan was coming to an end, but there was still time for a bit of culture, with a visit to the Zenkoji Temple, one of Japan’s largest and most important Buddhist temples and home to the first Buddhist statue ever to be brought into Japan, in the 6th century. Near the temple, my first ever grey cap greenfinch was singing. While this brown eared bulbul poked its head up from behind the camellias. The next day, we caught the bullet train back to Tokyo, in readiness of our flight back to Heathrow, with the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ certainly having left it’s mark!

Interesting to see the Japanese varieties of birds we have over here. And good job getting a butterfly in there.
I've very much enjoyed your holiday series Essex.

Cheers

Well I’m happy to have had so much to share, Andrew!

March this year, like 2013,has simply been an extension of winter. Cold, wet, sometimes snowy conditions have dominated, and lack of sunshine, in the south at least, has also had an effect. Meanwhile, the highest temperature this March, where I live , is just 13C, registered twice-on 10th and 16th. Tellingly, is temperature was also reached in January, on the 24th.

In the absence of any butterflies,I have been restricted to doing walks, both locally and slightly further afield. Four pictures are all we need to sum up the month. Here is Goring,overlooking the Thames, on the 19th. And here we have avocets and black tailed godwits on the Essex coast. I managed to see mad March hares. These are most common on the Essex coastal marshes, but can be found inland,too. Not the best picture on this dull day, but they lifted the gloom. Meanwhile, this Mediterranean gull at Southend was just coming into breeding plumage.

That trip to Japan was a wildlife-fest, Mark! I bet you're finding it hard to adjust now you're back home? I'd never heard of a serow, much less seen one, so thanks for bringing it to life for everyone on here!

A fascinating series of reports from Japan Mark, I really enjoyed reading them and seeing the accompanying photos...really great stuff

Cheers,

Neil.