Author & Editor

Author: Starrynight

Editor: <Please add your name here if you have edit this article>
Photographs and article are copyright of starrynight

Information on internet

The information in English are mainly provided by English speaking foreigners that visited Hokkaido. This provides a useful rough guide but do bear in mind that bird species and pattern changes according to seasons. Some sites:

http;//homepage2.nifty.com

http://bluebonnet.at.infoseek.co.jp/birdingjp-e.htm

http://www2.marimo.or.jp/Nimuoro/e-nemuro/animal.htm

Recent site with english (feb 2008)

http://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/

Getting there

There is no direct flight from Singapore. Sapporo is the main city. But I chose to land in Kushiro because of the proximity to the birding site that I want to visit.

What I did was that I book a cheap flight to Tokyo Narita airport then transfer via bus to the domestic terminal at Haneda Airport. Then from Haneda airport to Kushiro airport via All Nippon Airline. Hence:

Singapore to Narita Airport – 6hrs 40mins – $650 (tax included) Narita Airport to Haneda Airport – 75mins – 3000 yen

This part is important because u will need to allow time (at least 2 hours) for flight connection. Because of this, I stayed over in Tokyo near Haneda Airport in order to connect the flight.

Stayed at Toyoko Inn – about 8000 yen http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00095/index.html

This place provides breakfast and free transport to airport.

Haneda Airport to Kushiro Airport – 1 hour 35mins – $409 (tax included). This is a special rate I got from JTB Singapore. The office is located at Takashimaya, level 4.

Getting around

I pre-book a car via club tocoo car rental service. ( rc-cs@coo.ne.jp). It is a cool mazda. 7 days for 35,500 yen The car is fitted with GPS system. Ask the guy at rental service to show u how to use. If u know :

Japanese words or pronunciation

Chinese words

phone number of the place / hotel.

You will be able to use it. It will actually bring u to doorstep!

When u drive, need to be careful of the slippery road (because of ice), slow speed limit (50km) and the stop line is far away from the red light! Driving is simple and easy if one drive with care and lots of common sense.

Accomodation

Generally the standard is very high and hygiene is very good! The hotel is usually cheaper, about 7-10,000 yen for a double room. But the lodge or home stay includes dinner and breakfast.(about 14000 for 2) But my goodness … the meal is worth dying for!! Stayed at :

Puffin lodge Tel 0153-62-2202 at Hamanaka

around Kushiro lake

Ryoji Onuma Kohan no yado Nibushinosato Nibushionsen Kawayu Teshikagacho Hokkaido Japan TEL 015-483-2294 FAX 015-483-2206 mail nibushi@rose.ocn.ne.jp http://www1.ocn.ne.jp/~kussie/ Kushiro Juji gait el 0154-23-1045

The email and all I have left it somewhere, will update once I found them…

Places visited

Tsurui crane reserve – Jap Crane dancing!

Port at hamanaka – ducks and gulls

Kiritappu / Notsuke – stellar sea eagles, white tail sea eagle, black kites, deer, fox

Akkeshi area – look out over the sky! Lots of black kites. Follow them and they will lead u to fishing port where they circle and scavenge food. White tail sea eagle too.

Lake Tofutsu – lots of ducks / swan / gulls

Kushiro lake – around the lake there are lots of swan and some wood pecker

Rausu – the costal road from shibetsu, stellar eagle / white tails. Around Rausu, deer in the national park area
Don’t forget to have a hot bath ‘Ofuro’ (home type) or ‘Onsen’ (natural hot spring) after a tiring day shooting birds! And of course the nice Japanese seafood plus saka… ”

Photographs and article are copyright of starrynight