This winter departure on Hokkaido is built around Red-crowned Cranes at their riverine roosts and feeding grounds, a boat session among the pack ice for Steller’s Sea Eagle, close-range Blakiston's Fish Owl, and Whooper Swans on ice-coated lakes. Sika deer, red fox, sea ducks and gulls fill the rest of the days.
See our field guide to photographing Steller’s Sea Eagles in Hokkaido — season, locations and camera settings.
How the classic winter image is made: Red-crowned Cranes in the snow.
Cranes / Swans: Red-crowned Crane / White-naped Crane / Whooper Swan
Eagles / Owls: Steller’s Sea Eagle / White-tailed Eagle / Blakiston’s Fish Owl / Ural Owl
Waterbirds: Harlequin Duck / Greater Scaup / Black Scoter / Red-breasted Merganser
(i) Guiding Fees (ii) Ground Transportation (iii) Domestic Flights (iv) Accommodation (v) Meals (vi) Entrance Fees (vii) Hide Fees.
(i) International Flights (ii) VISA Fees (iii) Travel Insurance (iv) Tips for Local Guide (v) Items of a Personal Nature.
Pricing is based on 2-4 participants. Solo travellers, i.e. tours with 1-PAX only, are subject to an additional Single Participant Surcharge.
Day 1-4 Kushiro Subprefecture [3N / 2D / 5S]. Arrive Kushiro Airport, drive 1-hour 40km to Kushiro Subprefecture. Photographic Targets: Whooper Swan / Red-crowned Crane / Ural Owl / Long-tailed Tit.
Day 10 Kushiro Subprefecture [0N / 0D / 1S]. Drive 2-hour 120km to Kushiro Airport for international departures [END].
[Key: N: Night / D: Full Day / S: Session / Half-Day]
Roland was born in Munich in 1970. His love for nature started at an early age through his passion for mountaineering which in turn developed his interest in environmental protection. Roland spent over two decades in China from 1998 to 2021 living predominantly in Sichuan Province in western China and working as a professional guide on bird as well as mammal tours. With many of Roland’s clients being photographers, Roland has developed considerable skills and knowledge in supporting the needs of the bird photographer. Roland’s travels throughout China and South East Asia are extensive from the Tibetan Plateau to the Chinese lowlands to the rainforests of both Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia: Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam. Roland is fluent in Chinese, English and German and has a friendly, amicable disposition, displaying both care and thoughtfulness towards his clients, in addition to possessing strong field identification skills, all of which have combined well generating a positive reputation as a Tour Leader, particularly amongst bird photographers.
(i) The guesthouses are all in close proximity to the bird photography locations (ii) Walking is at a light pace (iii) There is no requirement to hike nor climb. (iv) None of the locations are at altitude (v) There is no camping. It is for these five reasons that this tour has been graded as "Easy".
