JAPAN
I visited Japan with a small group in February 2009. From Tokyo we went by Bullet train to Nagano to
photograph the Snow Monkeys, and then flew to the northern island of Hokkaido. There it
was deep winter with temperatures below minus 20C. The snow and ice made
a lovely setting in which to photograph the wildlife.
Japanese Macaque - Snow Monkeys
In winter a large group of these Monkeys are fed at a hot spring in the hills above Nagano. They have become used to people but are otherwise wild animals.
Whooper Swans
Whooper Swans migrate from their Arctic breeding grounds in winter to Japan. Lake Kussharo in eastern Hokkaido is a good place to see them. The lake is heavily frozen, but hot springs provide some open water
along its edge, and local people provide rice for the swans
White-tailed Eagles
Steller's Sea Eagles
While the White-tailed Eagle is spread wide across northern Europe and northern Asia. Steller's Sea Eagle is confined to the coastal areas of north eastern Asia. It is one of the heaviest eagles in the world.
