Scenes and wildlife around Lake Kussharo
Birds and squirrel around the Gasthof
Three days with whooper swans on frozen Lake KussharoAfter our days with the cranes, we headed further north into the island’s interior where geologically recent volcanic activity produced a wealth of hot springs landscapes. Our wildlife photography on the shoreline of Lake Kussharo centered around the thermal water along the lake’s mist-shrouded edges. Almost all the lake freezes over in winter, but open leads around the hot springs attract hundreds of whooper swans that make their annual journey to the lake’s open leads from tundra and taiga lands further north in Siberia. In contrast to our previous time with the red-crowned cranes, Lake Kussharo offered great potential for environmental photography capturing the birds within the landscape. Whereas the cranes gathered in open, bare fields, limiting the subject matter essentially to the birds themselves, I found numerous compositions juxtaposing the whooper swans in steam, snow and mist, set against the frozen lake and distant mountains.
Panoramic view of Lake Kussharo from the viewpoint at the top of Bihoro Pass. The swans are on the distant shore.
Whooper swan pair landing sequence onto ice
Trees around the lakeshore.
Three days with the red-crowned cranesOur first morning was an early one, as we departed our hotel well before dawn for the nearby Otowa bridge where the cranes roost in the shallow river overnight. I had wondered why such an early start was necessary, as it was completely dark when we arrived. The answer became clear on finding the bridge already teeming with photographers, necessitating an early arrival to stake out a tripod space. Our goal was to capture the cranes with the colors of the sunrise reflecting in the water and as they leave the river to feed. Unfortunately, the birds were not cooperating. Apparently photographers had disturbed them in the past by getting down to the riverbank, and the cranes were now roosting far down the river. The photographic conditions were otherwise excellent, withn ice rime coating the trees and mist rising from the river, but the cranes remained largely veiled in the mist, which only thickened as the sun rose.
The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis; Tancho in Japanese) is a potent icon, symbolic of Japan almost as much as images of Mt. Fuji, and is regarded as the bird of happiness, fidelity and long life. Paradoxically, however, the species was almost annihilated by hunting and erosion of its breeding grounds. At a time when its population was on the verge of extinction, more than 10 Japanese Cranes were discovered in the marshlands of Kushiro in 1924. Since that time, efforts have been made to protect and increase their population. The Japanese Crane was officially recognized as a natural monument in 1952, and in 1958 the first Japanese Crane Reserve was established. We visited two reserves, where the cranes are protected and fed during the Winter.
Jan. 1-4A stopover for a few days at Bosqe del Apache National Wildlife Refuge on our way home from Florida.
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OTHER BIRDS
 Bluebird on a stick; Bosque del Apache |
BOSQUE LANDSCAPES
THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPH SITE
 Cross in circle petroglyph - evening lght with clearing snow storm; Three Rivers Petroglyph Site |
SANDHILL CRANES
 Pair of sandhill cranes calling; Bosque del Apache |
 Sandhill cranes on pond before sunrise; Bosque del Apache |
A magical morning with sunrise light through mist on the pond in the Bernardo Wildlife Reserve (Ladd Gordon Waterforl Complex, New Mexico)
Dec. 29-31
A brief excusrsion to Florida - should have been longer, but United cancelled our outward flight. Just a few photos from Brevard County Zoo
Nov. 24 - Dec 2
South Island, New Zealand
Nov. 22.
A few days in Auckland, and a visit to the Muriwai gannet colony.
Nov. 24.
We pick up our campervan in Queenstown and drive to the old hotel freedom campsite on Lindis Pass.
First stop to watch jumpers at the Kawarau Bungy Center - the birthplace of bungy jumping.
Kawai
Ruins of the Old Hotel, surrounded by lupins in bloom.
Contimuing north along the West Coast highway
A visit to the White Heron (Kotuku) Nesting Site
Continuing north along the West Coast road
Windsurfing kites on the beach
A low tide walk along Motukieki Beach.
A grey, drizzly morning, so I mostly concentrated on abstracts of rock formations.
Over Arthur's Pass, across to Timaru to see litttle blue penguins, and return to Queenstown via lakes and lilacs.
A viewpoint near the top of Arthur's Pass is a likely place to find mischevious kea, the "smartest birds in the world".
The little blue penguins (Korora) of Timaru.
The penguins live around the Timaru Port and rock areas. They come ashore after dark on the beach and climb up to nests in the rocks below the marine parade. This is directly across from the harbour, where security lights make it possible to see and photograph the penguins even on a dark night. Volunteer 'penguin wardens' look after the the many visitors who come to watch the penguins, and safely guide those penguins who decide to cross the road and settle under the Maersk containers in the port.
Lilacs around the turquoise waters of Lake Tekapo
The Clay Cliffs of Omarama
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