Susan Myers from her recently completed winter tour of Japan

Birding in winter in Japan is a bit like a party! Great scenery, great food and great birds! One doesn't do it for the numbers – it’s all about the spectacles. We started this year with the incredible gathering of the cranes in Kyushu. It is such a memorable experience to see so many of these elegant birds gathered to feed and interact. This year we saw four species: the Hooded and White-naped Cranes in the thousands with a tiny scattering of Sandhill and Common Cranes.

Hooded Cranes

Watching thousands of cranes flying across a rising sun at dawn? It doesn’t get much better. Of course, during winter everywhere we go the wildfowl are quite astounding. Best of all were gorgeous Smew, improbable Mandarin Ducks and enigmatic Baikal Teals. Not to be outdone were stunning Falcated Teals from the exotically named Satsuma Bridge, the ever-popular Harlequin Ducks on the ice bound Shiretoko Peninsula and the charismatic Long-tailed Ducks at Nosappu. In balmy weather we had close looks at tiny twittering Japanese Murrelets from our comfortable boat against a backdrop of palm trees and snow in Kyushu.

Japanese Murrelets

The next spectacle was the Snow Monkeys and what a show! A walk through beautiful winter forests takes us to their abode amongst the steaming hot springs, and there they are: lording adult males, females with their babies, and naughty adolescents all enjoying their hot baths.

Snow Monkey

Heading up to Hokkaido our next spectacle was the winter gathering of Steller’s Sea Eagles. These birds are truly breathtaking! Huge, majestic and beautiful against the snowy white winter Hokkaido backdrop.

Steller's Sea Eagle

Last up and arguably, most highly anticipated were those most beautiful of the cranes, the Red-crowned Crane.

Red-crowned Crane

We watched as they danced and strutted and bugled in warm winter weather – a perfect end to a very memorable tour.