Author: vc-dev

The Pyrrhula pyrrhula has lovely pink coloring on its throat and cheeks.
Today I saw some for the first time in quite a while.
They have a distinctive song that sounds like a mournful “fi-yo, fi-yo.”
Breeding pairs are known for always sticking close together.
The bird with the pink throat is the male. As always, this pair seemed to be enjoying feeding together.
In Japanese, the Pyrrhula pyrrhula has the rather strange name of uso. It is said this name comes from a Kyushu dialect in which the verb “to whistle” is “usobuku.” It seems the bird’s song sounded to those who named it like a person whistling.
Photos: Pyrrhula pyrrhula at Sounkyo (in the photo on the right, the bird on the left is the female) Feb. 12

Today I encountered Cervus nippon yesoensis, the first I’d seen in quite a while.
Although they can be seen if one ventures deep into the forest; there is something different about them this year.
It may be the lack of snow or the effects of hunting, but whenever I see them, they always stare at me for a few moments and then dash off.
Even though I never do anything…
Photo: A buck at Sounkyo Feb. 9

The low temperature outside the center this morning was -25°C, which set another new low for the season. The temperature at Kamikawa Town was -27.2°C, which is the second lowest temperature ever recorded there in February. In fact, it was the fourth coldest morning ever recorded there, regardless of the month.
Indeed, it was so cold that instead of being “like the inside of a freezer,” it felt “colder than a freezer.”
Nonetheless, the weather is exceptionally clear and sunny, for the winter. The rime-covered trees of Mt. Niseikaushuppe that are shown in the photo provided a gorgeous scene.
Photos: Mt. Niseikaushuppe and the Ishikari River (seen from the Kamikawa Town side) Feb. 8

Over the past several days, I have seen Haliaeetus pelagicus and Haliaeetus albicilla (both protected species) flying in the area. I initially thought my sighting of them the other day was simply coincidence; however, the sightings have become so frequent that I decided to get a closer look.
There were no crows flying about, so it did not appear the eagles were gathering around the remains of Cervus nippon yesoensis. However, I looked closer…
And there they were!
And not just the remains of one deer, but two…
There were only a few crows in the area and the remains were in the back of a sunken area of snow, so they were easy to miss without a close look.
The carcasses were on the other side of the river, so I could not get any closer. Nonetheless, a number of crows sensed my movement and came out clamorously from the snow.
Including the Haliaeetus pelagicus and Haliaeetus albicilla, there were more than 10 birds present.
They presented a very majestic sight.
Three Haliaeetus pelagicus can be seen in the photo.
Photo: Haliaeetus pelagicus at Sounkyo Feb. 7

An iridescent cloud appeared above the gorge early this morning.
It had truly deep coloring.
This phenomenon occurs when a cloud passes by the sun and shines with greens and reds. It is caused when sunlight is diffracted by droplets in the cloud.
Since ancient times, it has been said that an iridescent cloud is a fortuitous “sign” that something good will happen. However, I have seen iridescent clouds every day recently, and nothing particularly good has happened.
But wait…
I saw Mustela nivalis during a walk through a forest.
They were so quick that I couldn’t take a photo; but even so, encounters with them are very rare indeed. And yesterday, although I didn’t see it, I heard the call of Dryocopus martius martius near the center. These experiences were undoubtedly lucky.
* Mustela nivalis appear on the cover of Visitor Center Report No. 54.
* Dryocopus martius martius appear on the cover of Visitor Center Report No. 58.
Photo: An iridescent cloud at Sounkyo Feb. 7