Author: vc-dev

Sounkyo was clear and sunny early this morning, but we are currently experiencing a sudden blizzard.
It is also cold. The low temperature outside the center this morning was -22°C, which is a new low for the season. It is also bitterly cold in Kamikawa Town, where the temperature fell to-25°C.
The freezing cold can be seen in the trees.
Along the Ishikari River, river mist (steam fog that forms when the water temperature is higher than the air temperature) arises that feels cold to the body; this also creates a “frozen” scene.
Photos: Scenes on a very cold morning Feb. 5

It is calm in Sounkyo, the first mild day we have had in a quite a long time.
Although the cold is severe, the sky has finally cleared up.
Today, I took a walk along the Ishikari River, also the first time in quite some time.
After walking about 30 minutes, I heard a loud rustling of wings above me. I looked up to see Haliaeetus albicilla and Haliaeetus pelagicus, both protected species, flying a short distance away.
At first I thought they were chasing each other, but then they seemed to be having a hushed conversation (center photo).
After a few moments, the Haliaeetus pelagicus took off. I had never seen one so close before.
Yes, without a doubt…
The Haliaeetus pelagicus and Haliaeetus albicilla are magnificent birds.
In contrast to last year, the amount of accumulated snow has been slightly small this season.
Perhaps because of this, I could not tell if the remains of a dead Cervus nippon yesoensis were nearby. Nonetheless, it was a rare paired appearance of these two birds.
Photos: Haliaeetus pelagicus and Haliaeetus albicilla (left and center), Haliaeetus pelagicus (right)
Feb. 4

The low temperature early this morning was -12°C; however, it has since climbed steadily and now sits at 0°C.
Even so, although there was a slight wind, -12°C felt kind of warm when I went out this morning.
I guess I’ve become accustomed to the cold.
It was not my intention to photograph Pteromys volans orii then, but I was fortunate enough to see one gliding through the air and landing on a tree in front of me.
I had just managed to take a single photograph when the Pteromys volans orii disappeared into the forest.
Ordinarily, Pteromys volans orii are active at sunrise and sunset, so why was this one out even though the sun had not risen yet?
It must have been very hungry…
Photo: Pteromys volans orii Jan. 30

The Visitor Center just held a course on “Ginga-no-Taki and Ryusei-no-Taki Falls.”
A total of 18 people participated.
We would like to extend a warm “Thank You!” to everyone who attended.
Although the trip to and from the fall was only about 1.5 km, the trail became fairly steep as it approached the fall.
The photo shows the participants heading toward Ryusei-no-Taki (in the upper left).
Mt. Eboshidake and the Odakinosawa stream serve as the source of this waterfall (Ryusei-no-Taki), while the Metakinosawa and Takinosawa streams provide water for Ginga-no-Taki. Participants learned basic information about waterfalls and their various types before the course was
successfully concluded.
The next course will be held on Sunday, February 23. It will feature a walk at the base of the Daisetsuzan mountains and have a portion dedicated to Seiryu-no-Taki Fall. Although the trail will be just under 1 km (each way), the section near the waterfall at the end will be fairly steep.
We hope you can join us.
Please note that we begin accepting reservations for courses one month in advance, so now is the time to reserve a spot.
Photo: Near Ryusei-no-Taki Jan. 26

Quite possibly, this is the first time we’ve presented the Visitor Center Report in this blog.
Every two months (January, March, May, July, September, and November) for a total of six times a year, we upload a Visitor Center Report to the top page of our website.
Although coming up with topics each time does present a challenge from time to time, for this report we placed an extremely rare weather phenomenon (Mt. Kurodake in shadow) on the cover and just a few photos that look back at the previous year on the following pages.
We cannot provide all of the details here, so we ask you to please visit the top page of our website!
Photos: Visitor Center Report No. 59 Jan. 26