Visitor Center Report

“Kyo! Kyo!” “Kon! Kon! Kon!” I heard not just one but several of what I thought were Dendrocopos major crying shrilly and drumming.
I watched motionlessly and discovered that several males were apparently fighting each other for territory.
One of the birds glided off to another tall tree and started drumming on it loudly.
Clearly, the birds were making a louder sound than Dendrocopos major, so I moved closer and found that they were actually Dendrocopos leucotos, a species I hadn’t seen in some time.
The forceful sounds they made gave them an air of valiant presence that Dendrocopos major cannot match.
Photos: A male Dendrocopos leucotos Jan. 18

While driving I saw a large flock of small birds to the front of me.
I quickly decided to take a photograph.
When I expanded my photo, I found that the birds were Carduelis flammea.
I didn’t have my zoom lens with me, so it’s hard to make out in the photo, but the birds have a characteristic bright red patch on the forehead.
The group I saw was very large, probably comprised of over 200 birds.
Photos: Carduelis flammea males at Sounkyo Jan. 16

The bad weather continues…
Snow, wind and low temperatures…
The low temperature this morning and the high temperature during the day were the same at -13°C.
It’s like being in a freezer.
Amid this bitter cold, the center’s course on “Momijidani Valley,” Sounkyo’s popular walking trail, is scheduled for tomorrow.
Today, I took snowshoe walk up to Momijidani Fall, partly to check out the trail.
Although the accumulated snow depth so far is on par with most years, the wind and other factors have left the valley area with less snow than usual.
At the waterfall at the end of the course, I found snowdrifts here and there that are probably also caused by the wind. In the coming days, we will be able to enjoy special winter-only natural phenomena that include beautiful “ice curtains” and “spray icing.”
Photo: The “Momijidani Fall” sign at the end of the trail Jan. 11

Blizzard conditions have continued at Sounkyo for several days. Even at this time of day, the temperature is -13°C. It’s freezing.
So much snow has fallen that even walking with snowshoes is difficult.
I took advantage of a break in the blizzard to walk into a nearby forest and immediately came across a Sciurus vulgaris orientis.
In this ferocious weather, it was just sitting very still in its nest. However, it’s quite possible it was hungry, as it had traces of snow on its face, like it had been poking its nose into the snow in search of a walnut.
Photo: Sciurus vulgaris orientis Jan. 10

Mt. Esaushi is located in Kamikawa Town.
It is a low mountain of only 598 meters, but the views from it are very nice.
As can be seen in the photo, Mt. Esaushi offers a panoramic view that includes Mt. Niseikaushuppe and the rest of the Kita Daisetsu area on the left, Mt. Kurodake and the Omoto Daisetsu area on the right, and the town of Kamikawa below.
Although the mountain can be difficult to climb during the summer due to the presence of large animals, it is a great place to get some exercise in the winter.
Photo: The view from partway up Mt. Esaushi Jan. 7