Akan International Crane Center

Last time in 2010 when I first visited Hokkaido, I didn't have a chance to visit the popular Akan Internation Crane Center which located near Kushiro Airport. This time, with a car, I could made a brief visit on the afternoon of February 27. The place was crowded with photographers, mainly foreigners. I could recognised groups of American, European, Chinese and Hong Kong photographers. It's actually funny how the name says "international" and it seems international just by looking at the faces around here, but I barely saw any signs or information in other languages other than Japanese.

A pair of Red-crowned Crane with a Carrion Crow

Young juvenile has buffish-brown head

A pair of White-tailed Eagle that stayed around the feeding area

There were lots of Red-crowned Cranes as expected, but there were also many other birds around the feeding area. Several White-tailed Eagles, both adult and juvenile, were perching and flying around. Flocks of Eurasian Tree Sparrows and Marsh Tits were also seen, as well as Whooper Swans which came to the feeding ground later in the evening.

Most of them were walking around in pairs.

Just too close to fit into a frame!

This is how it actually looked like!