White-tailed Sea-eagles in Niigata City

March 6, 2012

White-tailed Sea-eagles in Niigata City

White-tailed Sea-eagles (male with the fish)

Toyanogata, Niigata, Japan
All photographs February to March 4, 2012

Range: 200 metres. Cropped image:
Nikon 1 V1, FT1 + Nikkor AF-S 300mm f4 and Nikon 1.4xTC II on flimsy tripod.
Equal to 1134mm

I’ve been learning more about White-tailed Sea-eagles visiting Niigata in the Winter months. They’re not abundant but they can be found at various locations around Niigata City: Toyanogata, Fukushimagata, and Sakata all have a couple each. It’s not easy to get close views however, other than a lucky fly-by. I’ve had just a handful of such encounters which are usually very fleeting. Usually they’re sitting out of reach in the middle of an island (as above) or out in the marshes and wetlands. I guess that’s the way big eagles like it.

Anyway with such distances, I experimented with different equipment. I normally don’t have good long-lens technique nor handle a tripod well so please don’t judge the equipment by these images. On the days I visited the wind was quite strong and the cameras weren’t held steady on my cheap flimsy tripod. I guess I should spend a few thou and get a nice heavy Gitzo or such.

Never intended to be a Nikon fanboy but I’m happy with the stuff I’ve got. Still love my D300 the most.

Uncropped image with the above equipment. I think ok for 200 metres distance.
The background is the park on the other side of the lake about a kilometre away.

Nikon 1 V1, FT1adaptor with Nikkor AF-S 70-300mm f5.6 VR on monopod.
Equal to 810mm

A nice light combo. I think I’d like to try it on closer, passerine subjects.

Digiscoped with Nikon P300, FSB-8 adaptor, Nikon Fieldscope ED50, eyepiece 40x W DS on flimsy tripod.
Range 200 metres. Sharpened but uncropped.

View of the island in the lake with Big Swan Stadium in the background. Big Swan Stadium was built for the 2002 World Cup. I think England actually played there.
Nikon P300

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 80-400mm VR @400mm
bird on the left is a Black-eared Kite

Nikon D300 with Nikkor 80-400mm @80mm

D300 with 80-400 again.

Nikon D300 with Nikkor AF-S 300mm F4 + 1.4x TCII
Note Big Swan at the top left.

Nikon D300 with 300mm f4 and 1.4TC again, cropped.

The White-tails at Fukushimagata, Niigata, as seen from the observertory. About 250 metres.

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Big Swan Stadium, Niigata, Toyanogata, White-tailed Sea-eagle

Posted by:

Russell Jenkins

I am a photographer into birds, nature as well as art and culture. From Australia, currently based in Japan.

13 responses to “White-tailed Sea-eagles in Niigata City”

Christian

March 6, 2012 at 9:37 am

Hi RussellCracking selection of very enjoyable images, I especially like the eighth one, showing off a lovely landing pose.

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Richard Waring

March 6, 2012 at 11:20 am

Can't wait to show the boys Russell. At least it looks as though it might be warming up there. Thanks for the post, really enjoyed it. Regards, Richard

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John

March 6, 2012 at 1:16 pm

Considering the light and the distance I think the results are pretty good… It's interesting to compare much-cropped DSLR images with digiscoped ones.Cute stadium ! Does it get much use these days ?

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Stuart Price

March 6, 2012 at 2:38 pm

2 different lenses AND digiscoping, Russell you're turning into a gearhead!

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Alan Pavey

March 6, 2012 at 3:22 pm

Great set of pics Russell, they are fantastic birds!

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Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok

March 6, 2012 at 6:13 pm

That's the reason why I love northern parts of Japan. It's so nice to have these majestic birds around town.

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Tammy

March 6, 2012 at 10:28 pm

Wow, Russell, these are amazing eagles! Great photos, must have been so interesting to watch!

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Noushka

March 7, 2012 at 9:58 am

Nothing wrong with your equipment!I also have the 300mm F4D with a TC-14E converteur!Sure, a good tripod helps but I have a harness and a BushHawk cross and I manage flights pretty well!These photos are stunning, considering how far you are!A magnificent and impressive bird too!A great post about a bird of prey not often see on blogs!Well done, Russell!

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Russell Jenkins

March 7, 2012 at 1:12 pm

Thanks very much for your comments everyone. I really appreciate them. John, yes, the stadium does get a lot of use with the local football club. Stu, yes, I am a gearhead, and I didn't use two lenses,.. I used three and I want more…..but I'm not going to get more….not now….not for a while.

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Lasse

March 8, 2012 at 3:41 pm

Great shots on the sea eagles !

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Tomás Crespo

March 8, 2012 at 4:08 pm

fantastic pictures of this eagles greetings

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Phil

March 9, 2012 at 1:43 pm

You really worked at some distance there Russell with good results. In one shot in particular the two birds seem to be looking straight down your scope with their binocular vision. Must be nice to have the eagles close to home.

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Tammy

March 12, 2012 at 11:36 pm

The eagles are wonderful. From the back, I could easily mistake them for bald eagles. I love your camera suggestion, but I doubt a 3,000$ camera will ever be part of my budget 😦

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About Me

I’m an Australian interested in nature, photography, culture, and art based in Japan.

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Uncropped 500mm Full-frame Bird Photos at Wetlands on a Dull Winter Day
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March 12, 2024

What a catchy title, I know, but as my usual Goldilocks-self, I had been pining for that 400mm 4.5 Nikon lens for the last year and a bit. For me, quick and nimble gets most of my best pics, but my experience yesterday, made me feel ‘Goldilocks’ should stick with the porridge she has. 500mm maybe just right for now.

It was sunny a fair bit after the January 1 earthquake, but I didn’t’t feel like standing at the edge of a remote wetland worrying about aftershocks and the near-by sea. Yesterday, was my first outing to Fukushimagata since December 28, 2023. It was pretty dull when I got there and I think most of the swans and geese have already headed north. I saw an eagle back in December, but I think any “Steller’s”, would be gone by now, though I think we should still have a chance to see a “white-tail” until the end of March. The joy of the day was the continuing views of osprey appearing every few minutes and catching fish around me.

I think my 500mm f5.6 is still pretty nice despite squeaks and rattles after five years of regular use. The new 600mm f6.3 might suit me better if I love standing around the wetlands, but as you can see by the dullness of these images, I am wary of going from 5.6 to 6.3, even though it is such a small difference.

Way back when I was young, osprey and peregrines were fading in numbers and became symbols of the damage of chemicals to the environment but I’m happy to announce that these many years later, osprey are one of the more common raptors I see in Niigata.

They seemed to be finding fish just behind a small island not so far off-shore from where I was standing but they’d disappear behind the reeds. I could hear the ‘splash’, but would have to wait for them to come back up before I could see them again.

Some ducks still remain, always lots of Great Cormorants and Great Grebe, with a few Marsh Harriers floating around the place. I love seeing them up against the snow-covered mountains. Of course it’s nice to have close-ups, but framing them in the surrounding environment is more, er, more. It’s more to look at?

Well. Not much snow this winter, and it’s raining here much of the time but I hope to return soon. March at Fukushimagata has its surprises.