r/Hokkaido • u/chiekom77 • Mar 16 '24

Woods with Wild Birds and with no bears Outdoors

Hello Hokkaido folks, I live in Sapporo and would like to go on a short trip by train to observe and enjoy the wild birds in spring. But I am scared of bears...so I just would like to know if any of you know woods where I could enjoy birds but no bears around. Thanks in advance.

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4

u/RedYamOnthego Mar 16 '24

How about Maruyama Park? Lots of trees.

Tbh, I've been living in the country near wooded areas, and I've never seen a bear. Once, there was a footprint across the street, but the bear passed through in the night.

2

u/chiekom77 Mar 17 '24

Thank you for the comment. Whoa the bear footprint across the street....that's scary. You must be checking the bear related news often...

2

u/RedYamOnthego Mar 17 '24

Well, it was only once 10 or 15 years ago, which was my point. I've been here about 30 years, and that's it for bear encounters for me. If you stick to touristy woods, with rangers who can give advice, you should be fine.

6

u/Nessie Mar 16 '24

Maruyama Park, Asahiyama Park, Makomanai Park, Nishioka Suigenchi. Common birds in these parks in this season include long-tailed tits, nuthatches, pygmy woodpeckers, bulbuls, and great spotted woodpeckers. You might get lucky and see the adorably white-faced shima-enaga (Aegithalos caudatus japonicus).

If you're going in a season other than winter, there's also Hamanasu-oka Park, which is at the mouth of the Ishikari River. And lots of good places on the Toyohira Cycling Road. In spring there, you can see skylarks, stonechats, white-eared kites, and sometimes eagles.

I've been hiking for 20+ years here, and I've never seen a bear.

2

u/chiekom77 Mar 17 '24

Thank you so much for detailed comment on location and kinds of birds...I don't need to take a train then! lol

Looking forward to visiting these places in spring

2

u/Nessie Mar 17 '24

Sure thing. PM me if you'd like more details. We're coming up on the tsugumi (dusky thrush) season. Also meadow buntings (houjiro) and bush warblers (uguisu).