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Whooper Swans at Lake Kussharo Featured in
Every winter over 300 of beautiful white birds come back to the Lake Kussharo in Hokkaido. Their massive appearance in the snow-covered lake draws nature photographs searching for a perfect shot.
The lake surface freezes in the middle, but the waters closer to the shore function as a bath for the whooper swans due to a thermal spring.
Besides swans you can also watch some white-tailed eagles, common buzzards, brown hawk owls, yellow-breasted greenfinches. The wildlife of the area includes Sika deer, sables, mountain hares and Siberian chipmunks. The Lake Kussharo area is also known for free outdoor hot spring baths.