I went to see the Plaintive Cuckoo I had been tipped off about the day before. I expected it to disappear into the undergrowth and not come back out, but instead it flew lightly around an open area like a Barn Swallow, apparently catching small insects on the wing.

Autumn migration on Ishigaki-jima was excellent last year, with rare birds turning up one after another from November, and I have a feeling this season will be even better.

So far this season on Ishigaki-jima, Black-naped Oriole, Ashy Drongo, Daurian Starling, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, and Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch have all appeared.

One buff-coloured variant individual was mixed in among a flock of Ishigaki Brown-eared Bulbuls. It stood out considerably — for a moment I thought it might be a real rarity.