A daily journal.
Mainly introducing wild birds of Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, through photos.

Black Drongo, Oriental Pratincole, Black-faced Spoonbill, Eurasian Spoonbill, Chinese Pond Heron and others

The Black Drongo that appeared near my home has been drifting slowly eastward and is now into its fourth day of stay. It is an unwary individual, always perched on the roadside wires. This season has been a bumper year for Black Drongo on Ishigaki Island — on peak days nearly 20 birds were recorded in a single day.

A small flock of Oriental Pratincoles had moved into the paddies. They were working the same area as the Whiskered Terns, but while the terns drifted low and picked insects off the rice plants, the pratincoles were up high, hawking incoming insects.

Black-faced Spoonbill, Eurasian Spoonbill and Chinese Pond Heron have also been dropping into the paddies one after another.

Black Drongo

A Black Drongo near home, now on its fourth day of the stay.

Oriental Pratincole

Oriental Pratincoles arriving one after another.

Oriental Pratincole

Foraging while flying back and forth over the rice fields.

Oriental Pratincole

A small flock of six. They will likely move on from here.

Eurasian Spoonbill

A Eurasian Spoonbill that has been making a long stay since early April.

Black-faced Spoonbill

A Black-faced Spoonbill preying on a tadpole. A young individual.

Black-faced Spoonbill

Size comparison: Black-faced Spoonbill (right) and Great Egret.

Whiskered Tern

A Whiskered Tern feeding on small insects.

Whiskered Tern

An unlikely combination — Whiskered Tern and Northern Shoveler.

Pacific Golden Plover

A Pacific Golden Plover transitioning into breeding plumage.

Chinese Pond Heron

A Chinese Pond Heron in breeding plumage.

Chinese Pond Heron

A Squacco Heron at a different location. Too far away to make out clearly.

Purple Heron

A Purple Heron getting ready to enter breeding season.

Grey-tailed Tattler

There were around 20 Grey-tailed Tattlers at the river mouth.

Common Greenshank

A single Common Greenshank at the river mouth.

Categories: 野鳥