A daily record.
Featuring photos of wild birds and nature, mainly from Okinawa Main Island and Ishigaki Island

Is it gazing up at the cold sky?

I believe this is the individual I first photographed this year on 1 April.

My first photograph of this individual.

Male Ruddy Kingfisher.

The Ruddy Kingfisher pair from above.

My first photograph of this individual — around the 14th bird or so. ^^

I found a fine nest. ^^

I tried shooting almost from ground level, as if stars were raining down. Should have gone portrait orientation.

Even so, the bokeh from this lens is beautiful. ^^

I want to shoot it against the moss-covered rocks, but the rocks are too low… I'll give it another go tomorrow. ^^;

The male is the one on the left with the chipped lower mandible; the female is on the right. It looks like she was being given a cicada larva. This pair has already mated and dug a nest hole, yet it seems they still do courtship feeding. ^^

An individual I'd been struggling to get a shot of. Once again missed the pair….

This female is the one I've photographed most. The white streaking on the head is distinctive. Shot her endlessly last year too. ^^

A female begging food from a male.

A male with a chipped lower mandible. Paired with the female above.

Tonight in a different spot from usual. This one was beautiful too.

Climbed even higher than last night for the Yaeyama fireflies.

Just when the stars finally came out, the fireflies were already gone…. ^^;

It was catching grasshoppers alongside crows.

A male Ruddy Kingfisher.

The female paired with the Ruddy Kingfisher above.

The no-entry restriction was lifted and I finally got the shot. ^^

This Ruddy Kingfisher too — got it once the no-entry restriction was lifted. ^^

A favourite perch. A Crested Serpent Eagle was about 30 metres away, but neither seemed bothered by the other.

It felt good while I was shooting, but looking at the results they're not quite there. ^^;

When it rains the colours of the trees become vivid.

The two were together, never quite close but never far apart.

There seems to be plenty of prey up in the trees — it kept looking upward.

A male Ruddy Kingfisher. The pair from above.

I thought this female had started incubating, but there she was. What's going on?

After a good fill of Ruddy Kingfishers I spotted this one on my way to see the fireflies. It was 19:00, too dark to get the shutter speed up. This pair will probably still be doing courtship feeding for a while. ^^

Couldn't quite get the composition right tonight… Wish I could find a better angle.

The usual white-headed female.

The male of the pair above.

Something seemed off about its behaviour — it looks like it was digging a nest hole. There are wood chips stuck to the side of its face. ^^

First time photographing the male of this pair. ^^

They were calling to each other and lined up side by side at one point, so I thought courtship feeding might follow, but it didn't.

Tonight there were plenty of Yellow-striped Fireflies. The green streak-shaped light is from the Yellow-striped Fireflies.

Would love to see a green tornado again.

An unfamiliar individual. This is supposed to be another pair's territory, though. ^^;

It has been bitten by biting insects around the chest area.

Lots of them flying. Fireflies in front of me and behind me. ^^

The sky was bright because it was around a half-moon. ^^;

The clouds cleared so I pointed the camera up at the sky. It would have been perfect if there had been no moon and the sky had been a bit more open!!

I wonder if there will be a big emergence again next year. ^^

It was dark. ^^;

A male Ruddy Kingfisher.

Paired with the Ruddy Kingfisher above.

Looks like it'll be sunny again today!!