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

A Crested Serpent Eagle on the usual forest road. The background was lovely, so I grabbed a shot. ^^

For the past two weeks or so the new buds have been bursting out one after another, making for a beautiful backdrop.

Coming out of the Omoto Tunnel, there was a Crested Serpent Eagle. ^^

I've been seeing this Crested Serpent Eagle for a long time now.

The Ryukyu Night Heron is looking beautiful with its nuptial colors coming in.

A Ruddy Kingfisher singing in its beautiful voice. A shame the background and light weren't quite there. ^^;

It perched on this branch for a while, then disappeared into the forest.

It appeared through a gap in the clouds as the total eclipse ended and the partial phase began.

This was the first branch the Ruddy Kingfisher landed on after coming out of the undergrowth. I finally found a spot with no obstructing branches and got the shot.

It came out even closer toward me. I hid behind cover and shot handheld.

Under overcast skies, stopping this well at 840mm is more than enough. Since switching to the EF600mm F4 IS II USM with four stops of image stabilization, I've been shooting handheld more often. The lens is also considerably lighter than the Mark I. ^^ A close-up Ruddy Kingfisher is adorable.

The Ruddy Kingfishers at this spot already seemed to be paired up — even when another individual came close, there was no chasing off.

When a Ruddy Kingfisher catches a snail, it strikes it against a branch or similar surface several times to break the shell, then swallows it whole.

When the rain got heavier, it was hunting prey from a spot sheltered from the rain by the tree canopy. A Ruddy Kingfisher in the rain really is beautiful. ^^

I was surprised to find a Japanese Night Heron in such an out-of-place spot. ^^;

The male Ruddy Kingfisher that returns every year.

2014年のペアのオス is the same individual. The female changed in 2014.

The Ruddy Kingfisher paired with the male above. Whether the female is the same individual as last year is still unknown at this point. I think a few more photos should make it clear. ^^;

It was perched fairly high up, so I shot handheld. Shutter speed was 1/40, but the wrinkles of the eye ring are resolved clearly. Thank goodness for the 600mm f/4. ^^;

In some spots, green shoots were already coming up. Spring seems to have arrived on the mainland too. The Short-eared Owls will be heading north before long.

Due to local rules, I had to shoot from an elevated position, so I wanted to get the rapeseed flowers in the background — but even sprawled flat on the ground, this was the best height I could manage… ^^;

A Short-eared Owl diving steeply on prey. The sharp talons are clearly visible. And as expected of an owl, the wings are remarkably long relative to the body.

The profile of a Short-eared Owl in flight is striking.

A Short-eared Owl the locals called "Shiro-chan."

Shaking off the raindrops.

It landed on a tree right in front of me. The Short-eared Owls at Yodogawa all seem completely unafraid of people.

It had a near-miss with a neighbouring individual overhead.

The Ruddy Kingfisher's song is beautiful. It was calling for its mate, the female.

This pair was digging a nest hole, but they didn't seem very keen on the spot and weren't putting much effort into it.

A Ruddy Kingfisher was tucked in among some dead vines.

ISO 6400, shutter speed 1/2. I forgot I had stopped down one stop. Should have shot wide open. ^^;

Still, so cute. ^^

A late Eurasian Hoopoe for Ishigaki-jima. Migration usually wraps up by the end of March. This individual was very wary, so I shot at 1200mm with a 2× extender. ^^;

The Ruddy Kingfisher was resting quietly on a branch with no sign of moving.

A male Ruddy Kingfisher.

The female paired with the Ruddy Kingfisher above. They were doing courtship feeding, but it was on top of a fake log… ^^;

A still-unpaired Ruddy Kingfisher, spreading its wings in courtship display.

The contrast between the fresh green leaves and the Ruddy Kingfisher is always beautiful.

A Ruddy Kingfisher was perched on a vine that hung like a swing from a Sea Bean.

A male Japanese Sparrowhawk was chasing a Black Drongo around. I wonder if the drongo will make it through to tomorrow… ^^;

The Dollarbird that always seemed to be sitting on a power line or somewhere underwhelming suddenly appeared right in front of me!! I was genuinely moved for the first time in a long while.

A Dollarbird yawning wide.

I also tried a shot at 1200mm. Those beautiful feathers are just stunning.

It's on a power line, but it's a rare bird, so… ^^;

In the evening it flew impossibly far away. It went straight to roost just like that.

A Ruddy Kingfisher working its way closer and closer while catching prey.

At its nearest it came to about 4 metres.

This one had spiderwebs all over its body.

Shot with the EOS-1D X.

Shot with the EOS M.

This one was also shot with the EOS M.