石垣島でバードウオッチング(田んぼ・牧草地編 / 動画あり)
忘年会のため、1泊2日で石垣島に行ったついでにバードウオッチングをしてきました。
田んぼには、ベニバトやソリハシセイタカシギ、ズグロミゾゴイ、カンムリワシ、ムラサキサギなど八重山らしい野鳥たちが2カ月ぶりの帰島を出迎えてくれました。しかし、天気は強めの雨です。^^;
夜は、コノハズクやアオバズクを見たかったのですが、雨が弱まる気配がないので断念。
沖縄本島では11月11日に初確認し、最近はかなり増えてきたシロハラなど大型ツグミ類は、石垣島にはまだほとんど渡ってきていませんでした。
石垣島シリーズ(11月27〜28日)
In a rice field near the Pied Avocet, a Red Turtle-Dove was gleaning fallen grain among Oriental Turtle-Doves. In the Yaeyamas, whenever you find a flock of Oriental Turtle-Doves, you always have to check for Red Turtle-Doves!!
There were two Pied Avocets. In separate fields.
When I lived on Ishigaki-jima, Purple Herons could be found any time, so I rarely bothered to photograph them. On the Okinawa mainland, however, they are very scarce, so I got a shot of an adult first.
Then I also got a juvenile Purple Heron.
A juvenile Malayan Night Heron foraging in the rain.
At Hirakubo, a soaking-wet juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle.
Isabelline Shrikes are also scarce on the Okinawa mainland.
Perhaps because of the strong winds in the morning, Black-headed Gulls were spending time with Eastern Cattle Egrets in the rice fields.
White-breasted Waterhen — I never see them at all on the Okinawa mainland, but there are plenty on Ishigaki-jima.
In a rice field, a Crested Serpent Eagle was eating a small turtle.
