北上組のオバシギ、ホウロクシギ、ツバメチドリなど続々と
春の渡りで越冬地から繁殖地へ北上して行く途中の野鳥たちが毎日のように入れ替わり立ち替わりで沖縄へ立ち寄ってくれます。
人参畑には、ツバメチドリが6羽、海岸には、オバシギ6羽、ホウロクシギ2羽など色々なシギとチドリが羽を休めに舞い降ります。オバシギを6羽の群れで見たのは初めて。大抵1羽か2羽ぐらいでした。
ホウロクシギは、オバシギを撮り終えて帰ろうとしたら鳴き声が聞こえるので双眼鏡で探してみると2羽が餌探しをしていた。今年初のホウロクシギでした。
キアシシギやキョウジョシギ、セイタカシギ、ダイゼン、ムナグロなども夕日に照らされながら次の渡りへ備えて餌探しに勤しんでいた。
Happily, the Great Knots were in a flock of six. They have changed into beautiful breeding plumage.
The flock of six kept close together, following one another up and down the shore. Three Great Knots are visible in the photo.
There were also a few Grey Plovers.
A Far Eastern Curlew I found by its call just as I was leaving. It's a large shorebird, but it blended into the surroundings so well I couldn't spot it with the naked eye.
The Oriental Pratincoles took a rest in a carrot field.
It was a small flock of six in splendid breeding plumage.
There were also a few Grey-tailed Tattlers.
The Great Knot was probing its bill into crevices in the rocks searching for food. It appeared to be catching small shellfish.
Great Knots really are beautiful sandpipers.
A few Ospreys are still around and appear on the shore searching for prey.