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

Eurasian Hoopoe Black-winged kite Asian koel Short-eared Owl Daurian starling

GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR

Go where the birds are. The SHIMASOBA Tour launches.

We'll drive you around Ishigaki Island to wherever the birds are showing best that day. Observation is mostly from inside the vehicle, and we keep it to a maximum of 3 guests so everyone can take their time.

Max. 3 guests 4 hours in the morning Beginners welcome
Check availability and book

石垣島の田んぼで野鳥観察

日帰りで、約半年ぶりに石垣島へ行ってきました。半分仕事でしたのでバードウォッチングは空港への帰り道に少ししただけでしたが、町から一番近い田んぼには、オグロシギやトウネン、ウズラシギ、チュウジシギ、タマシギ、セイタカシギ、ムナグロ、アオアシシギ、コアオアシシギ、ツバメチドリなどたくさんのシギやチドリが入っていました。

特にジシギは一つの田んぼに数個体が警戒心も薄く、エサ取りに勤しんでいました。

ジャワアカガシラサギやキリアイ、カンムリワシ幼鳥のポイントなども教えてもらったのですが見つけることができなかった。時間が足りないですね…。^^;

Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit

A Black-tailed Godwit transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Greater Painted-snipe
Greater Painted-snipe

There was a Greater Painted-snipe resting in the shadow of the rice plants. A female.

Greater Painted-snipe
Greater Painted-snipe

In recent years the Greater Painted-snipe seems to be increasing on Ishigaki-jima; on this day I saw three females in the same paddy field.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

A Swinhoe's Snipe was also foraging out in the open and showed little wariness.

Categories: 野鳥

石垣島で数を増やしつつあるカタグロトビ

日帰り出張で石垣島に行ったついでに、今話題のカタグロトビを久しぶりに見てきました。

カタグロトビは、先月は4羽のヒナが巣立ち、同年3月には1羽のヒナが巣立ち石垣島で数を増やしつつあります。人間が持ち込んだわけでもなく、おそらく台湾あたりに生息する個体群からの自然飛来と思われます。

旺盛な繁殖力で今後も数を増やす可能性もありますが、しばらくはモニタリングなどして静かに見守るしかないでしょう。

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

An adult Black-shouldered Kite came flying toward me. It was good that it flew exactly the course I was hoping for, but after this shot I lost track of it. With my flight time pressing, I gave up the search.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

It had been perched in a she-oak at first, but at some point without my noticing it had moved to a Garcinia tree.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

True to its name, the Black-shouldered Kite has black shoulders. What is actually black is probably the lesser coverts, median coverts, and part of the greater coverts. The outer tail feathers are whitish, except for the central ones.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

Viewed from below, you can see that part of the primaries and secondaries on the underwing are also black.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

And those vivid red eyes are striking.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

The tips of the primaries are coming in fresh.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

Brown Shrikes were also moving through in good numbers.

Categories: 野鳥