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

Ruddy Kingfisher Daurian starling Crested serpent eagle Lesser Whistling Duck Black Bittern

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

シギ、チドリ秋の渡り始まる

まだ7月ですが、秋の渡りがすでに始まったようです。海岸には、エリマキシギやオオメダイチドリ、アオアシシギ、トウネン、ハマシギ、キアシシギなどが飛来しました。

エリマキシギとハマシギは少し早めの出現でした。

Ruff
Ruff

Adult Ruff. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

Juvenile Greater Sand Plover.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank

A few Greenshanks had arrived. Late breeding plumage.

Dunlin
Dunlin

Dunlin in late breeding plumage.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

A few Red-necked Stints. Late breeding plumage.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattlers were catching crabs — fiddler crabs and others — on the tidal flat. Transitioning from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

ハシブトアジサシ早めの飛来

普通なら秋は9月以降にやってくるハシブトアジサシが7月なのにもうやってきました。2カ月近く早めの飛来です。

干潟では、カニを捕まえていました。マングローブのかげから近い距離で観察していると小石を結構呑み込んでいることが分かりました。ハトやニワトリと同様、砂嚢に小石を貯めてカニを消化しているのだろうか?

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A Greater Crested Tern that had caught a large crab.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

It swallowed it whole, legs and claws still attached.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

After the meal it pecked at nearby pebbles. It's the first time I've seen a tern swallow pebbles.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A crab happened to pass by while it was resting on the sandy beach, and the bird ran over and pounced on it. So they hunt like this too.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

Adult winter plumage. Only nine primaries visible, which probably means P10 has been shed.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

Looking at the upperwing from below, you can see P10 has grown out by a few centimetres. Once that feather is fully grown, the moult is as good as done. ^^

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

From this angle, the still-growing P10 on the right wing is visible. Not visible on the left.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

Bridled Tern, head-on. Among the terns, this species has relatively long wings for its body size.

Osprey
Osprey

An Osprey was resting in a distant Yaeyama mangrove.

Categories: 野鳥