GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR
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.
海岸や河川、ため池、ダム湖にササゴイやオオバン、ヒドリガモ、コガモなど冬鳥の姿が増えてきました。
農耕地にはツバメチドリ数羽の群れが入っていました。こちらはさらに南へ渡っていきます。
A few Oriental Pratincoles in the sugarcane fields. They are presumably heading further south on migration.
Striated Heron at Gushi tidal flat. This is the first time I've seen a Striated Heron here.
Four Eurasian Coots had come to the river mouth. They were busily pecking at leaves.
アカアシチョウゲンボウのメスが新たに現れた と思っていましたが、どうも幼鳥のようです。成鳥のメスは胸の下方の斑が横斑になるようです。
この日も2羽は同じ木に隣同士で止まって仲良くしていました。成鳥がとった獲物を幼鳥が横取りするシーンもありました。それでも成鳥は排除するでもなく、まるで親子のようです。
午前8時前に現地に着きましたが、アカアシチョウゲンボウたちは羽繕いなどして動きはありませんでした。午前8時半ごろになるとオスの方が、盛んにホバリングなどして獲物を捕まえていた。幼鳥の方は、イソヒヨドリに脅されて逃げたりしていました。^^;
ホバリング動画あり。
Adult male (left) and juvenile Red-footed Falcon.
Adult male Red-footed Falcon looking relaxed in the morning sun.
They were hard to see in the heavy rain the other day, but this morning I got a good look at this beautiful bird.
From around 8:30 a.m. it became active, hovering over the pasture in search of prey.
The underwing of the Red-footed Falcon looks as though it has been painted in two halves — black and white. The juvenile, by contrast, had a black-and-white mottled pattern.
While hovering — its specialty — it seems to be scanning the area for prey. Prey includes grasshoppers and mice.
The upperparts of the adult male Red-footed Falcon are entirely blue-grey.