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

A Striated Heron that successfully caught a fish.

A noticeably strongly brown-tinged Striated Heron.

Red-throated Pipits on the grass of the baseball field.

There were about ten Red-throated Pipits.

A Far Eastern Curlew that had been present for several days.

A Grey-tailed Tattler got a fiddler crab.

Lesser Sand Plover. The bill looks large and it has a Greater Sand Plover feel, but there are quite a few Lesser Sand Plovers like this in Okinawa.

Seven Dunlins at Sankaku-ike.

There were a juvenile male and female Ruff at Sankaku-ike.

Five Dunlins at Gushi tidal flat.

Just one Whimbrel.

A few Grey Plovers.

A Caspian Tern that caught a fish. It swallows it while flying around.

A Caspian Tern skimming the water surface.

One Black-headed Gull. I expect the numbers will increase a bit more.

Caspian Tern and Black-headed Gull.

This Caspian Tern has four primary feathers still to replace in its moult.

The wind direction was bad, and every plunge-dive was facing away from me. The hunt was successful — it has a fish in its bill.

Swallowed in one gulp while still in flight.

Five Caspian Terns and one Black-headed Gull. The sixth Caspian Tern was flying around and I couldn't get a shot with all six together.

An Osprey also came by from time to time and caught fish.

Barred Buttonquail — the moment the bell rang, both birds rose to face each other.

The grappling started immediately.

Barred Buttonquail, neither giving an inch, biting at each other's faces.

A third Barred Buttonquail runs past behind the two fighting birds. That's how densely packed with Barred Buttonquail the field was.

Both birds with desperate expressions, each trying to pin the other down.

The individual on the right is larger and has the upper hand.

Moments later it was over, and the bird on the left fled.

Four Barred Buttonquail in a single frame — three in the foreground and one more to the right in the vegetation behind.

Four Barred Buttonquail here as well. Hard to make out, but the fourth bird is visible in the sugarcane field behind, showing only its back.

Barred Buttonquail are about the same size as Eurasian Tree Sparrows. The two species are often found at the same feeding spot. If you see sparrows, watch for a while and a Barred Buttonquail that has lowered its guard will often appear.

One less wary individual kept coming closer and closer.

A Zitting Cisticola probing between sugarcane stalks with its bill, searching for food.

A White Wagtail with a large beetle larva that looks like a substantial meal.

The rocks that serve as the Ospreys' favourite dining table.

Just before spotting prey and tipping into a dive.

A few metres to the water's surface.

Thrusting its feet forward, talons spread wide — two in front and two behind — it plunges into the water.

The body submerged about a metre underwater.

After a few wingbeats the Osprey lifted clear of the water. It had hold of a large Black Porgy.

Ospreys always seem to catch fish that look delicious.

This Osprey caught a Giant Trevally.

The Osprey that caught the Giant Trevally ate beside the one that caught the Southern Black Bream.

Without any particular conflict, the two Ospreys used the same rocky area.

As the tide came in and the rocks began to flood, a Pacific Reef Heron appeared between the two Ospreys. Was it after the small fish going for the Ospreys' scraps?

With the tide nearly full and the rocks submerged, it flew off somewhere carrying the half-eaten Giant Trevally.

The Osprey that had been eating the Southern Black Bream flew off too.

A Caspian Tern flying against a backdrop of mangroves. A scene you can only get in Okinawa.

The Caspian Tern flock had dropped by one, down to five birds.

Caspian Terns resting on the tidal flat.

The Caspian Tern is nearly a match for the Osprey in size, but it was startled by the Osprey's dive and flew away.

Sitting still, a Common Sandpiper came right up in front of me. Top left: a crab flying through the air. ^^;

A Whimbrel caught a crab too.

Swallowed whole — claws, legs and all.

A Far Eastern Curlew, usually quite wary, came close as well.

It caught several mole crickets probing through the soil. I couldn't make out any sign of the mole crickets tunnelling and pushing the earth up. Can it detect them by sound or vibration?

This Chinese Pond Heron showed little interest in people or cars, but was wary of the Grey-faced Buzzard.

Stepping softly, carefully, so as not to alert the mole crickets.

Another mole cricket caught.

A Chinese Pond Heron catching mole cricket after mole cricket.

At closest it came within a few metres.

A single Bean Goose in a paddy field a little way off.

A flock of Greater White-fronted Geese was in a small field. They were drinking irrigation water, but the space is far too cramped for 11 birds. Adult in the foreground.

Juvenile. I wonder what it's eating?

Four juvenile Greater White-fronted Geese.

An adult Greater White-fronted Goose threatening a Cattle Egret that was following along behind.

Just one Bean Goose alone in the paddy field.

Northern Shoveler (foreground) and Eurasian Teal.

Several dozen Tufted Ducks on the dam.

A Little Grebe surfaced nearby.

Dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard in flight.

A Grey-faced Buzzard perched on a utility pole, scanning for prey.

This is what a dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard looks like seen from directly side-on.

It launched out toward the field after prey.

It caught a large Slender-winged Grasshopper.

Dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzards are stunning. ^^

It came straight toward me!!

After that it passed behind me and on to the woodland on the other side. Once it perches in a tree, this dark morph is hard to spot.

Now that the Greater White-fronted Geese have arrived, the Bean Goose won't be lonely anymore.

An adult Greater White-fronted Goose staying alert while the juveniles feed.

Juvenile Greater White-fronted Geese going to town on abandoned rice.

In the evening, a flock of 11 Greater White-fronted Geese and 1 Bean Goose returned from the dam to the rice fields. The Bean Goose is the fourth bird from the back. Noticeably larger than the Greater White-fronted Geese.

A male adult Pale-backed Pigeon pecking at fallen grain on the ground after the rice harvest.

Size comparison with an Oriental Turtle Dove. The Pale-backed Pigeon is Japan's smallest dove.

When startled by a Grey-faced Buzzard, the Pale-backed Pigeons would fly up and take refuge in a nearby mulberry tree.

Because Pale-backed Pigeons are so small, they are hard to find once they tuck in among the stubble left after harvest.

A Grey-faced Buzzard that had taken up position near the Pale-backed Pigeons. I don't think it was targeting the doves, but the Oriental Turtle Dove flock was very alarmed. Could they have come from an area where they've never encountered Grey-faced Buzzards?

White Wagtail (ocularis) first-winter. Unlike the distinctive summer plumage, it is difficult to separate from White Wagtail in first-winter, and I think many are being overlooked. I myself only started paying attention after moving to Okinawa Island. This individual shows relatively clear features: a collar-like black patch, a plain grey back, grey rump, and broad pale edges to the flight feathers.

Amur Wagtail first-winter. There are first-winter female White Wagtails that look similar, but this is almost certainly an Amur Wagtail.

White Wagtail first-winter. There were around 30 birds in total, including this and adults in winter plumage.

The Lesser Crested Tern, once part of such a lively gathering, is now down to the last one.

A Eurasian Curlew still present.

Overwintering Ospreys are increasing.

Whimbrel and other waders are feeding on crabs — around four species of them.

A small species of fiddler crab.

This fiddler crab is a size larger than the one above.

A small flock of Common Starlings. They were wandering around the lawn.

It caught a tiny spider, no bigger than a grain of rice.

This Common Starling got hold of a caterpillar.

Preening. Common Starlings show a beautiful metallic sheen when the light catches them.

Little Ringed Plover. The shadow in the background looks a bit suspicious.

A few White Wagtails as well.

What the Blue Rock Thrush had caught was a honeybee.

Adult male Blue Rock Thrush.

Common Starlings tensing up at the presence of a Common Kestrel.

Two juvenile White-winged Terns diving steeply.

Adult winter-plumage White-winged Tern.

Both Ruffs at Sankakuike are still there. How much longer will they stay?

A few Dunlins also lingering.

While scanning the windbreak around the sugarcane fields with my binoculars, a dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard jumped into view. I was looking for a different bird, but what a welcome encounter. ^^

No doubt it's an adult, but which sex? The greyish face and lack of any supercilium trace make me think male — but the face looks gentler than individuals from the south. If anyone can tell, please let me know.

With a little light on it, the face looks even more distinctly grey.

From the back. The dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard has a black face and uniformly brown upperparts.

It perched nearby, but the she-oak leaves are in the way. ^^;

Two female Common Pochards. Pochards are a rare find in Okinawa.

Three Black-faced Spoonbills.

A flock of Common Greenshanks, Red-necked Stints, Long-toed Stints, and Dunlins.

A flock of Pacific Golden Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlins, Lesser Sand Plovers, and Kentish Plovers.

Mostly Lesser Sand Plovers.

Resting Common Greenshanks. There are also Grey-tailed Tattlers over to the left.

The most numerous are Eurasian Wigeons.

Next most numerous were Northern Pintails.

There were also plenty of Eurasian Teals.

Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail

There was one male Tufted Duck.

Three Eastern Spot-billed Ducks.

There were quite a few Northern Shovelers as well.

A few Ospreys also came through looking for prey.

The Black-faced Spoonbill was mostly sleeping, but opened its eyes for a short while.

The size and face say Eurasian Teal, even if it is white.

From the other side. Going by the eye colour, it's an adult.

The third dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard recorded in Okinawa this season. They're supposed to be rarely seen — so why are so many dark morphs turning up this year?

Both dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzards on Okinawa Island were adults, but the dark-morph individual on Ishigaki Island was a juvenile.

The Eurasian Sparrowhawk was also a juvenile. A relaxed, approachable bird.

It was flying back and forth over the paddies, flushing Eurasian Tree Sparrows and wagtails from between the stalks. Eurasian Sparrowhawks have been seen frequently on Okinawa Island this year, and apparently the same is true on Ishigaki Island. Every bird seen on both Okinawa Island and Ishigaki Island has been a juvenile. I'd love to see a beautiful adult someday…

A male Black-winged Kite.

When the sunlight caught it, the eyes shone like rubies. That's a Black-winged Kite for you.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle — very few this year.

A male Crested Serpent Eagle.

The mate of the Crested Serpent Eagle above. They were calling back and forth to each other.

This Crested Serpent Eagle was along the Sakieda loop road.

A Oriental Turtle-Dove that was flushed by an Eurasian Sparrowhawk and went missing.

Purple Heron, adult. This year a juvenile also appeared on the Okinawa mainland.

Black-headed Gull, juvenile. This was my first time seeing a juvenile.

A Crested Serpent Eagle in the same paddy field as the Eurasian Sparrowhawk. They paid no attention to each other.

Pied Avocet, juvenile.

In transition from juvenile plumage to first-winter plumage.

When an Osprey appeared overhead, it hurriedly retreated to deeper water.

A Eurasian Curlew resting on a shallow sandy beach as the tide came in.

A flock of Grey Plovers rested in the same spot.

Common Greenshanks resting on the rocks.

The weather was good and I managed to get relatively close shots.

It flew this way!!

Common Buzzards are everywhere.

Watching for prey from the windbreak forest.

A fine dark morph.

It spotted prey and took off. The distance to the buzzard was considerable, and with the high temperature the heat shimmer gets in the way of the shots. ^^;

Its favourite casuarina tree. Every now and then it was mobbed by an Eurasian Sparrowhawk.

There were also several Common Kestrels. This year, apart from Grey-faced Buzzards and Common Kestrels, various raptors are turning up all over the Okinawa mainland.

Daurian Redstart, female. Many individuals winter in the Yaeyamas, but they are scarce on the Okinawa mainland. Two individuals confirmed this season.

A flock of around 10 Buff-bellied Pipits was in the paddy fields.

A park where Olive-backed Pipits reliably turn up. Nearly 20 individuals were present.

A Brown Shrike in a small green strip along the highway. I could hear it calling from the shrubs, so I waited about 30 minutes until it came out.

Warbling White-eyes have been increasing too. I can hear Japanese Bush Warblers in the park in front of my house, but actually seeing one is another matter.

A partially leucistic Oriental Turtle Dove. Encountered again in exactly the same spot. Does it stay year-round, or did it arrive as a migrant?