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

Around the time birds are transitioning into first-winter plumage, telling adults from juveniles gets difficult. The worn wing-coverts suggest first-winter plumage, perhaps.

This Common Snipe is also in first-winter plumage.

A Common Snipe that appeared at the paddy bank in the evening.

First-winter plumage.

This one also moulting into first-winter plumage.

Both birds in first-winter plumage.

This individual also in first-winter plumage.

First Dusky Thrush of the season. Adult male. Several in the park.

Pale Thrush, female, first-winter plumage.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail, first-winter plumage.

White Wagtail, male, first-winter plumage.

A large flock of Eurasian Tree Sparrows was feeding on fallen grain.

Chinese Pond Heron in winter plumage. The strong wind and rain had lowered its guard.

Chinese Pond Heron locking onto prey.

A soaking-wet adult Crested Serpent Eagle.

This one appeared to have caught some small prey.

Pied Avocet, adult female.

When I contacted a birding friend, they said it hadn't been there in the morning, so the timing worked out perfectly.

Common Redshank, adult, winter plumage.

Northern Lapwing, first-winter plumage.

First Common Pochard of the season. Female, first-winter plumage. On the right, a male Tufted Duck in breeding plumage.

Adult Black-headed Gull in winter plumage, covered in oil. It was preening, trying to work the oil out.

About 100 had poked their heads out of the ground. Numbers will keep climbing towards year-end.

Adult male Ruddy Ground Dove. It looked small among a flock of Oriental Turtle Doves, but its beautiful plumage stood out all the more.

Another adult male. Compared to the individual above, the shaft streaks on the tertials are more prominent.

Ruddy Ground Dove juvenile. First-winter feathers are coming in to some extent, but it is mostly still in juvenile plumage.

Feeding on rice husks in a paddy field after the harvest.

Adult Naumann's Thrush. An intermediate individual between Naumann's and Dusky Thrush. Sex unknown.

The most numerous are Red-throated Pipits. Next are Water Pipits. Buff-bellied Pipit was confirmed by call only.

Adult Black-headed Gull in winter plumage. It came to a paddy field and was bathing.

Having been established for about four years now, with numbers increasing, the Black-winged Kite has become a familiar sight on Ishigaki Island.

A Black-winged Kite eating a mouse it had caught. It always eats on top of a sprinkler.

Black-winged Kites moult completely into adult plumage in about a year. The eye colour has also changed from the pale orange of the juvenile stage to deep red.

A favourite lookout post.

Adult female Peregrine Falcon. A few juvenile feathers remain, so it is still a young bird.

Compared to the Peregrine found last month, which appears to have come from the continent, you can see the impression is quite different.

Adult female (right) and juvenile Pied Avocet.

They were occasionally squabbling over food.

The two were side by side, showing synchronised behaviour.

A Solitary Snipe that had been in the same spot despite my concern after the heavy rain that fell for several days prior had caused water levels to rise.

I was unsure whether it was a Black-necked Grebe or a Horned Grebe, but it appears to be a Black-necked Grebe. First time I've seen one on Ishigaki Island. ^^ Probably the first record for Ishigaki Island.

Female Siberian Rubythroat.

It seems some female Siberian Rubythroats also have a red throat.

Ryukyu Robin, female winter plumage. It kept coming out to the feeding area and catching small insects. There was also a first-winter male present.

Japanese Bush Warbler, male. Does not appear to be a Sakhalin Leaf Warbler.

Same individual as above. It came right out in front of me.

Black-headed Bunting pecking at fallen grain.

This is what it looks like from the front.

Black-headed Bunting, first-winter. It was distant when I first found it, but gradually worked its way closer.

Black-headed Bunting perched on Japanese pampas grass.

Crimson-breasted Finch, juvenile. No adult male was to be found.

Red-throated Pipit in a flock of several dozen. Turnover is rapid.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow with partial albinism — the crown is white.

Naumann's Thrush, adult female.

Also a female. No male present.

Black-winged Kite with a Black Rat it had caught. What a striking bird. ^^

It tried to eat the rat, but the perch was too thin and it was blown off by the wind several times, stopping to resettle each time — then it seemed to give up and finally carried the rat off to its usual sprinkler.

Black-winged Kite soaring in the evening sun. A friend to farmers. ^^

Black-headed Bunting eating rice.

The Black-headed Bunting appeared to have an injury to its right foot.

A Pied Avocet on an extended stay. Two birds are in adjacent paddies.

Common Shelduck, female, first-winter non-breeding plumage.

Only three birds appear in the photo, but four Northern Lapwings arrived. All in first-winter plumage.

Two Common Shelducks staying in the rice fields.

Black-headed Gull, first-winter plumage.

Black-headed Gull, adult winter plumage.

Citrine Wagtail in the rice fields. This year was a good year for Citrine Wagtails.

Two Citrine Wagtails were mixed in with a flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails.

Little Bunting photographed on a work trip to Yonaguni Island. Dozens are wintering in the rice fields at Hikawa.

Stonechats are also wintering on Yonaguni Island. The white supercilium gave me a momentary scare, but it's a young Stonechat.

Dusky Thrush, male. At Yonaguni Island. There were many near the fishing port at Kubura.

Dusky Thrush, female.

The sun about 40% obscured during a partial solar eclipse.

A beautiful Long-tailed Shrike. It's not particularly wary, so it's easy to photograph.

A Long-tailed Shrike that has caught a grasshopper.

This is an adult male Bull-headed Shrike.

An adult female Bull-headed Shrike.