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.
ハリオシギから始まったジシギの渡りも終盤になってくるとタシギが大勢を占めるようになりました。それでも越冬モードのハリオシギやチュウジシギもいますので、換羽の推移を見守るのが楽しみですね。
Common Snipe, juvenile. It came right out in front of me.
A Common Snipe in the same paddy as the individual above.
Two Common Snipes and a Swinhoe's Snipe (right).
Common Snipe, juvenile. I spooked it.
相変わらず、秋の渡りで野鳥たちの入れ替わりが激しい石垣島です。今季3羽目となるソリハシセイタカシギのほか、アカアシシギやセイタカシギ、アオアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、タカブシギなど田んぼに赴けば必ずシギたちが出迎えてくれます。ハマシギは8羽の群れが入っていました。
ムラサキサギは幼鳥、成鳥と出会う機会は増えています。リュウキュウヨシゴイも子育てが終わり、田んぼや水路をのぞけば大抵、見つかります。
アマサギやチュウダイサギは渡りが最盛期を迎えており、数百羽の群れが現れたりします。こちらも入れ替わりが激しいです。
先週まで大量にいたツバメチドリは数を減らしましたが、クロハラアジサシは相変わらず島内のあちこちで逗留しています。
Pied Avocet, first-winter.
Ryukyu Dwarf Bittern, female.
Purple Heron, adult. The sex is… hard to tell… ^^;
Common Redshank, adult. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.
Common Greenshank, moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Wood Sandpiper, adult.
A Cattle Egret that caught a toad. I've also seen a Great Egret eating a puffer fish — can they handle the toxin?
Dunlin. All juveniles.
Common Greenshank, non-breeding plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, adult male. This isn't Australia!!
Black-winged Stilt, moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
White-winged Tern, juvenile (second from front) and adult non-breeding plumage.
Isabelline Shrike, female.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail (superciliosa), first-winter.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail (superciliosa) can be found all over the island.
Scaly-breasted Munia, adult.
Scaly-breasted Munia and Tricolored Munia. On Ishigaki Island, the Tricolored Munia is more common.
Barn Swallow. At this time of year, Barn Swallows outnumber Ryukyu Swallows.
It was flying around through the grass, catching prey.
毎年、アカハラダカとともにやってくるハイイロオウチュウが今年も石垣島に現れました。今季は2カ所で合わせて3羽が確認されています。 2017年のハイイロオウチュウは越冬 して近くで観察することができました。ことしも越冬に期待です。
秋の渡りはこれから佳境を迎えます。ぜひ私の友人が催行する スポッター石垣島ネイチャーガイドサービス を利用して、いい鳥を見てくださいね。^^ ガイドの腕は私が保証します。
An Ashy Drongo basking in the morning sun on a power line. Not particularly wary.
It kept looking around every time an insect flew past, but I never got to see it make a catch.
An Ashy Drongo perched in a distant tree. It was quite far away and I was shooting handheld at 1200mm, so the image quality really suffers. ^^;
It seems that this year, as usual, Ashy Drongos, Dollarbirds, and Chinese Sparrowhawks have all arrived together on the outer islands of Okinawa Main Island and on Yonaguni Island.