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

The pair had been incubating, but it appears the eggs fell into the sea.

Curlew Sandpiper moulting from breeding to winter plumage.

This one also in transition to winter plumage.

Same individual as above. The flight feathers have not yet changed.

An individual thought to be female.

This one might be a male.

The individual with the most advanced moult.

Two birds at the far end of the rice paddy. So distant… ^^;

Wood Sandpiper, adult. Almost fully in breeding plumage but well worn and ragged.

Long-toed Stint, late breeding plumage.

While watching Black-naped Terns, a large tern came in and landed. It was a Caspian Tern.

Roseate Terns were breeding in the same location as the Black-naped Terns, but fledging seems to happen a little earlier than the Black-naped Terns.

A Black-naped Tern carrying food to a recently fledged chick.

On this day, only Black-naped Terns were coming to the coast.

Little Terns have nearly finished raising their young, and the juveniles are already independent.

The Whiskered Tern was on its own. Late breeding plumage.

Caspian Terns are large and impressive. Breeding is over, moult has started, and the plumage is looking ragged.

A Little Tern transitioning into winter plumage.

Juvenile Pacific Reef Heron. Two of them were following a parent bird.

The first Common Redshank juvenile of the season.

And the first Wood Sandpiper juvenile of the season.

Wood Sandpiper heading into winter plumage.

A Common Redshank juvenile in flight.

Common Redshank, adult winter plumage.

Moult progress varies considerably among individual Red-necked Stints even within the same flock.

First Pacific Golden Plovers of the season — a flock of a dozen or so.

Sanderling in late breeding plumage. A few winter feathers already coming through.

Greater Sand Plover and Lesser Sand Plover resting on a sandy beach.

A Kentish Plover was running along the sandy beach, snatching small insects.

An adult Common Sandpiper in a rice paddy.

Black-winged Stilts are gradually increasing in number. Almost all males, for some reason.

An adult Long-toed Stint transitioning into winter plumage.

Common Greenshank in winter plumage.

An adult Great Crested Tern with its juvenile (foreground) in tow.

Juvenile and adult Black-naped Tern.

A fledgling Roseate Tern (background). The parent has flown off somewhere and it looks worried.

The parent brought a small fish to the fledgling, but it seems full and is looking the other way. The parent appears to be trying to coax it into flight practice with food.

Juvenile Great Crested Tern. Apparently they don't breed anywhere in the Yaeyamas outside the Senkaku Islands. This one has come all the way from Kita-kojima in the Senkaku Islands.

Great Crested Tern. Standing next to a parent (right), the size difference is striking.

Black-naped Tern chicks. Presumably siblings.

A juvenile Black-naped Tern making a huge fuss after spotting a parent arriving with food.

Roseate Tern, Black-naped Tern and Little Tern in flight. They took off in alarm at an Osprey.

A family of Black-naped Terns spending time at their own pace. The juvenile at the back is a Roseate Tern.

A juvenile Bridled Tern. It didn't seem able to catch food yet and was being fed by a parent.

A Crested Serpent Eagle in flight. The eye is sharply in focus.

A Crested Serpent Eagle lunging at prey. Not clear what the prey is. I had a 2× teleconverter on but it focused reliably.

Different prey from above. Looks like it caught a crab.

As long as I keep the subject in the viewfinder, the α9 II's high-performance autofocus keeps tracking it.

A female Japanese Paradise Flycatcher bringing a moth. The branch to the left of the nest had broken off. The one surviving chick was begging hard for food. It fledged safely the following morning.

A parent waiting after feeding for the chick to defecate. It then picked up the dropping and flew off.

First record of a Grey Wagtail this season. It was found on 10 August — exactly the same first-arrival date as last year.

A juvenile Ryukyu Scops Owl. In appearance it had fully changed into first-winter plumage, but its call was still that of a juvenile.

A sibling of the individual above. This one also looks no different from an adult.

A juvenile Ruddy Kingfisher. Most have fledged, but at one spot the start seems to have been late and food is still being carried to chicks in the nest.

A juvenile Ryukyu Night Heron. Has moult started around the secondaries? I'm really not sure how moult progresses in Ryukyu Night Herons… ^^;

An adult female Ruddy Kingfisher on the forest road. This individual had been sitting on eggs for a long time, but they appear to have been infertile and no chicks hatched in the end.

An adult female Ruddy Kingfisher. I encountered three juveniles, but all were very wary and I couldn't get a decent photo of any of them… ^^;

It has been about a month since fledging, but there was still down remaining on the crown.

A juvenile Long-toed Stint.

A Black-winged Stilt moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

A juvenile Lesser Sand Plover.

A juvenile Wood Sandpiper in juvenile plumage.

A Common Redshank moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Marsh Sandpiper, almost fully in winter plumage.

Wood Sandpiper transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Common Greenshank transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt, adult male.

Common Sandpiper, late summer plumage.

Apparently involved in some kind of accident — the right leg is missing from mid-point down. Wood Sandpiper, late summer plumage.

Sanderling transitioning from summer to winter plumage. A shame we can't see that beautiful winter plumage on Ishigaki, as they don't overwinter here.

Ruddy Turnstone, adult male. Late summer plumage.

Ruddy Turnstone, female. Transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Red-necked Stint transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Grey-tailed Tattler preening after bathing. Transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Terek Sandpiper, both individuals in late summer plumage.

Red-necked Stint, Terek Sandpiper, Lesser Sand Plover, and Kentish Plover taking a midday rest.

Greater Sand Plover in winter plumage.

One Intermediate Egret among a flock of Little Egrets.

Ruddy Kingfisher, adult. They can still be seen until around the end of September, but numbers are steadily dropping.

Crested Serpent Eagle, female. She was drying her feathers after the rain.

Purple Heron, adult. Several recently fledged juveniles were also observed.

A White-winged Tern that caught a small prey item in a rice paddy.

The body looks almost entirely in summer plumage, but a little winter plumage is beginning to show on the belly. The flight feathers have moulted, with the exception of the outermost one primary feather remaining.

Resting after flying around over the rice paddies — perhaps tired out.

Common Snipe adult. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage. The scapulars have already changed to winter feathers.

Pacific Golden Plover adult. In the process of changing from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Long-toed Stint moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Common Snipe adult. In moult to non-breeding plumage.

Also a Common Snipe adult. Preening after bathing.

Checked the flank feathers just to be sure.

Also checked the tail feathers.

Another Common Snipe adult. Would love to see some juveniles soon. It froze up because I got too close. ^^;

A Common Snipe probing the bank. The tail looks remarkably short on this individual — did something happen to it?

First Ruff of the season. It was a juvenile female. Given the location, it may be the same individual I was told about two days ago but missed.

Long-toed Stint. A juvenile of the less rufous type.

Also a juvenile. Juveniles have been turning up more frequently lately.

This one is a Long-toed Stint adult. Late breeding plumage, but a few non-breeding feathers are already visible.

Greater Painted-snipe male.

Common Greenshank adult. In the process of changing from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Green Sandpiper in late breeding plumage. Numbers have been picking up over the past week or so.

Black-winged Stilt. Still showing a lot of juvenile plumage.

Common Redshank juvenile.

Pacific Golden Plover moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage. Among a flock of about ten, this individual was the most advanced in moult.

Little Ringed Plover. Mid-moult into winter plumage.

A Javan Pond Heron in winter plumage that has already been present for several days.

Javan Pond Heron (left) and Intermediate Egret. Seeing the two side by side really shows how small the Javan Pond Heron is. Rain has started to fall.

The rain that had begun grew heavier, and the wind started rocking the car I was sitting in so violently that the Javan Pond Heron finally took flight.

Ruddy-breasted Crake. Adult female, late summer plumage.

When I found it the other day it was hidden among flattened, abandoned rice stalks and I could barely get any shots, but today for some reason it was walking along a farm track.

Common Redshank. The individual on the left is nearly in first-winter plumage; the one on the right is nearly in juvenile plumage.

Four Common Greenshanks. All adults, transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Red-necked Stint, adult. A little winter plumage is just beginning to show.

A Crested Serpent Eagle chick, estimated to be around 20 days post-hatching.

Juvenile feathers are beginning to show through the down around the shoulders.

First Black-tailed Godwit of the season, adult in winter plumage. A male visited the same paddy field in spring.

Marsh Sandpiper, adult. Mid-moult from summer to winter plumage.

An individual that gave me a start among a small flock of Common Greenshanks. The water is probably deeper just at that spot.

Cattle Egrets are increasing in number too.

Broad-billed Sandpiper, adult. Late summer plumage with winter feathers beginning to appear.

The Broad-billed Sandpiper appeared to be feeding on small insects and snails.

Size comparison with Broad-billed Sandpiper. The bird in the background is a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and the one on the right is a Long-toed Stint.

The Broad-billed Sandpiper was at the far end of the paddy field, about 70 metres away. Heavy cropping applied.

It seems that many juvenile Broad-billed Sandpipers are being recorded on the mainland too, so here's hoping for more there as well.

Black-tailed Godwit, adult. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Yesterday's individual. This one has already changed into non-breeding plumage.

First Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season. Late breeding plumage.

A Terek Sandpiper that is usually found on sandy beaches or tidal flats was in the rice fields. Feels a bit out of place.

Little Stint in non-breeding plumage. There were about 4 today.

Common Greenshank, mostly in non-breeding plumage.

The Javan Pond Heron that has been staying since the other day was still present today.

A Javan Pond Heron being scolded by a Little Egret and retreating into the bushes.

While watching the Javan Pond Heron, 2 White-browed Wagtails appeared — the first of the season.

Female Greater Painted-snipe. It was at the edge of the rice field, more than 70 metres away….

First Common Kestrel of the season. It was a juvenile. It appeared while I was watching sandpipers and plovers on the coast.

White-browed Wagtail, adult female. Moulting into non-breeding plumage.

This individual was in a flock of White-browed Wagtails, but it also looks like it could be a juvenile (Yellow) Wagtail — for now I'll leave it as White-browed Wagtail. ^^; Moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

One Great Egret mixed in among Little Egrets and Cattle Egrets.

Barn Swallow moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage. The α9 II tracks swallows reliably even with some obstacles in the way.

Barn Swallow juvenile. Young as it looks, it already has the strength for a great long-distance flight.

Another Barn Swallow born this year.

This flock too soon flew off in a southerly direction.

Three Black-naped Terns among Greater Crested Terns.

Greater Sand Plover, juvenile. A Common Kestrel has appeared and it is moving into a ready-to-flee posture.

Greater Sand Plover. This one is moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage. I wonder if the white area visible on the tertials is partial albinism.

Greater Sand Plover moulting from juvenile to first-winter. What appear to be tertials are drooping as if about to fall out.

This one is looking very ragged, but is moulting into first-winter plumage.

Greater Sand Plover, almost fully in juvenile plumage.

Lesser Sand Plover, mostly in winter plumage.

An adult Whimbrel — my first shot of the season.

Grey-tailed Tattler in late summer plumage.

Found a Pin-tailed Snipe on a dry field path. Too close — it was extremely alert, and getting a look at the tail feathers was out of the question — but this was an easy individual to identify as Pin-tailed Snipe, and an adult at that.

Scanning further with binoculars I found two more Pin-tailed Snipes. Both juveniles, perhaps?

A snipe that started bathing. This one is also a straightforward adult Pin-tailed Snipe.

Tail feathers of the individual above. After bathing you can reliably get a tail shot.

Spotted what looked like a Pin-tailed Snipe in the distance. Luckily it showed its tail feathers almost immediately. You can clearly see those needle-like tail feathers. ^^

This one didn't show its tail feathers, but it's a juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.

I had been thinking this was a Swinhoe's Snipe, but looking at the tail photo below, something needle-like is visible. So I wondered if it might be Pin-tailed Snipe — but no, it is Swinhoe's Snipe after all.

Tail feathers of the individual above. They look needle-like, but it seems they appear narrow because they are being viewed side-on.

Javan Pond Heron in flight.

Javan Pond Heron shaking itself off.

I couldn't quite tell whether this individual was wary or not.

A female Brown Shrike perched on the frame of a greenhouse.

Juvenile Ryukyu Least Bittern.

Both Pin-tailed Snipe, juveniles.

This one is a juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.

Is this a juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe?

Same individual as above.

Both birds are juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult, apparently moulting into winter plumage — though there are also some Pin-tailed Snipe-like features.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe. May be the same individual as above.

Hard to make out… probably Swinhoe's Snipe.

I can't tell whether it's a Swinhoe's Snipe or a Pin-tailed Snipe, but it is a juvenile.

Adult Eastern Yellow Wagtail with a faint supercilium.

A Lesser Greenshank that has nearly completed its moult into winter plumage.

Juvenile Long-toed Stint (foreground) and adult Red-necked Stint.

Adult Red-necked Stint, moulting from summer into winter plumage.

A Whimbrel that is usually found by the sea came into the rice paddies. It must have had nowhere to go at high tide.

A different Whimbrel from the one above. Also an adult.

A male Brown Shrike apparently moulting from first-summer into second-winter plumage.

This one also appears to be a Brown Shrike moulting from first-summer into second-winter plumage.

This is also a Brown Shrike, the same age as the individual above.

This one had a greyish hindneck, so it appears to be an Isabelline Shrike moulting from first-summer into second-winter plumage.

Adult female Brown Shrike.

Same individual as above. It caught a pair of mating Pyrgomorpha conica grasshoppers in copula. I wonder what the male thinks about that….

A textbook-looking Pin-tailed Snipe like this is nice and easy to identify. ^^ Juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. The juvenile plumage is beautiful.

A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe, 0.5 seconds before taking flight.

Also a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

A Swinhoe's Snipe bathing.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Also a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

There are many individuals this year that appear to be Isabelline Shrike like this one. Adult male.

Male Brown Shrike. There is a faint scaly pattern visible on the lower cheek area and flanks, so perhaps this is first-summer plumage.

A Crested Serpent Eagle with black eyes. The body colour also seems somewhat darker than a typical Crested Serpent Eagle. Maybe I'm just imagining it… ^^;

Both eyes completely black.

Grey Wagtails are increasing in number.

Grey Wagtail, first-winter plumage.

Could this one also be a young individual?

Oriental Pratincole, almost in full winter plumage.

Oriental Pratincole moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Another Oriental Pratincole, almost completely moulted into winter plumage.

A small flock of Pacific Golden Plovers. All were adults moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt, male. Again today, males outnumbered females.