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

Collared Kingfisher Pied Avocet Short-eared Owl Emerald dove Pintail Snipe

GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR

Go where the birds are. The SHIMASOBA Tour launches.

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.

Max. 3 guests 4 hours in the morning Beginners welcome
Check availability and book

SONY α1 の試し撮りでヤツガシラ、トラツグミなど

Canon のEOS-1D X Mark IIからSONYのα9IIに乗り換えてちょうど1年たちましたが、SONY初のプロ機となるα1が出たので買い換えました。発売日翌日に到着し、本日、少しだけ試し撮りしてきました。

α1での初撮りは、この時季の石垣島らしくヤツガシラ。きょうは2カ所で2羽の飛来を確認。ISO1600で撮影しましたがα9IIよりノイズは増えますね。5000万画素のハイレゾ機なのでしかたないです…。

次は暗い林道にトラツグミ。林道が狭くまともに撮れない状況でなんとか草の向こうにいる姿を撮影。手前の草にピントを取られることなく撮れました。

公園のペアのズグロミゾゴイは婚姻色で顔が真っ青に染まっていました。鳥瞳AFはしっかりと効いています。

ムラサキサギ、アマサギの飛翔時にも瞳AFは余裕で機能しました。若干、ムラサキサギは迷いましたが、アマサギの方は飛ぼうが歩き回ろうがしっかり目にピントが来ています。

α1の鳥瞳AFは、おそらくカワセミを重点的に学習させてあるようで、以下の写真のような米粒ぐらいの大きさの被写体でも一瞬でしっかりと目を検出していました。公園とかでカワセミ撮ってる金持ち団塊世代がターゲットなのでしょうか?^^;

シギやチドリは苦手なようで、遠いと瞳AFは使えませんが、それなりに近い被写体ならしっかりと目を検出していました。不思議なことにセイタカシギは近くても全く目を検出しません。学習が足りないと思われますので、新しいファームウエアに期待ですね。

カルガモやイシガキヒヨドリはバシッと目に反応していました。

Eurasian Hoopoe
Eurasian Hoopoe

Eurasian Hoopoe at the reliable spot. Another individual turned up as well.

White's Thrush
White's Thrush

Scaly Thrush found on a forest road. First of the season. I leaned out of the car and forced the shot. ^^;

Malayan Night Heron
Malayan Night Heron

Adult male Malayan Night Heron. Nuptial coloration has come in and the face has turned blue.

Malayan Night Heron
Malayan Night Heron

The female of the pair above. Also in nuptial color. Last year this pair successfully raised one chick.

Purple Heron
Purple Heron

Purple Heron in flight. The autofocus tracked the eye solidly.

Eastern Cattle Egret
Eastern Cattle Egret

A Cattle Egret in flight. Eye tracking locked on perfectly here too.

Purple Heron
Purple Heron

The perched Purple Heron responded solidly as well.

Eastern Cattle Egret
Eastern Cattle Egret

A Cattle Egret with a broken wing. Numbers have been building with the spring migration, but occasionally you come across an injured bird like this. Probably flew into a power line.

Common Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher

A Common Kingfisher on the coast. The kingfisher is the one exception where eye AF locks on even at this size.

Temminck's Stint
Temminck's Stint

My first Temminck's Stint of the season. There was just one, mixed in with a flock of Little Ringed Plovers and Long-toed Stints.

Long-toed Stint
Long-toed Stint

Long-toed Stint, first-winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt

A flock of Black-winged Stilts. Eye AF didn't respond at all. Hoping for firmware support at some point.

Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Eastern Spot-billed Duck

Eastern Spot-billed Ducks on migration have arrived and numbers are up. Eye AF nailed these too.

Ishigaki Bulbul
Ishigaki Bulbul

The Ryukyu Bulbul isn't a bird I usually photograph, but I pressed it into service as a test subject for eye AF. Whether it was facing front or turning sideways, the AF kept right on the eye.

Categories: 野鳥