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.
林縁部の道路はキンバトの餌場になっています。繁殖期最盛期の5月下旬ごろから観察しやすくなっており、今季初の幼鳥も確認できました。今年は何月まで観察できるでしょうか。
An adult female Emerald Dove picking up fallen berries on a footpath.
An Emerald Dove hatched this year. A few juvenile feathers remain.
田んぼで巣立ち後、しばらくたったリュウキュウヨシゴイのヒナ2羽を確認。時折、親鳥に追われていたのでしばらくしたら新たな縄張りを求めていなくなると思われます。
田んぼのシギはヒバリシギやアカアシシギ、アオアシシギ、タカブシギが増えてきました。秋の渡りの本格化の兆候を感じます。
A juvenile Ryukyu Least Bittern. Downy feathers still remain on the head. When it approached adults it was chased away.
This one looks properly juvenile — quite endearing.
An adult male Ryukyu Least Bittern. Breeding plumage lingers even after the breeding season has ended.
Another male Ryukyu Least Bittern.
Long-toed Stint numbers are building. Late breeding plumage adult.
Long-toed Stint, first-summer plumage.
Wood Sandpiper, late breeding plumage.
Greenshank (left) and Common Redshank.
Black-winged Stilt, first-summer male.
今季初となるハリオシギ3羽とチュウジシギ4羽が到着しました。^^ ハリオシギは過去最速となり、例年より少し早い確認となりました。
シギ、チドリの数もどんどん増えてきました。田んぼではハリオシギ、チュウジシギのほかに大量のタカブシギや複数の十数羽の群れでヒバリシギやアオアシシギ、数羽のイソシギが入っています。セイタカシギは数羽だったり、20羽ほどだったりと変動が大きいです。
海岸にはオオメダイチドリやキアシシギ、キョウジョシギ、チュウシャクシギ、ダイゼンなど。海のシギ、チドリはまだまだ少ないです。
The first Pin-tailed Snipe of the season — three birds in the same paddy field. All adults.
Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. Moulting into winter plumage.
Another adult Pin-tailed Snipe. Late breeding plumage.
The first Swinhoe's Snipe of the season — four birds confirmed. All adults.
Wood Sandpiper is the most numerous species in the paddies. No juveniles have arrived yet.
Greenshank moulting into winter plumage. Again, all adults.
Common Sandpiper, adult. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.
A male Greater Painted-snipe that for a split second made me think I had found a snipe.
Greater Painted-snipe, female. Calls were coming from all over. Are they starting a second breeding attempt?
Greater Sand Plover, non-breeding plumage.
This single Grey Plover has been here for a few days now.
Ruddy Turnstone, adult.
A few Whimbrel have been lingering.
Grey-tailed Tattlers range from late breeding to non-breeding plumage.
今季初となるウズラシギを確認。ツバメチドリは子育てを終えて巣立ったヒナをくわえた30羽ほどの群れが田んぼにいました。
ムラサキサギは親子で餌取り。巣立ちビナは親鳥に餌をねだるもほとんど相手にされていませんでした。
アカアシシギは幼鳥を含めて数を増やしています。タカブシギはかなりの数が渡ってきました。タマシギは見やすくなっており、あちこちで出会います。
アマサギは、渡り途中と思われる20〜30羽ほどの群れを見るようになりました。
The first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season has arrived. Moulting from adult breeding to non-breeding plumage.
Oriental Pratincole, moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Also an Oriental Pratincole, likewise moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
A Purple Heron not long out of the nest, begging a parent for food.
Common Redshank, moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Wood Sandpiper, late breeding plumage.
Greater Painted-snipe, male. First-winter plumage.
Long-toed Stint, late breeding plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, male.
Eastern Cattle Egrets are increasing in number.
Zitting Cisticola, adult, late breeding plumage.
ハリオシギが順調に増えています。先日見つけた個体を含めて8羽を確認。幼鳥も3羽飛来していました。写真は撮っていませんが、チュウジシギもいました。ハリオシギは動画でも尾羽を開くところが撮れましたので、ぜひ、ご覧ください。
今季のハリオシギの飛来は例年の8月末から9月にくらべると早いです。渡りの終わりも早くなるのかが気がかりですね。
An adult Pin-tailed Snipe I found two days ago.
Same individual as above. The pin-like tail feathers are visible.
This is how it looked when I found it. It was so close I almost missed it.
Flank of a Swinhoe's Snipe.
View from behind.
A Swinhoe's Snipe that caught an earthworm. Also an adult.
Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile. A strongly dark-brown type.
A more typical-looking Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.
An adult Swinhoe's Snipe preening.
A Swinhoe's Snipe hiding in the grass.
An adult Swinhoe's Snipe on alert toward a Whiskered Tern that was circling overhead.
7月後半から始まったシギたちの渡りが本格化してきました。コアオアシシギは同じ日に成鳥と幼鳥、すでに大量に渡ってきているタカブシギはやっと幼鳥が入り出し、今季初のクサシギも確認することができました。
そのほかは、イソシギやヒバリシギ、セイタカシギ、アオアシシギ、アカアシシギ、キアシシギなどなど。
先日のハリオシギたち もまだまだ残っていました。
Wood Sandpiper juvenile. Mid-moult from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Wood Sandpiper transitioning from first-summer to second-winter plumage. This was the first confirmed sighting of Wood Sandpiper this season, for both juvenile and adult.
First Green Sandpiper of the season. Transitioning from first-summer to second-winter plumage. It was in a ditch and I noticed it by its call. I almost missed it.
A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in pristine juvenile plumage. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers have been coming through in large numbers, but this was finally my first confirmed juvenile.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper in late summer plumage.
Common Redshank transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
The first Pacific Golden Plovers of the season confirmed at three locations. Moulting from summer to winter plumage.
Common Greenshank in late summer plumage.
Long-toed Stint in late summer plumage. A few winter feathers are coming in.
Red-necked Stint in late summer plumage.
石垣島では見る機会が増えているジャワアカガシラサギが今年もやってきました。2期米の田植え準備中の田んぼで餌を探し回っていました。
沖縄本島や石垣島では珍鳥ではなくなりつつありますね。
Javan Pond Heron, appearing on Ishigaki-jima again this year. First-winter plumage?
Stretching up tall to check the surroundings.
The Javan Pond Heron was walking along a paddy bund, catching grasshoppers or something of the sort.
久しぶりにリュウキュウアカショウビンを探しに林道などを回ってみました。2日間で7個体確認。まもなく渡りが始まると思いますが、まだまだいます。
繁殖期の5月から6月ごろは大胆になっているのか、比較的目立つような場所にいることが多いのですが、繁殖期が終わると鳥が変わったように控えめな性格になり、藪の中にいるので見つけにくいですね。それでも餌場は決まっているので、そこを訪れればこの時季でも見ることは可能です。
自宅近くで繁殖したペア も残っていて、毎朝、6時ごろに鳴き声を聞かせてくれます。
Moult has started and it's looking quite ragged. Most Ruddy Kingfishers at this time of year are like this.
There were also individuals where moult had not yet begun.
雨上がりを利用してハリオシギ探し。例年より早いハリオシギの渡りのピークと相まって、幼鳥、成鳥合わせて3カ所で11羽確認しました。^^
昨年は、越冬個体を見つけられませんでしたが、ことしは1羽でも越冬してくれるのを期待。特に幼鳥の越冬だと換羽の推移が見られてうれしいのですが…。
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Pin-tailed Snipe, first-summer plumage.
Three Pin-tailed Snipe juveniles.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. It was on the far side of the paddy field — too distant….
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Pin-tailed Snipe, first-summer plumage.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
This one was also on the far side of the paddy field — too distant…. Pin-tailed Snipe, adult in late summer plumage.
A snipe tensing up at a crow. It flew off immediately afterwards, so I couldn't tell whether it was a Pin-tailed Snipe or a Swinhoe's Snipe, though the call sounded more like Swinhoe's.
A Black-bellied Tern floating on the paddy water.
今季初のヒバリシギを7月3日に確認してから遅れること1カ月半、やっと幼鳥が到着しました。ヒバリシギは成鳥も含めて個体数を増やしています
タカブシギ、アカアシシギは成鳥、幼鳥含めて日に日に増えています。
石垣島では少ないダイゼンも到着。ムナグロは数日前から見る機会が増えています。
ハリオシギは入れ替わりつつも成鳥、幼鳥とも出会いは多いです。
アマサギやチュウサギ、チュウダイサギ、アオサギも少しずつ数を増やしています。クロツラヘラサギは6月から島内をうろうろしている個体がいます。
A Long-toed Stint juvenile — my first confirmed sighting of the season.
Long-toed Stint in late summer plumage.
Wood Sandpiper juveniles are increasing too.
Common Redshank, juvenile.
A Grey Plover in first-summer plumage. A single bird still present.
Pacific Golden Plover, adult. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.
Swinhoe's Snipe, late breeding plumage.
An individual that was most likely a Swinhoe's Snipe, but it stayed wary and never came out of the grass — left me feeling unsatisfied.
Oriental Pratincole that caught a grasshopper. Adult non-breeding plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, adult male. Moulting into non-breeding plumage.
A young Black-faced Spoonbill that has been wandering around Ishigaki Island since around June.
Ryukyu Striated Heron. Moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Intermediate Egret, adult. I like birds at this time of year the most.
定例調査で海岸3カ所巡り。オオメダイチドリの幼鳥が増えていました。ムナグロやキアシシギ、ソリハシシギ、メダイチドリ、キョウジョシギなどもぼちぼち。
Greater Sand Plover, juvenile. Adults had been trickling in from late June, but this is the first juvenile of the season.
Greater Sand Plover, juvenile. It was feeding on the tidal flat, picking up small worm-like creatures that looked like polychaetes.
Same individual as above. Moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Lesser Sand Plover, adult non-breeding plumage.
Greater Sand Plover, adult non-breeding plumage.
A stand-off between a Greater Sand Plover (right) and a Lesser Sand Plover.
A dispute between a Lesser Sand Plover (left) and a Greater Sand Plover.
The squabbling over feeding territory was being instigated by the Greater Sand Plover (left).
Greater Sand Plover, adult non-breeding plumage.
Grey-tailed Tattler that caught a shrimp, moulting from first-cycle breeding to second-cycle non-breeding plumage.
I feel like Ruddy Turnstones are here all year round.
Pacific Golden Plover, late first-cycle breeding plumage.
今季初のハマシギを確認。タカブシギやヒバリシギは成鳥、幼鳥とも数を増やしています。ウズラシギ、クサシギ、コチドリなどもいましたが、幼鳥の到着はまだのようです。
石垣島で唯一、繁殖するシギのタマシギは親子連れが水浴びをしていました。
First Dunlin of the season. Adult, late breeding plumage.
A Greater Painted-snipe parent and chick bathing.
Pectoral Sandpiper, late breeding plumage.
Wood Sandpiper, juvenile.
Wood Sandpiper, late breeding plumage.
Wood Sandpiper moulting from first-summer to second-winter plumage.
Green Sandpiper, late breeding plumage.
Common Redshank, adult. Moulting into winter plumage.
Long-toed Stint, juvenile.
Common Sandpiper moulting from first-summer to second-winter plumage.
Little Ringed Plover.
A Common Moorhen family group.
8月6日に今季初のハリオシギが入って、しばらくはハリオシギばかりでしたが、8月中旬ごろからチュウジシギが増えてきました。タシギはまだ到着していません。9月に入らないとだめですね。
8月20日から25日にかけて撮れたハリオシギとチュウジシギを一気にご紹介します。
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile, and in the background only the lower half of what appears to be a Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.
Same individual as above. Flushed by a motorbike. The pin-like tail feathers are visible. From the side, the tail feathers of Swinhoe's Snipe also look narrow, but the pin-like feathers of Pin-tailed Snipe are a completely different length.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Same individual as above. The short, pin-like tail feathers are visible here too.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Same individual as above. The tail feathers are just about visible.
Same individual as above. The outer tail feathers are visible, but hard to make out…
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.
Same individual as above. It gave us a perfect view of the tail feathers.
Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.
Same individual as above. The tail feathers spread out perfectly.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.
Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile, spooked by a crow.
Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. All juveniles — both Pin-tailed and Swinhoe's Snipe.
Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.
A Common Moorhen that kept flushing the snipe whenever it found one. Thanks to it, I managed to get shots of the tail feathers. ^^
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
シマアカモズとマミジロツメナガセキレイが到着しました。
シマアカモズは2羽で時折、「ギチギチ」と鳴き声を上げながら縄張り争いをしていました。
マミジロツメナガセキレイは20羽ほどの群れで到着。例年、マミジロツメナガセキレイが先に到着し、少し遅れて(キマユ)ツメナガセキレイがやってきます。
Brown Shrike, first-winter. Noticeable that the outermost tail feathers are shorter than the rest.
The distance was considerable, so the image is soft.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail, first-winter.
A flock of about 20 arrived in the paddies. All birds were juveniles.