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.
沖縄への飛来が少ないマガモがいました。昨年の12月上旬にも見ているのですが、写真が撮れたとのは今冬初。美しいオスでした。
数日前から滞在のコハクチョウも相変わらず同じ田んぼでのんびりと採餌。警戒心がないので散歩する人たちのアイドル的存在になっています^^
水路にはコガモやヒドリガモ、ハシビロガモなどがたくさん休んでいました。
Mallard, adult male breeding plumage.
The Tundra Swan was floating in a rush paddy, feeding on weeds. A ladybird was riding on its back.
A flock of ducks. Around 100 were resting in a waterway.
1月5日に見つけたマキバタヒバリ は10日ほど経ちましたが、まだ滞在しています。全国的にも珍しく沖縄や石垣島でもほとんどお目にかかる機会はないのでこのまま春まで越冬してくれるとうれしいですね。
沖縄的珍鳥のヒバリは、昨年の11月上旬からの長逗留。数は多少減りましたがそれでも6羽が元気に過ごしています。さえずりが聴けるころまでいてくれるのを期待しています。
こちらも沖縄的珍鳥のケリも昨年からの越冬モード。タゲリは昨年10月後半ごろからぞくぞくと石垣島を通過していき、今季はすでに100羽ほど見ています。不思議と全て幼鳥です。
ツグミやシロハラ、アカハラは越冬組も安定して同じポイントで見られるようになっています。珍ツグミはまだですが、冷え込みが続けばあれやこれや入るのを期待です。
シマアカモズも渡りの時期からはずっと少ないですが、それでも農地を回れば1日に数羽は確認できます。
A Buff-bellied Pipit in wintering mode. The bird was far away, the temperature had risen and heat shimmer had set in, leaving the photos hopelessly blurry.
Just when I thought this one might be a bit better, the Buff-bellied Pipit itself is looking the other way… ^^;
Six Eurasian Skylarks were present. Three are visible in the photo. All six are first-winter birds.
Northern Lapwing, first-winter plumage. Three were resting in a paddy field.
Grey-headed Lapwing — an infrequent visitor to Okinawa. First-winter plumage.
Brown-eared Bulbul — wait, this is a male Isabelline Shrike, first-winter plumage. Isabelline Shrikes overwinter here in a wide variety of plumages, from adults to juveniles.
Naumann's Thrush — no, this is a Red-bellied Thrush, first-winter plumage. Three were in the paddy field.
Female Dusky Thrush, first-winter plumage. Together with the Red-bellied Thrush above, five birds were foraging in the paddy field.
今季で3年連続で飛来の暗色型サシバ。3歳というか3暦年目になります。毎年、同じ時期に同じ農地にやってきます。
越冬常連のチョウゲンボウもあちこちの農地で見られます。きょうは警戒心の弱い個体を近くで撮ることができました。^^
秋から冬にかけてはカンムリワシも見やすく、この日は幼鳥含めて6羽ほどに出会えました。
ズグロミゾゴイ幼鳥は3羽。昨年生まれの幼鳥に出会う機会が増えてきました。
A striking dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard — commonly known as "Black Buzzard." This is its third consecutive year visiting. It has been coming since it was a juvenile, so it is now three years old.
Compared to when it was a juvenile, its body seems to have filled out and become more solid.
This is an ordinary Grey-faced Buzzard — a juvenile. It was far away and the heat was making the air shimmer, so the photo came out hazy and soft… ^^;
It had caught a large beetle at the compost heap.
A close Common Kestrel, female, first-winter plumage.
A Crested Serpent Eagle drying its wings, drawn out by the warm weather.
A female Osprey after bathing.
A juvenile Malayan Night Heron. It is around the time they should be moulting into adult plumage, but this individual has not yet shown any adult feathers.