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

House Sparrow, female. It was in a pineapple field.

House Sparrow (top) and Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Yellow Wagtail (Yellow-browed) male, winter plumage. It tends to be mistaken for summer plumage, but this is winter plumage.

Yellow Wagtail (Yellow-browed), first-winter plumage.

Yellow Wagtail (Yellow-browed), first-winter plumage.

Also Yellow Wagtail (Yellow-browed), first-winter plumage.

White Wagtail, male, first-winter plumage.

Same individual as above.

Red-throated Pipit moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Red-throated Pipit, juvenile.

Red-throated Pipit moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Red-throated Pipit, juvenile.

Red-throated Pipit, adult. In transition from summer to winter plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. A particularly wary individual.

My first Swinhoe's Snipe in a while.

Two Common Snipe, both juveniles.

These two are also Common Snipe.

Common Snipe, juvenile. Almost all of them were Common Snipe.

Marsh Sandpiper, first-winter.

Long-toed Stint, first-winter.

Long-toed Stint, late juvenile plumage.

Temminck's Stint, winter plumage.

Temminck's Stint, juvenile.

Dunlin, first-winter.

The Dunlin were in a flock of around ten birds.

Common Greenshank on the coast.

Grey Plover, adult winter plumage.

Little Ringed Plover, winter plumage.

Also Little Ringed Plover, winter plumage.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana, juvenile — present since last month.

When a raptor passed overhead, it became noticeably more alert.

Chinese Pond Heron, winter plumage.

A different individual. Also a Chinese Pond Heron in winter plumage. It was catching dragonflies.

A large flock of Northern Lapwings arrived a few days ago and is being seen all over the island.

I had recorded Northern Pintail in mid-last month, but this is my first photo of the season.

A male Northern Shoveler.

A female Eurasian Wigeon.

Two Eurasian Teal at the coast.

White-winged Tern, adult winter plumage.

A juvenile Eurasian Sparrowhawk. A relaxed individual — it showed no concern even when people walked by on their stroll.

Hiding in the bushes, it would dart in whenever a flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails came close. I never got to see whether the hunt succeeded… ^^;

A Yellow Bittern on water hyacinth. It was wriggling about, watching for prey.

A juvenile Pheasant-tailed Jacana. Completely unafraid.

It was eating a small snail.

An adult Caspian Tern with prey.

The adult returning to the juvenile (right) with prey in its bill. I expected it to feed the chick, but it flew off instead.

The juvenile trying to steal the fish dropped by the adult (right).

An out-of-season Grey-streaked Flycatcher. It was a juvenile.

A female Siberian Stonechat. I encountered many individuals this season.

A male Daurian Redstart.

The flock of Greater White-fronted Geese totalled 25 birds, adults and juveniles combined.

A Northern Pintail that had tagged along with the Greater White-fronted Geese.

First Tufted Duck juvenile of the season.

Ryukyu Least Bittern juvenile.

A Black-faced Spoonbill in the paddy field with the Greater White-fronted Geese.

The Bar-tailed Godwit that had been together with the Long-billed Dowitcher had for some reason parted ways with the dowitcher and returned to its original spot. Why? ^^;

Northern Lapwing juvenile.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail, winter plumage.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail, winter plumage.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail juvenile.

Red-throated Pipit juvenile.

Pacific Golden Plover juvenile.

A young Crested Serpent Eagle. Some juvenile feathers remain.

Rosy Starling juvenile (right). Mostly in juvenile plumage, but a few first-winter feathers are coming in.

With strong winds and occasional rain, the Rosy Starling was moving energetically from tree to tree, catching berries and insects.

Common Green Magpie juvenile.

Two Common Green Magpies came together.

Common Starling, adult winter plumage.

Daurian Starling, adult female.

Long-billed Dowitcher. The Bar-tailed Godwit that had always been with it has returned to the paddy field where it originally was.

Temminck's Stint, moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Common Snipe, first-winter plumage.

Greater White-fronted Geese — 25 birds arrived the day before.

Also arrived yesterday, a young Black-faced Spoonbill.

Purple Heron, adult.

A juvenile Common Kingfisher fishing in a nearby river.

Rosy Starling, adult winter plumage. The crest is just visible too.

It would drop down from the power line into a Strangler Fig, but the leaves kept getting in the way, so I ended up taking shot after shot like this… ^^;

Black-winged Kite, immature. Almost identical to an adult, but there were a few juvenile feathers remaining in the wing coverts.

Among the leaf warblers seen on Ishigaki-jima, Yellow-browed Warbler is the only one that can be identified without hearing its call.

Yellow Bittern, juvenile. Beautiful juvenile plumage lit by the afternoon sun. Stunning.

Isabelline Shrike, first-winter plumage. It had caught what appeared to be a bee.

The first Dusky Thrush of the season. Numbers jumped all at once.

Long-billed Dowitcher and Black-tailed Godwit. They had separated, then came back together again…

A juvenile Common Snipe in a paddy field after the rice harvest.

The Asian Glossy Starlings have increased to three birds.

Rosy Starling, juvenile.

Pale-backed Pigeon, male. Moulting into first-winter plumage.

Pale-backed Pigeon, female. Moulting into first-winter plumage.

Eyebrowed Thrush, scarce in Okinawa.

Same individual as above. First-winter plumage.

Dusky Thrush, first-winter.

Ashy Minivet, first-winter. Grabbed a quick shot before heading to work. Right after this, it was chased off by a Brown Shrike.

That posture is Buff-bellied Pipit even from a distance. ^^

Same individual as above. A juvenile, clearly.

Different individual. Also a Buff-bellied Pipit juvenile.

Some distance away, but this appears to be a first-winter White Wagtail (Siberian).

Lesser White-fronted Goose (front) and Tundra Bean Goose.

Greater White-fronted Geese totalled 27 birds across two locations.

One Taiga Bean Goose.

Pallas's Reed Bunting, first-winter.

Came down to the ground to feed on grass seeds.

Underparts of the Pallas's Reed Bunting. The whitish tone is quite striking.

Pallas's Reed Bunting from behind.

Close-up of the face. The straight-edged bill is one of the distinguishing features of Pallas's Reed Bunting.

If you watch quietly, it turns out to be surprisingly unwary.

Yellow Bittern. Probably a juvenile. That completes the genus Ixobrychus for me. ^^

Pied Avocets turning up intermittently. All four birds this season are juveniles.

The long-staying Long-billed Dowitcher. It would be nice if it stayed until summer plumage.

A Black-faced Spoonbill that has been here for several days.

Black-winged Stilt, first-winter. The two on the left are female, the one on the right is male.

Common Snipe, juvenile.

Snipe numbers in the rice fields kept growing — around 15 birds here.

Pied Avocet in the rice fields.

Pied Avocet on the coast. Dunlins all around.

The third Pied Avocet of the day.

Lesser White-fronted Goose (right) and Tundra Bean-Goose.

I was startled by the strange appearance, but it turned out to be a partially melanistic White-breasted Waterhen… ^^;

Two male Pale-capped Pigeons, both immatures.

Chinese Pond Heron. Two birds present.

Taiwan Wagtail, first-winter.

Size comparison: Black-faced Spoonbill (left) and Grey Heron.

First Common Pochard of the season — female, winter plumage.

Common Teal, male. Moulting into breeding plumage.

Common Teal, juvenile plumage.

Northern Shoveler, juvenile male.

Common Snipe. Moult well advanced.

A different Common Snipe from the one above. First-winter.

This one also moulting into first-winter plumage.

Common Moorhens ranging from adults to juveniles, various ages gathered together.

Eurasian Hoopoe preening its wet feathers.

It was drizzling, so it rarely came down from the trees.

Ashy Minivet, first-winter. Busy moving around in search of insects, but when I watched quietly it stopped to preen. That's when you get your shot.

After resting for a few minutes, back to hunting for insects.

The Ashy Minivet was foraging in the canopy of a Royal Poinciana.

It may look plain at first glance, but that ashy colouring is beautiful.

Moving through the high branches.

It moved to an Akagi tree. It didn't seem to be eating the berries, so it was apparently still after insects.

Rosy Starling, juvenile. Moult is progressing. If it stays until spring we might get to see that stunning plumage…

White-shouldered Starling, adult male.

A Naumann's Thrush that thinks it's hiding.

A long-staying Eurasian Hoopoe. The second individual this season.

White-shouldered Starling, first-winter male.

This one has been here a long time too. An individual believed to be a Javan Pond Heron.

Crested Serpent Eagle, juvenile. A favourite spot.

Rustic Bunting — unusual for Ishigaki Island.

White Wagtail in flight.

White Wagtail, first-winter.

Pied Avocet, first-winter. Wary of a passing pedestrian.

Ferruginous Duck, juvenile female.

Same individual as above. Head-on view.

Ferruginous Duck, juvenile male.

Ferruginous Duck, juvenile female.

Pink-necked Green Pigeon, male (left) and female. Both in first-winter plumage.

Black-faced Spoonbill, immature individual.

Long-billed Dowitcher in first-winter plumage. Staying since mid-October.

Black-tailed Godwit in first-winter plumage. Also staying since mid-last month.

Eurasian Wigeon, relatively numerous.

Ferruginous Duck, juvenile male.

Ferruginous Duck, juvenile female.

Northern Pintails have increased at the pond where the Ferruginous Ducks are.

Pink-necked Green Pigeon, male. The one on the left is in first-winter plumage, the one on the right is an adult.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail in first-winter plumage.

Also an Eastern Yellow Wagtail in first-winter plumage.

This one likewise an Eastern Yellow Wagtail in first-winter plumage.

White Wagtail in first-winter plumage.

Chinese Pond Heron in first-winter plumage.

A Javan Pond Heron caught a Sakishima rice frog. I'm always impressed at how it finds them in thick grass like this.

Pied Avocet in first-winter plumage, on an extended stay.

The only gull that comes to Ishigaki Island every year is the Black-headed Gull. First-winter plumage.

Northern Shoveler, male. Moulting from juvenile plumage into first breeding plumage.

Northern Shoveler, male. Mid-moult from eclipse into breeding plumage.

Long-billed Dowitcher, first-winter. It has been staying for a while now, so hopes are high for it to overwinter.

Common Snipe, first-winter. All the snipe in the paddies are Common Snipe.

Common Snipe in the grass. During migration there are individuals with all sorts of plumage patterns, but I get the feeling the ones that stay to the end are always this ordinary-looking type.

Grey-faced Buzzard in its fourth calendar year. I sincerely hope it comes back next year too.

Side-on view. All-dark overall — looks great.

Crested Serpent Eagle, adult.

Asian Glossy Starling, juvenile. I found two on 8 November, then the count went up to three, and now just one remains.

Red-throated Pipits are turning up in large numbers in paddies all over the place.

Among the large numbers of Red-throated Pipits, a handful of Buff-bellied Pipits.

Siberian Stonechats have been seen on and off this season. Could they be overwintering?

First Gadwall of the season. Male in breeding plumage.

Northern Pintail moulting from eclipse into breeding plumage.

Yellow Bittern, female juvenile.

It was a confiding individual and could be observed at close range.

A Pacific Reef Heron appeared on 12 November — only the second record for Ishigaki Island.

Ryukyu Dwarf Bittern, juvenile. Being a resident on Ishigaki Island and elsewhere in Okinawa, it can be seen year-round.

Yellow Bittern, juvenile. A large number of overwintering individuals have been confirmed this season.