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.
わが家の1階にリュウキュウツバメが5月31日から巣作りを始めました。2週間かけてほぼ完成したようです。無事に巣立つまで観察したいと思います。
31 May — nest construction begins. The male and female started building it together.
While one applies mud to the wall, the partner waits on the pipe with mud in its bill.
13 June. Day 14 since they started building the nest. It appears to be nearly complete.
石垣島では春と秋の渡りの時季に通過するソリハシセイタカシギが、なぜかこんな時季に到着しました。石垣島ではすでに稲刈りが始まっており、2面だけ残された水の張られた田んぼでエサをとっていました。セイタカシギも数羽滞在中です。
海岸には、チュウシャクシギ3羽とキアシシギ7羽が滞在していました。どれも若い個体なので繁殖に参加しないということなのでしょうか。
エリグロアジサシたちは産卵が始まったようでコロニーでは数ペアが抱卵していました。狭い岩礁でコロニーを形成しているので場所取りで大騒ぎです。
Female Pied Avocet, first-summer plumage.
Black-winged Stilts fighting. A first-summer (left) versus an adult summer — the adult summer won.
Male Black-winged Stilt. Same individual as above.
A few of the Black-winged Stilts that arrived with Typhoon No. 3 the other day are still lingering.
Black-naped Tern. Like the Black-winged Stilt, the pinkish flush on the breast during the breeding season — is that nuptial colouration?
Black-naped Tern colony. More than 20 birds had gathered on a small rocky reef and were making quite a racket. A few pairs were already incubating.
Grey-tailed Tattler, first-summer plumage. Grey-tailed Tattlers are about the only waders left on the shore.
Unusually for this time of year, three Whimbrels turned up. All three were in first-summer plumage. Perhaps they are wandering around here because they are not taking part in breeding.