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

Greater Sand Plover, winter plumage.

Eurasian Curlew, first-winter plumage.

Sanderling. On Okinawa's main island they winter and also pass through in reasonable numbers during migration, but on Ishigaki Island they are scarce.

Red-necked Stint, winter plumage. Confirmed a few birds arriving.

Pacific Golden Plover and Lesser Sand Plover. Around 70 Pacific Golden Plovers and 40 Lesser Sand Plovers confirmed.

Kentish Plover and Lesser Sand Plover. Over 50 Kentish Plovers arrived.

Grey Plovers on Ishigaki Island are usually seen in flocks of just a few birds, but this time there were about 20.

Green Sandpiper in winter plumage. The coast is lively, but the waders in the paddies are quiet — just a few Wood Sandpipers, Black-winged Stilts, and Common Snipe besides this one.

Black-tailed Gull, first-winter plumage.

A different individual from the one above. This winter Black-tailed Gulls are being recorded in good numbers. All of them are juveniles.

This Javan Pond Heron had been foraging in the paddies, but was startled by a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle and retreated into a tree.

On alert for the juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle passing overhead. It doesn't seem to fear adults, but for some reason it was wary of the juvenile — perhaps because it looks unfamiliar.

It would be great if it stays until it comes into summer plumage.

Also overwintering since last year: Ferruginous Duck. There are two, a male and a female. At peak there were three.

Purple Heron, first-winter plumage.

Northern Shoveler, male. Moulting from eclipse into breeding plumage.

The dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard that has returned for four consecutive years. It will be heading back to its breeding grounds soon.

On the first warm sunny day in a while, the dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard gave a big yawn.

Recently fledged Black-winged Kite juveniles. Only two are in the photo, but there was one more.

The parent of the fledglings above. It also showed us aerial food passes.

Crested Serpent Eagle juvenile. It looked like it was finding food without any trouble.

Crested Serpent Eagle adult. A single juvenile feather still remains. Perhaps in its fourth calendar year. Also looking content soaking up the sun after a long absence.

Common Kestrel, adult male. A particularly pale individual.

A Eurasian Hoopoe with almost no wariness at all.

Eurasian Hoopoe arrivals have been trickling on since last year, and I have absolutely no idea where the autumn migration ends and the spring migration begins… ^^;

It was digging cockroaches out of the soil one after another.

Pale-legged Leaf Warbler — confirmed by both call and appearance. My first sighting on Ishigaki Island.

It was moving quickly from branch to branch.

Plain Leaf Warblers are often in the undergrowth, but you can sense their presence by their call.

A Naumann's Thrush lit by the evening sun. This season, Dusky Thrushes, White's Thrushes, and Naumann's Thrushes are all scarce.

An overwintering Plain Leaf Warbler. It is spending its time in a small area.

That day it appeared at branch tips frequently, and I was able to get video footage as well.

Little Buntings have arrived in large numbers this season.

A flock of Little Buntings was feeding on the sparse remaining grass seeds in paddies not yet planted.

Mixed in with the Little Bunting flock were a small number of Red-throated Pipits.

The Red-throated Pipits were feeding on poorly germinated rice in paddies where planting had already been done.

This individual appears to be transitioning into breeding plumage.

Many Grey Wagtails are also well advanced in their moult.

Adult female Isabelline Shrike.

Male Brambling. Almost fully in breeding plumage.

Female Brambling.

They were gathered in leucaena, eating something. New shoots, perhaps.

Female Ferruginous Duck.

A different female Ferruginous Duck from the one above.

Wood Sandpipers arrived in a flock. Both in spring and autumn, Wood Sandpipers are the first shorebirds to pass through Ishigaki-jima.

Black-winged Stilts are overwintering in paddies and irrigation channels.

A small number of Green Sandpipers are wintering, individually.