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.
日曜日、家族で島内をドライブ中にベニバト2羽を発見。キジバトの群れにまじっていました。
A flock of Oriental Turtle Doves was startled into flight — and among them I spotted a male Pale-capped Pigeon, its red body and white-tipped tail feathers standing out. It came and perched on a nearby branch.
A female Pale-backed Pigeon. It had come down to farmland to feed.
先日の3羽のオウチュウ は5羽に数を増やしていました。4カ所で7羽いたうちのどれかが、合流して5羽になったのか新たに渡ってきたのか分かりませんが、一度に5羽のオウチュウが集まるなんて初めてのことです。
クロハラアジサシが複数入り、その中にハジロクロハラアジサシの夏羽が1羽いました。田んぼの上をひらひらと飛びながら虫をとっていました。
沖縄では珍しい、黒々とした夏羽に衣替えしたツルクイナがいました。石垣島には冬羽や幼鳥は定期的に現れますが、夏羽は珍しいです。
田んぼではウズラシギやタシギ、アオアシシギ、コアオアシシギなど渡り途中の個体が入れ替わりで立ち寄っています。
コシアカツバメ、ヒメアマツバメ、ショウドウツバメ、ツバメの4種がまざった群れも飛来。天気が悪い中、田んぼを飛び回りながら餌をとっていました。
Drongos are turning up in large numbers on Ishigakijima this season.
A Black Drongo perched on a banana leaf.
Perhaps because the rain was keeping insects from flying high, it seemed to be flying low and picking insects off the leaves.
White-winged Tern in breeding plumage.
The White-winged Tern is beautiful — jet-black body with pure white tail feathers.
White-winged Tern, head-on.
It was ranging widely, but occasionally passed close by.
Several White-cheeked Terns in breeding plumage turned up.
It is rare to see Spotted Redshank like this on Ishigakijima.
Pectoral Sandpipers increased sharply in number all at once.
Of the snipe seen on Ishigakijima, Common Snipe are the first to arrive and the last to leave.
A Black-tailed Godwit coming into breeding plumage.
Marsh Sandpiper in breeding plumage.
Common Greenshank in transition to breeding plumage.
A mixed flock of four swallow species appeared. Whether they arrived separately and joined up on the island, or came together as a mixed flock, I'm not sure.
まだハリオシギいました。今季は、ハリオシギの最盛期に入院していたのでほとんど見られていませんでしたが、渡り終盤で見ることができました。^^
夏羽の真っ黒ツルシギも滞在中。夏羽のヒバリシギやウズラシギも増えてきました。
この時季には非常にめずらしいキンクロハジロとヒドリガモも複数で飛来しました。
A Pin-tailed Snipe wrestling with a worm on a paddy bund.
Same individual as above. Unfortunately it never showed me its tail feathers….
Spotted Redshank in breeding plumage.
A few Long-toed Stints in breeding plumage arrived.
About a dozen Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.
Two male and one female Tufted Ducks.
Two male and one female Eurasian Wigeons.
先月から滞在中のオウチュウ2羽は1羽増えて3羽になり、5羽になり最終的には7羽までふくれ上がりました。
ツメナガセキレイは数を減らし、出会う機会が少なくなりました。
A Black Drongo that caught a Tsumagurozemi cicada during the current mass emergence.
A Black Drongo perched on a branch right in front of me.
Behind the Black Drongo is a crow.
A Black Drongo resting on a branch out of the wind.
A flock of five Black Drongos. At peak there were seven.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail in summer plumage.
リュウキュウアカショウビンのペアが雨の中、たたずんでいました。この時季のアカショウビンは、バンナ公園や林道を走れば多くの個体に出会えます。
リュウキュウコノハズクも抱卵に入ったようで、オスが見張りに立っていました。
Male Ruddy Kingfisher.
Female Ruddy Kingfisher paired with the individual above.
Male Ryukyu Scops Owl.
冬羽から夏羽に変わりつつあるジャワアカガシラサギを確認。 昨年から同所にいる同じ個体 なのかは不明。同じ田んぼにアカガシラサギも飛来。こちらも冬羽から夏羽に変わりつつある個体で換羽の状態は似たようなステージでした。
ズグロミゾゴイも繁殖期を迎えつつあり、雑木林の中ではペアが寄り添っていました。
Javan Pond Heron moulting into summer plumage.
Chinese Pond Heron also transitioning into summer plumage.
Male (left) and female Ryukyu Crake. Breeding is confirmed here every year, but whether it is the same pair is unknown.
移動時間に田んぼに寄り道。警戒心が強くてじっくり見る機会がないリュウキュウヒクイナのペアを近くで観察できました。畔を2羽で歩いていました。繁殖に備えて巣作りする場所でも探しているのでしょうか。
今季、石垣島や八重山、沖縄本島、南西諸島に非常に飛来数が多いアカガシラサギはどこの田んぼにいっても渡り途中の個体がいる状態です。
クロツラヘラサギは5羽が飛来。群れの中で1羽だけが美しい夏羽に変わっていました。
Male Okinawa Rail.
The Okinawa Rail is usually very wary, but I was able to observe this one at close range.
It was walking along the ridge of a paddy field, keeping a watchful eye on its surroundings.
The red on the breast is beautiful.
This is the female Okinawa Rail paired with the individual above. Breeding is about to begin.
A Black-crowned Night Heron almost fully in breeding plumage.
It was catching mole crickets and earthworms.
When a Black-winged Kite flew overhead, it stretched its neck and watched warily.
A Black-faced Spoonbill in beautiful breeding plumage. Likely part of a spring migration flock — a few individuals have been moving around and staying on the island since around the end of last month.
昨年、集団営巣したエリア にことしもツバメチドリが帰ってきました。40つがい80羽ほどが確認されています。すでにペアリングは済んでいるようでしたが、産卵、抱卵はこれからのようです。
雨の降る田んぼではアカガシラサギやリュウキュウヨシゴイなどが活発です。ジャワアカガシラサギもまだ滞在中です。
春の渡りもほぼ終わったので数は少ないですが、海岸にはオオメダイチドリやメダイチドリ、ソリハシシギ、アカアシシギなどが滞在しています。そんな中、なぜかマガンが1羽だけいました。ほとんどワンタッチでどこかへ飛んでいってしまいました。
Oriental Pratincoles have returned to breed again this year.
I expect chicks will be visible around July.
Black-crowned Night Herons are in every paddy field on the island. There are a lot this year.
A male Ryukyu Striated Heron. The breeding season is about to begin.
A female Ryukyu Striated Heron. It had the feel of a nest somewhere in the grass along the waterway, but nothing was visible from outside, so I couldn't make out any details….
Greater Sand Plover in winter plumage. Two birds confirmed.
There were a dozen or so Lesser Sand Plovers. All were in winter plumage.
Grey Plover also still in winter plumage.
A Terek Sandpiper showing signs of a healed fracture on its left leg.
Just one Common Redshank.
Many Grey-tailed Tattlers also in winter plumage.
Whimbrel also in winter plumage.
Ruddy Turnstones feel like they're here year-round….
For some reason a Greater White-fronted Goose turned up on Ishigaki Island in May. At the sea, no less.
石垣島内では、リュウキュウアカショウビン、リュウキュウコノハズク、リュウキュウアオバズクの繁殖が順調に進んでいます。
現在、アカショウビン7、リュウキュウコノハズク4、アオバズク3カ所で確認中。大雨や台風の被害に遭わず無事に巣立つことを祈るばかりです。
A male Ruddy Kingfisher. Completely unafraid of people.
Same individual as above. A single white feather on the right side of the head is the distinguishing mark.
The same individual. The characteristics of a male Ruddy Kingfisher come through well here.
A Ruddy Kingfisher in Banna Park. Also a male.
A female Ryukyu Scops Owl. This tree hollow has been used four years in a row. The female is believed to be the same individual.
The male paired with the individual above. No conclusive way to tell whether it is the same bird as in previous years.
A new male Ryukyu Scops Owl. The female was incubating and could not be seen.
A male Brown Hawk-Owl. Nesting at a spot a little distance from where it raised chicks last year. The tree hollow being used is shallow, and the incubating female's head was visible from outside. ^^;
今季はハジロクロハラアジサシの飛来が多く、5月に入ってから夏羽に換羽した美しい個体を7羽ほど確認しています。滞在期間はどれも短く、1〜3日程度です。
田んぼには季節外れのソリハシセイタカシギがいました。こちらは1日で渡去してしまったようです。
春の渡りも終わりかけで田んぼのシギ、チドリも寂しくなっています。それでもアオアシシギ、セイタカシギ、ウズラシギは複数箇所で確認。タカブシギは1羽のみ疲れた様子でした。
A White-winged Tern in breeding plumage. It looks especially striking from the back.
In light rain, three birds were flying around over the rice paddies.
The head, body, and flanks are jet black.
Watching from inside the car, I had them flying busily right in front of me.
The prey they were catching appeared to be spiders and grasshoppers.
A Pied Avocet that arrived on the late side. A reasonable number turn up every year, but last autumn and this spring were particularly busy, with a large number of individuals passing through Ishigaki Island.
Greenshanks in a fallow field. Several birds are staying.
Wood Sandpipers, which along with Long-toed Stints are among the first to arrive in both spring and autumn, were still present this late in the season.
Pectoral Sandpipers confirmed at multiple sites, with a dozen or more birds.
Black-winged Stilts also at multiple sites, a dozen or more. Most individuals are in first-summer plumage.
自宅のベランダから見えるリュウキュウマツに巣穴を掘っているリュウキュウアカショウビン。かなり掘り進んでいるようで、アカショウビンが中に入ってしまうと外からは姿が見えません。
昨年生まれのカンムリワシが元気に過ごしていました。白い幼羽から換羽が進んでいます。
A male Ruddy Kingfisher. Digging a hole — there are wood chips on its bill.
This one is a female. She had been tucked deep inside the nest hole, but when an Oriental Turtle Dove landed on the nest tree, she shot out.
A Crested Serpent Eagle in transition from white juvenile plumage to adult plumage.
When it found prey and dropped to the ground, a crow came over to harass it.
A Crested Serpent Eagle fleeing after being harassed by two crows.
今季は、真っ黒な夏羽のハジロクロハラアジサシが石垣島に多く飛来します。ゴールデンウイークから十数羽を確認しています。クロハラアジサシも多く、50羽近い群れも確認されています。
ツバメチドリはコロニーを形成中。今のところ40つがいほどが繁殖しそうですが、毎年、農作業が入るのかが運命の分かれ道となります。
天気が悪くなるとアマツバメとヒメアマツバメの群れが低空を飛びます。低空と言っても、いつもよりは低いだけで、それなりに高いところを飛び回っています。
シマアカモズはどんどん減っているのですが、それでもまだ残っている個体がいます。
田んぼには全体的に数は少ないですがウズラシギやセイタカシギ、アオアシシギあたりが滞在中です。
Second sunny day of the month. Ishigaki Island has had an abnormal amount of rain this year, and clear skies are hard to come by. ^^;
A White-winged Tern unable to retract its right leg. If anyone spots it upstream of Ishigaki Island, please let me know.
About seven Black Terns came to the area in front of my house.
A Black Tern that caught a grasshopper.
Every prey item it caught was a grasshopper.
A colony of Oriental Pratincoles. A couple of pairs looked like they were incubating.
The sun blazed down for the first time in a while, and the heat shimmer made everything hazy. ^^;
A Pygmy Swiftlet diving toward an insect.
This one is a Fork-tailed Swift. Together with the Pygmy Swiftlets it was a mixed flock of about 20 birds.
The Brown Shrike is still present.
Pectoral Sandpiper numbers are increasing.
A Black-winged Stilt with a faint pink blush on the breast. I always wonder — is this nuptial plumage?
毎日、雨が続く石垣島です。今月は雨の降らない日はほとんどなく、日照時間も例年の40%以下な異常事態となっています。
雨が小降りになった隙をついて少しだけ鳥見。
アカショウビンは抱卵に入っているペアがほとんどとなっているようです。
カタグロトビは同じサトウキビ畑に3羽。昨年生まれの若い個体は比較的近くで観察できました。
キンバトは新居近くで毎日、オス個体が現れます。雨が降ると電線や枯れ木にチュウダイズアカアオバトがたくさん並びます。
石垣島で当たり年なハジロクロハラアジサシはクロハラアジサシの群れに1羽。牧草地でバッタを捕まえています。
海岸のシギ、チドリも渡りが終わり寂しい限りですが、メダイチドリやキョウジョシギなどが少し滞在中です。
A male Ruddy Kingfisher. This is the individual I see every day on my commute. It's along a busy prefectural road, so I worry about it being hit by traffic.
A Ruddy Kingfisher in the scrubby woodland adjoining my new home. The moment it coughed up a pellet.
Also seen every day near the new house — a Emerald Dove. A male.
A young Black-winged Kite. Some juvenile feathers remain.
A Whistling Green Pigeon perched on a dead tree. They tend to appear on dead trees and power lines when it rains.
A White-winged Tern in summer plumage flying around a pasture.
It was wheeling sharply to snatch grasshoppers and other prey.
This season I lost count of how many White-winged Terns I photographed — that many individuals were seen.
Oriental Plover and Ruddy Turnstone. The spring migration is over and the coast has gone quiet, but the autumn migration will begin in July.