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

Juvenile Pacific Golden Plovers have finally been confirmed. The fact that juveniles haven't arrived until now makes me worry that breeding may not have gone well.

There were two Chinese Pond Herons, one Javan Pond Heron, and a Yellow Bittern. Oriental Pratincole and Whiskered Tern are also still present.

I went to see the Plaintive Cuckoo I had been tipped off about the day before. I expected it to disappear into the undergrowth and not come back out, but instead it flew lightly around an open area like a Barn Swallow, apparently catching small insects on the wing.

Autumn migration on Ishigaki-jima was excellent last year, with rare birds turning up one after another from November, and I have a feeling this season will be even better.

So far this season on Ishigaki-jima, Black-naped Oriole, Ashy Drongo, Daurian Starling, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, and Siberian Long-tailed Rosefinch have all appeared.

One buff-coloured variant individual was mixed in among a flock of Ishigaki Brown-eared Bulbuls. It stood out considerably — for a moment I thought it might be a real rarity.