ハイイロガン、カンムリワシ幼鳥、オニアジサシほか
10日ほど前に現れたハイイロガン。現在石垣島には、ハイイロガンのほかにカリガネ、マガン、ヒシクイ、コハクチョウ、クロヅルと南の島らしくない鳥たちが滞在しています。
カンムリワシの幼鳥は今シーズン9個体目となりました。非常に活発な個体で、水田や採草地で獲物を捕まえていました。
数日前からオニアジサシも飛来。例年、しばらくは滞在しますが、越冬まではなかなかしないです。海岸には、メダイチドリやシロチドリ、コチドリ、ムナグロ、キアシシギ、アオアシシギ、キョウジョシギなどが数を増減させながら滞在中です。
I had already seen a flock of five Greylag Geese at the end of last year on Okinawa Island, but this was my first encounter with the species on Ishigaki Island.
A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle that plunged into a rice paddy. Did the hunt fail?
Scanning for prey from a good vantage point.
An individual with no fear of people — it came and perched on the wire right in front of me.
An adult female Crested Serpent Eagle. This is 'Kikki,' an individual rescued in 2009, with a red band on the right leg.
A Caspian Tern resting on a sandy beach.
It took off, but flew off somewhere without hunting.
Lesser Sand Plover in winter plumage. Numbers have dropped from their peak but birds are still present along various stretches of coastline.
Kentish Plover in winter plumage. Numbers are well down compared to the peak here too.
Little Ringed Plover in winter plumage. Still present on beaches and in rice paddies.