2022年、鳥納め
年末、血を吐きながら年内の原稿を出稿し終えたので、短時間ですが2022年、最後の鳥見をしてきました。
12月に入り、ツグミやアカハラ、シロハラが一気に増えていました。ツグミはほとんどがハチジョウツグミで羽衣の色合いがバリエーションに富んでいて比較するだけで楽しいです。アカハラ、シロハラも渡り直後より警戒心が緩み、観察しやすくなっています。
ちょっとした草むらからはチョウセンウグイスやムジセッカの鳴き声が聞こえてきますが、昨年よりは若干少ないようです。
ジョウビタキ、ノビタキ、ムネアカタヒバリ、ツメナガセキレイなども越冬中。
以前から滞在中のアカツクシガモ3羽に加えてツクシガモ4羽も飛来しました。コハクチョウやクロヅル、ヘラサギなども引き続き滞在しています。
カモの仲間はハシビロガモが最も多く、次いでヒドリガモやコガモ、キンクロハジロなど。今季はメジロガモがまだ確認できていません。
多くのタシギが越冬中で、複数箇所の田んぼで合計200羽ほど見た中に、1羽だけチュウジシギがいました。
カンムリワシは幼鳥、成鳥とも見やすくなってきました。これから輪禍も増えるので石垣島や西表島でハンドルを握る時は注意が必要です。
The most vividly coloured Naumann's Thrush of the day. An adult.
Naumann's Thrush, first-winter plumage.
This one has quite a smoky tone.
Pale Thrush, first-winter plumage.
Pale Thrush, adult winter plumage.
White's Thrush, first-winter plumage.
Korean Bush Warbler. It lurks in the kind of scrubby undergrowth you find anywhere. The call note carries well, but getting a clear view is another matter.
A Radde's Warbler photographed at relatively close range.
It appears to be eating something like a scale insect. It was also preying on spiders and small insects.
Judging by these tail feathers, I wonder if first-winter plumage is the right call.
A female Daurian Redstart. A small number are wintering on the island.
A female Siberian Stonechat. A small number are also wintering on the island.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail, first-winter plumage. Adults are rarely seen.
Three Red-throated Pipits. Numbers are down this season.
The Ruddy Shelduck count reached a peak of five, but three are currently wintering.
Four Common Shelducks arrived, spread across two locations.
A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle seen reliably lately.
Adult Crested Serpent Eagle.
Adult Purple Heron.
A wintering Swinhoe's Snipe finally found after going through some 200 Common Snipe across multiple paddies. I was determined to find one before the year was out and searched single-mindedly — utterly exhausted by the end. ^^;
Common Snipe, first-winter plumage.
A flock of Common Snipe. On Ishigaki, flocks of 10 to 30 birds are wintering.
Male Greater Painted-snipe.
Multiple Eastern Marsh Harriers are wintering on the island this season, so encounters are frequent.
Two Tundra Swans also making a long stay. The individual on the right appears to have injured one leg.
Male Eurasian Wigeon, transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Adult female Eurasian Wigeon. Non-breeding plumage.
Adult male Eurasian Wigeon, moulting from eclipse into breeding plumage.
Adult female Northern Pintail. Non-breeding plumage.
Adult female Eurasian Teal.
Male Tufted Duck. First-year?
Common Redshank, first-winter plumage.
Dunlin, first-winter plumage.
Common Greenshank, first-winter plumage.
White-faced Plovers roosting in a flock.