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

Two Chinese Egrets. Pushed off their feeding ground by the high tide, they were getting along together on a rock.

They kept a little distance from each other at times, but on the whole things were peaceful. Once the tide went out and feeding time began, however, squabbles were constant… ^^;

The two birds stayed for two days, but a few days later another Chinese Egret arrived.

A Pacific Reef Heron was nearby as well.

Around ten or so Black-naped Terns arrived. They are already pairing up.

A pair of Black-naped Terns.

When Black-naped Terns and Roseate Terns show up, I get the feeling that summer has truly arrived on Ishigaki Island.

Three Oriental Pratincole chicks and a parent.

The outside world is full of dangers, so they spent most of their time sheltering under the parent's belly.

An Oriental Pratincole that has brought food to the chicks.

It delivered a large grasshopper. The chick swallowed it without any trouble.

A different Oriental Pratincole individual. This one appeared to be preparing to breed.

A male Ryukyu Scops Owl standing guard at the nest. Two or so chicks fledge here every year.

A Brown Hawk-Owl sitting in the nest with its wings just visible. The male standing watch on a nearby branch was visible only by his tail feathers. ^^; Three chicks fledge from this one every year.

An eggshell that had fallen below the Brown Hawk-Owl's nest. It looks as though hatching was only very recent.

Pied Avocet, first-summer plumage.

I thought the two were feeding contentedly side by side, but occasional squabbles broke out.

Pied Avocet and Black-winged Stilt. Both in first-summer plumage.

There was one Greater Sand Plover among a flock of Lesser Sand Plovers.

A dozen or so Pacific Golden Plovers are also staying. Non-breeding individuals, perhaps?

Lesser Sand Plovers seem to be present year-round, with numbers fluctuating.

Grey-tailed Tattler, first-summer plumage.

Ryukyu Swallows perched on driftwood. A few would occasionally come down onto the sandy beach.

A White-capped Noddy incubating.

A Roseate Tern colony. Until recently there were Black-naped Terns here, but it seems they were driven off. The Black-naped Tern flock had moved to another reef.

Large-billed Tern, breeding plumage. It was high tide, so I couldn't observe the species' distinctive foraging behaviour.

A Whiskered Tern over the sea.

A Little Tern pair. They had two juveniles with them.

A pair of Black-naped Terns came to bathe.

A Roseate Tern also came to bathe.

A Large-billed Tern flying about.

A juvenile Little Tern. It was already able to catch food on its own.

Two Chinese Egrets standing at the river mouth.

A Chinese Egret on the shore a little apart from the two above. It appeared to have injured one leg.

It seemed to be targeting a school of small fish.

When the tide came in, it was resting on a reef away from the shore.

The white morph of Pacific Reef Heron, which is sometimes mistaken for a Chinese Egret.

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana in flight. It was being chased by a crow. When it flew, it called with a plaintive "kuu" cry.

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana in beautiful breeding plumage. Possibly first-summer plumage.

When a crow flew over, it kept looking up at the sky.

This individual didn't seem to fear humans and preened right nearby. Pheasant-tailed Jacanas often have weak wariness.

It was foraging even in areas without water.

Based on size and plumage, this individual is likely male.

Male Ruddy Kingfisher.

A Ruddy Kingfisher that caught a large centipede to bring to the chicks. The chicks appear to be growing well.

A female Japanese Paradise Flycatcher on the nest.

A male Ryukyu Scops Owl keeping watch.

When calls from another individual were heard, this one called back in response.

A male Grey-faced Buzzard— a male Brown Hawk-Owl keeping watch.

The female Brown Hawk-Owl paired with the individual above. The chicks had grown large and were out of the nest. The breeding season appears to be going smoothly.

There was a juvenile Ryukyu Least Bittern hatched this year. The first juvenile of the season.

The Pied Avocet is still staying on. First-summer plumage.

Emerald Dove confirmed at multiple locations as well. Sightings will increase from now through autumn. Adult female.

A size comparison between an Oriental Turtle Dove and an Emerald Dove. The Emerald Dove is more than one size smaller.

A male Emerald Dove. It is tense at the calls of a Japanese Sparrowhawk.

Same individual as above. It was eating fallen fruit on the ground. At this time of year it favours fallen fruit from Macaranga and Mallotus.

An Emerald Dove from a different location. Also a male. Females have only recently started to be seen.

The first fledging of a Brown Hawk-Owl this season.

A female Ruddy Kingfisher. Her feathers were ruffled — she may have knocked into something. A male was nearby, so they are probably breeding in the area. The fact that the female is out suggests the chicks are growing well.

A tired-looking female Malayan Night Heron. She also appears to be raising young.

A banded female Ryukyu Scops Owl.

She went back into the nest hole once, then came out again. Are the chicks getting big enough to push her out?

A female Brown Hawk-Owl. A grown chick was peering out of the nest hole. There appear to be at least two.

A male Black-winged Kite, keeping watch over the nest where the female is.

A Ruddy Kingfisher targeting the loudly chorusing Cryptotympana facialis cicadas.

A Ruddy Kingfisher after bathing. Male.

A Ruddy Kingfisher raising chicks. The chicks here fledged successfully on the 25th, two days after this shot.

I thought it was about to cough up a pellet — turned out to be a yawn. ^^;

Looking up into the trees, hunting for cicadas.

The male. This territory only ever has the male. Either still incubating, or the chicks are still small…

At this time of year prey like Cryptotympana facialis cicadas seems to be no problem at all.