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

Black-winged Cuckooshrike Lesser Whistling Duck Black Bittern Black-winged kite Ruddy Kingfisher

GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR

Go where the birds are. The SHIMASOBA Tour launches.

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.

Max. 3 guests 4 hours in the morning Beginners welcome
Check availability and book

今季初ウズラシギ、増えてきたクロハラアジサシ

今季初のウズラシギを確認。4羽ほどで飛来していました。

クロハラアジサシは数日前から徐々に数を増やしています。トラクターについて回って巻き上げられた水生生物を捕まえているようでした。

リュウキュウヨシゴイは成鳥、幼鳥とも見やすくなっています。

ほかにも田んぼには、タカブシギやセイタカシギ、アオアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、トウネンなどが滞在中。

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

First Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season. Moulting into winter plumage.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpiper in late summer plumage. Two or three feathers are already showing winter plumage.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern numbers are increasing day by day.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern, transitioning from summer to winter plumage.

Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern

Ryukyu Yellow Bittern, juvenile.

Dunlin
Dunlin

Dunlin in late summer plumage.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

A Rufous-necked Stint transitioning from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

ハリオシギ4羽とチュウジシギ4羽

ジシギが増えてきたのでハリオシギ、チュウジシギ識別業務の開始。

一つの田んぼに8羽滞在で、ハリオシギは幼鳥1、成鳥3でチュウジシギは幼鳥3、成鳥1でした。

例年通りなら今後はチュウジシギが増えていき、9月に入るとふたたびハリオシギが増え、9月中旬まで楽しめます。

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. The beauty of this bird brought to mind last year's individual.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. Moult into winter plumage is well underway.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. This one is in late summer plumage. The moult stage is quite different from the individual above.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. This one is also transitioning into winter plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult in summer plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Also a Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile. The ratio of juveniles to adults was the opposite of what I found with Pin-tailed Snipe.

Categories: 野鳥

増えてきたハリオシギとチュウジシギ

きょうもハリオシギとチュウジシギの識別業務。

一つの田んぼに10羽でハリオシギは成鳥2、幼鳥1、チュウジシギは幼鳥7でした。前日の美しいハリオシギの幼鳥は再発見できず残念。入れ替りながら数を増やしているようです。

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult in late summer plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, underwing.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Three days after first finding it on 17 August, I finally managed to photograph the tail feathers. ^^

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. Moving into winter plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe showing beautifully fresh juvenile plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe that wouldn't let its guard down. On this day, a Common Moorhen with chicks was the nemesis. ^^;

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Underwing of a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

A quintessentially Okinawan juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Another quintessentially Okinawan juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe. At first glance, wouldn't those of you from the mainland think it's a Pin-tailed Snipe?

Categories: 野鳥