GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR
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.
今季3羽目でやっと撮影できたカンムリワシ幼鳥。道路でキシノウエトカゲを食っていた。
カンムリワシの飛び出しで事故が増える時期になってきたので、島内ではゆっくり走りましょう。
Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. It was surrounded by several crows.
What the juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle is eating is a Kishinoue's giant skink. A plump, good-looking skink.
台風11号襲来直前にハリオシギが、これまでに経験したことのないくらい増えました。
チュウジシギ十数羽の群れの中にハリオシギを2羽見つけて写真を撮っていると風が強くなる中、7羽のハリオシギの群れが空から目の前に降ってきました。全て幼鳥でした。
他の田んぼに移動すると、ハリオシギ6羽の群れを発見。今季は異常なほどハリオシギが多い印象です。尾羽写真もじゃんじゃん貯まります。^^
「針尾が見えてるか見えていないか」の観察条件が悪い時のパターンも、かなり経験を積むことができました。
A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe just before landing. This became one of my favourite shots — the pin-like tail feathers came out clearly. ^^
Same individual as above. The bird in the foreground is also a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.
Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe. The individual visible behind is the same bird as in the flight photo above.
Wing-flapping Swinhoe's Snipe. Moult does not appear to have progressed much — fresh juvenile plumage.
A slightly "jīgurū" (dark-coloured) juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe. There are three types of Swinhoe's Snipe that turn up on Ishigaki, and one of them looks like this. Very tropical-feeling.
Same individual as above.
Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.
This one is an adult Swinhoe's Snipe... — actually, this is an adult Pin-tailed Snipe. Scapulars and tertials already moulted into winter plumage. Swinhoe's and Pin-tailed Snipe combined, about 30 birds.
Adult Pin-tailed Snipe. Scapulars in winter plumage, tertials old feathers.
Same individual as above. Eight primaries are new feathers. Moult is well advanced.
Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe. Among juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe there are quite a few individuals that resemble Swinhoe's Snipe.
Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe preening.
Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.
Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe. For some reason it held this posture for a while.
Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.
Adult Pin-tailed Snipe. In the process of changing into winter plumage.
Same individual as above. About six primaries already moulted.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.
A Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile looking a little tired.
A Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile bathing.
Same individual as above. Preening after bathing.
Another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile looking a little tired.
Swinhoe's Snipe, adult. Winter plumage coming in, but with heavy feather loss.
Three Pin-tailed Snipe juveniles!!
Up to four Pin-tailed Snipe juveniles!!
A Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile enduring the wind and rain as the typhoon approaches.
Common Snipe, juvenile. Numbers slowly building — two birds confirmed this day.
数日前からジャワアカガシラサギが滞在。台風接近でしばらくは足止め食らうでしょう。
台風の風が当たらない田んぼの片隅でオジロトウネンやトウネン、ヒバリシギ、ハマシギが餌をとっていました。背の高いセイタカシギは台風の風にあおられながらも飛ばされないように踏ん張っていました。
ムナグロは増えていますが、いまだ幼鳥の到着は確認できず…。
A Javan Pond Heron foraging along a bank sheltered from the wind.
With the wind and rain so strong, the bird showed almost no wariness and kept coming closer and closer.
Typhoon No. 11 looks set to affect the area for several days, so hopefully it will stay around that long.
First Temminck's Stint of the season. An adult in late summer plumage.
Common Sandpiper, adult. Transitioning from summer to winter plumage.
Pacific Golden Plover in late summer plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, first-winter. Braving the strong winds.
近所のリュウキュウアカショウビンはまだ3羽が滞在中。台風明けは少し疲れた様子でした。
自宅のウッドデッキ からは毎日のようにアカショウビンの鳴き声が聞こえてきます。最近は、さえずりはせずに、警戒鳴きが聞こえてくることがほとんどです。動画もその警戒鳴きの様子です。
Ruddy Kingfisher, adult. Worn out from moult and the aftermath of the typhoon. Two juveniles are also currently present.
台風11号が襲来する中、ちょっとだけ鳥見。ソリハシセイタカシギが飛来していました。
クロハラアジサシは相当数が飛来。台風のこの時季の恒例の風景です。ツバメやツメナガセキレイも増えています。
A Pied Avocet enduring the gale-force winds of Typhoon No. 11.
A Pin-tailed Snipe was resting in the shelter of a windbreak.
Around 300 Black-bellied Terns arrived on the winds of a typhoon. They were busily foraging in the strong winds.
Black-bellied Tern, adult. Mid-moult into winter plumage.
Black-bellied Tern, juvenile. Transitioning into first-winter plumage.
Black-bellied Tern, adult.
At this time of year, Black-bellied Terns surge in numbers whenever a typhoon hits.
As autumn deepens, Barn Swallows have been increasing. On Ishigaki-jima, swallows are the heralds of autumn.
They were quite thoroughly soaked by the rain, but were zipping back and forth over the paddies.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail (superciliaris), juvenile.
It had caught a spider carrying eggs. It ate both the spider and the eggs, every last bit.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail (superciliaris), adult. This one had caught an insect that appeared to be a cricket of some kind. When the paddies flood, insects lose their footing and seem to become much easier to catch.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail (superciliaris) in flight.
Hopping across the dry patches of a flooded paddy field, foraging.
Black-bellied Tern, juvenile.
台風明けで一気にシマアカモズの数が増えました。ソリハシセイタカシギは台風の暴風を無事に乗り越えていました。
いっとき数を減らしていたインドハッカは再び増え出し、石垣島の各地で見られるようになりました。
Brown Shrike, juvenile.
Brown Shrike, adult male.
Brown Shrike, male. First-winter plumage.
A Pied Avocet that made it through the typhoon.
A Common Myna drinking from a puddle on the road.
This individual was missing some feathers.
同じエリアにある田んぼにヨーロッパトウネン、ソリハシセイタカシギ、キリアイ、ハリオシギ、アカエリヒレアシシギのほか、トウネン、オジロトウネン、セイタカシギ、チュウジシギ、ウズラシギ、アオアシシギ、コアオアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、タカブシギ、クサシギ、コチドリ、ムナグロ、ツバメチドリなどが大集結していました。石垣島のシギ、チドリファンにはたまりませんね。^^
Little Stint, juvenile.
Little Stint, adult (right), and Red-necked Stint, adult.
Two Little Stints (left) and Red-necked Stint.
A flock of Red-necked Stints with two Little Stints mixed in. A Temminck's Stint was in the same paddy field but showed no interest in joining the group.
Red-necked Stint, winter plumage.
Temminck's Stint, juvenile.
The Pied Avocet that arrived on Ishigaki Island together with Typhoon No. 11 is still present.
Broad-billed Sandpiper, juvenile. There were two, but only one made it into the photo.
Same individual as above.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Same individual as above. Please note that the 'pins' are not visible with this degree of tail-feather spread.
Same individual as above. Moult has not yet progressed far.
Swinhoe's Snipe.
Same individual as above.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. Looks hot.
A considerably pale-toned Swinhoe's Snipe — the type that gets mistaken for Pin-tailed Snipe.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile, and Red-necked Stint.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, adult, moulting from breeding to winter plumage.
Red Phalarope in winter plumage, feeding by spinning in circles on the water surface.
Black-winged Stilt, juvenile plumage.
Black-winged Stilt transitioning to first-winter plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, female. First-winter plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, male. First-winter plumage.
Black-winged Stilt, adult female.
Black-winged Stilt, adult male.
今季初のサルハマシギの到着は幼鳥でした。石垣島で秋に見るサルハマシギはほとんど幼鳥です。
The Curlew Sandpiper looked all the more beautiful lit by the evening sun.
Curlew Sandpiper, juvenile (foreground), and Wood Sandpiper, juvenile.
I was able to watch until it got dark in the evening.
今季初のチョウゲンボウを確認しました。アカハラダカやハヤブサも確認されています。
While watching the sandpipers, they were flushed by a juvenile Common Kestrel. ^^;
Adult Crested Serpent Eagle in an elementary school playground. A juvenile has also been showing up nearby.
7月から長逗留しているジャワアカガシラサギが見やすくなっています。台風後に増えたトンボを捕食しようと農道や畔に出てくるので見つけやすいです。
キリアイの幼鳥も滞在中。また台風が近づいてきているのでしばらくは渡れないでしょうね。
ハリオシギ、チュウジシギも滞在中。
Javan Pond Heron targeting dragonflies swarming on a farm road.
The Broad-billed Sandpiper juvenile has been staying for several days.
Pin-tailed Snipe — numbers are down, but they're still here.
An individual that was together with the Pin-tailed Snipe above. So alike I almost thought they were siblings. ^^
Swinhoe's Snipe are still present.
An individual I was able to observe at very close range.
Red-necked Stint and Long-toed Stint numbers are increasing.
キリアイは幼鳥に続き、成鳥も飛来しました。
ジシギはチュウジシギが激増してハリオシギは減少。なぜかタシギが増えず心配です。
ジャワアカガシラサギは毎日のように田んぼの畔でトンボ取り。
A Broad-billed Sandpiper in winter plumage has arrived. The third Broad-billed Sandpiper in the same paddy field.
A Broad-billed Sandpiper stretching. Second-winter plumage?
Molt in progress.
A Javan Pond Heron targeting a dragonfly.
After this, it failed and tumbled into the paddy field. ^^;
A juvenile Dunlin has also been staying for a few days.
A clear-cut juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.
This one is a juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.
Two juvenile Swinhoe's Snipes (left) and two juvenile Pin-tailed Snipes.
Pin-tailed Snipe.
A juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.
A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.
A juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.
Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe. Pin-tailed Snipes everywhere.
A juvenile Long-toed Stint.
石垣島を直撃した台風12号でズグロミゾゴイ、クロハラアジサシ、ツバメを保護しました。暴風雨で結構な数の野鳥が被害に遭ったようです。
A juvenile Malayan Night Heron with a broken left wing. I took it to a veterinary clinic the next day. Apparently several other herons were also brought in that day.
An adult White-winged Tern found lying on the road. It had been soaked by rain and could no longer fly. I fed it at home, let its feathers dry, and was able to release it back into the wild safely.
This Barn Swallow had taken shelter on top of the shutter fitted to my home's wooden deck just before a typhoon made a direct hit. I had a bad feeling about it, so I checked the deck in the middle of the night and, sure enough, it had fallen. I caught it, dried its feathers, and released it back into the wild the next morning.
アカエリヒレアシシギが飛来。今季2個体目。エリマキシギは複数個所で複数羽が到着。ハリオシギは数を減らしつつも滞在中。
It was in a paddy field near the airport in an area where Red-necked Phalaropes often turn up. They apparently visit the stadium frequently too — perhaps they are easily attracted to lights.
The Red-necked Phalarope was feeding on small insects floating on the water's surface.
Ruffs arrived at several locations, around seven birds in total.
All the arrivals were juveniles.
This season's Ruff were concentrated on the eastern side of the island.
A Pin-tailed Snipe after the typhoon.
Another juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe. They've been gradually thinning out and are getting harder to find.
Common Snipe are slowly increasing, but for now there is considerable variation depending on the area.
Tail feathers of a juvenile Common Snipe.
Juvenile Red-necked Stint.
A flock of Long-toed Stint.
Pacific Golden Plover transitioning from breeding to non-breeding plumage. Juveniles have yet to appear.
Common Greenshank transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
各地にハシブトアジサシが入っているようですが、石垣島にも到着。台風で疲れが見えるクロハラアジサシやツバメチドリも多く見られます。
A Bridled Tern on a distant reef from the coast.
Juvenile White-winged Tern on the sandy beach. Clearly quite exhausted.
Juvenile White-winged Tern in the rice paddies. A flock of about 30 was resting there.
Oriental Pratincole confirmed at various locations as well.
A flock of Oriental Pratincole has arrived in the sugarcane fields.
The Barn Swallows that have come to overwinter are also looking worn out.
久しぶりに石垣島にオオハシシギがやってきました。台風のおかげでしょうか。
Long-billed Dowitcher transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.
Same individual as above. Long-billed Dowitcher is a great bird.
A Black-tailed Godwit also appeared in the same paddy field as the Long-billed Dowitcher.
Several Swinhoe's Snipe were also staying in the same paddy field as the Long-billed Dowitcher.
Adult Dunlin, in the process of transitioning to non-breeding plumage.
A small flock of Red-necked Stints was also staying.
White-winged Tern, adult. Almost full breeding plumage.
White-winged Tern, adult in winter plumage.
White-winged Tern, juvenile.
They were flying around in the rain.
勤め先近くの自動車整備工場にコノハズクがいるということで見てきました。移動個体のリュウキュウコノハズクと思われます。
社で会議をしていると「ドンッ」と大きな音。2階から外を覗いてみるとアカショウビンの幼鳥が植え込みに落ちていました。脳震盪を起こしているようだったので、しばらく安静にさせたのち放鳥しました。
動画は自宅から聞こえるアカショウビンの鳴き声。9月下旬でも複数羽が確認できます。
A Ryukyu Scops Owl on passage.
A juvenile Ryukyu Kingfisher that had struck a window. Released unharmed after a little while.
シベリアムクドリがカラムクドリ主体の群れに交じっていました。この4日後にはもう1羽増えて2羽となりました。石垣島にはカラムクドリ、コムクドリ、ギンムクドリ、ムクドリも滞在中です。
A beautiful male Daurian Starling. Some juvenile feathers are visible, so it may be in first-winter plumage.
A Daurian Starling perched in a Portia tree.
It was moving around foraging, but would occasionally stop to rest and preen.
Pecking at Portia tree fruits.
The Daurian Starling was also eating Banyan fruits.
A Daurian Starling with a Portia tree fruit in its bill.
It showed no wariness at all and could be observed at close range.
Swallowing a Portia tree fruit whole.
It took a while for the fruit to pass down the throat.
A male White-shouldered Starling. It too was eating Portia tree fruits.
It occasionally came down to the ground to pick up fallen Banyan fruits.
A male Chestnut-cheeked Starling was also moving with the same flock.
There were three Japanese Paradise Flycatchers, apparently on passage.
Grey-streaked Flycatchers make up the majority on Ishigakijima, but I was also able to confirm Asian Brown Flycatcher.
今季初のコガモが飛来。群れ6羽が疲れて寝ていましたが、その中にシマアジも交っていました。しばらく待っていると餌をとったり、羽繕いしたりしだしました。
Garganey in eclipse plumage.
Common Teal and Garganey.
It looked utterly exhausted — perhaps just arrived.
数日前からソリハシセイタカシギが滞在。石垣島では年中、見ている気がする。沖縄、八重山には越冬個体もいるのでしょう。
当たり年だったハリオシギですが、ほとんど渡っていき探すのに一苦労。20羽目になんとか確認。チュウジシギはたくさんいます。
Pied Avocet appeared in the rice paddies.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.
Same individual as above.
Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.
Common Snipe, juvenile.
Swinhoe's Snipe.
Swinhoe's Snipe.
Swinhoe's Snipe.
Swinhoe's Snipe.
Swinhoe's Snipe.
Pin-tailed Snipe.
Pin-tailed Snipe.
Red-necked Stint.
数日前から何度もコウライウグイスが現れているエリアで鳥探し。肝心のコウライウグイスは見つけられませんでしたが、コムシクイ、センダイムシクイ、サメビタキ、エゾビタキが多く現れました。
Grey-streaked Flycatchers moving through in numbers during the Chinese Sparrowhawk season.
Asian Brown Flycatcher near the summit of the mountain.
Also Asian Brown Flycatcher. On Ishigakijima almost all of them are Grey-streaked Flycatcher, with Asian Brown and Dark-sided very rarely seen, but this year I've been finding quite a few.
While waiting for Black-naped Oriole, a Lesser Whitethroat appeared.
Following the Lesser Whitethroat above, an Eastern Crowned Warbler also appeared.
Found a female Blue-and-white Flycatcher deep in the bushes. There were about three Blue-and-white Flycatchers in total.
An Ishigaki Tit also appeared, hunting for prey.
ムナグロの幼鳥がやっと確認できました。幼鳥が到着しないと繁殖がうまくいかなかったのかと心配です。
アカガシラサギ2羽、ジャワアカガシラサギ1羽、ヨシゴイがいました。ツバメチドリやクロハラアジサシなども滞在中です。
Long-legged Buttonquail, first-winter plumage.
First Pacific Golden Plover juvenile of the season.
Chinese Pond Heron in flight. I confirmed multiple individuals; there was also a Javan Pond Heron among them.
Snipe numbers have dropped considerably. What remains are Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe.
The rice in the paddies has grown tall, making it hard to search…
Black-bellied Tern, juvenile.
A group of around ten-plus Black-bellied Terns was resting.
Great Reed Warbler was moving through the grass, catching grasshoppers and other prey.
前日に情報をもらっていたヒメカッコウを見てきました。やぶに入って出てこないと思いきや、獲物を取りに開けた場所をツバメのように軽やかに飛び回って飛んでいる小さな虫を捕まえたようです。
石垣島の秋の渡りは昨年は非常によくて11月から珍しい鳥がひっきりなしに確認できたのですが、今季はそれ以上の鳥たちが出現する予感がします。
今季の石垣島はこれまでにコウライウグイス、ハイイロオウチュウ、シベリアムクドリ、マミジロキビタキ、ベニマシコなどが現れています。
イシガキヒヨドリの群れの中にバフ変の個体が1羽まじっていました。かなり目立っていて、一瞬、ど珍鳥かと思ってしまいました。
Little Bronze Cuckoo, juvenile.
Little Bronze Cuckoo spreading its wings. This was the state of its moult.
It didn't seem particularly wary, but there was a bit of distance to the Little Bronze Cuckoo.
Buff-morph Ishigaki Bulbul.
Compared to the ordinary Brown-eared Bulbul on the left, the colour is noticeably paler.