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

A striking Upland Buzzard. The expression is particularly fierce.

The Upland Buzzard came flying straight toward me.

Every year, Upland Buzzards winter on Ishigaki Island.

Upland Buzzard riding a thermal.

A Japanese Sparrowhawk and a Barn Swallow were mobbing the Upland Buzzard.

Black-winged Kite resting near the rice fields where it feeds.

A Chinese Pond Heron so tame it looked like it could perch on your hand. Winter plumage, but just a little summer plumage is starting to come in.

Temminck's Stint, first-winter.

Chinese Pond Heron, first-winter.

Common Greenshank, first-winter.

Common Snipe, first-winter.

Little Ringed Plovers have suddenly increased in number. These are likely northbound spring migrants.

A Japanese Bush Warbler moving along the boundary between coastal woodland and farmland. It felt like several birds were moving together.

It would often come down into the undergrowth.

An Isabelline Shrike that caught a bee. First-winter. It has something of a Brown or Red-tailed Shrike feel to it, but that's a hard call to make in first-winter plumage.

A Black-winged Kite fledgling that has become quite a capable flier.

A Black-winged Kite fledgling gripping a mouse in its talons.

A fledgling perched on a power line.

The fresh juvenile plumage is striking.

This is the adult. The pair is not particularly wary, so I can observe them up close.

An adult Black-winged Kite attacking a Crested Serpent Eagle.

The Crested Serpent Eagle is heading into breeding season. At this time of year, courtship feeding can be observed.

Chinese Pond Heron, winter plumage.

A Chinese Pond Heron that was right beside the individual above.

A Chinese Pond Heron predating a woodpecker.

With multiple individuals present, it becomes hard to tell which is which. ^^;

This one was wandering around a paddled rice field.

A Purple Heron in breeding plumage. Some of the earlier individuals were already carrying nest material.

A Cattle Egret that caught a Sakishima brown frog. The frog was letting out a rather plaintive call.

A Japanese Night Heron transitioning from juvenile to adult plumage. This individual was hatched last year.

I checked several rice paddies, but the only snipe I found was this single Common Snipe.

Eurasian Hoopoes at the reliable spot. There appeared to be around four of them.

A Rosy Starling mid-moult.

White-shouldered Starlings gathering in ironwood trees.

This one was probing its bill into gaps between the leaves of Calophyllum inophyllum. Looking for insects, perhaps.

Twenty to forty of them show up at my workplace car park almost every day — quite lively.

A White's Thrush that paid no attention to me whatsoever. It even treated me to a spot of the tiger dance.

It was flipping over fallen leaves and eating earthworms and the like.

Japanese Bush Warblers, whose presence I often notice first by their call notes, are now at high density. The Korean Bush Warblers, on the other hand, have disappeared almost entirely.

It was moving busily through the undergrowth.

Pale Thrushes sometimes turn up mixed in with flocks of White-cheeked Starlings.

Little Buntings, which I also often notice first by their call notes. Wintering numbers are decent enough, but they're difficult to photograph.

Little Buntings, always tucked away in the grass.

I've been encountering Red-throated Pipits in larger flocks more often too. Some individuals in summer plumage are visible among them.

A Siberian Stonechat that wintered here. Individuals wintering on Ishigaki Island are few.

Wintering Brown Shrikes are everywhere. Around this time of year their moult tends to accelerate rapidly.

A Javan Pond Heron in winter plumage. Probably a first-winter individual.

Javan Pond Heron with wings spread. The outermost primary P10 is white all the way to the tip.

Chinese Pond Heron in winter plumage.

Oriental Pratincole, mostly in breeding plumage.

Siberian Yellow Wagtail, first-winter transitioning to summer plumage.

A Buff-bellied Pipit that was associating with the Siberian Yellow Wagtail. There is a wintering flock of Red-throated Pipits nearby, but this bird seemed uninterested?

Garganey — female (left) and male. The male has changed into his handsome breeding plumage.

A Common Snipe hiding in the grass. Likely a migrant.

A wintering Common Snipe.

The varying stages of moult in Cattle Egrets make for entertaining watching.

Tufted Duck, male in breeding plumage.