アカショウビン、リュウキュウコノハズク、アオバズクなど繁殖期で活気付く石垣島(動画あり)
渡りは落ち着いた石垣島では、島で繁殖するリュウキュウアカショウビンやリュウキュウコノハズク、リュウキュウアオバズク、リュウキュウツミ、ズグロミゾゴイなど造巣や抱卵など活発に動き回っています。
特にアカショウビンはとても活発で、この日は本業の仕事をしながらも午前中に13羽、午後に7羽の合計20羽をダブることなく確認しました。今年はアカショウビンの個体数が多いような気がします。
カンムリワシはこの時季、抱卵中で出会う機会が減ります。カタグロトビは年中、繁殖していますので、今も何箇所かは抱卵中です。
サンコウチョウも増えてきて、さえずりがあちこちから聞こえてきます。
A male Ruddy Kingfisher sang at close range on a forest track. I was able to record fine detail in the recording.
A Ruddy Kingfisher in the park. A female individual.
The male of the pair with the one above. Neither the male nor the female of this pair shows any wariness.
A Ruddy Kingfisher on a forest track. This individual also showed little wariness.
This is a Ruddy Kingfisher I encountered on foot. It bred in the same spot last year as well, and is noticeably accustomed to people.
A Ruddy Kingfisher nesting in the garden two houses down from my home. It is perched on my neighbour's roof.
My acquaintance with this Ryukyu Scops Owl has been going on for quite a while now.
Ryukyu Scops Owls have begun breeding at several locations. At the earliest sites, chicks have already hatched. This was also an early-breeding pair last year — perhaps there are individual differences in timing.
It appears the Brown Hawk-Owls have also begun incubating. This pair has successfully bred for several consecutive years.
A male Ryukyu Sparrowhawk in the rice paddies. At this time of year males are often seen, but females are incubating and rarely show themselves.
A Ryukyu Night Heron that has pulled out an earthworm.
Same individual as above. The Ryukyu Night Herons living in the park are used to people and walk right toward you.
A neighborhood Ryukyu Night Heron. It lives close to the settlement, so this one is also used to people.
White-breasted Waterhen breeding too. I expect to encounter adults with chicks before long.
An Ishigaki Bulbul bringing food. Some pairs are still building nests while others already have hatched chicks.
A male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher. He seemed to still be unpaired, moving through the woodland while singing.