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

Lesser Whistling Duck Short-eared Owl Javan pond heron Black Bittern Asian koel

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

ハイイロチュウヒ、レンカク、シマアジ、今季初のマガンとホオジロハクセキレイなど

石垣島に滞在中のセイケイ の田んぼにハイイロチュウヒが数日前から現れるようになり、現場を荒らしまくっています。友人らも何人か石垣島にセイケイを見にやって来ていますが、警戒して出が悪くなっているので苦労しています。

レンカクも滞在中。こちらは平和に過ごしています。シマアジは2週間ほど前から何度も確認しているのですが、やっと写真に記録できました。

今季初となるマガンとホオジロハクセキレイも確認しました。

田んぼにはエリマキシギやハマシギ、アオアシシギ、コアオアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、トウネン、タシギ、セイタカシギなどのほかに、コシアカツバメやノビタキ、ツメナガセキレイ、キセキレイ、ムネアカタヒバリ、コホオアカなどもいてにぎわっています。

Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier

A completely unwariness Hen Harrier juvenile. It was an extremely aggressive hunter, and the upper surface of its flight feathers was stained with mud.

Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier

It was stooping and harassing a Common Pheasant.

Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier

Every time the Hen Harrier swept low over the paddies, the waders and small birds panicked. The Purple Swamphen scrambled into the undergrowth in a hurry too.

Hen Harrier
Hen Harrier

A Hen Harrier hovering with its eye on something.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

While the Hen Harrier was quartering the area, a parent and juvenile Black-winged Kite — the ones that hold this paddy as their territory — scrambled into the air. The bird above is the juvenile, the one below the adult.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Pheasant-tailed Jacana

A juvenile Pheasant-tailed Jacana, currently staying in the area.

Garganey
Garganey

A Garganey among a flock of Common Teal.

Greater White-fronted Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose

Two Greater White-fronted Geese arrived — the first of the season.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

A Whiskered Tern that caught a large Lesser Emperor dragonfly. Even a master flier seems no match for a bird.

Red-rumped Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow

Juvenile Red-rumped Swallow. A flock of around ten birds was flying around the paddies.

Red-rumped Swallow
Red-rumped Swallow

Also a juvenile.

Siberian Stonechat
Siberian Stonechat

A female Siberian Stonechat. Birds have turned up at several sites across the island.

White Wagtail
White Wagtail

The first White Wagtail of the season was of the subspecies leucopsis. Every year, leucopsis is the first to arrive.

Common Moorhen
Common Moorhen

A partially leucistic juvenile Common Moorhen.

Ruff
Ruff

Juvenile Ruff. The bird in front is male, the one behind female.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

A partially leucistic Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Birds with leucism and other colour variations turn up fairly often among the sparrows in this area.

Categories: 野鳥