Common Hoopoe and Chinese Blackbird arrive; Crested Serpent Eagle active
I was up in the northern part of Ishigaki for work, so I took the chance to do a bit of birding. I had a feeling Common Hoopoe and Chinese Blackbird might have arrived, so I made a short detour — and found them straight away. Two Common Hoopoes at two sites, and one Chinese Blackbird. Common Hoopoes are being seen in good numbers on Okinawa main island, Miyako-jima and Iriomote as well; this could be a bumper year.
Also present were Arctic Warbler, Kamchatka Leaf Warbler, Daurian Redstart and Mugimaki Flycatcher. White Wagtail numbers are up, but almost all of them are the leucopsis subspecies — the largest flock was close to 30 birds. In a typical year the leucopsis birds arrive first, followed by the nominate subspecies a while later.
In the paddies, Crested Serpent Eagle — both juvenile and adult — and Malayan Night Heron are being encountered frequently.
Four Spotted Redshanks dropped out of the sky into a rice field. They came in from the direction of the sea, so they may be the birds that were recorded on Iriomote a few days ago.
Eurasian Hoopoe resting on a branch. It ended up settling in and staying put just like that.
Two Eurasian Hoopoes confirmed on this day.
I spotted a male Common Blackbird bathing in a puddle. The moment I pulled out my camera to take a shot, a crow chased it off somewhere — but when I came back about an hour later I found it again in an open lot several dozen metres from the puddle.
Common Blackbird with an earthworm it had caught.
It came in close, but the grass was in the way. ^^;
Also spotted a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. Juveniles are scarce this season — I wonder how many are up in the north.
I came across an adult Crested Serpent Eagle on a forest road I don't usually visit. Completely unafraid.
This Crested Serpent Eagle is within walking distance of my home. Several individuals can be seen near the house, but this one is wildly wary — extremely alert.
A Ryukyu Night Heron hatched last year. Still largely covered in juvenile plumage, but when it flew I could make out some adult feathering as well.
Four Spotted Redshanks came in from the direction of the sea and landed in the rice paddies. First of the season.
One bird from a flock of Spotted Redshanks.
A Wood Sandpiper partly moulted into breeding plumage.
A Common Snipe was alone in the distance.
A male Common Redstart that has been at my front door for several days now. After the berries of the Japanese beautyberry?
Around 30 White-faced Wagtails. White Wagtails will be passing through before long.