Common Hoopoe, Malayan Night Heron, Pacific Swift, Red-throated Pipit and more (video)
The second wave of Common Hoopoes seems to be winding down. Somewhere between 40 and 50 Common Hoopoes have arrived on Ishigaki this season. While searching for them I came across several Malayan Night Herons whose nuptial colouring has deepened noticeably.
Red-throated Pipit and Siberian Pipit numbers are fluctuating wildly — flocks seem to be passing through one after another. The season's first Pacific Swift and Temminck's Stint also appeared. Little Ringed Plovers are fully in summer plumage and moving through. There was a beautiful male Common Ringed Plover in summer plumage too, but I missed the shot… ^^;
For snipe it's all Common Snipe. The Pin-tailed Snipe I found on 20 February and the Swinhoe's Snipe on 21 February remain the only records, with nothing since.
A Eurasian Hoopoe looking tired, apparently just arrived on migration.
Slowly driving past the reliable Eurasian Hoopoe spots, I found one perched on a branch.
Hoopoes were thin on Ishigaki today, but numbers picked up again from the next day.
A male Ryukyu Crake in strong breeding colours.
A female Ryukyu Crake.
Red-throated Pipits in moult. The stages vary from bird to bird, making it a fun time to observe them individually.
The moult progress among the Buff-bellied Pipits looked much the same across individuals.
A flock of around ten swifts overhead.
The first Temminck's Stints of the season arrived as a pair.
The Little Ringed Plovers are fully in summer plumage now and looking lovely.
Common Snipe numbers are increasing as birds cycle through.
In February they came in a sizeable flock, but now they seem to be drifting in in ones and twos.
A Common Snipe transitioning into breeding plumage.