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

First Common Snipe of the season. It was a juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Same individual as above.

A Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile that stood out quite a bit among the flock.

This one is a typical Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Same individual as above.

A Swinhoe's Snipe with an impressive build.

Same individual as above. The tail feathers are perfectly typical Swinhoe's Snipe.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, first-winter. Birds in more advanced moult have been increasing.

Also a Swinhoe's Snipe, first-winter.

Also a Swinhoe's Snipe, first-winter.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, first-winter.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

A flock of Swinhoe's Snipe.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Two Broad-billed Sandpipers. Both were juveniles.

Common Greenshank, first-winter plumage.

Common Greenshank, winter plumage.

Red-necked Stint, adult. Moulting into winter plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Same individual as above.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Both are Swinhoe's Snipe juveniles.

The bird in the foreground is a Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

A large flock of Barn Swallows came by, so I trained my lens on them — and sure enough, the snipe got alert and raised its tail feathers for me. ^^

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Same individual as above.

A Common Snipe juvenile in the distance.

``The large Swinhoe's Snipe <https://shimasoba.com/blog/2406/>`_ was still present.

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe adult. This individual has appeared several times.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

A tired-looking Eurasian Hoopoe. Freshly arrived on migration, perhaps.

Foraging on the lawn. Of the two Eurasian Hoopoes, one was extremely wary….

The Eurasian Hoopoe was busily preening on a power line.

A Daurian Starling was nearby on its own. Numbers will start building from here. Last year there were quite a few individuals.

Around three Crested Serpent Eagle juveniles have been recorded. This individual is the easiest of them to observe. It seemed to be calling for its parent.

Crested Serpent Eagle adult. Presumed to be the parent of the juvenile above.

A Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile appeared right in front of me.

A familiar Pin-tailed Snipe.

A new Pin-tailed Snipe. This kind of coloration is an uncommon pattern for Pin-tailed Snipes on Ishigaki Island.

A new Common Snipe. A small, pale, charming juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile. This type of Swinhoe's Snipe is often mistaken for a Pin-tailed Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe adult. Moulting into winter plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Another Swinhoe's Snipe.

Yet another Swinhoe's Snipe.

A beautifully coloured Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

A Swinhoe's Snipe adult crouching in alarm at a Black-winged Kite.

Swinhoe's Snipes everywhere.

Two Swinhoe's Snipes.

The one on the far left is a Common Snipe; all the others are Swinhoe's Snipes.

Reunited with a Ruff. Apparently when they're not in the paddies, they're in the irrigation channels.

Common Redshank juvenile (foreground) and adult.

Little Stint first-summer plumage.

A female Black-winged Stilt.

Dunlin juvenile. The flock had numbered in the teens, but on this day only one remained.

The Red-necked Stints are now all juveniles.

The first juvenile Whiskered Tern of the season. Around five birds confirmed, including adults.

A Pacific Reef Heron that turned up in the rice paddies for some reason. It was chasing Little Egrets around. Same behaviour as at the coast… ^^;

Pin-tailed Snipe (rear) and Swinhoe's Snipe. Both juveniles.

An individual I've been seeing repeatedly over the past few days. It always shows up close by, so easy to observe.

This type of Pin-tailed Snipe is identifiable even in this condition.

Same individual as above.

A large Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Same individual as above.

A Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile well advanced in moult.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

A dark Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, first-winter.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile, moulting into first-winter plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe adult. This individual has also been lingering for some time.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Common Snipe, juvenile.

Common Snipe (background) and Pin-tailed Snipe, adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Common Snipe, adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Another Swinhoe's Snipe. Lots of them around.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Common Snipe, adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe in the distance.

Same individual as above. When it's a typical Pin-tailed Snipe, you can tell even at this distance.

Same individual as above.

This juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe has appeared in this weblog many times this season. It shows up close, so I keep photographing it… ^^;

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

This is still a Swinhoe's Snipe, so be careful. Body and tail angle can make it look slender or short, so snipe identification requires close attention.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile, in the background.

Greater Painted-snipe, male.

Good numbers of Tringa waders on hand, including Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, and Wood Sandpiper.

Common Redshank, first-winter.

Ryukyu Least Bittern, first-winter.

Black-bellied Tern, winter plumage. Numbers of these will be increasing from here too.

Chinese Sparrowhawk, adult female.

Crested Serpent Eagle on the forest road.

First Eurasian Teal of the season. Male in eclipse.

Brown Shrikes are increasing. Adult male.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. First-winter plumage.

Large numbers of Long-toed Stints are staying on. Moulting into first-winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt, first-winter.

Whiskered Tern, winter plumage.

Little Egret — juveniles are increasing.

How many broods does a Common Moorhen raise in a single season?

A Himalayan Swiftlet appeared. It was flying around together with swallows at high speed.

Himalayan Swiftlet, head-on.

Chinese Sparrowhawk, female, first-summer plumage. An unusual individual showing five primaries.

The best kettling of raptors that day.

More than 100 Ashy Minivets were moving along the hillside.

A Pin-tailed Snipe was still present. Juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. The rice is growing and observation gets harder day by day….

Common Snipe, juvenile. Numbers are slowly building, but still below average for this time of year.

First Pacific Golden Plover juvenile of the season.

Red-necked Stint, first-winter.

First Eurasian Coot of the season.