Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and Pale Buzzard Show Up!!
I had a work trip to Yonaguni Island after a long absence, so I went birding in my spare time. I came across a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo — found it at a private house in Sonai. It looked annoyed at being pestered by a Brown-eared Bulbul. I also spotted what appeared to be a Pale Buzzard.
Across the island, Emberizas were coming in in good numbers — Rustic Bunting, Yellow Bunting, Little Bunting and others. Narcissus Flycatcher, Daurian Redstart and Grey-streaked Flycatcher were staying all over the island. One Common Pochard had dropped into Kubura Mitou.
A juvenile Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo. It seemed to be using the drainage channel running behind some houses, but was chased off by a Brown-eared Bulbul and flew away somewhere.
Common Mynas were everywhere.
Large flocks of Light-vented Bulbuls along the coast. A migration movement, perhaps?
A first-winter female Narcissus Flycatcher. About three individuals present.
From this angle it's easy to see this is a Narcissus Flycatcher rather than a Ryukyu Flycatcher.
A Rustic Bunting foraging on the road. It looked to have just arrived on migration — even with cars and motorbikes passing, it didn't flush, just kept desperately pecking at seeds of some kind.
Also Rustic Buntings. Several small groups were noted.
Three Yellow Buntings found in the southern part of the island. Scarce on Okinawa.
Multiple Grey-streaked Flycatchers as well. November, but migration appears to be still ongoing.
At Agari-zaki, a Buff-bellied Pipit among a flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails.
A noticeably slender-looking Buff-bellied Pipit. Perhaps it burned through all its fat reserves on migration.
Daurian Redstarts were present in good numbers — I could hear their calls throughout.
A small group of Northern Lapwings resting in a field. They looked tired.
An adult Eastern Buzzard. Several Common Buzzards also present. Other raptors noted: Grey-faced Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcon.
A lone Tufted Duck at Kubura Mitou.