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

Short-eared Owl Daurian starling Ashy drongo Asian Glossy Starling Lesser Whistling Duck

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

クロツラヘラサギ、シマアジ、タゲリほか

クロツラヘラサギ2羽が島内をうろうろしながら滞在中。少しずつ秋らしくなり、シマアジやコガモ、ハシビロガモ、ヒドリガモ、オナガガモなども増えてきました。

Black-faced Spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill

Adult Black-faced Spoonbill.

Black-faced Spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill

Black-faced Spoonbill from a different area.

Northern Lapwing
Northern Lapwing

Five Northern Lapwings arrived. As in previous years, all were juveniles.

Garganey
Garganey

A juvenile Garganey that stayed like this until the end.

Eurasian Teal
Eurasian Teal

Common Teal also wintering here. Adult female, non-breeding plumage.

Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail

A single adult female Northern Pintail, non-breeding plumage.

Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon

The Eurasian Wigeon also arrived alone and was associating with Spot-billed Ducks.

Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler

Juvenile female Northern Shoveler.

Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler

Male Northern Shoveler, moulting from eclipse into breeding plumage.

Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover

A juvenile Pacific Golden Plover on its own.

Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt, first-winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt

Adult male Black-winged Stilt.

Marsh Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper

Common Greenshank, first-winter plumage.

Dunlin
Dunlin

Dunlin are scarce in Okinawa, but this season a flock of up to 20 has been present.

Long-toed Stint
Long-toed Stint

Long-toed Stint numbers have dropped off considerably.

Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper, always on its own.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

All the snipe have turned out to be Common Snipe.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

Common Snipe are around here and there, like this.

Grey Heron
Grey Heron

The wintering Grey Herons have been increasing too.

Categories: 野鳥

カタグロトビの狩り(動画あり)

いつもは見かけてもスルーするカタグロトビですが、獲物を狙っているところだったので、久しぶりに撮影しました。

電線からしきりに草むらを気にしているカタグロトビの成鳥を発見。最初に止まっていた電線から一段低い電話線に移動。体の向きを変えると急降下しました。数秒後、草むらから飛び出てくると足には、すでに締められたクマネズミをつかんでいました。

電話線に持ち帰りネズミを食うのですが、尾羽を上下にしきりに動かし鳴き声もあげる様子が確認できました。近くにメスでもいて餌を奪いにくるのかと思いましたが、そのまま東へ向けて飛んでいきました。カメラで追うともう一羽のカタグロトビがやってきてネズミを奪うシーンを見ることができました。写真を拡大してみるとメスではなく幼鳥に獲物を渡していたようです。

石垣島のカタグロトビは真冬を除いて年中、繁殖しています。ワンシーズンに2回ほど子育てするので、個体数はかなり増え、多い日は一日に10羽ほど見ることもあるほどです。

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

A Black-winged Kite locking onto prey.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

A Black-winged Kite diving steeply toward a patch of grass.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

The hunt appears to have been successful — it has a mouse in its talons.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

The Black Rat, with a vacant expression, is already dead.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

The Black-winged Kite carrying its prey vertically to minimize air resistance.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

It returned to the telephone wire and began eating the prey.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

From a distance I could make out the bird being relieved of its prey by a juvenile (right).

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

The Black-winged Kite here appears every day, morning and evening, catching rats. It is a relatively unwary individual even by Ishigaki Island standards — it does not flush when a car passes beneath it.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

Even from a distance, the whitish underparts from breast to belly are conspicuous.

Categories: 野鳥