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

A newspaper article dated 23 September 2023. This is a valuable individual that provided the first proof of inter-island movement.

The Ruddy Kingfisher just a stone's throw from home fledged around three chicks again, as it did last year.

A Malayan Night Heron a few days after fledging.

There were three fledgling Ryukyu Bitterns — a trio of siblings.

Oriental Pratincoles had a good breeding season, and many fledged chicks were recorded.

This individual appeared to have injured a wing, but the injury seems minor so it should be fine.

An adult Oriental Pratincole, in the process of moulting into winter plumage.

A juvenile Little Ringed Plover. There were two. There is a possibility they bred somewhere on Ishigaki Island.

Long-toed Stint, breeding plumage.

Long-toed Stint, first-summer plumage.

Grey-headed Lapwing, first-summer plumage.

The last fledgling of the season for the Brown Hawk-Owl. There were still some remaining in the nest.

A Ruddy Kingfisher that had finished raising its young. Zero wariness in this individual.

Same individual as above. Even with a car passing under the branch, it was this relaxed. I ended up sitting down to watch.

Ryukyu Least Bittern, male. The nuptial coloration has faded, but the beautiful breeding plumage remains.

A Chinese Pond Heron with a little winter plumage just starting to come in over the breeding plumage.

Purple Heron, juvenile. Being seen here and there.

Two Black-faced Spoonbills have been staying together for several days now.

A Black-faced Spoonbill with prey. It was walking along the field edge catching something.

A few Greenshank arrived together. The extent of moult varied among individuals.

Common Redshank, first-summer plumage.

Little Ringed Plovers arrived in a group of about ten. They looked tired, having just arrived.

Three Eastern Spot-billed Ducks growing up together after losing their parent. Whenever a Common Moorhen with chicks appeared, they would follow along as if longing for a family, but they kept getting left behind.

A fledgling Ryukyu Swallow. It had come to the rice paddy to drink water.

A Black-naped Tern chick, about ten days to two weeks post-hatch. At least two pairs and three chicks were visible.

A slow drive along the usual forest road turned up several Ruddy Kingfishers in a short time.

This is the Ruddy Kingfisher near my home. The fledglings seem to have dispersed — they were nowhere to be found.

Oriental Pratincole, juvenile. Moult is progressing.

This one still has plenty of fresh juvenile plumage remaining.

Wood Sandpipers are increasing in number day by day.

A Common Greenshank still largely in summer plumage.

My first Long-toed Stint of the season.

My first Green Sandpiper of the season, seen distantly.

Common Sandpiper — also a first for the season.

Long-toed Stints have been increasing too.

Black-winged Stilts appear here and there in small groups of a few birds.

Little Ringed Plovers also arrived in a flock of around a dozen.

In strong winds, a female Crested Serpent Eagle was hunting for prey. She has a black ring marked "7" on her left leg, so this is "Mitchan," an individual that was rescued and rehabilitated in the past. She was released in early April this year, and I recorded her in the same area in April and May as well.

At this time of year I encounter Ryukyu Bitterns very frequently. Perhaps the adults are beginning to drive the juveniles out of their territories.

Black-bellied Terns were often seen sleeping, looking tired.

A Great Crested Tern at the fishing port was catching cockroaches. Perhaps they were washed out of the drains by the typhoon rain.

I'd really rather the Great Crested Terns were eating fish… ^^;

Several Great Crested Terns were flying around the fishing port area. Every individual is in the process of moulting into winter plumage. It will be a little while yet before they bring in juveniles.