Busy Times: Lingering Winter Birds, Passing Migrants, and Breeding Residents
Ishigaki Island is lively with a mix of winter visitors that have not yet headed north, passage migrants stopping over, and resident birds active as breeding season gets underway.
Most conspicuous lately are Cinnamon Bitterns in full breeding season — I am encountering them in rice paddies all over the place. Tufted Duck and Eurasian Coot are among those that should have gone north but are still here; most have departed, but a few individuals appear to remain. I have also recorded snipe on passage.
A male Ryukyu Minivet— I often see it flying about actively.
A female Ryukyu Minivet. She was following the male around.
A male (left) and female Ryukyu Minivet. I wonder if they will nest somewhere around here.
A Chinese Pond Heron that has been staying since last autumn. The moult is progressing.
A Cattle Egret caught a frog. Also present are Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, and Grey Heron.
Two Swinhoe's Snipe, apparently stopping over mid-migration.
Also what appears to be a Swinhoe's Snipe on migration. This individual was quite wary.
A Common Snipe that flew in and landed. I could only get the upper half in the frame… ^^;
Also a Common Snipe. Appears to be a migrant passing through.
White-breasted Waterhen are active too, with birds calling back and forth during the breeding season.
Several hundred wintered here, but at this time of year only a handful of Tufted Ducks remain.
This Tufted Duck may be injured — it has been seen along the same bank for several days.
The wintering Eurasian Coots are also down to just a few.