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

Seven Large Sand Plovers arrived early in the morning at the go-to spot on Yonaguni Island. I got the message while I was at work, so I was fidgeting.

I enjoyed close-range views of a Large Sand Plover. A male coming into summer plumage.

Scratching its head.

Is this one a female?

There were seven Large Sand Plovers in total, but getting five into a single frame was the best I could manage.

A Daurian Redstart — recorded on Ishigaki Island only about twice in the past.

Same individual as above. It was moving between a ranch and the hedges of a private house. This female was at Hikawa, but apparently a male was also present at Sonai. I was given directions but couldn't find it….

There were four Citrine Wagtails on the island. A good spring migration here is heaven, but a bad one is hell. The old hands stay about a month every year, so they seem to have experienced both. ^^;

Four Eurasian Hoopoes confirmed. Nobody gave them a second glance….

A suspicious-looking pipit in the distance. The image quality is poor due to atmospheric shimmer, but I believe it is a Australasian Pipit.

I heard a call and went looking — found one Olive-backed Pipit.

The Eastern Yellow Wagtail seemed to be on bad terms with the Citrine Wagtail.

A Sykes's Wagtail with a noticeably narrow supercilium. The breeding plumage is beautiful.

The Grey Wagtail was also in breeding plumage and was singing from time to time.

There was a Black-faced Bunting and a Siberian Bunting, but the Citrine Wagtail kept chasing them around, so I only managed to photograph the Black-faced Bunting.

Yellow-breasted Buntings arrived in a small flock.

A Swinhoe's Snipe in the rice paddies.

Here, a Swinhoe's Snipe on the footpath. There's a real sense of migration about it — nice.

A Pin-tailed Snipe on the lawn.

A few Red-necked Stints arrived together.

The Eastern Cattle Egret is also beautiful in breeding plumage.