GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR
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.
By the second half of September, Ruddy Kingfisher numbers are starting to drop. Even so, on this day I confirmed 9 individuals at 3 locations.
A Ruddy Kingfisher on the forest track. An unwarry individual — I suspect the same bird has been returning for several years running.
The day before, I had found only one Pin-tailed Snipe on my usual paddy rounds, but numbers were up today. It doesn't feel like a second wave — more likely they were simply hiding in the grass and I missed them.
Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.
Another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.
A Pin-tailed Snipe in the distance. Also a juvenile.
At this time of year it's all juveniles with Pin-tailed Snipe.
Yet another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.
A somewhat unusual Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.
A Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile carefully pulling an earthworm out of the soil.
There are plenty of Swinhoe's Snipe around.
A Swinhoe's Snipe right in front of me. Too close — I froze.
Swinhoe's Snipes come in all sorts of types, which is interesting. ^^
Only juvenile Swinhoe's Snipes again…
A large-bodied Swinhoe's Snipe. Individuals with this kind of look are uncommon, but one shows up every year.
The first Temminck's Stint of the season was a juvenile.
Dunlin juvenile. The bill looks slightly shorter than usual.