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

A Eurasian Hoopoe near the northern coast. It was foraging in light rain.

Eurasian Hoopoes have been arriving in good numbers on Ishigaki Island this season too. I had hoped to see several on Yonaguni Island, but due to bad weather there was only this one bird.

Eurasian Hoopoes tend not to emerge from the undergrowth in rain, but this individual had apparently just arrived and hunger won out — it was foraging intently.

Two Eurasian Buzzards confirmed. Both were of the common form.

A flock of White-faced Wagtails, all males, arrived. Most individuals had already moulted into summer plumage.

A few White Wagtails were mixed in among the White-faced Wagtail flock. In the Yaeyamas — Ishigaki Island, Yonaguni Island and elsewhere — White-faced Wagtails outnumber White Wagtails.

A large flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails was along the coast on the southern side of the island.

A flock of around 30 Red-throated Pipits confirmed at Agari-zaki.

Moult condition varies among individuals. This one is showing a little reddish colouration.

This individual still appeared to be largely in winter plumage.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. It is within the territory of an adult pair and gets chased off every time it is spotted, yet it stubbornly stays put.

Common Starling numbers have gradually been dropping. This individual was on its own.

Several Northern Lapwings flew in to the cattle shed.

A few Common Greenshanks had come down into the rice paddies.

Among the Brown Shrikes wintering on the island, more individuals have begun moving on.

Common Snipe wintering along the river. A small flock of several birds.

Some individuals are showing advanced moult.

Three Common Redshanks that wintered here. They should be leaving soon.

A Long-toed Stint arrived.

Two Red-necked Stints arrived.

There was a mixed flock of three subspecies of White Wagtail. This is a male leucopsis.

A few ocularis were also mixed in.

Just this one yarrellii.

A Red-throated Pipit against the backdrop of the Kuroshio Current.

There were fewer Red-throated Pipits than on the previous visit.

A flock of around 30 Little Buntings confirmed.

Just one Daurian Redstart. It was in the same grassland as the Little Buntings.

An Brown Shrike with Tindabana — one of Yonaguni Island's most iconic scenic spots — in the background.

There were plenty of Brown Shrikes around the pastures and hayfields.

A Eurasian Sparrowhawk was chasing White Wagtails around.

A few Grey-faced Buzzards as well. Some were riding thermals, circling as they gained altitude. Nearly time for the northward migration.

A Common Kestrel, showing no wariness, appeared to have caught a Patanga japonica — Japan's largest grasshopper. As Patanga japonica overwinter as adults, it was already a large individual to prey on.

Three Northern Lapwings at a materials yard. They were still there the next day, but by the third day they had moved on.

Two Common Snipe are staying in the waterway at Hikawa.

A pair of Eurasian Teal was in the same waterway as the Common Snipe.

A Eurasian Hoopoe showing no wariness at all. This season it was all relaxed birds.

A single Pied Avocet turned up. Also a very relaxed individual.

A flock of 60 Pacific Golden Plovers came down onto a pasture. A flock of any bird is a good sight.

While I was watching the Pacific Golden Plover flock, Oriental Pratincoles dropped in.