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

Glossy Ibis Short-eared Owl Collared Kingfisher Black Bittern Black-winged Cuckooshrike

GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR

Go where the birds are. The SHIMASOBA Tour launches.

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.

Max. 3 guests 4 hours in the morning Beginners welcome
Check availability and book

The sixth Black Drongo of the season and a Northern Boobook starting to breed

The sixth Black Drongo of the season appeared. Like yesterday's bird, every individual this season has been strangely unafraid of people.

The Northern Boobook that breeds here every year has also arrived. The nest tree looks rather fragile, and I worry it might not survive a typhoon.

Black Drongo
Black Drongo

A Black Drongo with zero wariness. It was catching flying insects.

Northern Boobook
Northern Boobook

A male Ryukyu Scops Owl standing watch. If eggs have already been laid, the chicks should fledge in early July.

Categories: 野鳥

Waders at sea and in the paddies

Made a circuit of the estuary for the first time in a while. Three Red Knots, Great Knot, Bar-tailed Godwit, Far Eastern Curlew, Terek Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler, and Greater Sand Plover were all observed. A Pied Avocet had turned up in the paddies.

Red Knot
Red Knot

A Red Knot transitioning into breeding plumage. Three appearing at the same time is unusual.

Great Knot
Great Knot

A Great Knot also showing a little breeding plumage coming through.

Bar-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit

A Bar-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage, with deepening reddish tones.

Pied Avocet
Pied Avocet

A Pied Avocet also turned up in the paddies. It was alone.

Whimbrel
Whimbrel

A few Whimbrels appeared too. They were catching Okinawa mud lobsters — washed down from the mangrove stands upstream by the heavy rain the other day, most likely.

A few Terek Sandpipers confirmed as well.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattlers were the most numerous.

Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstones are present year-round, but numbers have been fluctuating as migrating individuals join the flock.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

The Red-necked Stints were still in full winter plumage.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

A Greater Sand Plover pulling out what appears to be a geophilomorph centipede from the sediment washed in by the previous day's heavy rain.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

The Oriental Pratincoles in the paddies were bathing. Water has been let into the field they seemed to be eyeing for breeding. They'll probably move on soon.

Categories: 野鳥