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

For the first time in a while, I came across a Black-winged Kite pair with little wariness at Kabira. They seemed to be eyeing prey in the grassland. On Ishigaki Island they can now be seen anywhere: Hirakubo in the north, Kabira in the west, and around Ishigaki City Hall in the south. I can watch them hunting in the evening almost every day from my own living room.

The Crested Serpent Eagles have finished raising their young, and wintering Common Kestrels are increasing. The migration of Chinese Sparrowhawks and Grey-faced Buzzards is also going well.

This season I have had many chances to observe Black Wood Pigeons, with flocks of several birds flying across the island and individuals eating fruit in the trees.

In the rice paddies, I was able to confirm Pied Avocet, Garganey and Eurasian Teal together, the first of the season.

That day I confirmed about 10 Red Collared Doves at four locations on Ishigaki Island. Both adults and juveniles were present in good numbers. As usual, they were mixed in with flocks of Oriental Turtle Dove.

A small flock of three Javan Pond Herons and one Chinese Pond Heron also arrived. They seemed to be feeding in the rice paddies and irrigation channels.

The Black-winged Kite pair raising three newly fledged chicks was busy hunting for food, catching rats and carrying them back to the nest.

Most of the snipe were Common Snipe, with a few Swinhoe's Snipe; I could not find any Pin-tailed Snipe. The rice and weeds have grown tall, making them harder to find.

I also confirmed a few Red-throated Pipits, but unfortunately the grass got in the way and I could not take any photos.