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

A Eurasian Hoopoe that turned up a little early. There are good years every few years, but I have a feeling this season will see a large influx of Eurasian Hoopoes on Ishigaki Island.

Foraging for insects from the ground to fuel up. The Eurasian Hoopoe is quite the hearty eater — it puts away a considerable amount.

The Crested Serpent Eagle has entered the breeding season and is moving around actively. You can hear territorial calls coming from all directions.

A wintering Grey-faced Buzzard. A male.

This one is a female Grey-faced Buzzard.

A Great Crested Grebe, an uncommon bird on Ishigaki Island.

Tufted Ducks winter here in large numbers every year. Last year a Baer's Pochard was mixed in among them, but none has been found this season.

A few Marsh Sandpipers are wintering here.

Green Sandpipers are also wintering here.

Common Sandpipers seem to be around all year.

Discovered what is the third Eurasian Hoopoe of the season on Ishigaki Island.

It showed zero wariness toward vehicles. It did seem slightly startled by the crows.

Among a flock of White Wagtails, there was a single Chinese White Wagtail mixed in.

About half of a flock of 15 White Wagtails were White-faced Wagtails. The White-faced Wagtail is the most common subspecies of White Wagtail on Ishigaki Island.

The White Wagtail subspecies that is the second most common after the White-faced Wagtail.

A Crested Serpent Eagle perched in a street tree. It appears to be waiting for lizards that come out onto the road to bask in the sun. This hunting habit is one reason Crested Serpent Eagles are involved in traffic accidents on the road. Please drive safely.

Spotted a good number of Purple Herons in the pastures. More individuals are now moving around in pairs.

A Ryukyu Least Bittern appeared while I was watching the sandpipers. It was keeping an eye on me, but after a while its wariness faded.

A Cinnamon Bittern shaking itself. It was hunting for prey in a drainage channel.

Northern Lapwings resting in a rice field. Two were sitting down. They had probably just arrived and were tired.

Wintering Common Snipe. Nearly ten birds are staying in this drainage channel.

This individual has beautifully bluish-tinged plumage.

Around five birds are also staying in the rice fields.

Wood Sandpiper numbers had increased a little. They appear to have moved in.

Eurasian Coots were fewer in number this season.