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

The Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher arrived about a week earlier than usual this season — calls were already audible around 23 March. Numbers picked up toward the end of March. My first photos weren't until 6 April, a little later than usual, partly because I was away from the island on a trip.

The Ashy Drongo that has been wintering on Ishigaki Island for a record-length stay. This photo was taken on 3 April, but it was still being seen on the 9th. Just how long will this Ashy Drongo stay?

The Ruddy Shelduck has nearly completed its moult from juvenile plumage into first breeding plumage. This was its third day of the stay.

A flock of a dozen or so Oriental Pratincoles is staying in a rice paddy. I expect breeding will be confirmed again this season.

A Chestnut-cheeked Starling that came to the car park at my workplace. They come to eat the fruit of Murraya paniculata. During the winter, White-shouldered Starlings, White-cheeked Starlings, and Asian Glossy Starlings also turned up regularly for the same berries. On Ishigaki, Chestnut-cheeked Starlings feel more like a spring bird than a wintering one.

There was also a pair of Northern Pintail. They are probably birds moving through on spring migration.

There was a flock of 25 Little Ringed Plovers. I heard there had been a White-rumped Sandpiper among them, but by the time I arrived it was Little Ringed Plovers only.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. It looks like it managed to catch something — the crop is bulging.

A female Ryukyu Night Heron. She is hunting for earthworms on a lawn.

The male, paired with the individual above.

A Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher on the way home from work. One of three individuals I saw.

The Ruddy Kingfisher near my house has started digging out a nest hole.

A Ryukyu Flycatcher that had been squabbling with a neighbour from an adjoining territory.

The Crested Serpent Eagle is in breeding season too. Encounters will become fewer from now through summer.

A pair of Ruddy Kingfishers perched together. They are in the middle of nest building.

A Ruddy Kingfisher clinging to a tree and excavating a nest hole.

The pair take turns digging the nest hole. While one is digging, the other keeps watch nearby.

An adult male Blue Rock Thrush. It has been staying for quite a long time — about three weeks at this point.

It was catching insects in the air.

White Wagtails were everywhere. For some reason, all males.

A flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails had moved into an open area near the coast. They are very commonly seen in the Yaeyama Islands, but this flock seemed to have just arrived at Yonaguni Island, and it gave a real sense of the spring migration.

A flock of Olive-backed Pipits had moved into the farm track.

A Pacific Golden Plover was alone in the grassland along the coast.

First Pin-tailed Snipe of the season!!

A Swinhoe's Snipe together with the Pin-tailed Snipe above. Common Snipe have already turned up here and there, so that makes three snipe species together. ^^

A Swinhoe's Snipe at a different location.

This one is also a Swinhoe's Snipe.

Yet another Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe are arriving in good numbers.

This is also a Swinhoe's Snipe. Swinhoe's are far more numerous than Pin-tailed Snipe.

This one is a Pin-tailed Snipe. It was a little too close, and after this it hid itself in the grass.

A Marsh Sandpiper in summer plumage. Beautiful.

Common Greenshank numbers are increasing too.

Black-winged Stilts confirmed in flocks of 100 or more at peak.

Pacific Golden Plover seen in rice paddies, along the coast, and in pastures.

The Eurasian Spoonbill has been wandering around the island for a little while now.

When searching for snipe, I often come across Yellow Bitterns.

There were also Chinese Pond Herons beginning to transition into breeding plumage.

The Black-winged Kite turns up in the rice paddies without fail every evening. It gets in the way when you're watching snipe… ^^;

Pin-tailed Snipe. The scapulars and other feathers are changing into breeding plumage.

This Pin-tailed Snipe is also in the process of transitioning into breeding plumage.

A typical Pin-tailed Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe also appears to be well into its moult.

This one is a Pin-tailed Snipe.

This one is a Pin-tailed Snipe too.

This one is also a Pin-tailed Snipe.

A Swinhoe's Snipe lit by the evening sun.

This one turned out to be a Swinhoe's Snipe as well.

When I first spotted it the Broad-billed Sandpiper was at the far end of the rice paddy, but it gradually worked its way closer.

Sharp-tailed Sandpipers seen in groups ranging from around ten birds down to just a few.

Long-toed Stints were at various stages of moult — some fully in breeding plumage, others still largely in winter plumage.

Three Whimbrel appeared at the river mouth.

A pair of Greater Painted-snipe. Some males were already accompanied by chicks.

A male Ryukyu Bittern. It appeared right in front of me while I was watching snipe.

This male Ryukyu Bittern is showing breeding plumage.

White-breasted Waterhen were largely seen moving in pairs.

Ruddy Kingfisher at the start of the breeding season. Every individual in the park shows no wariness whatsoever….

Crested Serpent Eagle on the signboard pointing toward Omoto hamlet.

Black-bellied Terns are wheeling over rice paddies here and there.

I came across 2 Red-throated Pipits — unusual for this time of year.

Eastern Yellow Wagtails were gathering in large flocks on farmland.

A Swinhoe's Snipe that went into alert posture because I got too close.

Only one Pin-tailed Snipe today, but numbers could increase with the coming second wave of migration.

This one is a Swinhoe's Snipe.

Also a Swinhoe's Snipe, preening — the tail feathers are visible.

This Swinhoe's Snipe is also preening. The way the tail feathers show here is often mistaken for Pin-tailed Snipe.

Three Swinhoe's Snipe.

While I was watching the snipe, a female Greater Painted-snipe appeared.

I was able to observe a Pin-tailed Snipe at close range. Though too close is its own problem.

This one is a Swinhoe's Snipe. Still showing a lot of winter plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe spotted in the distance.

This Pin-tailed Snipe was also a little too close.

This one is also a Pin-tailed Snipe. A good number of Pin-tailed Snipe showed up today.

This is a rather plump, well-fed Swinhoe's Snipe.

A Pin-tailed Snipe associating with the Swinhoe's Snipe above.

A male Ryukyu Scops Owl keeping watch.

A Ruddy Kingfisher was perched nearby as well.

This Ishigaki Tit appeared to be searching with its partner for a nesting site. It was peering into a Ryukyu Scops Owl nest hole and alarm-calling noisily.

Pin-tailed Snipe spotted on a distant paddy bank. The backlight makes observation tough… ^^;

Another Pin-tailed Snipe. Looks very similar to the individual above.

Also a Pin-tailed Snipe. Compared to the individual above, this one tends darker.

Common Snipe (left) and Pin-tailed Snipe. The Pin-tailed Snipe is the same individual as the one at the top.

Another Pin-tailed Snipe, mid-moult into breeding plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe (right) and Pin-tailed Snipe. In this case the size difference is clear, but in the field you basically can't identify them by size alone.

A Pin-tailed Snipe that came up onto a concrete block in the evening. This was the individual that had been hiding in the grass all day.

A Swinhoe's Snipe that wouldn't come out of the grass.

Another Swinhoe's Snipe in the grass.

I don't often get a chance to photograph them, but there was a Common Snipe here too.

While I was watching a flock of Black-winged Stilts, a Whimbrel came down. Looking at it this way, the Whimbrel is surprisingly small — or is it that the Black-winged Stilt is large?

About 20 Oriental Pratincoles had come down. Three are visible in this photo.

A distant Pin-tailed Snipe.

This one is a Swinhoe's Snipe. The moult into breeding plumage is well advanced.

There was a Common Snipe nearby as well.

A distant Pin-tailed Snipe.

Same individual as above, but the impression changes as the bird shifts its angle.

These two Common Snipe were spotted in the distance.

These three Swinhoe's Snipe. Getting three Swinhoe's Snipe in a single shot in spring is quite a find. ^^

A singing female Greater Painted-snipe. Some males are already accompanied by chicks. This individual seems to be the resident of the area.

Pectoral Sandpipers are gradually increasing in number.

Wood Sandpipers facing off. They get into skirmishes quite often.

Black-winged Stilt in flight. First-summer plumage.

A pair of Black-winged Stilts was mating, though there are no breeding records for Ishigaki Island.

Oriental Pratincoles flying about. Numbers are growing day by day.

A small flock of Pacific Golden Plovers has also arrived.

A Swinhoe's Snipe observed at just the right distance.

Another Swinhoe's Snipe. It had been moving around together with the one above.

The two Swinhoe's Snipe from above, side by side.

Are the Oriental Pratincoles trying to breed in this paddy field? They show no sign of moving on.

A few Little Ringed Plovers have also arrived.

A small flock of Pacific Golden Plovers is staying on.

A few Black-bellied Terns had arrived.

This is a Black-faced Bunting found on Iriomote Island. There were about three of them. The Ruddy-breasted Crake I was hoping to see never showed up… ^^;