GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR
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.
オウチュウが3カ所で5羽飛来しました。石垣島のゴールデンウイークの風物詩ですね。天候が崩れると必ず複数が観察されます。
A Black Drongo perched in a guava tree. It was completely unafraid.
It was flying about, fluttering and preying on dragonflies and bees.
A Black Drongo that caught a bee.
Oriental Pratincoles are known for aerial foraging, but this one was in rest mode and didn't take off.
今季6羽目のオウチュウが現れました。昨日のオウチュウもですが、なぜか今季は警戒心のない個体ばかりです。
毎年、繁殖を確認しているアオバズクの到着も確認しました。営巣木がもろそうなので、台風などが襲来すると崩れないか心配です。
A Black Drongo with zero wariness. It was catching flying insects.
A male Ryukyu Scops Owl standing watch. If eggs have already been laid, the chicks should fledge in early July.
久しぶりに河口も巡回。コオバシギ3羽やオバシギ、オオソリハシシギ、ホウロクシギ、ソリハシシギ、キアシシギ、オオメダイチドリなどが観察できました。田んぼにはソリハシセイタカシギがやってきていました。
A Red Knot transitioning into breeding plumage. Three appearing at the same time is unusual.
A Great Knot also showing a little breeding plumage coming through.
A Bar-tailed Godwit in breeding plumage, with deepening reddish tones.
A Pied Avocet also turned up in the paddies. It was alone.
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 Tattlers were the most numerous.
Ruddy Turnstones are present year-round, but numbers have been fluctuating as migrating individuals join the flock.
The Red-necked Stints were still in full winter plumage.
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.
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.
リュウキュウアオバズクが繁殖に入りました。このアオバズクが繁殖する場所は、営巣木が朽ちて倒れたりして毎年のように、子育てする営巣木を変えています。それでも繁殖は成功し、例年、2羽か3羽のヒナが巣立っています。
田んぼには、ハジロクロハラアジサシ6羽の群れが現れました。少し荒天だったので、島に避難してきたようです。全て夏羽で、美しい姿が拝めました。
近くにはキタツメナガセキレイもやってきました。かなり久しぶりとなる飛来です。翌日には、いなくなっていました。
シギたちは概ね渡ってしまって寂しい限りですが、ハリオシギはなんとか1羽だけ残っていました。
A male Japanese Scops Owl. I've had a long acquaintance with this individual.
White-winged Terns in breeding plumage were flying back and forth over the paddies, picking off prey.
Six White-winged Terns — all in breeding plumage. Wonderful to see them all matching like that. ^^
A first encounter in a long while with an Eastern Yellow Wagtail. It still appeared to be in winter plumage.
Only this one Pin-tailed Snipe remained of the snipe. We'll have to wait until late August for snipe again.
Wood Sandpipers were so numerous I barely paid them any mind, but as the migration season winds down, their numbers have thinned.
アカガシラサギが数羽滞在中です。羽衣は、まだ冬羽が多く残る個体からほとんど夏羽に変わった個体までさまざまです。近くにはリュウキュウヨシゴイもいました。近くで繁殖していると思われます。
ハジロクロハラアジサシは、まだ滞在していましたが、数は減っているようでした。オグロシギやウズラシギ、アカアシシギ、アオアシシギも滞在中です。
A Chinese Pond Heron almost fully into breeding plumage. This individual was a bit wary.
A female Cinnamon Bittern that appeared near the paddy field where the Chinese Pond Heron above was seen.
The six Whiskered Terns that had arrived were down slightly in number.
A Black-tailed Godwit also showed up. This individual appeared to be injured — all the toes on its left foot were missing. Perhaps it had an accident with fishing line or something similar.
A Pectoral Sandpiper passing through — the first in a while.
A Common Redshank in breeding plumage. Beautiful.
The Common Greenshank is starting to come into breeding plumage as well.
A Ruddy Kingfisher on the forest track near my house. As usual, it showed no wariness at all.
今季初のレンカクが飛来しました。稲の中を歩き回り発見しづらいのですが、定期的に水がたまった場所に出てきていました。警戒心は強めの個体です。
エリグロアジサシも沿岸に近いてきました。コロニーの形成が始まっていました。
A Pheasant-tailed Jacana in the paddy fields. When I lost sight of it, it was very hard to find again, hidden among the rice plants.
It kept coming back regularly to a spot with standing water, picking at what appeared to be small snails.
The Black-naped Terns have arrived at the rocky reef where they breed every year. Numbers are still low, but I expect they will build from here.