7th Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp!!
The 7th Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp was held successfully over two days, 22 and 23 August. This time we had two women join us. Both took notes and made sketches with great enthusiasm.
The camp went ahead despite unsettled weather as a typhoon approached. The first day in particular brought occasional heavy rain, and by evening the sky had turned wild with a typhoon look about it.
We shifted the car around to dodge the driving rain and managed solid views of a dozen or so snipe, including both adults and juveniles.
Because of the prefectural governor election and unified local elections, the camp was held earlier than usual this year, and Common Snipe were not recorded.
The bonus post will cover Javan Pond Heron, an out-of-season Roseate Tern, Black-naped Tern, and more.
Arrived at the paddy field with the highest snipe count this season. The first bird I could observe was a pale-looking adult Swinhoe's Snipe.
A Pin-tailed Snipe that was associating with the Swinhoe's Snipe in the field above. Also an adult.
Another Swinhoe's Snipe that was in the same flock. An adult.
Moving to the next paddy, the first bird I found was a solitary juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.
The next find was a juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe — the finest-looking individual of the day. We could observe it at close range, and everyone in the car got quite excited. ^^
An adult Swinhoe's Snipe that was together with the Pin-tailed Snipe above.
Evening observation in driving rain. Managed to get a close look at an adult Pin-tailed Snipe.
Also an adult Pin-tailed Snipe. It was in the same flock as the individual above.
A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe. It looked like an interesting individual and I really wanted to get a good look, but it was too wary to come out of the grass.
An adult Swinhoe's Snipe. The wind and rain were fierce, and this was the last bird of the day's field camp. We ended the evening at an izakaya in the typhoon, talking snipe over drinks. ^^
Day two of snipe camp. Snipe encounters were few this day, so we enjoyed some non-snipe birding in the morning. This individual is a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe found in the afternoon.
An adult Pin-tailed Snipe that was associating with the Swinhoe's Snipe above.
