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

Five Greylag Geese currently staying. They are together with Tundra Bean Geese and Taiga Bean Geese. A group of five Greylag Geese — I hadn't seen that since two years ago in northern Okinawa Island.

Five Greylag Geese with a Tundra Bean Goose (right) and a Bean Goose (third from right). The Bean Goose is of the small type, so possibly the tundra form. All adults. The individual thought to be a Lesser White-fronted Goose appears to have separated from the flock.

I spent the New Year holidays in Nagoya, so I squeezed in three hours of birdwatching. There were several bunting species in the same area and it was fun listening to their calls. A short outing, but very satisfying — experiences you simply can't have on Ishigaki Island. ^^ I also got to see Eurasian Skylark and Bull-headed Shrike, both rarely encountered on the island.

There was a Common Starling in the same paddy field, which surprised me. Five birds were mixed in with a flock of White-cheeked Starlings. Northern Lapwing and Grey-headed Lapwing were there too. Grey-headed Lapwings are always around in that area, but it was my first time seeing Northern Lapwing there.

I was listening for Emberiza calls when a Reed Bunting appeared right in front of me. You don't get to see these on Ishigaki.

The raptors that winter on Ishigaki Island are now all showing up: Upland Buzzard, Saker Falcon, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Short-eared Owl, and more.

The ducks, Eurasian Coots, and small birds that serve as prey are on edge whenever a raptor appears.

Juvenile Upland Buzzard. One appears every year, but this individual is not very wary and is easy to observe and photograph.

Two small Taiga Bean Geese together with Greater Bean Geese. They appear to be one of the smaller subspecies, but identification is difficult.

A small settling pond has Mandarin Duck, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Wigeon and others staying over. There was also an unidentified duck — I couldn't picture either parent for a hybrid, so domestic fowl may be mixed in.

An individual thought to be a Tundra Bean Goose, a smaller Bean Goose, and a Lesser White-fronted Goose.

Around seven Pied Avocets are staying at several sites. Water levels in the island's paddies are low, so shorebirds are scarce.

First-winter Pied Avocet.

A Desert Wheatear has turned up. There were records from Okinawa Island and Yonaguni Island, but this species had no record from the islands in between. I heard an unfamiliar call and was looking around when a bird flew out from a private house.

The moment it landed on a concrete roof across the road, I was certain it was a Desert Wheatear. I pulled the camera out of my bag and shot in a hurry. I had been completely off guard.

After a few frames the Desert Wheatear flew off somewhere. I'm hoping it will winter here and will look for it again if I get the chance.

A Desert Wheatear appeared out of nowhere. I rushed to get the shot.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle, which has been hard to find reliably this season, was out in the farmland. A Common Kestrel that has been present for several days seems to have taken a liking to the pasture and was hunting in a relaxed manner.

The Javan Pond Heron has been staying a long time, but the recent pattern is for it to leave around March, before shifting into breeding plumage.

Six Pied Avocets are staying at four sites. How long will they stick around?

Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. I heard its call and went looking — and there it was.

Crested Serpent Eagle juveniles are few this season. One has settled in a small paddy field but is in constant conflict with a Common Kestrel.

Red Collared Doves are staying at several locations.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle fleeing after being startled by a Common Kestrel.

Javan Pond Heron, Malayan Night Heron, and Cinnamon Bittern confirmed. Chinese Pond Heron and Yellow Bittern are also still present.

Javan Pond Heron in winter plumage.

Rustic Buntings arrived in a flock of around 30 — quite unusual to see numbers like that on Ishigaki. Four Japanese Waxwings are on a kapok tree. Dusky Thrushes are increasing, several Amur Stonechats are staying, and Eastern Yellow Wagtails, White Wagtails, and Grey Wagtails are also on the rise.

Rustic Bunting preening.

Overwintering in the paddies: Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Little Ringed Plover, and Northern Lapwing. Dozens of Common Snipe are staying, but Swinhoe's Snipe have not been found…

Pied Avocet, first-winter.

Tufted Duck, Mallard, and Northern Pintail recorded for the first time this season. Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon, and Eurasian Teal are staying, though scattered. Lesser White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, and Greater White-fronted Goose are also lingering.

Male Tufted Duck.

A Common Hoopoe has arrived on Ishigaki. Numbers are lower than in spring, but several have been confirmed this season too.

The first Dusky Thrush of the season also confirmed. I heard a Pale Thrush calling but could not see it. Daurian Redstarts and Amur Stonechats are increasing.

Lesser White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, and Greater White-fronted Goose are still present. Common Starling, White-cheeked Starling, White-shouldered Starling, Asian Glossy Starling, and Japanese Waxwing are also lingering and dropping in.

A Eurasian Hoopoe in the distance.

Lesser White-fronted Goose, Siberian Pipit, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, and Caspian Tern all photographed for the first time this season in one go. Red Collared Doves continue to stay at multiple locations.

Common Snipe numbers are growing as birds settle into wintering mode. Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, and Common Redshank are also wintering in the island's paddies, though in small numbers.

Among raptors, Crested Serpent Eagle is becoming easier to find, and Common Kestrel, Grey-faced Buzzard, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, and Peregrine Falcon are all increasing.

Pale-capped Pigeon male juvenile. Spooked by raptors and not coming down into the paddies.

Four Red Collared Doves at two sites; Arctic Warblers in thickets here and there; Yellow Bittern again doing well as it did last year, seen frequently. The starling flock, in order of abundance: White-shouldered Starling, White-cheeked Starling, Common Starling, Common Myna. Until a few days ago Red-billed Starling and Rosy Starling were with them, but the group seems to have split up. Six Asian Glossy Starlings are mixed in as well.

Geese and ducks are gradually increasing. In addition to the more numerous Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler, and Eurasian Wigeon, Falcated Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Garganey, Greater White-fronted Goose, and Lesser White-fronted Goose have also been recorded.

Eurasian Coot, first noted at the end of October, keeps increasing. Wader numbers in the paddies are declining — Black-winged Stilt, Temminck's Stint, Common Snipe, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, and Common Sandpiper.

First confirmed juvenile Cream-coloured Dove.

On the way home from work I found a pre-roost gathering of about 50 Grey Wagtails and 20 Eastern Yellow Wagtails, and while checking for anything mixed in I spotted one Forest Wagtail. They normally live along forest tracks, so finding a Forest Wagtail in a sugarcane field was a real surprise.

The following day it was again mixed in with the Grey Wagtail flock at the same spot, so it is presumably spending its days somewhere on a nearby forest track. One White Wagtail was in the same flock. It would be nice if it overwintered together with the Grey Wagtails.

Two Red Collared Doves are staying, but they look unsettled — a Black-winged Kite, Hen Harrier, and Eurasian Sparrowhawk come by every day. For some reason a Brown Shrike was moving around with the Red Collared Doves and Oriental Turtle Doves — perhaps because it too is wary of the raptors.

A rare experience — encountering a White-browed Wagtail in a sugarcane field. It appears to roost together with other wagtails.

Red Collared Dove numbers have been slow to build this season, but several have finally come in — around six individuals confirmed so far.

Black-winged Kites have recently been appearing in groups: two adults and one juvenile. On this day two were careening over the paddy fields and scattering all the small birds.

Crested Serpent Eagle juveniles are down in number this year, but encounters with adults are gradually increasing. The calls carry clearly from my house as well.

Small birds are also visiting the farmland. Red-throated Pipit, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and Brambling confirmed — the Brambling was my first photograph of the species this season.

Two male Cream-coloured Doves. A female had also been present a few days earlier.

The Grey-headed Swamphen had become difficult to see for a while, but from this day it started showing well again. It may be because the Hen Harrier, which had been causing the poor appearance rate, was no longer around.

I had been kept waiting 40 minutes for a work appointment, so in frustration I stopped by the paddies — and there was the Swamphen, walking along the farm track.

I contacted several acquaintances who had come to Ishigaki specifically to see it, and we all got to watch it together. Hearing them say "I can see it!! The trip was worth it!!" made me happy too. ^^

A Purple Swamphen walking along a farm track toward me.

The Grey-headed Swamphen staying on Ishigaki has had a Hen Harrier turning up at its paddy field for the past few days, causing havoc. Several friends have come to Ishigaki to see the Swamphen, but it has become wary and is showing poorly, so they are having a hard time.

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana is also in residence and going about its business peacefully. I had noted Garganey several times over the past two weeks or so, but this time I finally managed to get it on camera.

I also recorded my first Greater White-fronted Goose and White-faced Wagtail of the season.

The paddies are lively, with Ruff, Dunlin, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Common Snipe, and Black-winged Stilt, as well as Eastern Red-rumped Swallow, Amur Stonechat, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Red-throated Pipit, and Little Bunting.

A completely unwariness Hen Harrier juvenile. It was an extremely aggressive hunter, and the upper surface of its flight feathers was stained with mud.

Day 4 of the Grey-headed Swamphen's stay on Ishigaki. The video is from day 3. Every day it follows the same routine — eating rice and drinking water — and takes the same flight path when it moves. Lately it has stopped being startled by people out for a walk.

A Western Swamphen that had gradually been coming closer.