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

Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfishers are still being seen readily. Multiple individuals are observable around my neighbourhood. I expect them to move on by the end of September. From April to now — half a year of morning song and colour in daily life. ^^

One White-shouldered Starling was confirmed today for the first time this season, mixed in with a flock of Common Mynas. From here on, the wintering birds will start arriving on Ishigaki: White-shouldered Starling, Red-billed Starling, Chestnut-cheeked Starling, Common Starling, Rosy Starling and others.

The Ruddy Kingfisher closest to home. Together with the individual photographed a few days ago, it appears that at least two birds are here preparing for migration.

I recorded my first Broad-billed Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint of the season — both juveniles. A few Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe were also present. Common Snipe still not showing up as usual.

In the paddies: Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, and Terek Sandpiper.

A small flock of Whiskered Terns was feeding and bathing.

The first Broad-billed Sandpiper of the season, found by my daughter. In autumn it's always a juvenile.

The first Crested Serpent Eagle of the season fledged around 25 August. On this day, a third juvenile individual was confirmed for the season.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle in flight. Always a stunning bird no matter when you see it.

Three on the commute in the morning, one during the day, and three more on the way out to dinner with the family — seven Ruddy Kingfishers in all. The evening three were perched together on the same guardrail. Getting ready to migrate overnight, perhaps?

Crested Serpent Eagle encounters are also increasing; I came across three individuals on this day.

All the Eastern Yellow Wagtails are of the white-browed type — large mixed flocks of juveniles and adults are appearing all over the place.

The Ruddy Kingfisher in my neighbourhood. I say hello to this individual every morning before heading to the office. ^^ The head looked quite tatty a few days ago, but the moult there seems to be done now.

I confirmed the first juvenile Grey-tailed Tattler of the season. Swinhoe's Snipe and Pin-tailed Snipe have crashed in numbers after the typhoon — almost none left. Snipe-watching will have to wait until the next wave arrives.

The Greater Painted-snipe chicks from the first brood of the year are fully grown but still seem to be moving around together as siblings. A second brood is underway and I am seeing adults with small chicks.

A flock of around 200 Eastern Cattle Egrets came into the paddies. Numbers will keep climbing.

First Grey-tailed Tattler juveniles of the season. All five birds in the flock were juveniles.

In this sideshow from the 1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp, I introduce the birds encountered during two days of snipe hunting.

A Javan Pond Heron was found — the fourth individual on Ishigaki this season. First juvenile Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, and Red-necked Stint of the season were confirmed. An adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was seen for the first time this season. A Greater Painted-snipe family with small chicks was encountered.

Please also see the day 1 and day 2 reports.

A Javan Pond-Heron that stayed for several days.

This is day 2 of the 1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp, and the final day. I would have liked to start at first light, but with children to look after, we got going at 9 a.m.

A Javan Pond Heron greeted us at a nearby paddy — the fourth individual on Ishigaki this season, and the fifth of the season counting the first record for Yonaguni Island.

Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe were in the same paddy, but the light was badly against us and the grass was tall, so we moved early to the spot that typically holds the most snipe on the island and offers the best views.

We worked through several more sites after that, squeezing every last minute out of the final day right up until participants had to leave for their flights. ^^

On day 1 we concentrated on Pin-tailed Snipe, but on day 2 we had a bit more breathing room and made a point of photographing Swinhoe's Snipe tail feathers as well. The sideshow is here.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. I really love the plumage on this type — it reminds me of a Solitary Snipe. This type is uncommon. There's a video below as well.

I took the liberty of organizing the 1st Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp, complete with a complimentary invitation to Shimasoba-so.

For this inaugural event I was joined by a contributor who writes the field identification articles on snipe for BIRDER magazine. The Pin-tailed Snipes and Swinhoe's Snipes of Ishigaki seemed to hold genuine interest even for a professional eye. During the camp I received a direct lecture on migration timing and moult characteristics of Latham's Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe from the mainland — extremely educational. As someone who writes about identification, the way they put the distinguishing features into words was precise and impressive.

The results were excellent. We observed large numbers of Pin-tailed Snipe and the so-called western-type Swinhoe's Snipe that are commonly found in the Nansei Islands, including both adults and juveniles. Despite spending nearly all our time on snipe, the by-catch was good too: 2 Javan Pond Herons, the season's first juvenile Common Greenshank and juvenile Green Sandpiper, juvenile Red-necked Stints, and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.

On day one I met the participants at the airport at around 1:30 p.m. and had the first Pin-tailed Snipe in the bag just after 2:00 p.m. We watched until 6:00 p.m. I am posting photos of the 10 Pin-tailed Snipes we managed to photograph. Day 2 and the bonus post are covered in separate articles.

I intend to keep running snipe camps in the future. Announcements will appear here on the blog and on social media. The planned timing is around late August, when both adults and juveniles are present and moult variation is at its richest. I would also like to hold one during the spring migration (early to mid-April), when other birds, waders and plovers are enjoyable too, if there is enough interest.

The very first Swinhoe's Snipe of the training camp encountered in conditions like this…. ^^; A valuable adult.

I found a Javan Pond Heron on Yonaguni Island — almost certainly a first record. Veterans who have visited the island for decades have not seen one, and it does not appear in any checklist.

Up to about seven Yonaguni Wood Pigeons came to Tacchigami Rock on the south-east side of the island. What draws them there, I wonder?

On the schoolground of Kubura Elementary School after rain there was 1 Pin-tailed Snipe and 2 Swinhoe's Snipes. The rice fields on Yonaguni have completely dried up, so they presumably have nowhere else to go. A few dozen Pacific Golden Plovers had also come down.

A Javan Pond Heron — a first record for Yonaguni Island. It was at Agariizaki. This individual was fairly wary.

Southward movement has already begun, but a few Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfishers are still present near home. Every individual is deep in moult and looking rather bedraggled. ^^;

Ruddy Kingfisher in moult. Those with trypophobia may find these pin feathers off-putting, so I recommend visiting before July. ^^;

White-browed Eastern Yellow Wagtails are increasing — flocks of up to around 20. I also confirmed the season's first juvenile Black-winged Stilt. Red-necked Stints, Long-toed Stints, and Wood Sandpipers continue to turn over and build in numbers. A Greater Painted-snipe is incubating.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail, 1st-winter.

As late August approaches, snipe numbers keep climbing. In the best spots there were around 7 birds in a single paddy field. The Swinhoe's Snipe migration is reaching its peak, so Pin-tailed Snipe are relatively fewer by comparison.

In one week I will be holding the inaugural Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp. Together with snipe-watchers coming from the mainland, I plan to scrutinize every last snipe on Ishigaki.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

The season's first Javan Pond Heron and White-browed Eastern Yellow Wagtail have arrived. Javan Pond Herons will trickle through from here on, while the Eastern Yellow Wagtails will suddenly surge in numbers.

This year's Cinnamon Bitterns appear to be dispersing; individuals in the same area have been thinning out.

Javan Pond Heron with a tadpole it had caught. First record of the season.

Long-toed Stints are building up in both adults and juveniles. Red-necked Stints so far are adults only — juveniles have yet to arrive. Marsh Sandpipers, adults and juveniles alike, are passing through steadily.

Long-toed Stint, juvenile. Numbers are steadily increasing.

The other day I focused squarely on Pin-tailed Snipe tail feathers, so today I went after Swinhoe's Snipe tail feathers. I managed to rack up a good number of individuals. ^^

In the same paddy field there were at least 8 Swinhoe's Snipes and 3 Pin-tailed Snipes. There was another flock of snipe in a neighbouring field, but it was too far away and the heat shimmer was too bad — I will go back and try again another day.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipes and Swinhoe's Snipes in the paddy fields are steadily increasing. Both species were all juveniles on this day.

I took two local naturalists who wanted to see some birds on a light circuit of the paddies and coast.

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

I recorded my first Terek Sandpiper and Sanderling of the season.

There were 3 Terek Sandpipers and 4 Sanderlings, along with Greater Sand Plovers, Siberian Sand Plovers, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Ruddy Turnstones, Red-necked Stints, Pacific Golden Plovers, and Kentish Plovers. Coastal birds are going to keep building from here on.

Juvenile Terek Sandpiper.

The last Ruddy Kingfisher of the season fledged successfully. I found the nest on June 24, confirmed 2 eggs on July 3, and the chicks fledged on August 12 and 13 in quick succession.

There has been large-scale development in the area, and perhaps because suitable nest sites were scarce, the pair nested in a Formosan subterranean termite colony in a horsetail casuarina tree alongside a fairly busy road. I worried about traffic accidents right after fledging, but they made it safely and disappeared into the shrubs on the ranch.

I recorded my first Grey Wagtail of the season — the usual time of year, the usual spot.

Crested Serpent Eagles are approaching their fledging season too, and the adults are turning up regularly in farmland and cultivated fields.

A Ruddy Kingfisher chick that fledged on the 12th. This was taken on the 13th, the second day after fledging, and it was already flying about fairly freely.

Still stalking Pin-tailed Snipe the day after, trying to get shots of the tail feathers. And then — incredibly!! — I managed to get video with the call of a Pin-tailed Snipe!! It's shaping up to be another wonderful autumn migration season!!

I recorded my first Marsh Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper of the season. Common Redshank and Whiskered Tern had also arrived.

An extremely close Pin-tailed Snipe. Preying on a cricket.

With Typhoon No. 6 moving away from Ishigaki Island, I did a patrol of the rice paddies. Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, and Red-necked Phalarope had all arrived for the first time this season.

I recorded my first juvenile Wood Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint of the season. Common Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover numbers were also up.

Cinnamon Bitterns breed on the island, and I am encountering recently fledged juveniles more and more often.

First Pin-tailed Snipe adult of the season.