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

Asian Glossy Starling Black Bittern Ruddy Kingfisher Emerald dove Ryukyu scops owl

GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR

Go where the birds are. The SHIMASOBA Tour launches.

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.

Max. 3 guests 4 hours in the morning Beginners welcome
Check availability and book

カリガネ、ヒシクイ、オオヒシクイ、マガン飛来

日を追うごとに寒くなる石垣島ですが、ガンの仲間も増えてきました。石垣島や沖縄では非常に珍しいカリガネもやってきました。ほかにはヒシクイが5羽、オオヒシクイが1羽、マガンが25羽の群れと別の場所に2羽滞在中。

先日の大陸から八重山にかけて吹き付けた強い北西の風に乗ってやってきたのかもしれません。

Lesser White-fronted Goose
Lesser White-fronted Goose / Tundra Bean Goose

Lesser White-fronted Goose (front) and Tundra Bean Goose.

Greater White-fronted Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Geese totalled 27 birds across two locations.

Bean Goose
Bean Goose

One Taiga Bean Goose.

Categories: 野鳥

マミジロタヒバリ今季初とシベリアハクセキレイ

今季初確認となるマミジロタヒバリ2羽が畑に飛来しました。牛舎付近にはシベリアハクセキレイと思われる個体がいました。

Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit

That posture is Buff-bellied Pipit even from a distance. ^^

Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit

Same individual as above. A juvenile, clearly.

Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit

Different individual. Also a Buff-bellied Pipit juvenile.

White Wagtail
White Wagtail

Some distance away, but this appears to be a first-winter White Wagtail (Siberian).

Categories: 野鳥

アサクラサンショウクイ連日出現

11月に見つけたアサクラサンショウクイは毎日、元気に出現中です。人への警戒心はほとんどないのですが、シマアカモズやカラスに追われています。

昨年のアサクラサンショウクイは12月下旬ごろまで滞在 しましたが、ことしはいつまで見られるのでしょうか。

Ashy Minivet
Ashy Minivet

Ashy Minivet, first-winter. Grabbed a quick shot before heading to work. Right after this, it was chased off by a Brown Shrike.

Categories: 野鳥

ミドリカラスモドキ3羽、バライロムクドリ3羽、ベニバト2羽、アサクラサンショウクイ

ミドリカラスモドキは3羽に増量。バライロムクドリは幼鳥2羽と成鳥1羽の合わせて3羽、ベニバトは雌雄で2羽、アサクラサンショウクイは1羽と盛り上がりをみせる石垣島です。

Metallic Starling
Metallic Starling

The Asian Glossy Starlings have increased to three birds.

Rosy Starling
Rosy Starling

Rosy Starling, juvenile.

Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove

Pale-backed Pigeon, male. Moulting into first-winter plumage.

Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove

Pale-backed Pigeon, female. Moulting into first-winter plumage.

Eyebrowed Thrush
Eyebrowed Thrush

Eyebrowed Thrush, scarce in Okinawa.

Eyebrowed Thrush
Eyebrowed Thrush

Same individual as above. First-winter plumage.

Dusky Thrush
Dusky Thrush

Dusky Thrush, first-winter.

Categories: 野鳥

バライロムクドリ成鳥、カタグロトビ、キマユムシクイほか

昨日の幼鳥 に続き、この日はバライロムクドリの成鳥が現れました。鳴き声が聞けたのと冠羽が見えたのが最高でした。^^

オオムシクイ、コムシクイが多い中、キマユムシクイも確認できました。

最近は珍しい鳥でもなくなった石垣島のカタグロトビ。なれた個体も増えてきました。

ムクドリも一気に数を増やし、町中でも見るようになりました。

石垣島には冬鳥としてやってくるヨシゴイが今季は個体数が多く。河川や沈砂池で多くの個体が越冬しています。

今季初確認となったツグミは昨日までいなかったのに一気に増えていました。

Rosy Starling
Rosy Starling

Rosy Starling, adult winter plumage. The crest is just visible too.

Rosy Starling
Rosy Starling

It would drop down from the power line into a Strangler Fig, but the leaves kept getting in the way, so I ended up taking shot after shot like this… ^^;

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite, immature. Almost identical to an adult, but there were a few juvenile feathers remaining in the wing coverts.

Yellow-browed Warbler
Yellow-browed Warbler

Among the leaf warblers seen on Ishigaki-jima, Yellow-browed Warbler is the only one that can be identified without hearing its call.

Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern

Yellow Bittern, juvenile. Beautiful juvenile plumage lit by the afternoon sun. Stunning.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

Isabelline Shrike, first-winter plumage. It had caught what appeared to be a bee.

Dusky Thrush
Dusky Thrush

The first Dusky Thrush of the season. Numbers jumped all at once.

Long-billed Dowitcher
Long-billed Dowitcher / Black-tailed Godwit

Long-billed Dowitcher and Black-tailed Godwit. They had separated, then came back together again…

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

A juvenile Common Snipe in a paddy field after the rice harvest.

Categories: 野鳥