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

A first-winter Pied Avocet floating on the pond. It appeared to be tipping upside down and plunging its head underwater to feed.

When it fluffs up its feathers, the worn juvenile plumage becomes visible.

About 20 Black-winged Stilts were resting.

Pinaisara Falls, the most popular spot on Iriomote Island, was running high after days of rain.

Russet Sparrow, adult male.

Compared with the Eurasian Tree Sparrow hanging from the silver grass, you can see how small the Russet Sparrow is.

The Russet Sparrows were feeding on silver grass seeds.

A Russet Sparrow in flight, but the shutter speed was too slow and the wings are a complete blur. ^^;

Eurasian Tree Sparrows were also feeding on seeds of silver grass and other grasses.

Five Swan Geese. I wonder how long they will stay.

Common Snipe, juvenile. Most of the other individuals were also juveniles.

A White-shouldered Starling feeding on Ryukyu tallow tree seeds. The reddish base of the bill is probably stained from eating strangler fig fruit.

On Ishigaki Island the White Cheeked Starling is a winter visitor. On the Okinawa mainland it also breeds near the airport.

Lapland Longspur, adult male winter plumage.

A Lapland Longspur eating grass seeds.

Food is plentiful, and there are also large numbers of Red-throated Pipits and Eastern Yellow Wagtails, so it should be able to winter here without any trouble.

The Lapland Longspur and the birds around it were very wary, but by settling in to wait, they eventually came right up in front of me.

You can see the jet-black, elongated hind claw — one of the hallmarks of the Lapland Longspur.

A rare front-on view of the Lapland Longspur. ^^

Meadow Bunting, adult male. Winter plumage.

A Black-faced Bunting was also picking up grass seeds.

It called occasionally with a sharp 'chit, chit' as it repeatedly moved in and out of the grass along the paddy bank.

Two Grey-capped Greenfinches are also getting through the winter without trouble.

A Pale Thrush that has been showing up since the end of last month. An adult female. While most individuals are quite wary, this one was relatively calm.

Red-throated Pipit, adult.

Red-throated Pipit, first-winter.

Male Pale-backed Pigeon. A little juvenile plumage remains, but mostly first-winter.

A female Pale-backed Pigeon. Moult is progressing in the same way as the male above.

A different female individual from the one above. Juvenile feathers remain in the primaries and coverts.

Ryukyu Green Pigeon moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage. The iris colour is also dull.

Dusky Thrush, first-winter plumage.

Two Pied Avocets. Both adult females.

Watching from close range, I could hear the sound of the bill slicing through the water — "jyak, jyak."

It had caught what looked like a small snail.

A Pied Avocet at a different location from the two above.

Common Redshank, juvenile (foreground) and adult.

Wintering Common Snipe. There were close to ten in the same paddy field.

Dunlin, adult winter plumage.

Common Greenshank, adult.