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

A Kentish Plover still present.

The Javan Pond Heron has been on a long stay since summer. At peak, three birds were present in rice paddies in the same area.

` Pin-tailed Snipe adult, missing its left foot, on a long stay since 22 August <https://shimasoba.com/blog/2525/>`__ .

Same individual as above. Moult has progressed considerably over about a month. Migrating without a foot carries real risks, so it may end up wintering here.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Another Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe (left) and Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Also a Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Yet another Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. There are so many different types — great fun.

Greater Painted-snipe, male (foreground) and female.

A female Greater Painted-snipe moved forward in response to the calls of another individual.

Juveniles make up the overwhelming majority of the Long-toed Stints.

The first Pacific Golden-Plover juvenile of the season.

The first Common Greenshank of the season.

Five Ruffs arrived. Counting other paddies as well, around ten are currently staying. That's more than usual for this season.

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe (left) and Swinhoe's Snipe. Both are the same individuals as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. It's quite dark — perhaps the type commonly seen on the mainland?

A Swinhoe's Snipe that was associating with the individual above.

Common Snipe numbers are gradually increasing.

Discovered a flock of Japanese Paradise Flycatchers beside the park car park.

This one is a male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher. I could occasionally hear it singing as well.

This flock of Japanese Paradise Flycatchers numbered close to ten birds.

They were moving around foraging inside a dim, scrubby woodland.

A Mallard turned up for some reason. Feels a little early…

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile. Even on Yonaguni Island, all I kept seeing were snipe.

This one is also a Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

A Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile that froze because I got too close.

Swinhoe's Snipes in the distance. They were all juveniles.

Among a flock of Swinhoe's Snipes, one lone adult Common Snipe.

Two Dunlins, both juveniles. There are almost no rice paddies on Yonaguni Island, and the second crop wasn't being grown this time either, so waders were scarce. In the irrigation channels there were Long-toed Stints, Black-winged Stilts, Red-necked Stints, and Little Ringed Plovers.

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

A Pin-tailed Snipe in the distance. Also a juvenile.

At this time of year it's all juveniles with Pin-tailed Snipe.

Yet another Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

A somewhat unusual Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

A Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile carefully pulling an earthworm out of the soil.

There are plenty of Swinhoe's Snipe around.

A Swinhoe's Snipe right in front of me. Too close — I froze.

Swinhoe's Snipes come in all sorts of types, which is interesting. ^^

Only juvenile Swinhoe's Snipes again…

A large-bodied Swinhoe's Snipe. Individuals with this kind of look are uncommon, but one shows up every year.

The first Temminck's Stint of the season was a juvenile.

Dunlin juvenile. The bill looks slightly shorter than usual.

A Ruddy Kingfisher on the forest track. An unwarry individual — I suspect the same bird has been returning for several years running.