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

Crested serpent eagle Pheasant-tailed jacana Iriomote Tit Ryukyu scops owl Ashy drongo

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

Record Number of Swan Geese; First Common Pochard of the Season

Last year's four Swan Geese were already a lot, but this year a record five Swan Geese have arrived.

There was also a male Mallard nearby, a rarity in Okinawa, but it was very wary and I couldn't get a photo.

The first Common Pochard of the season arrived alone. It was moving together with Northern Pintails.

Black-faced Spoonbills are wintering, scattered in several places around the island.

Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed Goose

Adult Swan Goose. No white at the base of the bill — perhaps a young bird?

Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed Goose

Five Swan Geese. They were grazing on grass.

Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed Goose

Swan Goose, adult. Sex unknown.

Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed Goose

It let its guard down completely and dozed off.

Common Pochard
Common Pochard

Common Pochard, adult male in breeding plumage.

Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail

Northern Pintail, adult. Transitioning from eclipse to breeding plumage.

Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail / Common Pochard

A Tufted Duck (right) and a Northern Pintail that stayed behind even as the wary Spot-billed Duck flock took flight.

Black-faced Spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill

Five Black-faced Spoonbills at two spots in the paddies in the same area. This is a young individual.

Categories: 野鳥

First Night Search in a While: Ryukyu Scops Owl and Ryukyu Hawk-Owl

I went round the night forest for the first time in a while. Ishigaki had a strong north wind and a strong wind advisory was in effect, but I was able to see nocturnal birds such as the Ryukyu Scops Owl, the Ryukyu Hawk-Owl and the Black-crowned Night Heron.

Ryukyu Scops Owl
Ryukyu Scops Owl

A hand-tame Oriental Scops Owl from the neighbourhood.

Northern Boobook
Northern Boobook

A Brown Hawk-Owl with distinctive irises. I feel like I've seen this individual somewhere before, but I can't place it.

Categories: 野鳥

Balanophora yayeyamensis at Its Peak

The Balanophora that began flowering in mid-November is now at peak bloom. It's a little earlier than usual.

Ryukyu ground parasite plant
Ryukyu ground parasite plant

Ryukyu Balanophora emerging from the forest floor.

Ryukyu ground parasite plant
Ryukyu ground parasite plant

It was in full bloom across the entire floor of the dark forest.

Ryukyu ground parasite plant
Ryukyu ground parasite plant

Flowers covered in ants were conspicuous — perhaps ants or cockroaches serve as pollinators?

Ryukyu ground parasite plant
Ryukyu ground parasite plant

Ryukyu Balanophora with a texture that looks like it would taste good. It's not poisonous, right?

Categories: 植物

Red Collared Dove and Three White Wagtail Subspecies

The three White Wagtail subspecies, ocularis, leucopsis and lugens, are all here together. Following the ocularis from the other day, this is the second individual this season.

I've seen more than enough Red Collared Doves this season, but following the nicely moulting individual I found the other day, this one was a male moving from juvenile plumage to first-winter plumage, so I made sure to get it. ^^

The ducks are increasing too, but it seems nothing rare has turned up yet this season.

White Wagtail
White Wagtail

First-winter White Wagtail with a beautiful bluish-grey back and grey rump — the Siberian form.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail
Eastern Yellow Wagtail

First-winter East Asian White Wagtail.

White Wagtail
White Wagtail

First-winter White Wagtail (leucopsis).

Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove

Male Crimson Dove. Transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove

Same individual as above. From the opposite side.

Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove

There was just one mixed in among a dozen or so Oriental Turtle Doves.

Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Eastern Spot-billed Duck / Eurasian Teal / Northern Shoveler / Eurasian Wigeon

Ducks in the waterway: Eurasian Teal, Eurasian Wigeon, Eastern Spot-billed Duck, and Northern Shoveler.

Categories: 野鳥

Black-winged Kite Pair and Common Kestrel

I went to see the Black-winged Kite, which comes out in the evening, for the first time in a while, and was surprised to find two rental cars there. ^^;

The Black-winged Kites were perched as a pair in the lookout tree. They seemed to be keeping an eye on me.

Common Kestrels are on farmland all over the place, but when I'm watching Siberian Pipits or wagtails they flush them, which is a nuisance. ^^;

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

Male Black-winged Kite.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

Female Black-winged Kite.

Common Kestrel
Common Kestrel

Female juvenile Common Kestrel.

Categories: 野鳥