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

Ryukyu flycatcher Lesser Whistling Duck Daurian starling Glossy Ibis Eurasian Hoopoe

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

石垣島にツメナガホオジロ参上!!

10月9日に石垣島BIRD観察さんが第一発見者で見つけたツメナガホオジロ 。当日は、仕事の都合ですぐに駆けつけられず、昼過ぎに行った時は姿を一瞬見ただけでした。

それから約2週間たっているのですが、土砂降りの中、なんと同じエリアに1羽のツメナガホオジロを発見!! 雨が弱まるのを待ち、なんとか写真に残すことができました。

ツメナガホオジロというとユキホオジロ同様に北海道など北の鳥というイメージですが、今季は、沖縄本島、粟国島、与那国島、石垣島と多くの島で見つかっています。

石垣島に鳥見に来る方はぜひ、野鳥ガイドの スポッターさん をご利用ください。ツメナガホオジロ見られるかもしれませんよ!!

Lapland Longspur
Lapland Longspur

An adult female Lapland Longspur in winter plumage.

Lapland Longspur
Lapland Longspur

A puffed-up Lapland Longspur. It showed little wariness and was busily pecking at grass seeds.

Lapland Longspur
Lapland Longspur

A Lapland Longspur feeding in the shelter of the grass.

Lapland Longspur
Lapland Longspur

The Lapland Longspur was larger than a Eurasian Tree Sparrow. According to the field guide it measures around 16.5 cm — the same size as a Meadow Bunting — but the Lapland Longspur looks bigger because it is more stockily built.

Lapland Longspur
Lapland Longspur

A full-body shake to shed the rain from its wet feathers.

Lapland Longspur
Lapland Longspur

If it turns out to be the same individual as before, there are hopes it will stay for the winter.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初のクロツラヘラサギ、負傷したアカガシラサギ

今季初確認のクロツラヘラサギが2羽田んぼで餌探し。散歩の人が通っても気にする様子もありませんでした。

先日から滞在中のアカガシラサギ は翼を負傷したようで飛べません。捕まえようとおもったけど、どんどん草むらに入っていくので諦めました。

中旬ごろからやってきているハシビロガモの写真がやっと撮れました。

田んぼにはムラサキサギやリュウキュウヨシゴイ、タシギ、タマシギ、セイタカシギ、シマアカモズなどが逗留中です。

Black-faced Spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill

Black-faced Spoonbill — adult (foreground) and juvenile to immature individuals. Absorbed in foraging in the pouring rain.

Chinese Pond Heron
Chinese Pond Heron

A Chinese Pond Heron that can't fly. It would be the first to fall prey if a Peregrine Falcon showed up.

Purple Heron
Purple Heron

A Purple Heron in the rain. A beautiful bird.

Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler

A juvenile male Northern Shoveler. It was moving around together with a dozen or so Eastern Spot-billed Ducks.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

An adult Common Snipe in the process of moulting into winter plumage.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

A juvenile Common Snipe.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

An adult female Brown Shrike. The migration peak around late September has passed, so only the wintering birds remain.

Ryukyu Sparrowhawk
Ryukyu Sparrowhawk

A juvenile Ryukyu Sparrowhawk appeared on a power line. The Eurasian Tree Sparrows and Scaly-breasted Munias were in a panic.

Categories: 野鳥

海岸で魚をとるオニアジサシ、ミサゴ、チュウダイサギなど

雨の中、河口ではオニアジサシやチュウダイサギ、クロサギ、コサギ、アオサギが小魚をとっていました。その小魚を目当てにやってきた大きなダツをミサゴが目の前でさらっていきました。

天気が悪く、散歩や釣りの人が来ない海岸は鳥たちの楽園になっています。^^

Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern

The Caspian Tern that has been staying since yesterday was going back and forth right in front of me, hunting for fish.

Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern

A Caspian Tern resting on a sandy beach. Adult winter plumage.

Osprey
Osprey

An Osprey caught a needlefish that had come into the shallows chasing small fish!!

Osprey
Osprey

It carried the large needlefish off to a nearby rocky area.

Osprey
Osprey

An adult female Osprey.

Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern

A Caspian Tern coming in to land. Notable for its red bill and charming webbed feet.

Great Egret
Great Egret

A Medium Egret caught a small fish.

Pacific Reef Heron
Pacific Reef Heron

A Pacific Reef Heron also got a fish.

Little Egret
Little Egret

A Little Egret tries its luck fishing at the water's edge.

Grey Heron
Grey Heron

Grey Herons winter on Ishigaki Island. A few birds were gathered along the shore.

Pacific Reef Heron
Pacific Reef Heron

A Pacific Reef Heron in flight.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初のオニアジサシ登場

今季初となるオニアジサシが飛来しました。石垣島ではこの時季、少数が通過していきます。 沖縄本島では毎年、11月の第1週にオニアジサシが具志干潟に飛来 していました。数は石垣島より沖縄本島の方がでますね。

海岸には、オオメダイチドリやメダイチドリ、シロチドリ、ムナグロ、キョウジョシギなどが群れていました。

石垣島のカワセミは警戒心が強いのですが、きょう、海岸で出会った個体は比較的近くで見ることができました。

田んぼは越冬組のタシギが多く、ヒバリシギやセイタカシギ、アカアシシギなどが滞在中です。

Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern

A Caspian Tern, adult winter plumage. It had a lot of scales stuck to its bill — perhaps just after catching a fish.

Caspian Tern
Caspian Tern

It was acting slightly wary of me. It looked as though it had just arrived on migration.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover / Kentish Plover

Greater Sand Plover, first-winter (foreground), and Kentish Plover.

Lesser Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover, first-winter plumage.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover / Ruddy Turnstone / Pacific Golden Plover / Lesser Sand Plover

Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, and Ruddy Turnstone.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover / Ruddy Turnstone / Kentish Plover / Pacific Golden Plover / Lesser Sand Plover

A flock of Greater Sand Plover, Lesser Sand Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, and Kentish Plover — with just one Red-necked Stint in the lower right.

Common Kingfisher
Common Kingfisher

An adult female Common Kingfisher living along the coast.

Grey Heron
Grey Heron

Grey Herons come in winter. I don't get many chances to photograph them, but I can't skip checking whether any unusual Grey Herons are among them. ^^ I wonder if a Great Blue Heron will show up.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

A juvenile Common Snipe in a rice paddy. This individual was completely unfazed by passing cars or people out for a walk.

Categories: 野鳥

サシバの渡り

今季、サシバの秋の渡りはRadio Taiwan Internationalの記事によると台湾南部の墾丁国家公園のカウントで過去最高の数を記録したそうですが、石垣島では年々、数が減っているような気がします。

日本で繁殖するサシバは、繁殖地である里山の開発や耕作放棄地の増加が原因のひとつとなって個体数が減っているなんて話もありますがその影響なのでしょうか。

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

Adult female Grey-faced Buzzard.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

Juvenile Grey-faced Buzzard.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

Adult female Grey-faced Buzzard. She appeared to have an injured left foot.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

A juvenile Grey-faced Buzzard.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

A kettling of Grey-faced Buzzards that formed just before 4 p.m.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

The same flock as above. They appeared from the northeast, passed overhead, and continued south.

Categories: 野鳥