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

The first Pheasant-tailed Jacana of the season has appeared. It is not very wary. Eurasian Wigeon was also a first for the season, with two arriving in the paddies.

The Chinese Pond Heron has been staying for a long time, and since it had an injured wing the other day I was worried, but it has recovered enough to fly.

Northern Lapwing: eight at two paddies, a flock of all juveniles.

Red Collared Doves have turned up again. There are currently five in total at two sites. The first White Wagtail of the season has also arrived. Wintering Common Kestrels, Grey-faced Buzzards and Peregrine Falcons are increasing in number.

White-naped Cranes have been recorded on Okinawa Island and Minamidaito, but not on Ishigaki, so this is the first record.

The White-naped Crane that appeared on Ishigaki this time came alone and was picking up food on the paddy banks and elsewhere. Compared with the nearby Medium Egrets and others, its size and presence were extraordinary. I have seen White-naped Cranes several times at Izumi and Isahaya, but seeing one on Ishigaki has a different feel.

As I passed the rice paddies, a pair of Black-winged Kites was soaring in the evening sky. A juvenile used to feed here, so has that bird grown up? Or did these come from somewhere else?

Black-winged Kites on Ishigaki Island are steadily increasing, and in the evening they appear over farmland all around in search of food.

The first Garganey of the season arrived at a rice paddy. There were also Eurasian Teal in the same paddy.

The Garganey has been called "shimaaji" since the mid-Edo period. They say the name combines the old word "shima," meaning unusual, with "aji," the old name for the Eurasian Teal. So people in the past regarded the Garganey and the Eurasian Teal as separate species. ^^

The Northern Lapwing is also a first for the season. Just one bird came in.

The Caspian Tern, which had been a single bird until yesterday, had increased to three. Today I could also hear the Caspian Terns call.

The rest were the usual members: Pacific Golden Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Siberian Sand Plover, Kentish Plover and so on.

The two Black-faced Spoonbills were together again, getting along well, just like yesterday.