Paddies in a Downpour
As soon as I arrived at the paddies where the Pectoral Sandpiper was, I was hit by a downpour...
In the paddies I could see, there were Oriental Pratincoles, Common Redshanks and Long-toed Stints, the kind of sandpipers and plovers typical of Okinawa, while Black-winged Stilts, Marsh Sandpipers, Wood Sandpipers, Dunlins, Common Snipe and others were resting.
Whiskered Terns can be seen flying around making their chiwa-chiwa calls over paddies and pastures all over Ishigaki Island.
With the Chinese Sparrowhawk migration over and Grey-faced Buzzards starting to appear, the autumn migration on Ishigaki is nearing its end and the birds are changing rapidly. Just watching from a paddy, you can see all kinds of wild birds arriving and flying off.
Oriental Pratincole — the southward passage has passed its peak and sightings have become scarce. One bird came down into a rice paddy in the pouring rain.
Black-winged Stilt, juvenile plumage transitioning to first-winter. Juveniles are increasing on Ishigaki Island in the latter part of the autumn migration.
Common Redshank, juvenile. Moulting into first-winter plumage.
Long-toed Stint, adult winter plumage.
I thought this was a Long-toed Stint adult in late summer plumage, but it appears to be a worn juvenile. Long-toed Stints in adult winter, adult summer, and juvenile plumages are all present together.
Wood Sandpiper. Moulting into first-winter plumage.
Common Snipe, juvenile. Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe numbers have dropped off, and most birds now are Common Snipe.
Dunlin, juvenile plumage transitioning to first-winter. On Ishigaki Island, it is almost exclusively juveniles that arrive. I haven't seen an adult this season.
Common Redshank, juvenile. Moulting into first-winter plumage.
Marsh Sandpiper, juvenile plumage transitioning to first-winter. Right? Hard to tell with the rain-soaked feathers. ^^;
Black-bellied Tern, adult. Summer plumage to winter plumage. Oriental Pratincoles move through in concentrated waves, but Black-bellied Terns keep trickling through.
