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

Black-winged Cuckooshrike Schrenck's little bittern Ryukyu scops owl Ryukyu flycatcher Daurian starling

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

今季初のハシブトアジサシ オオメダイチドリの飛翔

ハシブトアジサシを見つけました。今季初めての飛来となります。車を走らせていると一瞬、アジサシとすれ違い、顔がどう見てもハシブトアジサシに見えたので戻って探すと海岸に降りて水浴びをしていました。

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A Bridled Tern in transition from juvenile to first-winter plumage. This is the first time I've managed to photograph a perched bird this close. ^^

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A Bridled Tern bathing.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A Bridled Tern in flight. Backlit — a shame.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

An adult Black-bellied Tern showed up too, but disappeared somewhere almost immediately.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

Greater Sand Plover in flight. Unlike Lesser Sand Plover, when Greater Sand Plover flies the feet extend just slightly beyond the tail tip.

Categories: 野鳥

飛ぶハジロクロハラアジサシ、ツバメチドリ、クロハラアジサシ

数日前から滞在しているハジロクロハラアジサシは石垣島内に2カ所で合わせて3羽いました。

ツバメチドリは十数羽だったのが、50羽になり、80羽になりどんどん増えています。

クロハラアジサシは島内各所で数羽の群れが見られます。

White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern juvenile in flight.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

Adult Oriental Pratincole flying low.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

A White-cheeked Tern juvenile that had caught a large Lesser Emperor dragonfly.

White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern

A White-winged Tern coming toward me.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

The White-cheeked Tern's prey was so large it nearly dropped it several times.

White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern

A White-winged Tern that came down into the paddy. An individual in mid-moult from juvenile to first-winter plumage. I found another White-winged Tern in the same area.

White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern

White-winged Terns and Oriental Pratincoles are resting on the paddy bunds.

White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern

I thought it might take a bath, but it flew off just like that.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

A juvenile White-winged Tern bathing.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

An adult Oriental Pratincole bathing.

White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern flies differently from Black-bellied Tern, so you can tell them apart somehow even from a distance.

Categories: 野鳥

ソリハシセイタカシギ2羽目

今季、2羽目となるソリハシセイタカシギを仕事に向かう途中に見つけました。^^ 写真を数枚写したのち、友人らに知らせて後にしました。友人によると、翌日は場所を少し変えていたようです。

タシギが数日前から一気に増えました。ある田んぼでは、ほとんどタシギだったりします。

Pied Avocet
Pied Avocet

Pied Avocet, first-winter plumage.

Pied Avocet
Pied Avocet

It walked through the paddy swinging its bill side to side, picking up prey.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

Both Common Snipe. There were four Common Snipe in this paddy.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe / Long-toed Stint

Common Snipe juvenile (foreground) and Long-toed Stint juvenile.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初エゾビタキ、5羽目のカンムリワシ幼鳥、まだいたアカエリヒレアシシギ

今季初となるエゾビタキを確認しました。この鳥を見ると秋の深まりを感じますねー。

カンムリワシは今季、4羽目と5羽目を確認。4羽目は警戒心が強めで写真が撮れませんでした。^^;

先日のアカエリヒレアシシギはまだ滞在中。チュウジシギは畔にぼちぼち、タシギはかなり増えてきました。

田んぼには、アオアシシギ、コアオアシシギ、アカアシシギ、タカブシギ、セイタカシギ、ヒバリシギ、トウネンなどがそこそこいます。

Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flycatcher

The first Grey-streaked Flycatcher juvenile of the season.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Same individual as above. It appeared to be catching something in a flycatching sally.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Another Grey-streaked Flycatcher. Also a juvenile.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

The fifth Crested Serpent Eagle juvenile of the season. Breeding seems to have gone smoothly, with no typhoon impact.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

It was perched in a Chinese hackberry tree overlooking the rice paddies. The bill and tail feathers were muddy — it appears to be hunting on its own.

Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope

The Red-necked Phalarope is still present. It moves around between the rice stalks, making for tricky shooting.

Red-necked Phalarope
Red-necked Phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope, head-on.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

There were several Swinhoe's Snipe on the paddy bunds.

Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper adult, late summer plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

久しぶりの夜探でリュウキュウコノハズクとリュウキュウアオバズク

久しぶりに夜探に出かけてきました。すぐにリュウキュウコノハズクとリュウキュウアオバズクがお出迎え。コノハズク、アオバズクともに幼鳥の姿は見えなくなっていました。鳴き声すら聞こえませんでした。独り立ちして親鳥たちの縄張りを追い出されたのでしょう。

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

Ryukyu Scops Owl, adult male.

Brown Hawk-Owl
Brown Hawk-Owl

Ryukyu Hawk-Owl, adult male.

Categories: 野鳥