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

Pheasant-tailed jacana Iriomote Tit Collared Kingfisher Javan pond heron Ryukyu flycatcher

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

エリマキシギ、アカアシシギ、ヒバリシギほか

シギ、チドリの入れ替わりが激しい石垣島です。今日はエリマキシギが2羽、比較的内陸の田んぼにやってきました。

アカアシシギはどこの田んぼに行っても数羽で群れていて、成鳥、幼鳥が混在しています。

ヒバリシギは幼鳥が圧倒的に多いです。

トウネンはやっと幼鳥が入りだしました。代わりに成鳥の個体数は減りました。

ほかは、タカブシギやセイタカシギ、チュウジシギが多く滞在しています。

Ruff
Ruff

Ruff, male juvenile. A female juvenile was also present in the same paddy field.

Common Redshank
Common Redshank

Common Redshank juvenile. A little first-winter plumage is just starting to show.

Long-toed Stint
Long-toed Stint

Long-toed Stint in juvenile plumage. Beautiful.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

Little Stint juvenile.

Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattler, adult in late summer plumage (foreground), and juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Lesser Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover juvenile. It had apparently retreated to the paddy fields during the spring tide high water.

Dunlin
Dunlin

Dunlin juvenile. Adults have yet to appear this year.

Categories: 野鳥

アジサシとクロハラアジサシとツバメチドリ

石垣島はもとより沖縄全体でも珍しいアジサシがクロハラアジサシと田んぼにいました。アジサシは海にいるというイメージだったので、沼アジと畔で休憩している姿を見た時は、何か分かりませんでした…。^^;

クロハラアジサシはあちこちの田んぼや沈砂池で見られるようになりました。

同じ畔にツバメチドリも休んでいました。餌取りに出かけてもしばらくすると戻ってきます。お気に入りの休憩場所のようです。

Common Tern
Common Tern

Common Tern moulting from first-summer to second-winter plumage.

Common Tern
Common Tern

The Common Tern is considerably larger than the White-winged Tern in the foreground.

Common Tern
Common Tern

Common Tern, head-on.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern moulting into winter plumage. It appeared to have an injured leg and was struggling to walk, though this probably won't affect its ability to feed.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern juvenile in flight.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

White-winged Tern moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

Oriental Pratincole moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

コマミジロタヒバリ石垣島に登場!!

夕方、田んぼに寄っていると畔にコマミジロタヒバリがいました。今季初というか久しぶりのライフリスト更新です。タヒバリの仲間は、これからどんどん数を増やして石垣島で越冬します。

当初は、ちょっと変わったムネアカタヒバリと思っていましたが、まさかコマミジロタヒバリだとは驚きです。

White-browed Pipit
White-browed Pipit

White-browed Bushlark sheltering in the grass along a paddy bund in strong winds.

White-browed Pipit
White-browed Pipit

Overall proportions. The Richard's Pipit has a shorter tail than the Blyth's Pipit and did not adopt an upright stance.

White-browed Pipit
White-browed Pipit

The distinction between Buff-bellied Pipit and Water Pipit: the bill is slender and more pointed, the shaft streaks on the median coverts are not pointed, and the supercilium is indistinct. The call was also not as strong and forceful as that of a Water Pipit.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初のカンムリワシ幼鳥

やっと今季初となるカンムリワシの幼鳥を拝むことができました。9月3日に石垣島BIRD観察さんが発見して見にいくも空振りで、やっと見ることができました。^^

ムラサキサギは幼鳥があちこちで出現しています。今季の繁殖は台風の影響もなく順調だったようです。

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle I finally got to see on 3 September after being tipped off about it. What a beautiful bird.

Purple Heron
Purple Heron

Purple Heron, with juvenile plumage mostly replaced.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初のキアシシギ幼鳥

キアシシギは7月中旬過ぎから石垣島に現れていますが、9月やっと幼鳥が確認できました。同じ海岸にはオオメダイチドリの幼鳥はたくさんいます。

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattler, juvenile. Arrived about a month and a half later than the adults I had recorded.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattler, adult. Late summer plumage.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

Greater Sand Plover, molting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Categories: 野鳥