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

A few winter feathers coming in, but barely — still essentially summer plumage.

The second Curlew Sandpiper. The two were always together. This one is also an adult. I'd like to see some juveniles soon, but they haven't turned up on Ishigaki yet.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, adult. Late summer plumage.

A male Ryukyu Bittern that dropped down right in front of me. Stunning.

Oriental Pratincole, almost in full winter plumage.

Oriental Pratincole moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Another Oriental Pratincole, almost completely moulted into winter plumage.

A small flock of Pacific Golden Plovers. All were adults moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt, male. Again today, males outnumbered females.

There are many individuals this year that appear to be Isabelline Shrike like this one. Adult male.

Male Brown Shrike. There is a faint scaly pattern visible on the lower cheek area and flanks, so perhaps this is first-summer plumage.

A Crested Serpent Eagle with black eyes. The body colour also seems somewhat darker than a typical Crested Serpent Eagle. Maybe I'm just imagining it… ^^;

Both eyes completely black.

Grey Wagtails are increasing in number.

Grey Wagtail, first-winter plumage.

Could this one also be a young individual?

A textbook-looking Pin-tailed Snipe like this is nice and easy to identify. ^^ Juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. The juvenile plumage is beautiful.

A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe, 0.5 seconds before taking flight.

Also a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

A Swinhoe's Snipe bathing.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Also a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

A male Brown Shrike apparently moulting from first-summer into second-winter plumage.

This one also appears to be a Brown Shrike moulting from first-summer into second-winter plumage.

This is also a Brown Shrike, the same age as the individual above.

This one had a greyish hindneck, so it appears to be an Isabelline Shrike moulting from first-summer into second-winter plumage.

Adult female Brown Shrike.

Same individual as above. It caught a pair of mating Pyrgomorpha conica grasshoppers in copula. I wonder what the male thinks about that….