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

A Green Turtle that had just emerged from the sand. I thought it might be lethargic, but almost immediately it seemed to snap awake and headed straight for the sea.

My son got so caught up cheering that he crossed the barrier rope and had to be stopped by his mother. ^^;

Arrived at the water's edge. It vanished into the sea in an instant.

An Oriental Pratincole moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage. It had come to bathe at a river mouth. Oriental Pratincoles breed on Ishigaki-jima as well, and this individual was probably born here.

An adult Oriental Pratincole in flight with the sea behind it. Moulting into winter plumage has begun.

A Lesser Sand Plover moving into winter plumage.

A different individual from the one above.

A flock of 25 Rufous-necked Stints had gathered at the river mouth.

A few Terek Sandpipers were bathing and catching prey.

Female Kentish Plover.

Male Little Ringed Plover. A good number of Little Ringed Plovers have come in.

Wood Sandpiper, adult. The fresh-plumaged juveniles are still a while off yet. ^^

About 15 Wood Sandpipers moved into the rice paddies.

Long-toed Stint, adult. The feathers are worn from the long journey.

Six Common Greenshanks across two sites. They are moulting from breeding plumage into non-breeding plumage.

A Common Redshank that arrived alone and was staying near the Common Greenshank flock.

The Common Sandpiper, always by itself. Does it migrate alone too?

The rocky reef where Roseate Terns nest. Around 20 birds are visible in the photo.

A Black-naped Tern that came down onto the sandy beach.

A Black-naped Tern relentlessly attacking a breeding Pacific Reef Heron — not sure why.

Size comparison, left to right: Greater Sand Plover, Little Tern, and Kentish Plover.

A few Little Terns were also visiting along the coast. They should be fledging around now, so they will probably bring chicks along before long.

The first chick, a Brown Hawk-Owl that fledged the day before. I've been watching several sites this year, but this is the first fledgling I've seen this season.

A parent keeping watch over its chick from a little distance away.

A female Oriental Scops Owl that has recently started poking her face out of the nest hole. The chicks must be getting bigger and the chamber getting cramped.

A male Oriental Scops Owl standing guard near the nest. Paired with the individual above. I finally figured out where it spends the day. ^^

A different pair from the one above. The female.

The male paired with the individual above. Looking ragged and worn out from raising chicks. ^^;

A Brown-eared Bulbul that had caught a grasshopper while raising chicks. It flew off to the nest with it shortly after.

A Purple Heron in the meadow. Possibly a young bird.

A male Ruddy Kingfisher in the park.

A male Ruddy Kingfisher near the coast.

A Ruddy Kingfisher along the prefectural road. Also a male.

A male Oriental Scops Owl resting in the shade.

A male Brown Hawk-Owl. On standby at its usual spot.

Black-bellied Terns were flying around over the meadow.

It's in breeding plumage, but I wonder if it didn't take part in breeding this year?

A female Oriental Scops Owl. The ruffled belly feathers may be a brood patch.

Same individual as above. For at least the past two days the female has also been coming out at night to hunt. The eggs have likely hatched and there are chicks in the nest.

The male Oriental Scops Owl paired with the individual above.

Same individual as above. A lucky-break Oriental Scops Owl that caught a Yaeyama Large Cicada which had flown straight at my flashlight. Whether the prey was too big or the chicks were already full, it ended up eating the whole thing itself.

A female Oriental Scops Owl — a different pair from the one above. Still carrying food to the chicks even past midnight.

The male paired with the individual above, keeping watch from his regular position.

The pair above during the daytime. The female.

A male. The ear-tufts and other feathers are showing some wear.

A Brown Hawk-Owl close to fledging. Only one chick visible so far.