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

Schrenck's little bittern Black Bittern Black-winged Cuckooshrike Emerald dove 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

石垣島の春告鳥ヤツガシラとクロウタドリ

久しぶりの更新です。^^;

育休中で毎日、子守しているので鳥見に行っていませんが、石垣島ナンバーワン野鳥ガイドのスポッターさんに情報をいただき、ピンポイントでいろいろ見てきました。^^

新型コロナウイルスの影響でスポッターさんのツアーでキャンセルが出ているようで空きが出ているそうです。利用するチャンスだー!! クロウタドリ、ヤツガシラ、アオハライソヒヨドリ、タカサゴモズ、アオシギなど見るチャンスだー!! いつものように勝手に宣伝。^^

春の渡りが本格化しつつあるようで、石垣島の春告鳥と私が勝手に呼んでいるヤツガシラとクロウタドリが出始めました。アオハライソヒヨドリも教えてもらったのですが、短時間では見つけられなかった…。

シマアカモズも数を減らしている。繁殖地へ向けて北上しているようだ。

ツグミやシロハラ、アカハラも電線や建物の上に複数が集まったりする光景を見るようになった。こちらも春の動きです。

Eurasian Hoopoe
Eurasian Hoopoe

A Eurasian Hoopoe turning up at the go-to spot on Ishigaki Island as well.

Eurasian Hoopoe
Eurasian Hoopoe

In the Yaeyamas and Okinawa, Eurasian Hoopoes peak from mid-March through early April.

Common Blackbird
Common Blackbird

A Common Blackbird — noticeably larger than a Dusky Thrush or Pale Thrush, with a distinctive flight style, and above all that all-black body with just a yellow bill makes it stand out. One bird had turned up on a dark forest road near my home, but a Common Blackbird really does look best on a lawn.

Common Blackbird
Common Blackbird

This individual wasn't particularly wary, but it reacted strongly to crows.

White-shouldered Starling
White-shouldered Starling

The Rosy Starling was wintering at a cattle barn together with Chestnut-cheeked Starlings and Common Mynas. The Common Mynas were engaging in breeding behaviour.

White-shouldered Starling
White-shouldered Starling

The Rosy Starling was picking up fallen berries and eating them. The Chestnut-cheeked Starlings didn't come down — they were feeding up in the trees.

Common Kestrel
Common Kestrel

An adult male Common Kestrel that for a moment looked like a Lesser Kestrel. An individual you could easily mistake.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

Isabelline Shrikes are moving off to their breeding grounds and thinning out steadily.

Dusky Thrush
Dusky Thrush

Dusky Thrush, adult male.

Dusky Thrush
Dusky Thrush

Dusky Thrush, female. Moulting from first-winter into summer plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

リュウキュウコノハズク見回り

子どもを寝かしつけてから近所を見回り。石垣島は暖かい日が続き、リュウキュウコノハズクの活性が上がっているので数え切れないほど確認。アオバズクは電線に止まっているいつもの個体3羽を確認。

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

An Oriental Scops Owl perched along the prefectural road. It's a stretch of road where speeds tend to get high, so the bird is at risk.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

Preening. By the way, what on earth is that small insect at the Oriental Scops Owl's feet…? ^^;

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

An Oriental Scops Owl near a house.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

An Oriental Scops Owl on a forest road.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

An Oriental Scops Owl in the park. Individuals of this species show little fear of people.

Categories: 野鳥

そろそろ渡り始めるシマアカモズ

シマアカモズは移動する個体も増えているようで越冬していた個体がいなくなったり、冬の間、いなかった場所にいたりと春の渡りの始まりを予感させる動きが目立ってきています。

自宅前の電線にはツグミが8羽止まっていました。田んぼにはタシギ22羽の群れも入っていました。

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

This individual is in the same spot every day.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

Among adult Brown Shrikes, individuals with secondaries missing through moult are conspicuous.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

This male also has secondaries missing.

Isabelline Shrike
Isabelline Shrike

Brown Shrike, adult female.

Red-throated Pipit
Red-throated Pipit

Buff-bellied Pipits winter in good numbers in the rice fields of Hiratahara.

Long-toed Stint
Long-toed Stint

Wintering Long-toed Stint. First-winter plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

越冬中のアオシギ 3カ月経過

昨年の11月から石垣島で滞在中のアオシギ は滞在3カ月を超えました。

騒がしい息子を連れての鳥見だったのでアオシギまでの距離が詰められず、点のようにしか写せませんでしたが、確認できてよかったよかった。^^

アオシギは非常に美しいシギです。 一番寄れた時 の感動は今でも忘れません。^^

交通量のそこそこある県道沿いには3羽のズグロミゾゴイが出ていました。2月に入ってからは同じ場所で毎日のように現れています。交通事故が心配。

Solitary Snipe
Solitary Snipe

A Solitary Snipe hiding in the shadow of the grass.

Solitary Snipe
Solitary Snipe

About 110 metres to the Solitary Snipe. It was so far away I had to crop heavily… ^^;

Malayan Night Heron
Malayan Night Heron

Rufous Night Heron, adult. One feather looks ready to drop but hasn't yet. It has been like this for the past few days.

Malayan Night Heron
Malayan Night Heron

A Rufous Night Heron moulting from juvenile to adult plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

久しぶりの夜探でリュウキュウコノハズク

暖かい夜、後日予定する鳥類研究者の案内の下見を兼ね、久しぶりに林道のリュウキュウコノハズクを見てきました。今年は気温が高く、その影響か分かりませんが、コノハズクたちはオスとメスが追いかけっこをするなど繁殖期初期のような行動を見せていました。

8個体ほど確認したうち、特に警戒心の薄い個体をじっくり観察。オスとメスの鳴き交わしやコノハズク同士のいざこざなどがありました。

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

An extremely confiding individual that has taken up residence in the park. It was catching insects drawn to the light from my torch.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

A Ryukyu Scops Owl zeroing in on insects attracted to a car's headlights.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

An individual in the Chinese tallow tree where Scops Owl fledglings perched during the fledging season. Could it be the parent of last year's fledglings , given the territory?

Categories: 野鳥