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

I keep meeting Black-headed Buntings this season. After October 30 and October 31, this is the third individual.

I spotted an odd one in a huge flock of Eurasian Tree Sparrows. For a moment I panicked, thinking it was a House Sparrow... ^^;

The other day there were lots of Siberian Pipits, but on this day there were lots of Red-throated Pipits. I could hear a Richard's Pipit calling in the flock, but couldn't find it.

As for the Red Collared Dove, a juvenile that seems to be the same bird as one of the three Red Collared Doves I found the other day was still there.

I got word of a Mugimaki Flycatcher and went to see it, but drew a blank. With nothing else to do I looked around the area, and a Siberian Rubythroat's call note came from the thicket. I could see a shadow moving, so I waited a little, and it came out for just a moment in a spot where I could get a photo. I had heard Siberian Rubythroat call notes many times on Yonaguni Island the other day, so it proved useful in an unexpected place.

The Siberian Rubythroat seemed to be moving along with a Japanese Bush Warbler, neither close together nor far apart. The Japanese Bush Warbler came out right in front of me. At this time of year both Japanese Bush Warbler and Sakhalin Leaf Warbler can be seen on Ishigaki Island.

The Ryukyu Flycatcher came out many times at the spot it uses as a feeding place. Probably the same individual.

The Pied Avocet that arrived alone the other day has moved to a different place and increased to two. ^^

The two fed without straying far from each other.

There was a Black-necked Grebe, which is rare in Okinawa. I wondered if it might be a Horned Grebe, though...

The Solitary Snipe is also wintering well, undisturbed by anyone.

A Black-winged Kite and a Peregrine Falcon were in the same paddy field. The Peregrine Falcon dived at a Common Pheasant but failed. The Black-winged Kite caught a rat neatly.

Both were not very wary, and I could observe and photograph them from relatively close range.

On my lunch break I looked in on the rice paddies and found two male Red Collared Doves and one juvenile. This is an unusually good year for Red Collared Doves. Since autumn they have been turning up without a break in fields all over the place.

A Naumann's Thrush had come into the same paddy. Pale Thrushes and Brown-headed Thrushes are very numerous and can be seen anywhere. Dusky Thrushes are also increasing. Naumann's Thrush, which breeds farther north than the Dusky Thrush, can now be seen as well.

Among today's pipits, I'd say the order of abundance was Red-throated Pipit, Siberian Pipit, then Richard's Pipit, but it changes from day to day, so the turnover seems to be fast.

Black-headed Gulls have arrived at a nearby fishing port, and I watched individuals coming to bathe in the paddy.

Swan Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, a dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard, Solitary Snipe, Pied Avocet and Chinese Pond Heron are also all spending the winter here in good shape. ^^