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

The Oriental Pratincole I found soared up high and then came back down with what looked like a Tuberous Bush Cricket in its bill. Adult winter plumage.

Common Redshank, juvenile.

Dunlin — 25 birds in total across two sites. For Ishigaki-jima, such numbers staying this long is relatively uncommon. The bird in the foreground is in first-winter plumage, and the one behind is an adult moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Wood Sandpiper, juvenile plumage moulting into first-winter.

Common Snipe, adult. This time of year, but late summer plumage?

Purple Heron, adult. Among the herons gathering for the rice harvest, the Purple Heron was the most reserved — keeping its distance and waiting for insects to emerge. If a turtle shows up, only the Purple Heron can handle it.

The boldest of all is the Eastern Cattle Egret. It follows right behind the tractor.

Little Egrets also follow the tractor much like the Eastern Cattle Egrets, but they're not quite as bold. ^^;

The Great Egret does not chase the tractor; instead it waits for prey to flush on its own.

A male Siberian Stonechat in winter plumage.

Same individual as above. It perched on the grass along the bund and occasionally dropped to the ground to catch prey.

A male Pale-backed Pigeon. This is probably the same bird that has been here for the past few days. This time it was perched on a power line, but now that harvested paddies are appearing I expect it will be easier to photograph going forward.

Red-throated Pipits seem to be cycling through the paddies across the area, with fresh flocks coming and going one after another.

I spotted a shadow rustling about in the grass. I waited to see what it was, and out came a Scaly-breasted Munia. ^^;

Grey-streaked Flycatcher, juvenile. There were two in the same pasture.

A Chestnut-breasted Bunting perched on a power line.

A Chestnut-breasted Bunting constantly looking around — perhaps sensing a raptor nearby.

A juvenile Rosy Starling. It perched on the power line in front of the roost I found yesterday.

A Purple Heron swallowing a large turtle (probably a softshell) whole. I wonder if it can digest the shell too.

A Crested Serpent Eagle waiting for land crabs nesting in the paddy bund to emerge.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage. This year there have been so many Pheasant-tailed Jacanas I'm getting tired of them. ^^;

Wood Sandpiper, adult.

Common Redshank (right) and Marsh Sandpiper, adult winter plumage.

Common Greenshank, adult.

Black-winged Stilt, first-winter plumage.