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

Today I went birdwatching with a friend who came from Okinawa Island and saw my first Daurian Redstart of the season. Two males and one female were in the same area, but the female was very wary and I couldn't photograph her.

A single Eurasian Siskin was feeding at the base of some silver grass growing on the edge of a paddy. It was quite far, and when I spotted it in the binoculars the yellow stood out and my heart jumped, but it was just an ordinary Eurasian Siskin. ^^;

In the same paddy was one juvenile Ryukyu Japanese Sparrowhawk. I got used to seeing juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawks while posted on Okinawa Island, so the thick barring on the underparts felt odd, and I was thinking what if it were a Besra, but that's a secret...

I also got the Crested Serpent Eagle in flight that my friend wanted to photograph, and the two Black-faced Spoonbills, which can be seen year-round on Okinawa Island, were still staying from yesterday. The ones on Okinawa Island are in dirty ponds, so my friend was moved to see Black-faced Spoonbills in Ishigaki's beautiful paddies. ^^ We also met several Purple Herons, which don't live on Okinawa Island. Common Kestrel and Grey-faced Buzzard were safely added too.

In paddies around the island there were Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Green Sandpipers, Common Greenshanks, Common Redshanks, Marsh Sandpipers and others. I counted 11 Dunlins in total at two sites.

A flock of several dozen Eurasian Teal and a few Eurasian Wigeon had also arrived.

My friend let me know that a Pheasant-tailed Jacana had come in, but it was almost time for family duties so I couldn't go see it... I'll go look tomorrow morning.

I went to see the flock of Bramblings that has been here for a few days. Several dozen were feeding in the weeds of a fallow paddy.

Two Black-faced Spoonbills came into a paddy. Both the Bramblings and the Black-faced Spoonbills are firsts for this season.

Among the paddy shorebirds, the usual members stand out: Black-winged Stilt, Common Redshank, Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper. There are also plenty of Wood Sandpipers and Common Snipe.

In a single paddy, a Citrine Wagtail, Oriental Pratincoles, Whiskered Terns and others were feeding and resting.

The Citrine Wagtail was one bird in a flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails. It walked around busily, feeding.

The Oriental Pratincoles were a flock of six, juveniles and adults together. Perhaps they had just arrived, as they sat down looking tired. The two Whiskered Terns were in the same worn-out mood.

There were a few Common Snipe too, but they were also sitting still.

In a paddy I found three Red Collared Doves and a Chinese Grosbeak, which seem to be in the middle of autumn migration. The same paddy also had one Eurasian Wigeon, my first of the season.

The arrival of Common Snipe had calmed down for a while, but a second wave seems to have come, and I could see many Common Snipe along the paddy edges.

The Javan Pond Heron is still staying. It has been two months, so it's in wintering mode.

The Grey-faced Buzzard migration was a dud. Only about 300 morning and evening combined, and I could hardly see any hawk columns... Peregrine Falcons, Eurasian Hobbies and Ospreys are also coming through.

In paddies around the island, a few Whiskered Terns each are staying. All were adults.

A five-day, four-night family trip to Hokkaido. On the morning of the last day I was given just three hours, which I spent birding at Ishikari Bay New Port in Ishikari and along the Barato River, which flows through Sapporo.

I had planned to look at gulls at Mukawa, but time ran short and I ended up birding with no information and no preparation. Even so, to see White-tailed Eagles inside Sapporo!! And two of them, an adult and a juvenile. Hokkaido really is something.

At Ishikari Bay New Port I saw Slaty-backed Gull, Glaucous Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull and Black-tailed Gull. On the road running from the port to Hamanasu-no-Oka Park, I found a flock of Oriental Greenfinch, Chestnut-eared Bunting and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

At the Barato River, besides the White-tailed Eagles, I was able to photograph Black-necked Grebe, Mallard, Tufted Duck and others.