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

Eurasian Hoopoe Collared Kingfisher Ashy drongo Short-eared Owl Pied Avocet

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

石垣島でバードウオッチング(カタグロトビ、ハイタカ、カンムリワシ、暗色型サシバなど)

石垣島へ1泊2日のバードウオッチングに行ってきました。島の友人たちから今年は鳥が少ないと聞いていましたが、想像以上に少なかったです。田んぼを回ってもシギやチドリがほんのわずかであとはアマサギやコサギなど。今回、カモ類は軽く見ただけでしたが、池やダムなど合わせて100羽ぐらいしかいませんでした。セキレイの仲間もほとんどいませんでした。

島では、久しぶりにカタグロトビを見てきました。1日目は夕方、餌取りをしているところを発見したのですが、撮影にはいたらず。2日目になんとか見ることができました。^^

暗色型サシバは2日目の午後、意外と近い枝に止まっているところを発見。しかし、警戒心は強めでした。現在、沖縄には暗色型サシバが少なくとも3個体はいることになります。沖縄本島の暗色型サシバは 南部中部 に1羽ずつ。

カンムリワシの幼鳥は、今年は非常に少ないようでした。成鳥は、あちこちの畑や田んぼで見ることができました。

田んぼでは、ベニバトの成鳥メスが1羽電線に止まっているところを発見。地面に降りるのを待っていたら、どこからともなく現れたハイタカに飛ばされた…。^^;

ほかには、タカサゴモズを牧草地で発見したのですが事前情報がなかったため、「シマアカモズか?」と不用意に寄って飛ばしてしまい、写真には収められず…。場所を島の友人たちに教えてきたので、近いうちに写真がウェブログなどにアップされるでしょう。^^ キガシラセキレイもベニバトと同じ場所にいたのですが、こちらもハイタカに飛ばされて行方不明になってしまいました…。キガシラセキレイは、ハイタカが現れたおかげで見られたようなものですが、写真に撮っておきたかったー。

ユリカモメが田んぼに1羽いました。 2016年に同じ時期に同じ場所で見ています が、前回は成鳥で今回は幼鳥でした。

稲刈りをしているとムラサキサギも集まってきました。

今回もバードウオッチングガイドのスポッターさんや師匠、Hさんにお世話になり、短い日程でいろいろ見ることができました。ありがとうございます。

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

The third dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard recorded in Okinawa this season. They're supposed to be rarely seen — so why are so many dark morphs turning up this year?

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

Both dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzards on Okinawa Island were adults, but the dark-morph individual on Ishigaki Island was a juvenile.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Sparrowhawk

The Eurasian Sparrowhawk was also a juvenile. A relaxed, approachable bird.

Eurasian Sparrowhawk
Eurasian Sparrowhawk

It was flying back and forth over the paddies, flushing Eurasian Tree Sparrows and wagtails from between the stalks. Eurasian Sparrowhawks have been seen frequently on Okinawa Island this year, and apparently the same is true on Ishigaki Island. Every bird seen on both Okinawa Island and Ishigaki Island has been a juvenile. I'd love to see a beautiful adult someday…

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

A male Black-winged Kite.

Black-winged Kite
Black-winged Kite

When the sunlight caught it, the eyes shone like rubies. That's a Black-winged Kite for you.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle — very few this year.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

A male Crested Serpent Eagle.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

The mate of the Crested Serpent Eagle above. They were calling back and forth to each other.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

This Crested Serpent Eagle was along the Sakieda loop road.

Eurasian Collared Dove
Eurasian Collared Dove

A Oriental Turtle-Dove that was flushed by an Eurasian Sparrowhawk and went missing.

Purple Heron
Purple Heron

Purple Heron, adult. This year a juvenile also appeared on the Okinawa mainland.

Black-headed Gull
Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull, juvenile. This was my first time seeing a juvenile.

Crested Serpent Eagle
Crested Serpent Eagle

A Crested Serpent Eagle in the same paddy field as the Eurasian Sparrowhawk. They paid no attention to each other.

Categories: 野鳥

コガモ白化個体

白いのがいるなと思ったらコガモ成鳥の白化個体でした。肉眼では、カイツブリがと思ったけど双眼鏡でのぞいてみたらコガモでした…。^^;

今季は、暗色型サシバを 沖縄本島南部中部 で撮影していますが、今度は白化個体のコガモとは…色彩変異がよく見つかる年です。

過去には、キジバトやコチドリ、アオアシシギ、アカアシシギで白化個体を観察していますが、カモの白化個体は初めて見ました。

Eurasian Teal
Eurasian Teal

The size and face say Eurasian Teal, even if it is white.

Eurasian Teal
Eurasian Teal

From the other side. Going by the eye colour, it's an adult.

Categories: 野鳥

海岸で越冬モードのカモやシギ、チドリなど

海岸にヒドリガモやオナガガモ、コガモ、カルガモ、ハシビロガモ、キンクロハジロ、沖縄では数少ないホシハジロなどカモの仲間やメダイチドリ、チロチドリ、ムナグロ、キアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、アオアシシギ、ハマシギ、トウネン、キョウジョシギなどが大量に集まっています。今年はハマシギが目に付くが多いのでしょうか。

クロツラヘラサギも3羽いました。昨日は4羽いたそうですが、クロツラヘラサギの環境ではないので近いうちにこの3羽も移動するでしょう。

ミサゴも数羽が入れ替わりでやってきます。

Common Pochard
Common Pochard

Two female Common Pochards. Pochards are a rare find in Okinawa.

Black-faced Spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill

Three Black-faced Spoonbills.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank / Red-necked Stint / Dunlin / Long-toed Stint

A flock of Common Greenshanks, Red-necked Stints, Long-toed Stints, and Dunlins.

Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone / Kentish Plover / Dunlin / Pacific Golden Plover / Lesser Sand Plover

A flock of Pacific Golden Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlins, Lesser Sand Plovers, and Kentish Plovers.

Lesser Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover

Mostly Lesser Sand Plovers.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank / Grey-tailed Tattler

Resting Common Greenshanks. There are also Grey-tailed Tattlers over to the left.

Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian Wigeon

The most numerous are Eurasian Wigeons.

Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail

Next most numerous were Northern Pintails.

Eurasian Teal
Eurasian Teal

There were also plenty of Eurasian Teals.

Eurasian Coot
Eurasian Coot / Northern Pintail / Eurasian Wigeon / Common Pochard

Tufted Duck, Eurasian Coot, Eurasian Wigeon, Northern Pintail

Tufted Duck
Tufted Duck

There was one male Tufted Duck.

Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Eastern Spot-billed Duck

Three Eastern Spot-billed Ducks.

Northern Shoveler
Northern Shoveler

There were quite a few Northern Shovelers as well.

Osprey
Osprey

A few Ospreys also came through looking for prey.

Black-faced Spoonbill
Black-faced Spoonbill

The Black-faced Spoonbill was mostly sleeping, but opened its eyes for a short while.

Categories: 野鳥

今季、2個体目の暗色型サシバ

仕事終わりに、うるま市のサトウキビ畑によると暗色型サシバを発見しました。 10月10日から確認されている本島南部の暗色型サシバ と合わせると沖縄本島には、少なくとも2羽の暗色型サシバが滞在していることになります。恐らく、両個体とも越冬すると思われます。

暗色型は1000羽に1羽の割合とも言われていますので、ワンシーズンに2羽も越冬するのは100万分の1の確率?!

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

While scanning the windbreak around the sugarcane fields with my binoculars, a dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard jumped into view. I was looking for a different bird, but what a welcome encounter. ^^

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

No doubt it's an adult, but which sex? The greyish face and lack of any supercilium trace make me think male — but the face looks gentler than individuals from the south. If anyone can tell, please let me know.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

With a little light on it, the face looks even more distinctly grey.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

From the back. The dark-morph Grey-faced Buzzard has a black face and uniformly brown upperparts.

Grey-faced Buzzard
Grey-faced Buzzard

It perched nearby, but the she-oak leaves are in the way. ^^;

Categories: 野鳥

芝生のホシムクドリ、草原のクロハラアジサシ、三角池のエリマキシギなど

ムクドリの群れにホシムクドリ。芝生に降りてクモやイモムシを捕まえていた。同じ芝生のイソヒヨドリとコチドリ、ハクセキレイも。イソヒヨドリはミツバチをくわえていた。

草原には、クロハラアジサシが4羽舞っていた。成鳥2羽と幼鳥2羽。バッタを捕まえているようでした。

三角池には、エリマキシギが2羽滞在中。ハマシギやタシギ、アカアシシギ、セイタカシギなどもいますが、ハマシギはさらに南下していくと思われます。

Common Starling
Common Starling

A small flock of Common Starlings. They were wandering around the lawn.

Common Starling
Common Starling

It caught a tiny spider, no bigger than a grain of rice.

Common Starling
Common Starling

This Common Starling got hold of a caterpillar.

Common Starling
Common Starling

Preening. Common Starlings show a beautiful metallic sheen when the light catches them.

Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover. The shadow in the background looks a bit suspicious.

White Wagtail
White Wagtail

A few White Wagtails as well.

Blue Rock Thrush
Blue Rock Thrush

What the Blue Rock Thrush had caught was a honeybee.

Blue Rock Thrush
Blue Rock Thrush

Adult male Blue Rock Thrush.

Common Starling
Common Starling

Common Starlings tensing up at the presence of a Common Kestrel.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

Two juvenile White-winged Terns diving steeply.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

Adult winter-plumage White-winged Tern.

Ruff
Ruff

Both Ruffs at Sankakuike are still there. How much longer will they stay?

Dunlin
Dunlin

A few Dunlins also lingering.

Categories: 野鳥