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

Crested serpent eagle Eurasian Hoopoe Asian koel Schrenck's little bittern Emerald dove

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

シギ、チドリ、カモの渡り始まる

沖縄でもシギやチドリ、カモなどの秋の渡りが始まりました。

いつもの水路には全くいなかったシギ、チドリが田起こしたあとに雨水がたまった田んぼに大集合していました。タカブシギ50、コチドリ30、トウネン10、アオアシシギ10、コアオアシシギ3、セイタカシギ2です。

近くには渡ってきたカルガモが2羽いました。カモ渡りが始まるのはもう少しあとです。ツバメも数を増やし、電線に数えきれないほど止まっていました。多分、300羽ほど。留鳥のリュウキュウヒクイナは目の前を通過していったけど、イグサに阻まれてうまく写りませんでした。^^;

今年の春の渡りは沖縄は、石垣島なども含めて全く鳥がいませんでしたが、秋の渡りはなんとか楽しめそうな予感がします。

帰り道、海岸にはベニアジサシ数十羽の群れが休んでいた。エリグロアジサシも数羽。ソリハシシギが1羽とシロチドリが数羽いた。

Marsh Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper

Marsh Sandpiper. Mid-transition from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank also in the middle of moulting from non-breeding to breeding plumage.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

Red-necked Stint, adult. Breeding plumage worn and bedraggled after the long journey.

Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt, adult male. A few non-breeding feathers are just starting to come in.

Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper

There were plenty of Wood Sandpipers.

Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover.

Eastern Spot-billed Duck
Eastern Spot-billed Duck

The first duck to arrive in the migration was the Eastern Spot-billed Duck.

Pacific Swallow
Pacific Swallow

Several hundred Barn Swallows.

Ryukyu Crake
Ryukyu Crake

A Barred Rail crossed right in front of me.

Black-naped Tern
Black-naped Tern / Roseate Tern

Roseate Terns and Black-naped Terns were resting on the offshore rocks.

Categories: 野鳥

砂浜で休むベニアジサシの群れ

沖縄の北にある台風の影響なのか風が強く吹きつけていました。いつもは遥か遠くで狩りをしているベニアジサシの群れが、誰もいないビーチで休んでいました。台風で繁殖に失敗しているからか、求愛のような行動をしているペアもいくつかいました。

なんとか台風に耐えた巣があれば、あと1カ月もしたら巣立ちビナを連れてやってくるかもしれませんね。

Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

Roseate Terns performing what looks like courtship behaviour. The male is on the right.

Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

The female (right) is begging the male for food.

Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

A flock of about 20 Roseate Terns was catching prey close to the seawall.

Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

A Roseate Tern flying right in front of me.

Categories: 野鳥

南下組のツバメチドリの群れ

南部の畑では幼鳥混じりのツバメチドリの群れがコンスタントに確認できるようになりました。南下組が日替わりでやってくるのでしょうか。きょうの群れは、成鳥5羽と幼鳥1羽でした。

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

Oriental Pratincole, juvenile.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

Oriental Pratincole, adult. The plumage from the head down to the breast has been changing over to winter feathers.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

All the adults were in mid-transition from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

ハシブトアジサシ早めの飛来

普通なら秋は9月以降にやってくるハシブトアジサシが7月なのにもうやってきました。2カ月近く早めの飛来です。

干潟では、カニを捕まえていました。マングローブのかげから近い距離で観察していると小石を結構呑み込んでいることが分かりました。ハトやニワトリと同様、砂嚢に小石を貯めてカニを消化しているのだろうか?

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A Greater Crested Tern that had caught a large crab.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

It swallowed it whole, legs and claws still attached.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

After the meal it pecked at nearby pebbles. It's the first time I've seen a tern swallow pebbles.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

A crab happened to pass by while it was resting on the sandy beach, and the bird ran over and pounced on it. So they hunt like this too.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

Adult winter plumage. Only nine primaries visible, which probably means P10 has been shed.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

Looking at the upperwing from below, you can see P10 has grown out by a few centimetres. Once that feather is fully grown, the moult is as good as done. ^^

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

From this angle, the still-growing P10 on the right wing is visible. Not visible on the left.

Lesser Crested Tern
Lesser Crested Tern

Bridled Tern, head-on. Among the terns, this species has relatively long wings for its body size.

Osprey
Osprey

An Osprey was resting in a distant Yaeyama mangrove.

Categories: 野鳥

シギ、チドリ秋の渡り始まる

まだ7月ですが、秋の渡りがすでに始まったようです。海岸には、エリマキシギやオオメダイチドリ、アオアシシギ、トウネン、ハマシギ、キアシシギなどが飛来しました。

エリマキシギとハマシギは少し早めの出現でした。

Ruff
Ruff

Adult Ruff. Moulting from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

Juvenile Greater Sand Plover.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank

A few Greenshanks had arrived. Late breeding plumage.

Dunlin
Dunlin

Dunlin in late breeding plumage.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

A few Red-necked Stints. Late breeding plumage.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattlers were catching crabs — fiddler crabs and others — on the tidal flat. Transitioning from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Categories: 野鳥