GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR
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.
金武の畑にタヒバリ十数羽の群れがいました。
水路には、タシギをはじめヒバリシギやタカブシギ、セイタカシギなどがパラパラといる程度。渡りの時期の活況に比べると寂しいものですが、近くを通るとなぜか金武に足が向いてしまう…。
A flock of some ten or more Buff-bellied Pipits had moved in.
A Common Snipe bathed in the morning sun.
There were a few Pale Thrushes as well.
最近の具志干潟と三角池。具志干潟には、越冬オオソリハシシギが2羽。ミサゴは、次々と現れ魚を捕まえていく。最大で10羽ほどが乱舞します。カワセミもオスとメスで2羽。この辺りで繁殖するのだろうか?
干潟に現れたフイリマングースはシオマネキの仲間を襲って食っていた。
三角池には、クロツラヘラサギやコガモ、ハシビロガモ、タシギ、オオバンなどいつものメンバー。シマアジも1羽いるのですが、カモたちがお昼寝タイムだと探すのがなかなか大変…。^^;
An Osprey dives and plunges in.
It caught a medium-sized mullet.
This one grabbed what looked like a large black sea bream, but it was too heavy to get airborne and released it partway.
An Osprey plunging in hard and submerging about one metre.
Continued from above. It came up empty and gave me a resentful look. ^^;
A Bar-tailed Godwit crosses in front of an Osprey mid-meal.
Two Common Kingfishers have taken up residence at the river mouth. This is the male.
A flock of Pacific Golden Plovers was foraging right in front of me.
A Small Asian Mongoose that appeared on the Gushi tidal flat was attacking fiddler crabs.
More than ten Black-faced Spoonbills were resting at Sankakuike.
Rescued individuals J15 and E24 are also wintering in good health.
具志干潟にオニアジサシが1羽入っていました。泡瀬干潟にいたオニアジサシが来たのか、それとも新たにやって来たのか。
ズグロカモメとオオソリハシシギも干潟にいました。干潟の隣の野球場には、ユリカモメやホシムクドリ、ムクドリ、ムナグロ、シロチドリなどが満潮に追いやられて芝生の上でおもいおもいに休んでいました。
A Lesser Crested Tern that flew right in front of me. The primaries are in moult.
It landed on the sand right in front of me.
Light rain was falling, but the Lesser Crested Tern was flying around energetically.
Saunders's Gull, adult winter plumage. There were three Saunders's Gulls.
Two Bar-tailed Godwits.
A Black-headed Gull was playing in a puddle on the lawn. Second-winter plumage.
I searched for a Rosy Starling, but what was mixed in with the flock of starlings turned out to be a few Common Starlings.
季節を問わずリュウキュウオオコノハズクが見られる場所がやんばるには何箇所かあるのですが、自宅から高速を使っても2時間以上かかるのでなかなか行くのが大変です。そこで、もう少し近くで見られないものかと前から気になっていたポイントにやんばるに行った帰り道に寄ってみました。懐中電灯を片手に30秒歩くと目の前にリュウキュウオオコノハズクが現れました。やっぱりいたなー。^^
昨年は宜野湾市と南風原町でもリュウキュウオオコノハズクを見ているので、沖縄本島では、意外と市街地の近くにも生息しているようです。
This Ryukyu Scops Owl is an individual in Yambaru that always lets me photograph it. A friendly bird with a lot of nicks on its bill.
A Ryukyu Scops Owl found at a new location.
There are several spots that look suitable for nesting, so it may be breeding here.
True to form, this Ryukyu Scops Owl was relaxed and unafraid of people. I wonder what the mainland Scops Owls are like?
ヤンバルクイナを見たいという問い合わせがあったのでやんばるでヤンバルクイナの下見をしてきました。いつものヤンバルクイナのねぐら鉄板ポイントに行くと同じ木に2羽のヤンバルクイナが寝ていました。
なぜか南北に走る村道の東側の木で休んでいる確率が高いです。高いというか今まで見たことがあるのは、すべて東側。なんでだろう?
A Okinawa Rail resting on a lower branch. Light rain was falling, and you can see raindrops on its head and back.
An Okinawa Rail using the same tree as a roost as the individual above.
Here is the full picture. Are they a couple?