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

A juvenile Upland Buzzard perched at the top of a windbreak.

When it was startled and lost its balance, the features distinctive of Upland Buzzard were clearly visible.

An Upland Buzzard from a different area. Also a juvenile. This Ryukyu Pine seems to be its roost.

Same individual as above. In flight, the size typical of Upland Buzzard is striking.

Grey-faced Buzzard, adult male.

Same individual as above. I feel that the number of Grey-faced Buzzards wintering on Ishigaki Island is decreasing year by year.

A juvenile Upland Buzzard appeared in the distance.

A second Upland Buzzard also showed up. This one was far away too. The two birds were several hundred metres apart and showed no sign of interacting with each other.

A Common Buzzard, right between the two Upland Buzzards. A month ago on a work trip to Yonaguni Island I found a Steppe Buzzard, but this time there was none.

A few Little Buntings were sheltering from the wind.

A Pale Thrush with almost no wariness at all.

A flock of about 30 White's Thrushes had moved into the farmland.

Among the flock of 30 White's Thrushes there were also a few Pale Thrushes mixed in.

A Dusky Thrush at a ranch. At this time of year only small numbers have been recorded on Ishigaki Island, but there were plenty on Yonaguni Island.

A Red-throated Pipit still retaining some summer plumage on the face.

On this individual, the reddish colour on the face has almost completely faded.

Juvenile (Yellow-browed) Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Almost all the Eastern Yellow Wagtails were juveniles.

A juvenile Black-tailed Gull eating a Common Sandpiper. First-winter plumage.

The moult was more advanced on this individual than the one above. Black-tailed Gull, first-winter.

Black-headed Gull, adult winter. There were four of them.

A male Daurian Redstart was at the boat-haul-out area in the harbour. It seemed to be foraging — though I wonder what it was eating.

A Black-winged Kite juvenile with zero wariness. Given the location and timing, it may be the individual that was being fed in mid-air by a parent bird previously.

Female Peregrine Falcon. Used to be called the subspecies Siberian Peregrine, but it has been lumped into the subspecies calidus.

Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. It looked annoyed at being harassed by a pair of Peregrine Falcons.

Adult male Brown Shrike. A very beautiful individual.

Two Tundra Swans. These individuals moved over from Iriomote Island. They have been moving between the dam lake, the coast, and the rice paddies.

A flock of Northern Lapwings arrived — about 10 birds, all juveniles.

Adult winter-plumage Marsh Sandpiper.

The first Tufted Ducks of the season. They were always moving around as a pair.

Male Northern Shoveler. Possibly the most numerous duck on Ishigaki Island.

Citrine Wagtail, first-winter.

The same individual as above, from the front.

A different Citrine Wagtail, also first-winter.

The same individual as above, from the front.

Black-tailed Godwit, first-winter. It was following the Common Greenshanks around.

Whimbrel, juvenile.

Common Redshank.

Green Sandpiper.

Common Shelduck.

The number of Eurasian Coots is increasing day by day.

Three Pied Avocets delighting visitors to the island.

The first Bar-tailed Godwit of the season was a first-winter bird.

Common Greenshank, first-winter.

Common Sandpiper.

Green Sandpiper.

Dunlin.

Black-winged Stilt.

Common Snipe.

Common Snipe.

Common Snipe.

Crested Serpent Eagle.

Crested Serpent Eagle.

Black-headed Gull, first-winter.

Mallard × domestic duck? hybrid.

I had been hearing Pale Thrush calling since around the end of last month, but this day was my first confirmed sighting of the season.