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

A flock of around 50 Common Greenshanks. Spring migration has begun.

A single Temminck's Stint, associating with a few Long-toed Stints.

Long-toed Stints. There were a few birds together — these must be part of the northbound movement too.

Common Greenshank landing on water.

Black-winged Stilt landing on water.

Female Pale Thrush.

Foraging with its bill caked in mud.

Female Brown Shrike in first-winter plumage, perhaps? (I've received information that this may not be a Brown Shrike but rather a Red-backed Shrike or a hybrid with Red-backed Shrike blood. Either way, it appears to be a very rare find.)

This Brown Shrike has only two tail feathers — what on earth happened? (I've received information that this may not be a Brown Shrike but rather a Red-backed Shrike or a hybrid with Red-backed Shrike blood. Either way, it appears to be a very rare find.)

Light-vented Bulbuls damaging corn. I hear their numbers have declined compared to before, but they remain a persistent headache for farmers.

A Light-vented Bulbul perched on a corn stalk. The Light-vented Bulbuls of the Yaeyama Islands are the Taiwan subspecies.

A Scaly-breasted Munia eating weed seeds. Javan Munias live in the Yaeyamas, but I've never seen a Tricolored Munia here.

A Scaly-breasted Munia perched on a cauliflower damaged by Light-vented Bulbuls. Canola flowers in the background.

Common Teal, male. Many individuals that were still in eclipse plumage when they arrived on migration are now coming into breeding plumage.

Common Teal, female in breeding plumage.

Black-faced Spoonbills resting in a flock of ten. Nine birds are visible in the photo.

Brambling, male. Bramblings don't stay long in Okinawa, so a chance encounter is always a treat.

Brambling picking at Distylium racemosum berries that had fallen to the ground.

At any sound it startled and flew back to a nearby tree.

Distylium racemosum berries that the Brambling had been eating. They had split in two and the black seeds were visible inside.

Distylium racemosum. The Brambling seems to be particularly fond of its berries.

Rook, a little less wary than before.

It was holding something in its bill. A pond snail, perhaps?

Northern Pintail, female. It was eating seeds from grass about as tall as itself.

Northern Pintail, male.

White Wagtail, having caught a small insect.