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

There was one Eurasian Curlew. It appeared to be catching crabs by probing its long bill into their burrows.

There were about 20 Sanderlings. They have been here since last month, so it seems they are wintering.

Among the flock of Sanderlings, there was one Dunlin mixed in. The Dunlin was in first-winter plumage.

In Okinawa, Pacific Golden Plovers are by far the most common, but a few Grey Plovers are also staying here.

Kentish Plover. Still in summer plumage in November.

Lesser Sand Plover in winter plumage.

Sanderling in flight.

Eurasian Curlew in flight.

The 4th individual of the year, 3rd of the season: Pied Avocet in 1st-winter plumage.

A Pied Avocet flushed by cleaning workers. What a bizarre shape it makes in flight.

This small, murky pond apparently holds plenty of food, and many wild birds come here to winter every year. The Pied Avocet was sweeping its bill from side to side, picking up small shellfish and aquatic insects.

A Pied Avocet circling over Sankaku Pond.

The Black-winged Stilt was startled and took flight.

A Common Snipe circled overhead at speed, calling

Teal and Northern Shovelers were also circling.

After circling a few times, it came gliding back down.

J15, the Black-faced Spoonbill that comes every year.

The star of Sankaku Pond in winter is the Black-faced Spoonbill. Numbers will only keep growing from here.

The two remaining Lesser Crested Terns rode the north wind and climbed higher and higher, shrinking to specks. I thought they were heading off on migration, but they wheeled back. ^^

The fishing line that had been hanging from the beak of the juvenile Lesser Crested Tern was no longer visible. Did it swallow the line completely, or did it come free…?

The Far Eastern Curlews had increased to two.

An Osprey arrived carrying a half-eaten fish. Chased off by a crow, perhaps?

There are several Ospreys at Gushi tidal flat, and they occasionally have minor skirmishes.

A Caspian Tern with a mullet it had caught.

The moment it landed it dropped the mullet it had worked so hard to catch — and never went back to pick it up. Why?

A Caspian Tern cruising unhurriedly through the roar of jet fighters.

This juvenile Caspian Tern appeared to have swallowed a fishhook; a length of fishing line was visible hanging from its bill.

A juvenile Osprey also managed to get itself a mullet.

A juvenile Osprey tries to pin down a mullet and eat it, but the fish is very much alive and giving it a hard time.

Spotted a Far Eastern Curlew in the distance.

A few Pacific Reef Herons also seem to be using the feeding grounds, but territorial squabbles are constant.

A Little Egret came right in front of me and was catching small fish.