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

The Ashy Minivet — the non-Ryukyu one — was moving through the trees in a medium-sized flock, foraging.

I confirmed the third Crested Serpent Eagle juvenile of the season. It was fairly wary.

There were also two Crested Serpent Eagles along the Nosoko forest road. Juveniles are usually seen there in a normal year, but not yet this season.

The closest juvenile Chinese Sparrowhawk of the morning.

The Eurasian Hobby comes to the migratory bird observatory. It was chasing a banded hornet.

Also a juvenile. I'd love to get a close shot of a beautiful adult male Chinese Sparrowhawk.

A juvenile Chinese Sparrowhawk that passed close by.

Grey-streaked Flycatchers have been increasing along the Takada forest road. I tried shooting handheld at 1200mm with a 2× extender on the 600mm. ^^

It's remarkable that the Grey-streaked Flycatcher migrates all the way from its breeding grounds in Siberia to the Philippines and New Guinea — in such a tiny body.

A White-winged Tern was bathing in a rice paddy.

While watching the Chinese Sparrowhawks, a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle was also gliding at quite a high altitude. Some individuals are already independent from their parents this early.

A beautiful adult male Chinese Sparrowhawk.

A juvenile crosses in front of me, keeping an eye on me as it goes.

This one was also a male.

A flock of about 30 birds was circling high overhead, but they were in the clouds.

This flock wasn't obscured by cloud, but it was a small group.

Barn Swallows were also gliding high in the sky.

There was a Ruddy Kingfisher at Kabira Ishizaki. It may be getting close to the time it heads off on migration.

There was a single Spoon-billed Sandpiper among a large roosting flock of shorebirds. I had to scan for ages with binoculars before finally finding it. ^^ When I checked at home later, I found that this Spoon-billed Sandpiper had been first recorded three days earlier on September 12th. Good timing. ^^

It was very distant, so heavy cropping. ^^ ;

Only small flocks come to Ishigaki Island, but at Higashiyoka tidal flat there were thousands of Dunlins flocking together.

Whimbrels were also resting in a group of a dozen or so.

Eurasian Curlews were there too, in a group of a few birds. On the right is a Whimbrel.

There was just one Bar-tailed Godwit, standing there alone.

Dunlins were the most numerous.

It was an impressive sight — Great Knots, Dunlins, Grey Plovers and others all taking off at once with a thunderous rush of wings.

A flock of Grey Plovers. The faint shapes visible behind them are a flock of Whimbrels.

Because it was high tide, small birds like Dunlins and Lesser Sand Plovers would touch down and then take off again, the water too deep for them.

A small group of Whimbrels.

Whimbrel landing. Large waders in flight are hard to photograph on Ishigaki Island, but with so many birds here it was easy. ^^

There were plenty of Eurasian Magpies within Saga city, but I had a hard time finding one that wasn't perched on a power line. ^^;