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.
今日見てきた巣では、アカショウビンが抱卵していました。巣立ちは7月初旬だと思われます。
アカショウビンは他のペアもほとんど抱卵に入っているようで、見かけるのはオスが多いです。コノハズク、アオバズクも同じような状況。
A male Ruddy Kingfisher resting in his favourite tree. The female is probably incubating eggs.
This one is also a male Ruddy Kingfisher. Something seemed to have caught its attention up above, and it kept looking that way.
アオバズクとコノハズクが営巣していました。コノハズクはかなり厳しいところに止まっていました…。^^;
アオバズクはオスが巣を見張っていました。カラスが近づこうものならアオバズクの激しいスクランブルに遭っていました。途中、スコールがあり、見晴らしのいい場所で羽を乾かしているようでした。
A mosquito has landed on the head of a Brown Hawk-Owl. There were plenty of mosquitoes swarming around me too, but since I had applied insect repellent spray I was barely bitten.
It was drying its wings and giving itself a shake. The Brown Hawk-Owls here are extremely aggressive, and the crows seem to have learned their lesson well — even perched in such an open spot, not a single crow comes near. Last year at fledging time, a juvenile crow wandered into this pair's territory, and a single male Brown Hawk-Owl drove off five crows. ^^;
I managed to find the Oriental Scops Owl, but no matter what I tried I couldn't get a photo… ^^;
It really knows how to hide itself.
It coughed up a pellet. What appeared to be the wing covers of a Japanese green chafer were mixed in.
This Brown Hawk-Owl ignores the crows even when they make a fuss.
サンコウチョウが巣作りをしています。ブラインドから2時間ほど観察している間にメス、オスともに1回ずつ巣にやってきました。まだ、巣作りは終わっていないようです。
近くでは、アカショウビンが地上50センチぐらいのところに巣穴を掘っていました。そして同じ敷地内のアオバズクはまだ到着せず。昨年、ヒナを何かに食われてるから場所を変えたのかなー?
A male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher came by, and I wondered what it was going to do —
— it sat on the nest, adjusting the lining and touching up the outer wall. This lasted a few dozen seconds. Since Japanese Paradise Flycatchers lay eggs about three days after the nest is complete, if laying is around the end of this month — roughly June 23–26 — we should be able to see the chicks fledge. ^^
久しぶりに石垣島にレンカクの夏羽が入りました。同じ川ではクロハラアジサシの数羽の群れが虫を捕まえていました。
This is the breeding plumage of a Pheasant-tailed Jacana — beautiful in both colouring and plumes. It is a bird with a somehow exotic feel to it.
Because it walks on lotus pads and similar plants, it has remarkably large feet for its body size. There are no lotus plants in this river, so it was walking on water lettuce instead.
These are Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage. A flock of five or six was flying back and forth over the reed beds along the riverbank, occasionally diving sharply to catch what appeared to be grasshoppers.
宮良川河口から磯辺川にかけての沿岸には干潮になると多くの水鳥が集まります。
国道を走っていると磯辺川になにやら見慣れないアジサシが飛んでいました。これはと思い、狭い(軽自動車がぎりぎりすれ違える)堤防に車を回したのですが、対向車が来てごちゃごちゃ…。ハシブトアジサシだったようで、撮れずにがっかりです。^^;
ほかは、オニアジサシをはじめ、コアジサシ、コオバシギ、キアシシギ、ソリハシシギ、キョウジョシギ、トウネン、メダイチドリ、クロサギなどがいました。
A Caspian Tern was resting at the mouth of the Miyara River. It can fly without difficulty, but its left wing tends to droop.
When it took off, it moved to the mouth of the Isobe River this time.
The breeding plumage of the Great Knot is beautiful. Actually, this was my first time seeing a Great Knot, so at first I thought it was a Curlew Sandpiper. ^^;
Great Knot. The one bathing in the foreground is a Grey-tailed Tattler.
Ruddy Turnstone, Grey-tailed Tattler, Red-necked Stint.
A Caspian Tern and two Little Terns in the background.
The Black Heron's breeding plumes are also beautiful.
A heron tree. One Little Egret (left) and four Black Herons.
A Parantica sita crossed over the sea. Not just Parantica sita — I often see various butterflies flying over the ocean, but I wonder if they are crossing with a purpose?