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

Pheasant-tailed jacana Emerald dove Schrenck's little bittern Purple Swamphen Black-winged Cuckooshrike

GUIDED BIRDWATCHING TOUR

Go where the birds are. The SHIMASOBA Tour launches.

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.

Max. 3 guests 4 hours in the morning Beginners welcome
Check availability and book

Ruddy Kingfisher, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Northern Boobook, Black Paradise Flycatcher, Black-naped Tern and more (video)

On Ishigaki Island, Ruddy Kingfisher, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Northern Boobook, Black Paradise Flycatcher, Malayan Night Heron, Black-naped Tern and many other birds are right in the middle of the breeding season.

Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher

A male Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher singing.

Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher

A Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher after bathing.

Ryukyu Scops Owl
Ryukyu Scops Owl

A male Ryukyu Scops Owl. An individual that has bred at the same spot two years running.

Northern Boobook
Northern Boobook

A male Ryukyu Brown Hawk-Owl. Some Brown Hawk-Owls have already fledged, but the peak is after July begins.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher

A male Ryukyu Paradise Flycatcher.

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher

A female Ryukyu Paradise Flycatcher moving along low branches. Presumably breeding, but details are unknown.

Malayan Night Heron
Malayan Night Heron

Female Malayan Night Heron.

Ishigaki Tit
Ishigaki Tit

Juvenile Ishigaki Tit. It was bathing in a small pool of water formed in a hollow of a tree.

Black-naped Tern
Black-naped Tern

Incubating Bridled Tern. Two eggs are visible beneath its belly.

Categories: 野鳥

Third Pheasant-tailed Jacana of the season (video)

The third Pheasant-tailed Jacana of the season has arrived. Multiple individuals have been confirmed on Okinawa Island as well. This bird showed the most advanced transition to summer plumage of any I have seen so far. It is not at all wary and easy to observe.

Oriental Pratincoles and Greater Painted-snipes are also appearing in the same paddy. Cinnamon Bittern was confirmed by call only.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Pheasant-tailed Jacana

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana flapping its wings after bathing. It appears to be moulting into adult summer plumage.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Pheasant-tailed Jacana

It was scratching away deftly with those big feet.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Pheasant-tailed Jacana

It was wandering around a harvested paddy field, picking at small snails and the like.

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

An Oriental Pratincole, presumably breeding somewhere nearby.

Greater Painted-snipe
Greater Painted-snipe

The female Greater Painted-snipe was calling frequently.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank

Two or so Common Greenshanks as well.

Categories: 野鳥

Construction starts — Little Terns and Kentish Plovers suffer

Construction has finally begun. No matter that the endangered Little Terns are incubating eggs — no consideration is given at all. Bird-deterrent tape and kites were put up only now, belatedly. There is not a shred of compassion on display. The approach does not align with the Ministry of the Environment's "Guidelines for the Conservation and Consideration of Little Tern Breeding Sites" either.

Little Tern
Little Tern

The male bringing food to the incubating female (right). It struggled to deliver the food while spooked by a raptor-shaped kite set up as a bird deterrent.

Little Tern
Little Tern

Two eggs are visible under the female's belly. There were several other nests with birds incubating, but as far as I could tell they were unable to return to their nests because of the bird deterrent.

Little Tern
Little Tern

A Little Tern too frightened of the bird deterrent to land, circling overhead and calling in alarm.

Kentish Plover
Kentish Plover

The Kentish Plover was also managing to incubate despite being spooked. It looked to be under considerable stress.

The site where Little Terns and Kentish Plovers are breeding. Raptor-shaped kites and fluorescent tape were put up despite the fact that breeding was already underway.

Categories: 野鳥

Little Tern and Kentish Plover nesting

Little Terns and Kentish Plovers are breeding at a construction site where work is about to begin. Several pairs of Little Terns are incubating. Kentish Plovers range from chicks that can just barely fly to pairs still incubating.

Little Tern
Little Tern

A Little Tern on the nest.

Kentish Plover
Kentish Plover

Nearby, a Kentish Plover was also incubating.

Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher

A Ruddy Kingfisher perched on the neighbour's warehouse. The red tiles behind it are my roof. ^^ A male comes every day to hunt for food.

Categories: 野鳥

Northern Boobook fledges, Ruddy Kingfisher excavating nest hole, scarce Terek Sandpiper (video)

The first fledgling of the season was a Northern Boobook. Two birds successfully fledged from the same site as last year. For Northern Boobook, the timing was quite early.

I confirmed a Ruddy Kingfisher excavating a nest hole. Individual numbers are high this season, and I have found so many nests that I have lost count. All I can do is hope each one goes well.

I also recorded Terek Sandpiper on Ishigaki Island — a species that seems to be down in numbers nationwide this year. Being late is normal for this species, but the low numbers are a concern. Nearby, a single Common Redshank was there alone. Several Grey-tailed Tattlers are staying in the area. Wandering Tattler has been recorded on Okinawa Island, so I am hopeful for Ishigaki Island too.

Northern Boobook
Northern Boobook

Brown Hawk-Owl fledgling and the mother (right).

Northern Boobook
Northern Boobook

The mother arriving with food for the chick (background). Despite it being broad daylight, she made two prey deliveries in five minutes.

Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher

A Ruddy Kingfisher excavating its nest hole.

Terek Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper

Terek Sandpipers in low numbers. Whether conditions on the breeding grounds have worsened or the migration route has shifted, I'm not sure…

Common Redshank
Common Redshank

A Common Redshank on its own.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattlers are settling in for a stay, little by little.

Categories: 野鳥