Bird Reports List--Wild bird photography and birdwatching on Okinawa Main Island and the Yaeyama Islands (Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, Taketomi Island, and more)

As on the previous day, Common Hoopoes were turning up all over the place — six birds at five sites over two days. I was only making brief detours while travelling for work, so there are likely quite a few more on the island than I've been finding.

I have no photos, but two Snow Geese appeared — a first record not just for Ishigaki but for all of Okinawa Prefecture. They were still being seen just before sunset, so I'm hoping they're still on the island. Getting a re-find and some photos is the goal. ^^

I also caught up with Dusky Thrush — numbers had been exceptionally low this season. Naumann's Thrush was noted at three sites, but the birds were either too wary, the conditions too poor, or I simply ran out of time during work, so I got no photos.

Daurian Redstarts on the move appear to be coming through, and I'm encountering them more frequently.

I was up in the northern part of Ishigaki for work, so I took the chance to do a bit of birding. I had a feeling Common Hoopoe and Chinese Blackbird might have arrived, so I made a short detour — and found them straight away. Two Common Hoopoes at two sites, and one Chinese Blackbird. Common Hoopoes are being seen in good numbers on Okinawa main island, Miyako-jima and Iriomote as well; this could be a bumper year.

Also present were Arctic Warbler, Kamchatka Leaf Warbler, Daurian Redstart and Mugimaki Flycatcher. White Wagtail numbers are up, but almost all of them are the leucopsis subspecies — the largest flock was close to 30 birds. In a typical year the leucopsis birds arrive first, followed by the nominate subspecies a while later.

In the paddies, Crested Serpent Eagle — both juvenile and adult — and Malayan Night Heron are being encountered frequently.

Four Spotted Redshanks dropped out of the sky into a rice field. They came in from the direction of the sea, so they may be the birds that were recorded on Iriomote a few days ago.