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

A juvenile Ruff.

Same individual as above. It was picking off insects on the rice plants.

A juvenile Ruff in a different paddy field.

Marsh Sandpiper in winter plumage.

A juvenile Red-necked Stint. I thought it might be a Little Stint based on its shape, but it wasn't.

Another Red-necked Stint.

I thought this might be a Little Stint, but no….

Dunlin, juvenile.

Marsh Sandpiper, winter plumage.

Common Greenshank, winter plumage.

Common Redshank, first-winter plumage.

Black-winged Stilt, first-winter plumage.

First Pacific Golden Plover juvenile of the season.

Kentish Plover, winter plumage.

Whiskered Tern, first-winter plumage.

The Scaly-breasted Munias were feeding in a flock on Spirogyra algae that had bloomed in the paddies.

A flock of Chestnut-cheeked Starlings. About 50 birds.

Brown Shrike, first-winter plumage.

A Crested Serpent Eagle that is often found just a few dozen metres from my house. The village mascot — it'll perch on your hand. ^^

A juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

Another Buff-breasted Sandpiper — also a juvenile.

While watching the Buff-breasted Sandpipers, a Black-winged Kite appeared.

It turned around and left almost immediately. Relieved the Buff-breasted Sandpipers weren't flushed. ^^

A flock of Buff-breasted Sandpipers, Long-toed Stints, and Red-necked Stints.

Marsh Sandpiper in winter plumage.

Common Greenshank in winter plumage.

An adult female Pale-backed Pigeon. There are three birds in total including a male, but they won't come out — wary of raptors. The children who came along started calling for home, so we called it a day here.

The day's largest kettle of Chinese Sparrowhawks — close to 300 birds.

A flock of Chinese Sparrowhawks gliding past.

A juvenile Chinese Sparrowhawk.

Another juvenile. Most of the individuals flying close by are juveniles.

An adult male Chinese Sparrowhawk.

Another adult male.

Again, the one that flew close by was a juvenile.

Most of the Chinese Sparrowhawks had moved through by around 9:30 a.m.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. A typical individual — no room for doubt.

Same individual as above.

Same individual as above.

This one is also an unambiguous Swinhoe's Snipe.

Same individual as above. The outer tail feathers were the narrow type, which made it doubly exciting!!

This one is also a Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

It was the closest bird to me, but showed no sign of moving. Perhaps exhausted from just having arrived on migration.

Common Snipe, juvenile.

A Common Snipe being chased by a Pin-tailed Snipe (background). This Pin-tailed Snipe didn't bother the Swinhoe's Snipes, but it drove away every Common Snipe.

Common Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe (foreground) and Swinhoe's Snipe. All juveniles.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. Same individual as the foreground bird in the photo above.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult (right) and juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile. The individual whose tail feathers I spent four days photographing a few days ago. Even seeing it again on this day, it was a confusing individual leaning toward Pin-tailed Snipe.

First Dunlin of the season. It was a juvenile.

Pacific Golden Plover, winter plumage.

Greater Sand Plover, winter plumage.

Ruddy Turnstone, adult. Moulting into winter plumage.

Red-necked Stint, juvenile.

Long-toed Stint (foreground) and Red-necked Stint. Both juveniles.

Greater Painted-snipe, adult male.

White-winged Tern, first-winter.