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

Ryukyu scops owl Iriomote Tit Purple Swamphen Pied Avocet Pintail Snipe

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

石垣島にヒメカッコウ飛来!! (動画あり)

前日に情報をもらっていたヒメカッコウを見てきました。やぶに入って出てこないと思いきや、獲物を取りに開けた場所をツバメのように軽やかに飛び回って飛んでいる小さな虫を捕まえたようです。

石垣島の秋の渡りは昨年は非常によくて11月から珍しい鳥がひっきりなしに確認できたのですが、今季はそれ以上の鳥たちが出現する予感がします。

今季の石垣島はこれまでにコウライウグイス、ハイイロオウチュウ、シベリアムクドリ、マミジロキビタキ、ベニマシコなどが現れています。

イシガキヒヨドリの群れの中にバフ変の個体が1羽まじっていました。かなり目立っていて、一瞬、ど珍鳥かと思ってしまいました。

Little Cuckoo
Little Cuckoo

Little Bronze Cuckoo, juvenile.

Little Cuckoo
Little Cuckoo

Little Bronze Cuckoo spreading its wings. This was the state of its moult.

Little Cuckoo
Little Cuckoo

It didn't seem particularly wary, but there was a bit of distance to the Little Bronze Cuckoo.

Ishigaki Bulbul
Ishigaki Bulbul

Buff-morph Ishigaki Bulbul.

Ishigaki Bulbul
Ishigaki Bulbul

Compared to the ordinary Brown-eared Bulbul on the left, the colour is noticeably paler.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初のムナグロ幼鳥、ツバメチドリ、アカガシラサギなど

ムナグロの幼鳥がやっと確認できました。幼鳥が到着しないと繁殖がうまくいかなかったのかと心配です。

アカガシラサギ2羽、ジャワアカガシラサギ1羽、ヨシゴイがいました。ツバメチドリやクロハラアジサシなども滞在中です。

Oriental Pratincole
Oriental Pratincole

Long-legged Buttonquail, first-winter plumage.

Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover

First Pacific Golden Plover juvenile of the season.

Chinese Pond Heron
Chinese Pond Heron

Chinese Pond Heron in flight. I confirmed multiple individuals; there was also a Javan Pond Heron among them.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Snipe numbers have dropped considerably. What remains are Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

The rice in the paddies has grown tall, making it hard to search…

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

Black-bellied Tern, juvenile.

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

A group of around ten-plus Black-bellied Terns was resting.

Great Reed Warbler
Great Reed Warbler

Great Reed Warbler was moving through the grass, catching grasshoppers and other prey.

Categories: 野鳥

ヒタキ類、ムシクイ類

数日前から何度もコウライウグイスが現れているエリアで鳥探し。肝心のコウライウグイスは見つけられませんでしたが、コムシクイ、センダイムシクイ、サメビタキ、エゾビタキが多く現れました。

Grey-streaked Flycatcher
Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Grey-streaked Flycatchers moving through in numbers during the Chinese Sparrowhawk season.

Dark-sided Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher

Asian Brown Flycatcher near the summit of the mountain.

Dark-sided Flycatcher
Dark-sided Flycatcher

Also Asian Brown Flycatcher. On Ishigakijima almost all of them are Grey-streaked Flycatcher, with Asian Brown and Dark-sided very rarely seen, but this year I've been finding quite a few.

Arctic Warbler
Arctic Warbler

While waiting for Black-naped Oriole, a Lesser Whitethroat appeared.

Eastern Crowned Warbler
Eastern Crowned Warbler

Following the Lesser Whitethroat above, an Eastern Crowned Warbler also appeared.

Blue-and-white Flycatcher
Blue-and-white Flycatcher

Found a female Blue-and-white Flycatcher deep in the bushes. There were about three Blue-and-white Flycatchers in total.

Ishigaki Tit
Ishigaki Tit

An Ishigaki Tit also appeared, hunting for prey.

Categories: 野鳥

ソリハシセイタカシギ、ハリオシギ、チュウジシギほか

数日前からソリハシセイタカシギが滞在。石垣島では年中、見ている気がする。沖縄、八重山には越冬個体もいるのでしょう。

当たり年だったハリオシギですが、ほとんど渡っていき探すのに一苦労。20羽目になんとか確認。チュウジシギはたくさんいます。

Pied Avocet appeared in the rice paddies.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Common Snipe
Common Snipe

Common Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe.

Swinhoe's Snipe
Swinhoe's Snipe

Swinhoe's Snipe.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe.

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

Pin-tailed Snipe.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

Red-necked Stint.

Categories: 野鳥

シマアジ、コガモ飛来

今季初のコガモが飛来。群れ6羽が疲れて寝ていましたが、その中にシマアジも交っていました。しばらく待っていると餌をとったり、羽繕いしたりしだしました。

Garganey
Garganey

Garganey in eclipse plumage.

Garganey
Garganey

Common Teal and Garganey.

Eurasian Teal
Eurasian Teal

It looked utterly exhausted — perhaps just arrived.

Categories: 野鳥