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

Pin-tailed Snipe adult.

Same individual as above. The bird visible behind is also a Pin-tailed Snipe.

Pin-tailed Snipe wing-flap. Same individual as above. You can see the state of moult for this time of year.

Same individual as above. I was able to observe it closely and at length.

A different individual from the above. Pin-tailed Snipe adult.

Same individual as above.

A wing-flap from the same individual again.

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile. The tail feathers of this individual photographed previously.

Swinhoe's Snipe adult.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe adult.

Pin-tailed Snipe juvenile.

Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.

Same individual as above.

A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe liable to be mistaken for a Pin-tailed Snipe.

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe. This one also has a Pin-tailed Snipe–ish build.

A Swinhoe's Snipe in the process of moulting into non-breeding plumage.

Adult Swinhoe's Snipe. Shortly after this it was chased off by a Common Moorhen with chicks in the background.

Pin-tailed Snipe adult in moult to winter plumage.

Most of the tail feathers had fallen out. What on earth happened?

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile, evening.

Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile. As it gets dark, they appear from nowhere.

A confiding Chinese Pond Heron. It may be the same individual that has been here since last month.

As it gets dark, Black-crowned Night Herons clock on for work. Juveniles have increased in number.

First Eastern Yellow Wagtail of the season — adult. The juveniles come later.

Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

I'd been waiting for this one to come out, thinking it might be a Pin-tailed Snipe, but it was too wary and never showed itself... ^^;

Juvenile Common Sandpiper. Might have been my first juvenile of the season?

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult in late summer plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe, underwing.

Three days after first finding it on 17 August, I finally managed to photograph the tail feathers. ^^

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. Moving into winter plumage.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe showing beautifully fresh juvenile plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Same individual as above.

A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe that wouldn't let its guard down. On this day, a Common Moorhen with chicks was the nemesis. ^^;

Underwing of a juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Same individual as above.

A quintessentially Okinawan juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Another quintessentially Okinawan juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe. At first glance, wouldn't those of you from the mainland think it's a Pin-tailed Snipe?

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. The beauty of this bird brought to mind last year's individual.

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. Moult into winter plumage is well underway.

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. This one is in late summer plumage. The moult stage is quite different from the individual above.

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. This one is also transitioning into winter plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult in summer plumage.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Also a Swinhoe's Snipe juvenile. The ratio of juveniles to adults was the opposite of what I found with Pin-tailed Snipe.