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

Lesser Whistling Duck Iriomote Tit Short-eared Owl Ryukyu flycatcher Asian koel

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

アカショウビン、リュウキュウヨシゴイ、ムラサキサギの幼鳥

近所で繁殖したリュウキュウアカショウビンのヒナ4羽がそろっていました。親鳥はすでにおらず、幼鳥たちだけで餌をとっていました。

リュウキュウヨシゴイも幼鳥が独り立ちシーズンを迎えているようで親鳥とやりあっていました。

ムラサキサギはすでに独り立ち。幼羽にかわり成鳥羽がではじめていました。

アカガシラサギは夏羽1羽に冬羽に変わりつつあるのが2羽と合わせて3個体いるようです。

Ruddy Kingfisher
Ruddy Kingfisher

A Ruddy Kingfisher that grew up nearby. All the chicks seem to be doing well — four of them were foraging in the same area.

Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern

A juvenile male Ryukyu Ruddy Crake sizing up the adult male (foreground) as if about to attack.

Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern

It flew off after being threatened by its own offspring.

Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern

Ryukyu Ruddy Crake, juvenile.

Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern

Ryukyu Ruddy Crake, adult male.

Purple Heron
Purple Heron

Purple Heron, juvenile. Molting into adult plumage.

Chinese Pond Heron
Chinese Pond Heron

Chinese Pond Heron, transitioning to non-breeding plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

今季初のハリオシギ、タカブシギ幼鳥、クサシギ、キセキレイなど

今季初のハリオシギ、タカブシギ幼鳥、クサシギ、キセキレイが到着しました。

シロハラクイナは2回目の繁殖なのか真っ黒なヒナを連れたペアが目立ちます。

Pin-tailed Snipe
Pin-tailed Snipe

First Pin-tailed Snipe of the season. A juvenile was the first to arrive.

Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper, juvenile. First juvenile confirmed this season.

Green Sandpiper
Green Sandpiper

Green Sandpiper molting from breeding to non-breeding plumage. Also a first for this season.

Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper, adult.

Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover

Pacific Golden Plover molting into non-breeding plumage.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank, late breeding plumage.

Grey Wagtail
Grey Wagtail

First Grey Wagtail of the season.

White-breasted Waterhen
White-breasted Waterhen

White-breasted Waterhen chick. I've been seeing them often in the rice fields lately.

Categories: 野鳥

クロハラアジサシ、ハマシギ、トウネンほか

今季初のクロハラアジサシとハマシギを確認。トウネン、アオアシシギ、ソリハシシギ、メダイチドリ、オオメダイチドリ、セイタカシギ、コチドリなども入れ替わりながら通過しているようです。

Whiskered Tern
Whiskered Tern

First White-winged Tern of the season. A single adult arrived.

Dunlin
Dunlin

First Dunlin of the season. Late summer plumage.

Red-necked Stint
Red-necked Stint

Red-necked Stint moulting from summer to winter plumage.

Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plover, first-winter plumage.

Little Ringed Plover
Little Ringed Plover

Little Ringed Plovers fighting.

Black-winged Stilt
Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt moulting from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

Ruddy Turnstone
Ruddy Turnstone

Ruddy Turnstone, late summer plumage.

Common Greenshank
Common Greenshank

Common Greenshank, late summer plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

ベニアジサシ、エリグロアジサシ、オオメダイチドリほか

今季は石垣島に接近する台風がないので、ベニアジサシ、エリグロアジサシの繁殖は順調に推移しています。尖閣諸島で繁殖しているオオアジサシたちも好成績だと思われますので、8月中旬ごろのもどりが楽しみですね。

海岸にはオオメダイチドリやメダイチドリ、シロチドリ、ムナグロ、キアシシギなどが増えてきました。

Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

Bridled Tern, juvenile and adult.

Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern

The juvenile is missing a large chunk of primaries on the left wing. I wonder what happened.

Black-naped Tern
Black-naped Tern

A Black-naped Tern colony. The chicks here also appear to be growing steadily.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

Greater Sand Plover moulting into winter plumage.

Greater Sand Plover
Greater Sand Plover

A Greater Sand Plover that has caught a crab.

Common Redshank
Common Redshank

Common Redshank, juvenile.

Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover

Pacific Golden Plovers gradually moulting into winter plumage as well.

Pacific Golden Plover
Pacific Golden Plover

Pacific Golden Plover with moult into winter plumage well advanced.

Grey-tailed Tattler
Grey-tailed Tattler

Grey-tailed Tattler, late summer plumage.

Wood Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper, late summer plumage.

Categories: 野鳥

リュウキュウコノハズクの巣立ちビナたち

自宅近くで巣立ったリュウキュウコノハズクを観察してきました。餌はゴキブリが多い模様で、たまにバッタって感じです。

付近を回ると合計でリュウキュウコノハズクで8羽、アカショウビンで4羽の巣立ちビナが確認できました。

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

Ryukyu Scops Owls that had fledged from a woodland near my home. There were three siblings.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

Ryukyu Scops Owl adult.

Elegant Scops Owl
Elegant Scops Owl

Waiting for a parent to bring food. With no crows around at night, it feels safe enough to come out to an open, exposed spot like this. A Brown Hawk-Owl is perched on a nearby wire, but the two seem to have nothing to do with each other.

Categories: 野鳥