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

This is the extras edition of the 7th Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp. Since we had already observed both adult and juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe to a reasonable degree on the first day, the second day was spent observing a wider variety of species beyond snipe. This post covers those sightings, including observations from day one.

Please also see the main report from the Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp.

Three Javan Pond Herons confirmed during the Ishigaki Island snipe camp.

After rough weather, around 200 Roseate Terns arrived. They took over the rocky reef where Black-naped Terns breed every year, and there was some skirmishing between them.

Lots of Roseate Terns on the rocky reef where Black-naped Terns always form their breeding colony.

The first Pheasant-tailed Jacana of the season has arrived. It moves through the rice plants and is hard to spot, but it has been coming out regularly to flooded patches. This individual is quite wary.

Black-naped Terns have also moved closer to the coast. Colony formation has begun.

A Pheasant-tailed Jacana in the paddy fields. When I lost sight of it, it was very hard to find again, hidden among the rice plants.

The wader migration has started on Ishigaki Island. Along the coast, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Terek Sandpipers, Eurasian Whimbrels, and Greater Sand Plovers have appeared, while the paddyfields have received Common Greenshanks, Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpipers, Long-toed Stints, and Little Ringed Plovers. Numbers and species will keep building from here. With any luck, the snipe we have all been waiting for will show up in late August.

As the tide came close to high, Grey-tailed Tattlers and Terek Sandpipers gathered on the coastal rocks.

A check on breeding Ryukyu Scops Owls, Northern Boobooks, Ruddy Kingfishers, and Black-naped Terns in a different area of Ishigaki Island from last time. Everything appears to be progressing well.

The female is incubating, the male standing watch — a pair of Ryukyu Scops Owls. They took over the tree hollow where a Brown Hawk-Owl had nested last year… ^^;

Migratory birds have all but disappeared from Ishigaki Island, but breeding by the Ruddy Kingfishers, Northern Boobooks, and Oriental Pratincoles seems to be going smoothly. Black-naped Terns have also arrived and are beginning to form colonies on the rocky reefs.

As every year, I worry about the effect of typhoons, but I hope the breeding season ends in success. ^^

A Ruddy Kingfisher in the shade of a tree at a ranch. After taking prey, it flew right over my head and off into the forest.

The first Black-naped Terns of the season have arrived. I have been seeing them on the ferry route since last month, but toward late May they appear on coastal reefs to breed. Almost all of the birds are already paired up.

Ruddy Kingfishers seem to be particularly numerous this season. Nest-building has begun in all sorts of places, though I do wonder whether there are enough nest holes to go round.

A few Bridled Terns arrived. They have been seen on the ferry route since last month, and pairs already seem to have formed.

The Northern Boobooks have fledged. Pair formation was later than usual this year, so fledging was delayed too. I wonder whether one of the pair has changed.

Ruddy Kingfisher fledging is finished everywhere now, and the adults are catching their breath. The fledglings are still within their parents' territories but are catching prey on their own.

Cinnamon Bittern chick-rearing is also over, and juveniles are appearing in rice paddies here and there. Juvenile Purple Herons that have become independent are also starting to show up in the paddies. Chinese Pond Herons and Black-faced Spoonbills are arriving on autumn passage.

Waders are beginning to move through little by little. As autumn migration gets into full swing, numbers and species will keep increasing.

Terns are in the thick of chick-rearing. Black-naped Tern chicks that are roughly one to two weeks post-hatch are starting to be seen.

The last fledgling of the season for the Brown Hawk-Owl. There were still some remaining in the nest.

On Ishigaki Island, Ruddy Kingfisher, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Northern Boobook, Black Paradise Flycatcher, Malayan Night Heron, Black-naped Tern and many other birds are right in the middle of the breeding season.

A male Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher singing.

As Typhoon No. 6 approached Ishigaki Island, Greater Crested Tern, Roseate Tern, and Black-naped Tern were gathered on the sandy beach sheltering from the storm.

Greater Crested Terns are arriving in good numbers as usual, but Black-naped Tern numbers are on the low side, and Roseate Tern even lower. The situation appears to be similar on Okinawa's main island.

Five Greater Crested Terns resting on the sandy beach. Around 100 were present at the shrimp farm.

Once mid-July passes, the autumn migration of waders and plovers really picks up. As usual, Wood Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint lead the way. Then Common Greenshank, Grey-tailed Tattler and Greater Sand Plover start pouring in one after another.

Meanwhile, Black-naped Tern and Little Tern are right in the middle of raising their chicks. This season I have seen no sign of Roseate Tern breeding. I can only hope numbers improve going forward….

Common Redshank, first-summer plumage.

On Ishigaki Island, where the terns have been arriving late this season, Black-naped Tern breeding has finally started. Roseate Tern has yet to begin. Greater Crested Tern is about average for the time of year. I hear it is much the same on Okinawa's main island — it looks like it could be a poor year for terns across the prefecture….

The reef where Black-naped Terns form a colony every year. It is high tide, so the sea level is up.

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。

Bridled Tern, juvenile and adult.

台風襲来もなく、エリグロアジサシの繁殖はどこも順調に進んでいます。陸地から一番近い営巣地に行ってみると2羽のヒナが育っていました。半分人工物でできた岩礁で、ヒナたちが隠れる場所もあることから巣立ちまで順調に推移しそうです。

河口にはシロチドリの幼鳥が2羽いました。島内での繁殖個体だと思われます。年々、シロチドリの繁殖地が少なくなっているような気がしますが今季も確認することができました。

When a Black-naped Tern parent returned carrying a small fish, two chicks came flying out from behind the rocks with their mouths open.

エリグロアジサシ、ベニアジサシ、コアジサシ、ハシブトアジサシ、クロハラアジサシ5種を一つの海岸で確認できました。島内の他のエリアに飛来しているオオアジサシも期待しましたが、この海岸には現れませんでした…。^^;

エリグロアジサシ、ベニアジサシはコロニーを形成して繁殖序盤です。すでに抱卵しているペアも確認できました。

A White-capped Noddy incubating.

カラシラサギが2羽、河口に飛来しました。午前中は1羽でいたが、午後には2羽に増えました。後日、さらにもう1羽やってきました。

エリグロアジサシは十数羽が飛来。すでにペアになっているようで、産卵、子育ても間もなく始まることでしょう。

Two Chinese Egrets. Pushed off their feeding ground by the high tide, they were getting along together on a rock.

今季、3羽目となるハシブトアジサシが飛来しました。 前回の2羽 とはことなり鷹揚な個体で目の前を軽快に飛び回っていました。

台風6号でコロニーが全滅したエリグロアジサシは再繁殖に挑戦するようで岩礁を変えてその上を飛び回っています。

今季初のオオバンが田んぼに飛来。島内では 越夏個体が2羽 いますが、それとは別エリア。

海岸のソリハシシギや田んぼのヒバリシギも少しだけ増量。

A summer-plumaged Lesser Crested Tern flying around near the breakwater.

海岸にオオメダイチドリの群れが入りました。これまでも少数がパラパラと通過していましたが、まとまった数が入ったのは今季初。オオメダイチドリの群れには3羽のメダイチドリも入っていました。

今季初となるダイゼン1羽も確認したほか、アカアシシギやヒバリシギ、アオアシシギ、キアシシギも順調に増えてきています。

エリグロアジサシのコロニーではヒナの孵化が始まりました。巣立ちまで台風が襲来しないことを祈ります。

A Greater Sand Plover holding a crab claw in its bill.

オオメダイチドリ、トウネンが到着しました。これからパラパラと動き出しますね。

2羽いたハシブトアジサシは夏羽のほうがいなくなり、冬羽の個体が残っていました。

エリグロアジサシは抱卵中です。台風がくると全滅するので、1カ月ほどはこないことを祈ります。冬羽のコアジサシがいました。ずいぶん早い換羽です。

チュウシャクシギも数羽が滞在中。ほかにはキョウジョシギやキアシシギ、シロチドリなどがいました。

Four Greater Sand Plovers arrived. Transitioning from first-winter to first-summer plumage.

先日、石垣島へ飛来して日本初記録となったギンカモメ はまだ滞在中です。しばらくは居つきそうな感じです。きょうは石垣島のギンカモメ情報を聞きつけた県外の人が何人もやってきました。最高で20人近くになりました。石垣島でこんなにたくさんの人が集まるなんて初めて。ギンカモメの集客力はすごいですね。みなさんマナーは良かったです。

ハシブトアジサシは3羽到着。潮の引いた海岸でカニを捕まえまくっていました。

オオアジサシはほとんどは繁殖地の尖閣諸島へ飛び去っていきましたが、一部はまだ石垣島に残っています。

エリグロアジサシはすでに抱卵しているペアもおり、ハシブトアジサシが近くを飛ぶと鬱陶しそうにしていました。

The Glaucous Gull has a habit of vanishing suddenly, but I'm gradually getting a read on its movements. I've also worked out where it retreats to at high tide.