Three Northern Boobook siblings have fledged. The nest was in a dead standing Ptychosperma macarthurii palm. A Ruddy Kingfisher had originally been excavating the hole, but once the Northern Boobooks started nesting there, the Ruddy Kingfisher moved out. ^^;
A fledgling Grey Nightjar — just out of the nest.
The Ryukyu Northern Boobook has begun breeding. The nest site changes almost every year because the nest trees rot and fall, yet breeding still succeeds and typically two or three chicks fledge.
A flock of six White-winged Terns appeared over the paddies. The weather had been a little rough, so they seemed to have taken shelter on the island. All were in summer plumage — a beautiful sight.
A Eastern Yellow Wagtail also turned up nearby. It has been a very long time since the last one. By the following day it was gone.
The sandpipers have largely moved on, which makes things feel rather quiet, but at least one Pin-tailed Snipe managed to hang on.
A male Japanese Scops Owl. I've had a long acquaintance with this individual.
The sixth Black Drongo of the season appeared. Like yesterday's bird, every individual this season has been strangely unafraid of people.
The Northern Boobook that breeds here every year has also arrived. The nest tree looks rather fragile, and I worry it might not survive a typhoon.
A Black Drongo with zero wariness. It was catching flying insects.
Common Emerald Doves are approaching the end of the breeding season, and encounters are becoming more frequent. Northern Boobooks, Ryukyu Scops Owls, and Ruddy Kingfishers are fledging one after another.
I recorded my first Cinnamon Bittern and Purple Heron of the season, along with a juvenile Little Egret.
A Emerald Dove near home. A few juvenile feathers remain. Perhaps a second-calendar-year female.
Breeding is progressing steadily for Ruddy Kingfisher, Ryukyu Scops Owl, Northern Boobook, and Japanese Sparrowhawk alike.
Two pairs of Ruddy Kingfishers breeding near home. This season's nests are out of sight from the house, so I can't tell exactly how things are going, but since they're carrying food I assume all is well.
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.
Breeding is going well for the Ryukyu quartet: Ryukyu Scops Owl, Northern Boobook, Ruddy Kingfisher, and Black Paradise Flycatcher. Temperatures on Ishigaki Island have not been rising this season and insect activity has been sluggish, so I am a little worried about the effect this may have on chick-rearing.
I found a Ryukyu Scops Owl sitting motionless in the forest in the rain. A Brown Hawk-Owl was incubating right nearby. I wonder if there's no conflict between them.
The island's resident birds have entered breeding season. The Ryukyu Scops Owl has already laid eggs and the female appears to be incubating. The male was standing guard nearby.
The Northern Boobook has not yet laid eggs, but the pair appears to have bonded.
The Japanese Sparrowhawk is breeding in the same location as previous years, though the female has been replaced.
The Black-winged Kite, which has been breeding near my home for several years now, looks set to begin incubating again this year.
A Ryukyu Scops Owl I've known for a long time. It seems incubation has begun again this season, with the male standing guard.
Black Paradise Flycatcher numbers have been increasing. I keep coming across pairs of Ruddy Kingfishers hard at work nest-building. Some Northern Boobooks have already paired up, showing that breeding is underway. An individual that appears to be a Gray-faced Buzzard was also found.
A Japanese Paradise Flycatcher pair moving around together. They will probably build a nest somewhere in this area.
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.
Continuing to observe the Ryukyu Scops Owl chick after fledging. It was in a somewhat more visible spot than before. The female parent was nearby keeping watch.
Northern Boobooks are fledging one after another, but at a nest where the chicks are still small the male parent was standing guard close to the nest.
Black Paradise Flycatcher breeding also appears to be going well — the chick that fledged from the pair I have been watching for some time has grown considerably. The adults will probably begin a second breeding attempt, so the fledgling may end up acting as a helper.
The Ryukyu Scops Owl fledgling had moved to a more visible position, giving me a full view of the bird.
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.
The first fledgling of the season was a Northern Boobook. Two birds successfully fledged from the same site as last year. For Northern Boobook, the timing was quite early.
I confirmed a Ruddy Kingfisher excavating a nest hole. Individual numbers are high this season, and I have found so many nests that I have lost count. All I can do is hope each one goes well.
I also recorded Terek Sandpiper on Ishigaki Island — a species that seems to be down in numbers nationwide this year. Being late is normal for this species, but the low numbers are a concern. Nearby, a single Common Redshank was there alone. Several Grey-tailed Tattlers are staying in the area. Wandering Tattler has been recorded on Okinawa Island, so I am hopeful for Ishigaki Island too.
Brown Hawk-Owl fledgling and the mother (right).
I visited a scrubby woodland I rarely go to, and a pair of Black Paradise Flycatchers were moving about. They perched on the same branch at times, suggesting pairing is already done. I expect they will breed, and I will keep watching to see how things develop.
Ryukyu Scops Owls are incubating at several sites, but the chicks still appear to be small. Meanwhile, the pair that began breeding early already has well-grown chicks, and the female is out of the nest box. Fledging should be soon.
A recently fledged Ryukyu Minivet visited our garden. It appeared to be taking insects alongside Warbling White-eyes and Cinereous Tits.
A female Japanese Paradise Flycatcher.
I had a close-range view of Lesser Cuckoo — an adult and a young bird, foraging in a pine grove. Around six Asian Koels were in the area too, making it a spot with a notably high concentration of cuckoos.
Despite the heavy rain, the Northern Boobook's incubation seems to be going smoothly; the male was keeping a steady watch. Year by year it has become less wary, and it shows no concern when walkers pass right in front of it.
Little Terns have arrived at the planned site of the cruise-terminal building — close to 30 birds, the same location as last year. Some individuals were already incubating. Last year the nest colony was completely wiped out by a PAC-3 deployment, so I wonder whether this season will go better. Kentish Plovers were running about — several chicks at various stages, from just-hatched to those that could manage a short flight.
White-breasted Waterhen are in full breeding mode; I often come across pairs with chicks. The breeding season is long, so for a while yet I expect to encounter families at all different stages of development.
In the paddies after the rice harvest, Purple Herons, Grey Herons, Intermediate Egrets, and Little Egrets are gathering to hunt.
A Common Cuckoo still in juvenile plumage. I was able to observe it at close range.
Both the Ryukyu Scops Owl and the Northern Boobook have entered their breeding season. Incubation has started at multiple sites for each species. Fledging should be observable around late June.
A male Ryukyu Scops Owl. This pair has started breeding at almost the same time as last year. Three Ryukyu Scops Owl nests confirmed.
The Northern Boobook that fledged three chicks last year has returned to the same nest tree this season. It looks like breeding is starting a little earlier than usual, so fledging could happen by late June.
Ruddy Kingfishers have increased in number and are turning up all over the place.
Young Crested Serpent Eagle no. 16 is now being seen reliably along Route 16.
Sandpipers and plovers are thin on the ground this season, but there are at least a few Pin-tailed Snipe, Common Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper about.
The Brown Hawk-Owl is back for this season. This is a male.
The raptors that winter on Ishigaki Island are now all showing up: Upland Buzzard, Saker Falcon, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Common Kestrel, Short-eared Owl, and more.
The ducks, Eurasian Coots, and small birds that serve as prey are on edge whenever a raptor appears.
Juvenile Upland Buzzard. One appears every year, but this individual is not very wary and is easy to observe and photograph.
I found my eighth Ryukyu Scops Owl pair of the season. I had gone to check on a brood of Northern Boobook chicks that had fledged a few days earlier when I came across them by chance. Both the male and female were outside the nest, so I suspect the chicks are due to fledge very soon.
Ryukyu Scops Owl, female.