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

The one Crested Serpent Eagle juvenile that's been reliably viewable was at it again today — foraging at its own pace in the rice fields, walking the bunds and catching what looked like small insects.

Malayan Night Heron adults are turning up more often. This day I had three adults and one juvenile.

The Pin-tailed Snipe is still present. The same paddy field held nearly 30 Common Snipe — presumably spring migrants passing through. New arrivals of Common Redshank, Common Greenshank and Wood Sandpiper were also noted. Migration is picking up pace.

The season's first Northern Lapwing and Grey-headed Lapwing have also arrived.

A completely fearless Crested Serpent Eagle, juvenile.

Arctic Warbler numbers are lower than in the bumper year two years ago, but a reasonable number are still wintering here. Lately I've also been hearing Kamchatka Leaf Warbler calls — possibly birds already on the move.

For snipe, all three species have shown up earlier than usual: Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe together at the same time.

An overwintering Lesser Whitethroat appeared right in front of me. I've confirmed the ID by call, but I also think I can make out the classic Lesser Whitethroat feature of P10 being shorter than the primary coverts. ^^;

After finding the season's first Pin-tailed Snipe the day before , I went back after work to try for shots of the tail feathers. You want the first record of the season to be done properly. While I was there I also picked up the season's first Swinhoe's Snipe — more than a month earlier than usual. Spring migration this year is behaving strangely.

Two Javan Pond Herons are continuing to winter here. Every year I hope they'll stay long enough to come into breeding plumage, but in most years they depart during February. We'll see how this season goes.

I'll be holding the "2nd Ishigaki Snipe Camp" sometime in early to mid-April. A report from the 1st is here → Day 1 , Day 2 , Extra edition .

First-winter Pin-tailed Snipe. Same individual as the previous day.

I recorded the first Pin-tailed Snipe of the season. In a normal year they don't arrive until April, so this is more than a month early. This season a Ruddy Kingfisher had already reached Ishigaki Island as well, and I get the impression the seasons are running ahead of schedule.

Update, 22 February

It is a typical Pin-tailed Snipe, but since it was the first of the season I went back the next day just to be safe and photographed the tail feathers. That settles it with a certificate of authenticity. ^^

The first Pin-tailed Snipe of the season. An easy-to-read individual. It did not move at all from the grass, then when a Black-winged Kite appeared it hid completely in the undergrowth.

The first Pied Avocet, Spotted Redshank, Eurasian Wigeon, and Northern Shoveler of the season have arrived. I had been hearing Japanese Leaf Warbler by call for several days, but this time I finally managed a photograph.

Pin-tailed Snipe numbers have dropped; today I could only squeeze out a single bird. Swinhoe's Snipe are past their peak but still well represented. Common Snipe are increasing.

Pied Avocet, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipe have thinned out considerably. Common Snipe are increasing in their place. In terms of numbers, Swinhoe's Snipe are still the most abundant. As usual I concentrated on searching for Pin-tailed Snipe, but found mostly Swinhoe's Snipe.

An individual identifiable as a Swinhoe's Snipe by the face alone.

Found a mixed flock of about ten birds — Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe. Scanning for Pin-tailed Snipe first, I turned up only two. Most were Swinhoe's Snipe, with two Common Snipe.

From there I settled in to try to photograph tail feathers, keeping an eye on my surroundings so as not to get in the way of the farmers working nearby, while staying focused on the snipe through the viewfinder and binoculars. It is more tiring than you might expect, but when you manage a clean tail-feather shot, it makes for a very satisfying day out. ^^

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. A typical individual — no room for doubt.

Confirmed the first Common Kestrel and Eurasian Teal of the season. Autumn is deepening steadily. The Javan Pond Heron has been staying on for an extended period — there were briefly two in the same paddy, but on this day only one.

Could this be a second breeding attempt for Greater Painted-snipe? Parent birds with small chicks are turning up in paddies here and there.

Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt and three snipe species are all still present, numbers fluctuating.

A juvenile male Common Kestrel with a captured Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

All three snipe species of Ishigaki Island at once. Got carried away and shot Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe to my heart's content. I've also accumulated quite a good set of tail-feather shots. I'm rather proud of this one. ^^

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile, in flight.

I recorded my first Broad-billed Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint of the season — both juveniles. A few Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe were also present. Common Snipe still not showing up as usual.

In the paddies: Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, and Terek Sandpiper.

A small flock of Whiskered Terns was feeding and bathing.

The first Broad-billed Sandpiper of the season, found by my daughter. In autumn it's always a juvenile.

This is day 2 of the 1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp, and the final day. I would have liked to start at first light, but with children to look after, we got going at 9 a.m.

A Javan Pond Heron greeted us at a nearby paddy — the fourth individual on Ishigaki this season, and the fifth of the season counting the first record for Yonaguni Island.

Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe were in the same paddy, but the light was badly against us and the grass was tall, so we moved early to the spot that typically holds the most snipe on the island and offers the best views.

We worked through several more sites after that, squeezing every last minute out of the final day right up until participants had to leave for their flights. ^^

On day 1 we concentrated on Pin-tailed Snipe, but on day 2 we had a bit more breathing room and made a point of photographing Swinhoe's Snipe tail feathers as well. The sideshow is here.

Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. I really love the plumage on this type — it reminds me of a Solitary Snipe. This type is uncommon. There's a video below as well.

I took the liberty of organizing the 1st Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp, complete with a complimentary invitation to Shimasoba-so.

For this inaugural event I was joined by a contributor who writes the field identification articles on snipe for BIRDER magazine. The Pin-tailed Snipes and Swinhoe's Snipes of Ishigaki seemed to hold genuine interest even for a professional eye. During the camp I received a direct lecture on migration timing and moult characteristics of Latham's Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe from the mainland — extremely educational. As someone who writes about identification, the way they put the distinguishing features into words was precise and impressive.

The results were excellent. We observed large numbers of Pin-tailed Snipe and the so-called western-type Swinhoe's Snipe that are commonly found in the Nansei Islands, including both adults and juveniles. Despite spending nearly all our time on snipe, the by-catch was good too: 2 Javan Pond Herons, the season's first juvenile Common Greenshank and juvenile Green Sandpiper, juvenile Red-necked Stints, and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.

On day one I met the participants at the airport at around 1:30 p.m. and had the first Pin-tailed Snipe in the bag just after 2:00 p.m. We watched until 6:00 p.m. I am posting photos of the 10 Pin-tailed Snipes we managed to photograph. Day 2 and the bonus post are covered in separate articles.

I intend to keep running snipe camps in the future. Announcements will appear here on the blog and on social media. The planned timing is around late August, when both adults and juveniles are present and moult variation is at its richest. I would also like to hold one during the spring migration (early to mid-April), when other birds, waders and plovers are enjoyable too, if there is enough interest.

The very first Swinhoe's Snipe of the training camp encountered in conditions like this…. ^^; A valuable adult.

I found a Javan Pond Heron on Yonaguni Island — almost certainly a first record. Veterans who have visited the island for decades have not seen one, and it does not appear in any checklist.

Up to about seven Yonaguni Wood Pigeons came to Tacchigami Rock on the south-east side of the island. What draws them there, I wonder?

On the schoolground of Kubura Elementary School after rain there was 1 Pin-tailed Snipe and 2 Swinhoe's Snipes. The rice fields on Yonaguni have completely dried up, so they presumably have nowhere else to go. A few dozen Pacific Golden Plovers had also come down.

A Javan Pond Heron — a first record for Yonaguni Island. It was at Agariizaki. This individual was fairly wary.

As late August approaches, snipe numbers keep climbing. In the best spots there were around 7 birds in a single paddy field. The Swinhoe's Snipe migration is reaching its peak, so Pin-tailed Snipe are relatively fewer by comparison.

In one week I will be holding the inaugural Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp. Together with snipe-watchers coming from the mainland, I plan to scrutinize every last snipe on Ishigaki.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

The other day I focused squarely on Pin-tailed Snipe tail feathers, so today I went after Swinhoe's Snipe tail feathers. I managed to rack up a good number of individuals. ^^

In the same paddy field there were at least 8 Swinhoe's Snipes and 3 Pin-tailed Snipes. There was another flock of snipe in a neighbouring field, but it was too far away and the heat shimmer was too bad — I will go back and try again another day.

Swinhoe's Snipe, juvenile.

Pin-tailed Snipes and Swinhoe's Snipes in the paddy fields are steadily increasing. Both species were all juveniles on this day.

I took two local naturalists who wanted to see some birds on a light circuit of the paddies and coast.

Juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe.

Still stalking Pin-tailed Snipe the day after, trying to get shots of the tail feathers. And then — incredibly!! — I managed to get video with the call of a Pin-tailed Snipe!! It's shaping up to be another wonderful autumn migration season!!

I recorded my first Marsh Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper of the season. Common Redshank and Whiskered Tern had also arrived.

An extremely close Pin-tailed Snipe. Preying on a cricket.

With Typhoon No. 6 moving away from Ishigaki Island, I did a patrol of the rice paddies. Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, and Red-necked Phalarope had all arrived for the first time this season.

I recorded my first juvenile Wood Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint of the season. Common Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover numbers were also up.

Cinnamon Bitterns breed on the island, and I am encountering recently fledged juveniles more and more often.

First Pin-tailed Snipe adult of the season.

I found a Pin-tailed Snipe that is the latest spring migration record I've had. In just three more months the autumn migration of Pin-tailed Snipe will be starting… With Typhoon No. 2 approaching Ishigaki, there's a good chance it will stay into June. Something to look forward to.

Shorebird migration is nearly over, but a small group of Black-winged Stilts and Common Greenshanks has arrived.

An out-of-season Pin-tailed Snipe. Almost fully in summer plumage.

The rice fields are lively with migrants, though the spring shorebird passage feels like it may be winding down. In good weather, birds seem to be turning over every two or three days.

Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, Little Stint, and Broad-billed Sandpiper — all popular birds — are still present.

A Pin-tailed Snipe foraging along a paddy bund, mixed in with several Swinhoe's Snipe.