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

Confirmed the first Pin-tailed Snipe of the season. Spring passage Pin-tailed Snipe on Ishigaki are a rare find. Swinhoe's Snipe are also present, cycling in and out, while Common Snipe remain the most numerous.

Among the curlews, a Far Eastern Curlew arrived after the Eurasian Whimbrel. It may be the individual some university students spotted at sea just after leaving Ishigaki port on the Yonaguni ferry a few days ago. The seabirding on that route this spring was apparently quite good — though the sea was rough, so you need to steel yourself before boarding. ^^;

I got to see the Eurasian Bittern that has been wintering since last year, for the first time in a while. As usual, it showed no wariness at all. The several Chinese Pond Herons present were starting to come into breeding plumage.

The first Pin-tailed Snipe of the season.

Confirmed the first Swinhoe's Snipe of the season — two birds on a paddy bund. Several Common Snipe as well.

Six Pied Avocets arrived, which I believe is a record count for a flock here. The paddies also hold Common Redshank, Black-winged Stilt, Wood Sandpiper, Oriental Pratincole, and Grey-headed Lapwing — a scarce species on Ishigaki.

A small group of four pond herons — Javan Pond Heron and Chinese Pond Heron combined — is also lingering.

In the farmland on the western side of the island, Daurian Redstarts have arrived in large numbers. Apparently the situation is similar on Iriomote.

The first Swinhoe's Snipe of the season. It's good to finally meet one again.

At year-end, having coughed up blood to get all my copy filed before the end of the year, I squeezed in a short final birdwatch for 2022.

Entering December, Dusky Thrushes, Brown-headed Thrushes, and Pale Thrushes had increased sharply. Most of the Dusky Thrushes were Naumann's Thrushes, and the variation in plumage tones makes comparing them a pleasure in itself. Brown-headed and Pale Thrushes have also relaxed since shortly after arrival and are easier to observe.

Manchurian Bush Warblers and Dusky Warblers were calling from patches of scrub here and there, though slightly fewer than last year.

Daurian Redstart, Amur Stonechat, Red-throated Pipit, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail are also wintering.

In addition to the three Ruddy Shelduck already present, four Common Shelduck also arrived. Tundra Swans, Common Cranes, and Eurasian Spoonbills continue to stay on.

Among the ducks, Northern Shoveler were the most numerous, followed by Eurasian Wigeon, Eurasian Teal, and Tufted Duck. Ferruginous Duck has not been confirmed this season.

Large numbers of Common Snipe are wintering; among roughly 200 counted across multiple paddies, there was one Swinhoe's Snipe.

Crested Serpent Eagles — both immatures and adults — have become easier to see. Road casualties will increase from here on, so care is needed when driving on Ishigaki Island and Iriomote Island.

The most vividly coloured Naumann's Thrush of the day. An adult.

Temperatures have dropped and ducks are increasing. First Northern Shovelers and Eurasian Wigeons of the season confirmed. Northern Shovelers also arrived in July, but this will be the first as proper migrants.

The peak of wader migration has passed, but the paddies still hold Temminck's Stints, Red-necked Stints, Long-toed Stints, Swinhoe's Snipes, Common Snipes, Wood Sandpipers, Common Greenshanks and others.

First Northern Shoveler of the season. Juvenile male.

Juvenile Pacific Golden Plovers have finally been confirmed. The fact that juveniles haven't arrived until now makes me worry that breeding may not have gone well.

There were two Chinese Pond Herons, one Javan Pond Heron, and a Yellow Bittern. Oriental Pratincole and Whiskered Tern are also still present.

Long-legged Buttonquail, first-winter plumage.

A Pied Avocet has been staying for several days. I feel like I see them year-round on Ishigaki-jima — there must be wintering individuals in Okinawa and the Yaeyamas.

Pin-tailed Snipe was a good year, but most have moved on and they take some finding now. I managed to confirm number 20. Swinhoe's Snipe are plentiful.

Pied Avocet appeared in the rice paddies.

久しぶりに石垣島にオオハシシギがやってきました。台風のおかげでしょうか。

Long-billed Dowitcher transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

キリアイは幼鳥に続き、成鳥も飛来しました。

ジシギはチュウジシギが激増してハリオシギは減少。なぜかタシギが増えず心配です。

ジャワアカガシラサギは毎日のように田んぼの畔でトンボ取り。

A Broad-billed Sandpiper in winter plumage has arrived. The third Broad-billed Sandpiper in the same paddy field.

7月から長逗留しているジャワアカガシラサギが見やすくなっています。台風後に増えたトンボを捕食しようと農道や畔に出てくるので見つけやすいです。

キリアイの幼鳥も滞在中。また台風が近づいてきているのでしばらくは渡れないでしょうね。

ハリオシギ、チュウジシギも滞在中。

Javan Pond Heron targeting dragonflies swarming on a farm road.

同じエリアにある田んぼにヨーロッパトウネン、ソリハシセイタカシギ、キリアイ、ハリオシギ、アカエリヒレアシシギのほか、トウネン、オジロトウネン、セイタカシギ、チュウジシギ、ウズラシギ、アオアシシギ、コアオアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、タカブシギ、クサシギ、コチドリ、ムナグロ、ツバメチドリなどが大集結していました。石垣島のシギ、チドリファンにはたまりませんね。^^

Little Stint, juvenile.

台風11号襲来直前にハリオシギが、これまでに経験したことのないくらい増えました。

チュウジシギ十数羽の群れの中にハリオシギを2羽見つけて写真を撮っていると風が強くなる中、7羽のハリオシギの群れが空から目の前に降ってきました。全て幼鳥でした。

他の田んぼに移動すると、ハリオシギ6羽の群れを発見。今季は異常なほどハリオシギが多い印象です。尾羽写真もじゃんじゃん貯まります。^^

「針尾が見えてるか見えていないか」の観察条件が悪い時のパターンも、かなり経験を積むことができました。

A juvenile Swinhoe's Snipe just before landing. This became one of my favourite shots — the pin-like tail feathers came out clearly. ^^

今季初のタシギを確認しました。これで石垣島のジシギ3種はそろい踏み。現在、ハリオシギがピークを迎えており、石垣島では、この後チュウジシギが優勢になり、最後はタシギだらけになります。

The first Common Snipe of the season was a juvenile.

チュウジシギの群れが入ったようでジシギの数が増えていました。ほとんどが幼鳥でした。その中で、1羽だけハリオシギを発見しました。

A juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe among a flock of Swinhoe's Snipe on a distant paddy bank.

きょうもジシギの群れの中からハリオシギの抽出作業。近くで2羽のハリオシギが同時に水浴びをしてくれるチャンスにも恵まれました!!

Pin-tailed Snipe adult.

時間がなくてなかなか観察できませんが、きょうもジシギポイントでハリオシギとチュウジシギの識別。

ほとんどチュウジシギですが、その中に2〜3羽のハリオシギがまじっている感じです。

夕方にはアカガシラサギを確認。ゴイサギも暗くなるとカエルなどを狙いに田んぼにやってきます。

Juvenile Pin-tailed Snipe.

キセキレイから遅れること約2週間でマミジロツメナガセキレイを初確認しました。一夜にしてまとまった数が渡ってきたようです。

ハリオシギとチュウジシギも順調に渡っているようで、全てではありませんが識別できる個体を見ていてもメンバーは入れ替わっているようです。

イソシギも幼鳥が増え出しました。

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

きょうもハリオシギとチュウジシギの識別業務。

一つの田んぼに10羽でハリオシギは成鳥2、幼鳥1、チュウジシギは幼鳥7でした。前日の美しいハリオシギの幼鳥は再発見できず残念。入れ替りながら数を増やしているようです。

Pin-tailed Snipe, adult in late summer plumage.

ジシギが増えてきたのでハリオシギ、チュウジシギ識別業務の開始。

一つの田んぼに8羽滞在で、ハリオシギは幼鳥1、成鳥3でチュウジシギは幼鳥3、成鳥1でした。

例年通りなら今後はチュウジシギが増えていき、9月に入るとふたたびハリオシギが増え、9月中旬まで楽しめます。

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

8月10日に初認 したジシギがどんどん増えています。この日はハリオシギとチュウジシギが成鳥、幼鳥合わせて7羽ほどが一つのエリアで確認できました。タシギの初陣はまもなく到着です。

Swinhoe's Snipe, adult, late summer plumage.

今季は全国的にコシャクシギが多く確認されていますが、石垣島でも4羽のコシャクシギが確認されました。 先日、愛知県で見て来たコシャクシギ は水の張られた田んぼにいましたが、石垣島や沖縄ではサトウキビ畑か牧草地に入るケースがほとんどです。ところ変わればいろいろな環境を利用するのですね。

シーズン中、石垣島を留守にしていたのでハリオシギは難しいかと思っていましたが、1羽だけ確認できました。チュウジシギはまだまだ残っていましたが、タシギはゼロでした。例年のパターンです。

ソリハシセイタカシギは昨年秋から散発的にやって来ます。今季は、ほかの淡水シギは少ないようです。

Four Little Whimbrels in a sugarcane field. They were distant at first, but by watching quietly from the car they gradually came closer.