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

Two Black Drongos turned up at a different location from the three seen the other day. That makes six individuals this season. Birds are also appearing on Iriomote Island and Okinawa Main Island at the same time. Across the Nansei Islands, numbers seem higher than usual.

Red Collared Dove arrived as a male and female pair. After a heavy downpour, the female stopped showing, but the male was foraging on the ground.

The Ruddy Kingfisher near my home sees me so often every day that it pays me no attention at all. I also managed to get video of it singing and dancing.

A Black Drongo after a downpour. It sat motionless on a branch tip — apparently drying its feathers.

Three Black Drongos arrived. It is nothing like the flock of seven from two years ago, but it is always good when more than one turns up. They were gliding low over the paddies and snatching prey.

I also had good views of Black-winged Kite, Hen Harrier and Crested Serpent Eagle.

A Black Drongo perched right in front of me. You can also see the small white spot at the base of the bill.

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.

In the rice fields, two Crested Serpent Eagles were fighting over a snake. I knew how it would end, and sure enough the resident male — the territory holder — won decisively. See the video for the full story.

The male on the right holds the territory; the female on the left is "Micchan," who has been in wildlife rehabilitation before. He just made a pitiful cry and was no match for her.

A Kentish Plover turned up that looks slightly different from the birds that breed on Ishigaki. I haven't paid much serious attention to Kentish Plovers before, but this individual stood out.

First Whiskered Terns of the season confirmed — two birds quartering over the rice paddies. A juvenile Eurasian Spoonbill is also still present; it's an individual with a noticeably pale bill. Wood Sandpiper and Black-winged Stilt numbers are up, though the peak for waders in the paddies hasn't really arrived yet this season. Little Ringed Plover and Long-toed Stint are also gradually increasing.

Isabeline Shrikes are thinning out as they head to breeding grounds. The pair of overwintering Peregrine Falcons is still here. The one-eyed Crested Serpent Eagle near my home is somehow hanging on. Ishigaki Tit appears to be busy with nesting.

Male Kentish Plover in breeding plumage. Beautiful. The breeding population in Okinawa is considerably paler.

I was up in the northern part of Ishigaki for work, so I took the chance to do a bit of birding. I had a feeling Common Hoopoe and Chinese Blackbird might have arrived, so I made a short detour — and found them straight away. Two Common Hoopoes at two sites, and one Chinese Blackbird. Common Hoopoes are being seen in good numbers on Okinawa main island, Miyako-jima and Iriomote as well; this could be a bumper year.

Also present were Arctic Warbler, Kamchatka Leaf Warbler, Daurian Redstart and Mugimaki Flycatcher. White Wagtail numbers are up, but almost all of them are the leucopsis subspecies — the largest flock was close to 30 birds. In a typical year the leucopsis birds arrive first, followed by the nominate subspecies a while later.

In the paddies, Crested Serpent Eagle — both juvenile and adult — and Malayan Night Heron are being encountered frequently.

Four Spotted Redshanks dropped out of the sky into a rice field. They came in from the direction of the sea, so they may be the birds that were recorded on Iriomote a few days ago.

Eurasian Hoopoe resting on a branch. It ended up settling in and staying put just like that.

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.

Warm days have continued, and I can now hear Ryukyu Flycatchers singing as I drive the forest roads. Common Emerald Doves are calling too. I also confirmed a Ruddy Kingfisher calling from my house — earlier than usual, possibly due to the mild winter.

Crested Serpent Eagles are in the early stages of the breeding season; wherever I go — rice paddies, sugarcane fields, forest roads — I find them in pairs.

Eastern Yellow Wagtails look set to finish the season without ever reaching their peak wintering numbers. Could this also be a mild-winter effect, with fewer flocks moving south from the continent?

Ryukyu Flycatcher heading into second-summer plumage.

On Ishigaki Island, juvenile Black-winged Kites and Crested Serpent Eagles have been showing themselves and delighting birdwatchers. Common Kestrels, Grey-faced Buzzards, and Eurasian Sparrowhawks are wintering. Upland Buzzards, Peregrine Falcons, and Eastern Marsh Harriers are also present.

A Javan Pond Heron and a Chinese Pond Heron are wintering companionably in the same rice paddy. They have been here since last year and made it safely through the new year. A few breeding-plumage feathers are beginning to show.

A Black-winged Kite observed at eye level at one of my regular spots. It's perching on its favourite branch as usual, eyes gleaming red.

This season Ishigaki Island has a rich variety of raptors, including wintering birds. Upland Buzzards: three birds at two locations on the island. Peregrine Falcons: juveniles, subadults, and adults all seem to be present in unusually high numbers. Common Kestrels are everywhere.

The Black-winged Kites are approaching the end of the breeding season, and the juvenile Crested Serpent Eagles become more active in their foraging as the weather warms.

Black-winged Kite in the middle of breeding. The chicks will fledge soon.

A Short-eared Owl has come to winter here again this season. Many other raptors are also wintering, including Upland Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Grey-faced Buzzard, Common Kestrel, and Hen Harrier.

Short-eared Owl in the rice fields. This individual doesn't mind people, so it's easy to watch — but I don't want to disturb its hunting, so I kept the record shots to under a minute.

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.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle, which has been hard to find reliably this season, was out in the farmland. A Common Kestrel that has been present for several days seems to have taken a liking to the pasture and was hunting in a relaxed manner.

The Javan Pond Heron has been staying a long time, but the recent pattern is for it to leave around March, before shifting into breeding plumage.

Six Pied Avocets are staying at four sites. How long will they stick around?

Juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. I heard its call and went looking — and there it was.

Crested Serpent Eagle juveniles are few this season. One has settled in a small paddy field but is in constant conflict with a Common Kestrel.

Red Collared Doves are staying at several locations.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle fleeing after being startled by a Common Kestrel.

Lesser White-fronted Goose, Siberian Pipit, Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, and Caspian Tern all photographed for the first time this season in one go. Red Collared Doves continue to stay at multiple locations.

Common Snipe numbers are growing as birds settle into wintering mode. Dunlin, Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, and Common Redshank are also wintering in the island's paddies, though in small numbers.

Among raptors, Crested Serpent Eagle is becoming easier to find, and Common Kestrel, Grey-faced Buzzard, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, and Peregrine Falcon are all increasing.

Pale-capped Pigeon male juvenile. Spooked by raptors and not coming down into the paddies.

Red Collared Dove numbers have been slow to build this season, but several have finally come in — around six individuals confirmed so far.

Black-winged Kites have recently been appearing in groups: two adults and one juvenile. On this day two were careening over the paddy fields and scattering all the small birds.

Crested Serpent Eagle juveniles are down in number this year, but encounters with adults are gradually increasing. The calls carry clearly from my house as well.

Small birds are also visiting the farmland. Red-throated Pipit, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, and Brambling confirmed — the Brambling was my first photograph of the species this season.

Two male Cream-coloured Doves. A female had also been present a few days earlier.

Small birds are building in number. Red-throated Pipit and Eastern Yellow Wagtail can be seen everywhere.

Red-throated Pipit numbers are steadily increasing.

Ruff have turned up at several sites, almost all juveniles. The regulars — Red-necked Stint, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, and Long-toed Stint — are present in paddies everywhere. Dunlin have started to appear as well.

The first Pacific Golden Plovers of the season arrived in small flocks of juveniles. Around the park and cattle sheds, Chestnut-cheeked Starling, Red-billed Starling, and White-shouldered Starling are also increasing.

A juvenile Ruff.

The first Crested Serpent Eagle of the season fledged around 25 August. On this day, a third juvenile individual was confirmed for the season.

A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle in flight. Always a stunning bird no matter when you see it.

Three on the commute in the morning, one during the day, and three more on the way out to dinner with the family — seven Ruddy Kingfishers in all. The evening three were perched together on the same guardrail. Getting ready to migrate overnight, perhaps?

Crested Serpent Eagle encounters are also increasing; I came across three individuals on this day.

All the Eastern Yellow Wagtails are of the white-browed type — large mixed flocks of juveniles and adults are appearing all over the place.

The Ruddy Kingfisher in my neighbourhood. I say hello to this individual every morning before heading to the office. ^^ The head looked quite tatty a few days ago, but the moult there seems to be done now.