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

The Ruddy Kingfishers appear to be progressing well through the breeding season — I can watch them nest-building and courtship-feeding.

A Black-faced Spoonbill has been staying for several days. Chinese Pond Herons in breeding plumage are scattered across various paddies, with several individuals present.

In paddies with open water, Ruff, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper and Whiskered Tern were resting.

A Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher near my home. It appears to be test-digging trial nest holes in several spots.

First records this season of Black-tailed Godwit, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Striated Heron. Unless the weather turns rough, large waders like the Black-tailed Godwit don't come down to Ishigaki. Striated Heron is scarce on the island, so finding one felt like a bonus.

The Black-tailed Godwit is still very much in winter plumage.

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.

Shorebirds are wintering along the coast and in the rice paddies. The most numerous are Greater Sand Plovers, Siberian Sand Plovers, and Ruddy Turnstones on the coast. Unusually for Ishigaki Island, a flock of Grey Plovers is also wintering.

Shorebird numbers in the paddies this season are low; species present include Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Wood Sandpiper, and Green Sandpiper.

Little Stint, winter plumage.

Overwintering in the paddies: Pied Avocet, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Green Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Little Ringed Plover, and Northern Lapwing. Dozens of Common Snipe are staying, but Swinhoe's Snipe have not been found…

Pied Avocet, first-winter.

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.

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.

Two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers arrived — beautiful birds in crisp fresh plumage. While I was watching them, a Black-winged Kite showed up earlier than usual. It didn't hunt and disappeared quickly. ^^;

The first Red Collared Doves of the season — three birds — arrived, but they seemed on edge because of the raptor and were hard to observe.

A juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper.

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.

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.

In this sideshow from the 1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp, I introduce the birds encountered during two days of snipe hunting.

A Javan Pond Heron was found — the fourth individual on Ishigaki this season. First juvenile Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, and Red-necked Stint of the season were confirmed. An adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was seen for the first time this season. A Greater Painted-snipe family with small chicks was encountered.

Please also see the day 1 and day 2 reports.

A Javan Pond-Heron that stayed for several days.

Long-toed Stints are building up in both adults and juveniles. Red-necked Stints so far are adults only — juveniles have yet to arrive. Marsh Sandpipers, adults and juveniles alike, are passing through steadily.

Long-toed Stint, juvenile. Numbers are steadily increasing.

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.

The shorebird passage seems to be reaching its peak and the rice fields are extremely busy. Greater Painted-snipe — the only snipe that breeds on Ishigaki — are active as a couple.

Four Curlew Sandpipers in various stages of moult from summer to winter plumage are present. Also here: the third Little Stint of the season, three Broad-billed Sandpipers, the season's first Temminck's Stint, along with Red-necked Stint, Long-toed Stint, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, and Pacific Golden Plover — all in one area.

Curlew Sandpiper in breeding plumage. Beautiful frosted patterning.

Turnover among shorebirds in the fields and along the coast has intensified.

In the rice fields, Curlew Sandpipers in beautiful summer plumage were mixed in with a flock of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. A Little Stint also in summer plumage has arrived, and nine Black-tailed Godwits have come in, adding to the activity.

Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, and Common Snipe are staying on, including some long-term individuals.

Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, and Marsh Sandpiper are beginning to show noticeably contrasting summer plumage.

Along the coast, large numbers of Siberian Sand Plover, Greater Sand Plover, Grey-tailed Tattler, Ruddy Turnstone, Red-necked Stint, and Eurasian Whimbrel have been arriving.

A Curlew Sandpiper flushed red.

The wintering Swinhoe's Snipe I found at year-end could not be relocated. Common Snipe were present in numbers exceeding 100.

Others included wintering Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, and Marsh Sandpiper.

A Marsh Sandpiper wintering in the same rice field. First-winter plumage.

Wishing everyone a happy new year.

The new year got off to a rough start — the entire family came down with COVID-19 right at the beginning of the holidays. We couldn't go anywhere, and I spent the time in bed until the 8th. ^^

My first birding of the year was on the 9th. Overwintering since last year: Common Crane, Ruddy Shelduck, Common Shelduck, Tundra Swan, Korean Kestrel, Grey-faced Buzzard, Eastern Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, thrushes, wagtails, Amur Stonechat, Chinese Pond Heron, and four species of starling.

For New Year's, you can't leave out a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle — the bird celebrated in the Okinawan song "Washi nu Tui-bushi."

A Tundra Swan arrived for the first time in about two years. Last time it stayed until spring — I wonder how long this one will stick around. It shows almost no wariness, so it would be great if it settles in for a long stay.

Crested Serpent Eagles are becoming more active ahead of the breeding season. I've been hearing them calling back and forth and often seeing them soaring over their territories.

Chinese Pond Herons are overwintering at several locations. Once they step into the grass they blend right in and become very hard to spot.

Eurasian Coots increased sharply after November began. Two years ago they were frequently attacked by Upland Buzzard. This season an Eastern Marsh Harrier, Hen Harrier, and Peregrine Falcon are all present, so it looks like it will be a tense winter for the coots.

For waders, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Long-toed Stint, Common Snipe, and Wood Sandpiper are all staying on.

I recorded my first Gadwall of the season. Tufted Duck and Eurasian Wigeon numbers are also building up at the dam.

Tundra Swan for the first time in two years. It doesn't seem particularly wary.

Following yesterday, I found the second Pectoral Sandpiper of the season. This time conditions were good for both observation and photography.

The first Northern Lapwings of the season — a group of around ten, all juveniles. On Ishigaki Island at this time of year, Northern Lapwings are almost always juveniles.

I couldn't get photographs, but Red Collared Doves, Pechora Pipits, and Eurasian Skylarks were also seen.

The second Buff-breasted Sandpiper of the season. Like yesterday's bird, this one was also a juvenile.

I went to Nagoya for a post-operative check-up after cervical spine surgery and did some birding while I was there. After three years of trying, I finally got to see Western Sandpiper. I also observed Broad-billed Sandpiper, Great Knot, and Red-necked Stint.

Along with the Western Sandpiper, Baikal Teal and Japanese Wagtail were lifers for me.

The Little Stint was at first sitting and resting in a hollow, but there was something about it that felt slightly off. ^^ Still, once it mixes into a flock of Red-necked Stints it gets difficult.