All three snipe species on Ishigaki Island — Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, and Common Snipe — are finally present at the same time. From here, Pin-tailed and Swinhoe's Snipe numbers will decline, while Common Snipe will increase.
A textbook individual — identifiable as Pin-tailed Snipe at a glance.
I went birdwatching on the side while on a work trip to cover the Yonaguni Town Council election. ^^
I confirmed multiple migrating Chinese Sparrowhawk, and Common Kestrel had also arrived to overwinter. Migrating Oriental Dollarbird and Grey-streaked Flycatcher were also present, along with good numbers of overwintering Brown Shrike, Arctic Warbler, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail.
In recent years the rice paddies on Yonaguni Island have decreased, so waders and plovers are sparse — just small numbers of Black-winged Stilt, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Common Sandpiper, and Red-necked Stint.
Common Emerald Dove, having finished breeding, formed small flocks and I watched them feeding on several occasions.
Chinese Sparrowhawk, juvenile. I also picked out several adults soaring.
A few Chinese Pond Herons are staying. Plumage varies widely, from individuals still mostly in winter dress to those that have almost fully switched to breeding plumage. A Cinnamon Bittern was nearby as well — it is probably breeding in the vicinity.
White-winged Terns were still present but numbers seemed to have dropped. Black-tailed Godwit, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Common Redshank, and Common Greenshank are also staying.
A Chinese Pond Heron almost fully into breeding plumage. This individual was a bit wary.
Temperatures rose and the paddy birds became a little more active — I had good views of bathing behavior and similar scenes.
A distant Pin-tailed Snipe.
6th Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp side notes: a Broad-billed Sandpiper showed at close range, and the paddies also produced a flock of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Long-toed Stints in summer plumage, freshly arrived Eurasian Whimbrels, breeding Greater Painted-snipes, and Cinnamon Bitterns in beautiful nuptial plumage.
While traveling between sites, we encountered Ruddy Kingfishers, a Crested Serpent Eagle, Red-throated Pipits, and a large flock of Eastern Yellow Wagtails.
When I first spotted it the Broad-billed Sandpiper was at the far end of the rice paddy, but it gradually worked its way closer.
A Taiga Bean Goose that had been reported a little while back was resting in the paddies. Waders present included Pied Avocets, Black-winged Stilts, Long-toed Stints, Wood Sandpipers, Common Redshanks, Common Greenshanks, Marsh Sandpipers and Common Snipe. An out-of-season Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was also there on its own. Temminck's Stints have been numerous this season — I confirmed several birds.
Bean Geese had been seen in multiple individuals, but on this day there was only one.
By mid-September the Pin-tailed Snipe numbers are falling and Swinhoe's Snipe are coming to dominate. After this, a second wave of Pin-tailed Snipe is expected.
Juvenile Red-necked Stints have started arriving. Long-toed Stint, Common Greenshank, Dunlin, and Superb Lyrebird are also present.
The only Pin-tailed Snipe of the day was at the far end of the paddy field — a long way off….
A Common Ringed Plover — a rare bird on Ishigaki Island — has turned up. It's only the second time I've seen one on the island. It was associating with a flock of Little Ringed Plovers. A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, the first of the season, also arrived. I had noted it a few days earlier, but today I managed to get photographs.
The rice fields have a true migration-season feel, with Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Black-winged Stilt, and Red-necked Stint all coming and going.
The Kentish Plover was in transition from breeding to non-breeding plumage.
No change among the Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe, but a second Curlew Sandpiper of the season had arrived. The other waders are the usual crowd, numbers fluctuating as they linger on.
Pin-tailed Snipe, adult.
I recorded my first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season — about three birds arrived together. The autumn shorebird passage is now getting properly underway, with Wood Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, and Little Ringed Plover passing through the paddies day by day.
While watching the waders, a sudden tension ran through the paddy. Looking up, a juvenile Black-winged Kite appeared to hunt. It plunged into the grass and came out gripping a White-breasted Waterhen chick. The prey seemed heavy and the bird was struggling to carry it off.
The first Pectoral Sandpiper of the season turned out to be an adult.
With shorebirds on the increase, I spent the entire day searching for waders. The result: starting with Asian Dowitcher, I recorded Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Stint, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Pin-tailed Snipe, Greater Sand Plover, and more — 21 species of waders in total. Seeing this many species in a single day is one of the great pleasures of this time of year. ^^
A Bar-tailed Godwit in summer plumage that suddenly dropped in alongside Black-winged Stilts and Black-tailed Godwits near the end of a shorebird search. Looking sharp in that summer plumage.
Two consecutive days of bad weather brought large numbers of shorebirds and plovers — apparently mid-migration — dropping in to localized spots. The biggest group was Black-winged Stilts, over 400 birds, followed by Wood Sandpipers at 200+. There were too many to keep counting, so I stopped midway. ^^;
Pied Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and Garganey also arrived, making the paddies extremely lively — though two days later everything was back to normal. ^^;
Along the coast, Greater Sand Plover numbers increased, and a small number of Grey Plovers also came through.
Two Curlew Sandpipers confirmed.
The Collared Kingfisher that had been absent since around mid-February has come back to Ishigaki Island. Based on behavioral patterns and physical features — bill shape and plumage — it appears to be the same individual as before.
In the paddies, Pied Avocet, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper have been forming impressive mixed flocks, much to the delight of visiting birdwatchers from off the island. ^^
The Collared Kingfisher, which had not been seen for over a month, has returned to Ishigaki Island.
The Black-winged Kites that have been breeding continuously for several years in a woodland near my home appear to be starting their first breeding attempt of the year. Black-winged Kites on Ishigaki breed roughly twice a year, and the timing seems fairly irregular, though warmer periods likely bring higher success rates. Black-winged Kites can now be found everywhere on the island, from the towns in the south to Hirakubo in the north.
Pacific Swifts have arrived at the rice paddies. Around five birds were wheeling through the air together with Barn Swallows. I also recorded my first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season, and Common Redshanks that are hard to separate from overwintering birds but appear to be on passage. Black-winged Stilts are also gradually increasing.
A Black-winged Kite perched on a prominent dead branch, occasionally calling back and forth with another individual perched nearby.
Ishigaki had a rough day under the influence of a tropical depression. When the rain eased I did the rounds of the paddies and found the first Broad-billed Sandpiper of the season had arrived — encountered in a puddle in a sugarcane field. Out on the grassland I also picked up first records of Curlew Sandpiper and Grey Plover. Bad weather does have a way of pushing birds into unexpected places.
Found a Broad-billed Sandpiper in a puddle in a sugarcane field. Was able to observe it right in front of me.
First juveniles of the season confirmed for Wood Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper. Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper also first records of the season. The Greater Painted-snipe chicks are still moving with the adults but have grown large enough that they are barely distinguishable from them.
First Wood Sandpiper juveniles of the season. It seems they arrived all at once.
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.
I have found a Grey-headed Swamphen — a first record!! There were apparently three records on the mainland in the 1970s and one on Okinawa Island in 1995, but all have been ruled as escapes, so there is no accepted record. There is therefore a strong possibility this will become the first accepted national record after further review.
A planned assignment was cancelled, so I reluctantly stopped by the paddies — and found it. At first I thought it was a Watercock, but when I put binoculars on it, question marks started spinning through my head. "Wait, a Takahē?" "No, Takahē can't fly." "Could this be a Grey-headed Swamphen!!!!!!" — and the enormity of it became real.
The genus Porphyrio has several members worldwide; they were formerly treated as subspecies, but after splitting the IOC list now recognises at least seven species. Among them, this bird struck me as closest to the Philippine Swamphen.
In the 2023 eighth edition of the Check-List of Japanese Birds it is listed as a species under consideration. I would like to take this opportunity to write up a report and have it elevated from that status.
When a bird you hadn't even considered turns up, you have no idea what you're looking at…. ^^;
A juvenile Asian Dowitcher has arrived. It is moving around the paddies together with Common Greenshank and Black-winged Stilt.
Broad-billed Sandpipers are turning up in paddies across the area — four birds in three locations. All juveniles, naturally. I'd love to see an adult one of these days….
Multiple Ruffs have also arrived. Temminck's Stint numbers are slowly building too.
The first juvenile Eurasian Whimbrel of the season was also confirmed. The paddies are getting livelier with each passing week of autumn.
Long-billed Dowitcher, juvenile. It startled every time a farmer's light truck passed.