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

The second Common Hoopoe of the season has arrived. The Common Hoopoe is one of the birds that herald spring on Ishigaki Island, though it feels as if the arrival date gets a little earlier every year.

With the warmer weather, Crested Serpent Eagle and Black-winged Kite on Ishigaki Island have been observed carrying nesting material and displaying — confirmed breeding behaviour. Wintering waders and ducks are still present.

A Eurasian Hoopoe that turned up a little early. There are good years every few years, but I have a feeling this season will see a large influx of Eurasian Hoopoes on Ishigaki Island.

Ducks have started arriving on Ishigaki-jima. Eurasian Teal and Garganey — the first of the season — are increasing. The first Tufted Duck of the season was also in a drainage ditch on farmland.

In the rice paddies, the snipe are now down to Common Snipe only. Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, and Common Sandpiper are all still present. Eastern Yellow Wagtails are turning up here and there but numbers aren't building much. Could the heat be slowing their movement?

Whiskered Terns have been lingering along the river near my house.

Garganey, juvenile male. Fairly approachable.

Ishigaki Island is lively with a mix of winter visitors that have not yet headed north, passage migrants stopping over, and resident birds active as breeding season gets underway.

Most conspicuous lately are Cinnamon Bitterns in full breeding season — I am encountering them in rice paddies all over the place. Tufted Duck and Eurasian Coot are among those that should have gone north but are still here; most have departed, but a few individuals appear to remain. I have also recorded snipe on passage.

A male Ryukyu Minivet— I often see it flying about actively.

When it comes to quality ducks on Ishigaki Island, the Ferruginous Duck stands out. This season it arrived alone. Not particularly wary, so an easy bird to watch.

While doing some birdwatching in the rice paddies with my daughter, a juvenile Black-winged Kite landed on a branch right in front of us. My daughter, who loves raptors, was thrilled — but afterwards when I tried to start the car, nothing happened. Had to call a tow truck and send it off to the garage. ^^;

A male Ferruginous Duck. No juveniles or adults could be confirmed….

The juvenile Black-winged Kite seems to have finally become independent recently. Black-winged Kites on Ishigaki breed multiple times a year, so the population keeps growing. The Peregrine Falcon pair that wintered here last year has returned to the same spot again this year. An Upland Buzzard is also in the same area, keeping the Eurasian Coots and herons on edge. A nearby juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle looked startled as the two Peregrines chased it around.

The two Tundra Swans are still present. Around ten Northern Lapwings — all juveniles — have arrived. The rice paddies are busy with Marsh Sandpipers, Common Greenshanks, Common Redshanks, Wood Sandpipers, Northern Shovelers and Eurasian Teals. The first Tufted Duck of the season was also confirmed.

A Black-winged Kite juvenile with zero wariness. Given the location and timing, it may be the individual that was being fed in mid-air by a parent bird previously.

When it comes to spring ducks on Ishigaki, Garganey is the one. Two males were resting on a small settling pond. A Taiga Bean Goose arrived on its own — presumably a northbound bird. There were reports of nearly 100 geese passing over the island; this individual may be a straggler from that flock.

The overwintering Tufted Ducks are coming into breeding plumage. One female Northern Pintail — for some reason just the one — is moving around with a flock of Eastern Spot-billed Ducks. She seems to have missed her window to migrate.

Two male Garganey. Their beautiful breeding plumage gives a real sense of spring.

A hybrid duck. I have no idea what's going on… ^^;

The wintering ducks of Ishigaki Island are all assembled. Six Greylag Geese, Taiga Bean Geese, and Greater Bean Geese have arrived; in the rice paddies the most numerous ducks are Eastern Spot-billed Ducks, Northern Shovelers, and Eurasian Wigeons, while a large flock of Tufted Ducks is on the reservoir. Mallards, Eurasian Teals, Northern Pintails, Gadwalls, and Falcated Ducks are also present. This season I am seeing Mallard × Eastern Spot-billed Duck hybrids frequently.

Update, 3 March 2024

The six Greylag Geese that were on Ishigaki Island until around the end of January were on Kume Island as of late February. I hear a Smew is also there; since the Greylag Geese on Ishigaki sometimes used the same reservoir as a Smew, that bird too may have moved from Ishigaki.

The Grey-lag Geese have been here since last year — a long stay. All five are present.

Two small Taiga Bean Geese together with Greater Bean Geese. They appear to be one of the smaller subspecies, but identification is difficult.

A small settling pond has Mandarin Duck, Tufted Duck, Eurasian Wigeon and others staying over. There was also an unidentified duck — I couldn't picture either parent for a hybrid, so domestic fowl may be mixed in.

An individual thought to be a Tundra Bean Goose, a smaller Bean Goose, and a Lesser White-fronted Goose.

Tufted Duck, Mallard, and Northern Pintail recorded for the first time this season. Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon, and Eurasian Teal are staying, though scattered. Lesser White-fronted Goose, Taiga Bean Goose, and Greater White-fronted Goose are also lingering.

Male Tufted Duck.

One Javan Pond Heron and three Chinese Pond Herons are staying on — all four are always together.

Oriental Pratincoles are increasing. On this day, nine were resting in the paddies, taking a break from the rain.

A Siberian Yellow Wagtail was on a paddy bund. The distance and the grass obscuring the bird made observation difficult; getting a few photos was the best I could manage. A Siberian Pipit was nearby.

The wintering Common Snipe have all but disappeared, though migrants are trickling through. Swinhoe's Snipe should be arriving soon.

Four Garganey turned up. If there's a duck that says spring on Ishigaki, it's the Garganey.

A Javan Pond Heron in winter plumage. Probably a first-winter individual.

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.

The Greylag Goose, Ruddy Shelduck, and Tundra Swan are settling in for a long winter stay. Duck numbers are also increasing. Quite a few have turned up at the dam, but without a scope they're just too far away…

A Grey-lag Goose with no wariness at all, settled into wintering mode alongside a Bean Goose.

A Black Stork has arrived on Ishigaki. One came in last year too, and they turn up occasionally before that, but they are always quite wary and surprisingly difficult to photograph. This individual, however, could be observed fairly close-up and at leisure — for a Black Stork, anyway.

The Tufted Duck is my first of the season. A juvenile had already been confirmed last month, but this was my first sighting. On the coast there were Grey Plovers, Siberian Sand Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Red-necked Stints, and Sanderlings. Two Caspian Terns were flying distantly. I expect Caspian Tern numbers will increase a little more toward year's end.

Black Stork, juvenile. My wife saw one last year but I missed it. This individual was not especially wary for a Black Stork, and we were able to photograph and observe it at close range.

まだハリオシギいました。今季は、ハリオシギの最盛期に入院していたのでほとんど見られていませんでしたが、渡り終盤で見ることができました。^^

夏羽の真っ黒ツルシギも滞在中。夏羽のヒバリシギやウズラシギも増えてきました。

この時季には非常にめずらしいキンクロハジロとヒドリガモも複数で飛来しました。

A Pin-tailed Snipe wrestling with a worm on a paddy bund.

石垣島に日本産ツクシガモ属全種が滞在しています。全種といってもアカツクシガモとツクシガモの2種類ですが…。^^;

オニアジサシも1羽だけですが、越冬中です。

An adult female Ruddy Shelduck, now staying for over a month, moving between different spots.

立冬のこの日、マガンが25羽飛来しました。石垣島はもちろん沖縄でも最大の飛来数だと思われます。これまで県内でもっとも多い飛来数は 2018年の11羽 なので倍以上の数に記録更新です。ついでにオナガガモ3羽もついてきました。

今季初となるキンクロハジロを確認。単独で水路を泳いでいました。

先月、50羽ほどの群れで入ったタゲリは島内で分散してあちこちの田んぼにいます。

ツメナガセキレイとムネアカタヒバリは群れで島内を移動していて、昨日は100羽以上の群れがいたのに今日はいないなんてことがよくあります。

ほかにはオグロシギやムナグロ、リュウキュウヨシゴイ、カンムリワシ、ムラサキサギ、シマアカモズ、サシバなどレギュラーメンバーに会えました。

The flock of Greater White-fronted Geese totalled 25 birds, adults and juveniles combined.

昨年、12月に石垣島初記録として確認したハジロカイツブリ が今年も飛来しました。今回で石垣島2例目です。前回は1日で行方不明になりましたが、今回の個体は安定して見られそうです。

ケリも沖縄では珍しく、今季は長いこと滞在しています。 10月に同所で撮影した個体 と同じかもしれません。春までいて夏羽を拝みたいところです。

カンムリワシの幼鳥も縄張りが安定してきて複数個体がほぼ毎日見られます。

池のカモ類はハシビロガモとコガモ、カルガモを筆頭に、ヒドリガモやキンクロハジロなどが見られます。メジロガモも飛来していますが、きょうは見つけられませんでした。

石垣島発記録となるキバラガラが12月24日に確認されました。今季は九州や関東などでも出ています。年々キバラガラの情報は聞くようになりました。分布を広げているのでしょうか?

Black-necked Grebe — only the second record for Ishigaki Island and a rare bird for Okinawa overall.

たまには時間を気にせず鳥を見たいのですが、きょうも仕事の移動中に田んぼで少しだけバードウオッチング。

今季初ではないですが、2カ月ぶりのソリハシセイタカシギが登場。警戒心のない個体ですが、強風が吹き付けるので撮りにくかったー。

田んぼのオニアジサシは、少しだけ場所を変えて休んでいました。どうも餌場はダムっぽいです。

強風と雨の中、ミサゴが畔で食事をしていました。草が茂って何を食っているのかは不明。

今まで知らなかった沈砂池を発見したのでのぞいてみるとキンクロハジロやハシビロガモ、コガモ、カワウなどがいました。石垣島内では大きめの沈砂池なので今後、何か入るかもしれません。

稲刈りが終わった田んぼではオナガガモの幼鳥たちがカルガモと採餌していました。カルガモについて回っていました。安心するのでしょうか。

シギ、チドリはアカアシシギやアオアシシギ、セイタカシギ、クサシギ、タシギ、タゲリ、コチドリ、シロチドリ、メダイチドリなどが越冬中。

今季はユリカモメとの出会いが多く、ここ数日で4羽を観察。漁港にはウミネコらしきもいたそうですが、私は見られず…。

ムネアカタヒバリやハクセキレイ、キセキレイ、ツメナガセキレイたちは激しい北風が吹き付けるので草陰なでに避難している個体が多かったです。

Pied Avocet, adult female. It appeared in October this season, so this is the first sighting in two months.

カモ沈砂池に沖縄では珍鳥となるスズガモが入りました。カルガモやキンクロハジロ、ハシビロガモに交じって1羽のみ。昨年の今頃は与那国島でスズガモを2羽 見ています。うれしい2年連続の確認です。^^

昨日の6羽のベニバト とは別の場所2カ所に合わせて3羽発見。石垣島は雨と強風に見舞われていますので10羽近いベニバトが渡れずに滞在しています。

Greater Scaup, juvenile male. A few first-winter feathers are just starting to come in.