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

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.

September has arrived, and autumn migration on Ishigaki Island is now in full swing. Eastern Yellow Wagtail numbers jumped overnight, and flocks ranging from small to large can be seen in farmland all over the island.

Among the waders, juveniles have started arriving on the heels of the adults. Flocks in fresh juvenile plumage are coming in.

An adult Eastern Yellow Wagtail of the white-supercilium type, transitioning into winter plumage.

December was hectic with repeated work trips and preparations for Omoto526, a single-unit rental guesthouse opening very soon, so I barely managed to get out birding at all.

Instead, a Crested Serpent Eagle, a Common Kestrel and Olive-backed Pipits have started turning up in our garden. A Black-winged Kite appears morning and evening.

I'd like to take things more slowly and do some proper birdwatching next year — though who knows how that will go… ^^;

A Red-throated Pipit with a short tail. There were also several Citrine Wagtails in the same condition. Perhaps they were grabbed by the Eurasian Sparrowhawk that has been holding territory over this paddy.

Birding in the gaps between work assignments on Yonaguni Island. As I cruised the forest road with a sense that autumn migration was well and truly getting under way, I spotted a fig tree that birds were gathering in. While watching a flock of Warbling White-eyes, a yellow warbler flew into my field of view. I got it in the binoculars — it was a Willow Warbler!! It was moving from branch to branch, apparently picking off small insects.

I also had first records for the trip of Chinese Sparrowhawk, Oriental Dollarbird, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Garganey, Common Snipe, and White-shouldered Starling. Yonaguni Island delivers, as always. ^^

Arctic Warbler makes an appearance. It stands out clearly — obviously different from the other Japanese leaf warblers.

One month after the first Javan Pond Heron, the Chinese Pond Heron has finally arrived. In recent years a pattern has continued in which Chinese Pond Herons arrive after the Javan Pond Herons. There are also more years now when Javan Pond Herons outnumber Chinese Pond Herons.

The Eastern Yellow Wagtails first confirmed last month are increasing steadily in number. The white-supercilium form appears to predominate. Every flock is a mix of juveniles and adults.

The first Chinese Pond Heron of the season. It was eating a tadpole.

I recorded the first Eastern Yellow Wagtail of the season. It is a juvenile, but appears to be of the subspecies tschutschensis with the white supercilium. The Javan Pond Heron, with zero wariness of humans, continues its long stay.

The Greater Painted-snipe may be on a second breeding attempt — the male was collecting dead leaves and building a nest. When a snipe came close, he threatened it.

A juvenile Eastern Yellow Wagtail (superciliated form), the first confirmed record of the season.

Stopped to check the coast on my way past and scanned for sandpipers and plovers. The tide was wrong and everything was far off. ^^;

Great Knots arrived in a small flock.

I did some birdwatching during free time on a work trip to Yonaguni Island.

The timing was good — in a short while I was able to see Oriental Plover, Black Redstart, Citrine Wagtail, Common Hoopoe, Pin-tailed Snipe, and Swinhoe's Snipe. It was all thanks to the senior birders staying on the island!!

Seven Large Sand Plovers arrived early in the morning at the go-to spot on Yonaguni Island. I got the message while I was at work, so I was fidgeting.

Among a flock of several dozen Eastern Yellow Wagtails and Red-throated Pipits, there was one Siberian Eastern Yellow Wagtail. This season the numbers of Eastern Yellow Wagtails and Red-throated Pipits have been low — quite disappointing.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail (beema), first-winter plumage.

I recorded the first Eastern Yellow Wagtail of the season — the macronyx type. Apparently there were many in the north of the island, so they should be moving down to the south by tomorrow.

Western Yellow Wagtail (supercilium white), adult. Already in winter plumage.

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.

In the same area, the Javan Pond Heron count is up to two birds and the Broad-billed Sandpiper to three, much to the delight of visiting birdwatchers from outside the prefecture.

The Javan Pond Heron count in the same paddy field has gone up to two.

Heading north for work, I found Brown Shrikes had increased. Numbers in the south should follow. The Eastern Yellow Wagtails are all of the white-browed type so far — the yellow-browed birds should be along any time now….

Brown Shrike, first-winter plumage.

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.

I found a Javan Pond Heron on Yonaguni Island — almost certainly a first record. Veterans who have visited the island for decades have not seen one, and it does not appear in any checklist.

Up to about seven Yonaguni Wood Pigeons came to Tacchigami Rock on the south-east side of the island. What draws them there, I wonder?

On the schoolground of Kubura Elementary School after rain there was 1 Pin-tailed Snipe and 2 Swinhoe's Snipes. The rice fields on Yonaguni have completely dried up, so they presumably have nowhere else to go. A few dozen Pacific Golden Plovers had also come down.

A Javan Pond Heron — a first record for Yonaguni Island. It was at Agariizaki. This individual was fairly wary.

White-browed Eastern Yellow Wagtails are increasing — flocks of up to around 20. I also confirmed the season's first juvenile Black-winged Stilt. Red-necked Stints, Long-toed Stints, and Wood Sandpipers continue to turn over and build in numbers. A Greater Painted-snipe is incubating.

Eastern Yellow Wagtail, 1st-winter.

The season's first Javan Pond Heron and White-browed Eastern Yellow Wagtail have arrived. Javan Pond Herons will trickle through from here on, while the Eastern Yellow Wagtails will suddenly surge in numbers.

This year's Cinnamon Bitterns appear to be dispersing; individuals in the same area have been thinning out.

Javan Pond Heron with a tadpole it had caught. First record of the season.

While watching shorebirds in the rice fields, a flock of about twenty Eastern Yellow Wagtails dropped in from above. I looked at the first three that landed in front of me and there they were — a Siberian Wagtail, a White-browed Wagtail, and an Eastern Yellow Wagtail (Yellow-browed type) lined up side by side in a row. What a sudden miracle!!

The second Siberian Wagtail of the season. Last month's bird was in winter plumage, but this one was in breeding plumage.

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.

台風11号が襲来する中、ちょっとだけ鳥見。ソリハシセイタカシギが飛来していました。

クロハラアジサシは相当数が飛来。台風のこの時季の恒例の風景です。ツバメやツメナガセキレイも増えています。

A Pied Avocet enduring the gale-force winds of Typhoon No. 11.