I made my third trip to Yonaguni Island this month. Small passerines were the main attraction: White Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Wagtail, Little Bunting, Daurian Redstart, and Brown Shrike among others.
There was a mixed flock of three subspecies of White Wagtail. This is a male leucopsis.
Spring migration on Ishigaki Island has been building gradually since February, and by March it has grown noticeably more active. The variety of waders is increasing first of all. Brown Shrikes and White-cheeked Starlings that spent the winter on the island are beginning to move north.
Some individual Crested Serpent Eagle juveniles are well along in their moult.
A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle. It is within the territory of an adult pair and gets chased off every time it is spotted, yet it stubbornly stays put.
The third Common Hoopoe of the season has arrived, following last week's bird. This individual showed no wariness at all — when a car passed nearby it flew off only a short distance. Reports of arrivals have also come in from other islands, and it looks like this is a good year for Common Hoopoe.
Temperatures are rising and spring migration is beginning. A mixed flock of Taiwan Wagtail, White Wagtail, and White Wagtail arrived in the rice paddies.
Among the waders, wintering birds — Common Snipe, Common Redshank, and Wood Sandpiper — have been joined by northbound migrants, making things a little livelier.
Resident birds — Crested Serpent Eagle, Purple Heron, and Cinnamon Bittern — were all active in the run-up to the breeding season.
Discovered what is the third Eurasian Hoopoe of the season on Ishigaki Island.
A White-naped Crane has arrived on Ishigaki for the first time in six years, since the first island record in 2020. It is a big, beautiful bird. A Siberian Crane has been wintering on Iriomote since last year — I would love to get over there to see it if the chance arises.
Crested Serpent Eagles are in the early stages of the breeding season; on fine days you can often hear a male and female calling back and forth.
Grey-faced Buzzards, Common Kestrels, Peregrine Falcons, Eastern Buzzards and Ospreys are all wintering on the island, but I have not seen an Upland Buzzard since I spotted one on Yonaguni in December last year — they seem scarce this season.
The first visit since October 2020. This time there were two adults. The Purple Heron looked no bigger than a Little Egret!!
A Greater White-fronted Goose has been present for several days now, but for some reason the guide is apparently calling it a Greylag Goose. To me it is clearly a juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose… ^^; A juvenile Tundra Swan has also arrived on its own. On Iriomote, two Tundra Swans and a Siberian Crane are staying as well.
Multiple Pied Avocets have turned up across the island. That day I tallied six birds in total — a group of four and singles at two separate locations. In the paddies, Northern Lapwings, Pacific Golden Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Little Ringed Plovers, Common Greenshanks, Common Redshanks, Wood Sandpipers, Dunlins, Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpipers and Black-winged Stilts are all wintering.
This season I had already confirmed the subspecies leucopsis and ocularis White Wagtails, but this day I was finally able to see the subspecies alba White Wagtail. That is pretty much how it goes every year.
A juvenile Greater White-fronted Goose. Why does it get misidentified as a Greylag Goose?
Out birdwatching with my five- and eight-year-old children. Got some good photos too. ^^
Six Pied Avocets staying at multiple sites.
Autumn migration on Ishigaki Island is winding down, but an out-of-season typhoon drove in a greater variety of birds.
A Pied Avocet arrived at a paddy field near the town centre.
A work trip to Yonaguni Island gave me a little time for birding. I had hoped for rarities like the Chestnut-winged Cuckoo and Grey-faced Buzzard from the previous year, but it didn't quite work out that way. Even so, I got to see a flock of Eurasian Siskins — a species you rarely encounter on Ishigaki — so it was an enjoyable trip.
My first Naumann's Thrush of the season turned out to be on Yonaguni Island.
The Pied Avocet is down to one bird, but it shows no wariness and has been staying for an extended period. Nearby, several Northern Lapwings and two Grey-headed Lapwings are also lingering.
A flock of Common Snipe is present at the same site. There are no Swinhoe's Snipe or Pin-tailed Snipe. Two Tundra Swans are happily wintering together on this southern island.
The Pied Avocets that arrived in a group of eleven in November have dwindled one by one, down to a single bird now.
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.
I had a work trip to Yonaguni Island after a long absence, so I went birding in my spare time. I came across a Chestnut-winged Cuckoo — found it at a private house in Sonai. It looked annoyed at being pestered by a Brown-eared Bulbul. I also spotted what appeared to be a Pale Buzzard.
Across the island, Emberizas were coming in in good numbers — Rustic Bunting, Yellow Bunting, Little Bunting and others. Narcissus Flycatcher, Daurian Redstart and Grey-streaked Flycatcher were staying all over the island. One Common Pochard had dropped into Kubura Mitou.
A juvenile Coral-billed Ground Cuckoo. It seemed to be using the drainage channel running behind some houses, but was chased off by a Brown-eared Bulbul and flew away somewhere.
Two Black-faced Spoonbills are roaming and staying around the island. As it gradually starts to feel like autumn, Garganey, Eurasian Teal, Northern Shoveler, Eurasian Wigeon and Northern Pintail are also increasing.
Adult Black-faced Spoonbill.
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.
I spent the New Year holidays in Nagoya, so I squeezed in three hours of birdwatching. There were several bunting species in the same area and it was fun listening to their calls. A short outing, but very satisfying — experiences you simply can't have on Ishigaki Island. ^^ I also got to see Eurasian Skylark and Bull-headed Shrike, both rarely encountered on the island.
There was a Common Starling in the same paddy field, which surprised me. Five birds were mixed in with a flock of White-cheeked Starlings. Northern Lapwing and Grey-headed Lapwing were there too. Grey-headed Lapwings are always around in that area, but it was my first time seeing Northern Lapwing there.
I was listening for Emberiza calls when a Reed Bunting appeared right in front of me. You don't get to see these on Ishigaki.
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.
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.
A quick burst of birdwatching in a spare moment. Crested Serpent Eagles are active and encounters with both adults and juveniles are frequent. Common Kestrels are wintering all over the place.
Two Black-tailed Gulls were at the fishing harbour, apparently eyeing up bait from the anglers.
Northern Lapwing flocks have appeared in various locations. The largest was over ten birds. Red-billed Starlings and Dusky Thrushes come to the compost heaps in the sugarcane fields every day.
A Crested Serpent Eagle eating a habu.
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."
Two Pied Avocets have arrived. They may be individuals already wandering around the island — four more Pied Avocets have also been confirmed elsewhere.
The Common Crane is also in wintering mode. At first it was extremely wary, but now not at all. ^^
A Eurasian Spoonbill is also staying on — a friendly individual. Wintering waders are showing up as well.
Pied Avocets foraging together. The bird in the background is in first-winter plumage; the one in the foreground is an adult in winter plumage.
The Pectoral Sandpiper is still going strong in the paddy fields, though it occasionally gets flushed by raptors.
First Common Starling of the season. It was following a group of Common Snipe around — apparently that's not unusual. Quite a size difference though; why does it do that? Some affinity for the similar metallic sheen of the plumage, maybe?
A flock made up mainly of Red-throated Pipits had Richard's Pipits, Pechora Pipits, and Eurasian Skylarks mixed in, but two Common Kestrels were nearby and kept scattering everything. After three hours I managed photos of just three Red-throated Pipits!!
A Buff-breasted Sandpiper juvenile still present.