Common Hoopoes — which along with Chinese Blackbirds herald spring on Ishigaki — turned up at four locations, five birds in total. This count covers only part of the western side of the island, so the overall number arriving is likely considerable. Perhaps the strong northerly winds the previous day brought many birds down.
A Eurasian Hoopoe with absolutely no wariness, delighting visiting birdwatchers.
Among the wintering warblers, Manchurian Bush Warblers can no longer be found, while more and more Japanese Bush Warblers are beginning to practise their song.
The Chinese Pond Heron that has been here since last autumn is still in its winter plumage as before. In the same paddy, a few Temminck's Stints arrived on spring passage. Common Snipe from the overwintering population were scattered, apparently disrupted by rice-planting and other farm work.
A Japanese Bush Warbler showing off its call notes and singing practice.
The Chinese Blackbird, harbinger of spring on Ishigaki, has arrived. I heard its call nearby as well, so it seems multiple birds are staying. Brown-headed Thrush, Pale Thrush, and Dusky Thrush migration also appears to be approaching its peak — small flocks can be found in patches of grassland in coastal settlements and similar spots.
I heard a Hooded Crane was staying in the north of the island, so I went to have a look. It seemed to favour a field prepared for sugarcane planting, with a pineapple plantation as a backdrop.
Cinnamon Bittern and Purple Heron are also full of vitality with the feel of spring in the air.
A Common Blackbird turned up in a good patch of habitat. Looks like it may stay a while.
I had a one-night, two-day work trip to Yonaguni Island and managed a little birdwatching on the side. Near the airport I found a Merlin, a species rarely recorded in the Yaeyamas and on Okinawa Island. An Upland Buzzard that has been present since last year was also nearby.
Spring passerines included Amur Stonechat, and a Garganey was among the ducks. I came across thrushes perched several to a branch on several occasions, as if gathering themselves for migration.
Confirmed a Merlin — a scarce species in the Southwestern Islands.
In early March on Ishigaki, Crested Serpent Eagle activity is surging with breeding season. On fine days it is possible to watch display flights. Malayan Night Herons are also moving into breeding condition and gradually taking on their nuptial colours.
Bramblings, Garganey, Wood Sandpipers, and Common Greenshanks heading north on their return migration have also arrived.
A Crested Serpent Eagle calmly lying in wait for prey in its usual territory.
Perhaps because it is not very wary, the Common Hoopoe first recorded on 24 February is still here. I have a feeling it will stay quite a while longer. It no longer flees or hides when people walk past or vehicles go by. It seems to be growing even more relaxed.
It shows no wariness, so it can be watched at close range. It was finding cockroaches one after another.
The Common Hoopoe is still here. The surroundings are not exactly peaceful, but this is its third day of staying.
A Eurasian Hoopoe that flew up into a branch, startled by a passing vehicle.
The Common Hoopoe that arrived on February 24 was still present. Once startled into the woods, it tends not to come back out for a while.
White's Thrush has been unusually numerous across Japan this season, and Ishigaki Island is no exception — birds are being reported all over the place. They're large and impressive.
The Eurasian Hoopoe that has been present since yesterday was raising its crest frequently. I wish it would move somewhere a little more peaceful….
This is the third individual Common Hoopoe of 2025. There's a lot of foot and vehicle traffic here, so it's a restless environment — hard to say how long it will stay.
A Eurasian Hoopoe that kept retreating into the bushes every time a person or vehicle passed by. Prey is plentiful, but it seemed unable to settle.
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….
A friend was visiting Ishigaki Island, so I checked on the Collared Kingfisher. It was doing well at its usual stretch of coastline. There are some guys drinking there in the middle of the day, but the bird doesn't seem to mind much. It flushes when pedestrians approach, but quickly returns to its regular perch on the tetrapod or the windbreak branches.
I spotted the Black-winged Kite on the way back from the municipal office — it was perched on a phone line eating a mouse. The town birds have lost a lot of their wariness toward people and are easy to observe.
A Collared Kingfisher on a tetrapod. Perching on spots like this is probably why its tail feathers are so heavily worn.
Possibly carried in by the strong northerly winds of the previous days, Whiskered Terns and Pacific Golden Plovers were recorded at several sites. It will still be a while before either species turns up in real numbers.
A dozen or so White-shouldered Starlings were coming to eat the fruit of the Orange Jessamine in the office car park. A flock of Asian Glossy Starlings has also visited recently, making it a regular feeding spot for the town's birds.
White-winged Tern in winter plumage. Numbers increase sharply come April.
A quick stop at a rice paddy near the town centre turned up White-shouldered Starling, Red Collared Dove, Chinese Pond Heron, Red-throated Pipit, Eurasian Skylark, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail. Being able to fit in some birdwatching even in a short spare moment is one of the great things about Ishigaki Island. ^^
A female Daurian Starling appeared right in front of me.
On a family trip to Okinawa's main island, I took the opportunity to see two overwintering Forest Wagtails and the first-ever Western Gull recorded in Japan.
With help from local friends, I managed to see both target species in a short time. ^^
Grey Wagtails appear on Ishigaki Island every year, but this was a rare chance to see two individuals at the same time, so I made the trip all the way to the north of the island to observe them.
I tracked down the second-ever Ring-necked Duck for Okinawa Prefecture among a flock of 600 Tufted Ducks. The distance was over 200 metres and branches and leaves limited the view, but after searching for about an hour I managed to find it. Once I knew which area it was floating in, I didn't lose it again and was able to watch it for over an hour.
Ring-necked Duck, male breeding plumage. Following a record on Miyako Island in 2023, this became the second record in the prefecture — a valuable sighting.
The Minister of Defense was visiting Yonaguni Island, so off I went on another work trip. I managed a little birdwatching in between duties. ^^
Driving through the farmland, I could hear Siberian Rubythroat, Ryukyu Robin, Manchurian Bush Warbler, Japanese Bush Warbler, Arctic Warbler, and Emberiza buntings calling. The density is considerably higher than on Ishigaki Island. It was a short visit, but I enjoyed it a great deal.
A Siberian Rubythroat in the morning, moving through the undergrowth while giving its call note.
White's Thrush has been turning up frequently this season. They're quite wary, so this was the first individual I managed to photograph. Pale Thrush and Brown-headed Thrush are also present on Ishigaki Island at the moment, but Dusky Thrush has been almost nowhere to be seen.
The Pied Avocet has been staying a long time. Temminck's Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Long-toed Stint, and Wood Sandpiper have all increased slightly in number. Spring migration may be getting underway soon.
A White's Thrush in the rice fields. It is noticeably larger than Pale and Brown Thrushes, and the bold patterning adds to its presence.
The Collared Kingfisher that appeared on Ishigaki Island last October has safely made it through the new year and is wintering in good health. Watching from the bridge is fine, but if you walk along the farm road to get a closer look it flies off in an instant. Once it disappears, it can be hours before it shows again. I recommend approaching by vehicle. However, in an ordinary passenger car the seat is too low to see into the channel, so rent a minivan, kei truck, or kei van!!
On this day it caught centipedes and mudskippers (Periophthalmus modestus). Prey items confirmed so far are: crab, hermit crab, centipede, and mudskipper. The Collared Kingfisher that wintered at Manko Wetland on Okinawa Island between August 2017 and April 2018 was only ever seen taking crabs, but it seems that in a different habitat the bird takes a wider variety of prey.
A Collared Kingfisher that caught a centipede. Ruddy Kingfishers, Crested Serpent Eagles, and Blue Rock Thrushes all seem to be very fond of centipedes.
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.
While I was eating my packed lunch in the park, a juvenile Malayan Night Heron wandered up to me. It had not been fed by people — it just happened to approach. Even so, the lack of wariness in a juvenile Malayan Night Heron is worrying.
About three Chinese Pond Herons were wintering in the paddies. They seem to be foraging in a variety of habitats — dropping into drainage channels and disappearing into the grass.
I caught up for the first time in a while with "Hayate," the juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle released in November last year. It had moved more than 10 km south in a straight line from the release point. The area is close to town and has heavy traffic, so I worry it may be hit by a vehicle.
A juvenile Malayan Night Heron. Born last year, it is in the process of molting into adult plumage.