Flocks of Eastern Red-rumped Swallow, Tahiti Swallow and Barn Swallow were flying over the paddies. Eastern Yellow Wagtail numbers are also building — the larger flocks look as though they could hold several hundred birds.
Red-rumped Swallow, adult.
Decided to go wait at a feeding site and get some Black-winged Kite shots for a change. One appeared right on schedule and hovered right in front of me, searching for prey. It usually comes as a pair, but on this day there was only one.
Black-winged Kite has increased considerably on Ishigaki Island and now visits the main paddies reliably morning and evening. They are wary, so picking a spot and waiting them out is the standard approach.
Black-winged Kite, adult. Sex unknown.
Confirmed the first Common Kestrel and Eurasian Teal of the season. Autumn is deepening steadily. The Javan Pond Heron has been staying on for an extended period — there were briefly two in the same paddy, but on this day only one.
Could this be a second breeding attempt for Greater Painted-snipe? Parent birds with small chicks are turning up in paddies here and there.
Marsh Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Green Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt and three snipe species are all still present, numbers fluctuating.
A juvenile male Common Kestrel with a captured Eastern Yellow Wagtail.
Did a quick loop around the neighbourhood before heading to my child's school sports day. Observed five Ruddy Kingfisher and three Common Emerald Dove. Ruddy Kingfisher is reasonably numerous and can be seen without too much trouble. The Common Emerald Doves were carrying nesting material repeatedly. As on Miyako Island, it seems some individuals breed at this time of year too. Perhaps they breed twice a year?
The Ruddy Kingfisher near my home. It will be departing soon, so I've been checking every morning to confirm it's still around, hoping to record the last sighting of the season. There is one more bird nearby.
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.
All three snipe species of Ishigaki Island at once. Got carried away and shot Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe to my heart's content. I've also accumulated quite a good set of tail-feather shots. I'm rather proud of this one. ^^
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile, in flight.
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.
The Javan Pond Heron staying since late August was still feeding with no sign of wariness.
Cinnamon Bitterns are dispersing — this year's fledglings are turning up all over the place. Many individuals are crossing roads, and I have witnessed two traffic casualties in the past month.
One White-winged Tern was mixed in with a flock of Whiskered Terns.
A Javan Pond Heron with zero wariness. It has now been staying for over a week.
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.
Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfishers are still being seen readily. Multiple individuals are observable around my neighbourhood. I expect them to move on by the end of September. From April to now — half a year of morning song and colour in daily life. ^^
One White-shouldered Starling was confirmed today for the first time this season, mixed in with a flock of Common Mynas. From here on, the wintering birds will start arriving on Ishigaki: White-shouldered Starling, Red-billed Starling, Chestnut-cheeked Starling, Common Starling, Rosy Starling and others.
The Ruddy Kingfisher closest to home. Together with the individual photographed a few days ago, it appears that at least two birds are here preparing for migration.
I recorded my first Broad-billed Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint of the season — both juveniles. A few Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe were also present. Common Snipe still not showing up as usual.
In the paddies: Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, and Terek Sandpiper.
A small flock of Whiskered Terns was feeding and bathing.
The first Broad-billed Sandpiper of the season, found by my daughter. In autumn it's always a juvenile.
The first Crested Serpent Eagle of the season fledged around 25 August. On this day, a third juvenile individual was confirmed for the season.
A juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle in flight. Always a stunning bird no matter when you see it.
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 confirmed the first juvenile Grey-tailed Tattler of the season. Swinhoe's Snipe and Pin-tailed Snipe have crashed in numbers after the typhoon — almost none left. Snipe-watching will have to wait until the next wave arrives.
The Greater Painted-snipe chicks from the first brood of the year are fully grown but still seem to be moving around together as siblings. A second brood is underway and I am seeing adults with small chicks.
A flock of around 200 Eastern Cattle Egrets came into the paddies. Numbers will keep climbing.
First Grey-tailed Tattler juveniles of the season. All five birds in the flock were juveniles.
In this sideshow from the 1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp, I introduce the birds encountered during two days of snipe hunting.
A Javan Pond Heron was found — the fourth individual on Ishigaki this season. First juvenile Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, and Red-necked Stint of the season were confirmed. An adult Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was seen for the first time this season. A Greater Painted-snipe family with small chicks was encountered.
Please also see the day 1 and day 2 reports.
A Javan Pond-Heron that stayed for several days.
This is day 2 of the 1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp, and the final day. I would have liked to start at first light, but with children to look after, we got going at 9 a.m.
A Javan Pond Heron greeted us at a nearby paddy — the fourth individual on Ishigaki this season, and the fifth of the season counting the first record for Yonaguni Island.
Pin-tailed Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe were in the same paddy, but the light was badly against us and the grass was tall, so we moved early to the spot that typically holds the most snipe on the island and offers the best views.
We worked through several more sites after that, squeezing every last minute out of the final day right up until participants had to leave for their flights. ^^
On day 1 we concentrated on Pin-tailed Snipe, but on day 2 we had a bit more breathing room and made a point of photographing Swinhoe's Snipe tail feathers as well. The sideshow is here.
Pin-tailed Snipe, juvenile. I really love the plumage on this type — it reminds me of a Solitary Snipe. This type is uncommon. There's a video below as well.
![1st Ishigaki Snipe Camp!! [Day 1]](/media/blog/photo/2023/09/02/2d9252f5f67d9ad796a0d5f0e4a2e143.square.webp)
I took the liberty of organizing the 1st Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp, complete with a complimentary invitation to Shimasoba-so.
For this inaugural event I was joined by a contributor who writes the field identification articles on snipe for BIRDER magazine. The Pin-tailed Snipes and Swinhoe's Snipes of Ishigaki seemed to hold genuine interest even for a professional eye. During the camp I received a direct lecture on migration timing and moult characteristics of Latham's Snipe and Swinhoe's Snipe from the mainland — extremely educational. As someone who writes about identification, the way they put the distinguishing features into words was precise and impressive.
The results were excellent. We observed large numbers of Pin-tailed Snipe and the so-called western-type Swinhoe's Snipe that are commonly found in the Nansei Islands, including both adults and juveniles. Despite spending nearly all our time on snipe, the by-catch was good too: 2 Javan Pond Herons, the season's first juvenile Common Greenshank and juvenile Green Sandpiper, juvenile Red-necked Stints, and a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.
On day one I met the participants at the airport at around 1:30 p.m. and had the first Pin-tailed Snipe in the bag just after 2:00 p.m. We watched until 6:00 p.m. I am posting photos of the 10 Pin-tailed Snipes we managed to photograph. Day 2 and the bonus post are covered in separate articles.
I intend to keep running snipe camps in the future. Announcements will appear here on the blog and on social media. The planned timing is around late August, when both adults and juveniles are present and moult variation is at its richest. I would also like to hold one during the spring migration (early to mid-April), when other birds, waders and plovers are enjoyable too, if there is enough interest.
The very first Swinhoe's Snipe of the training camp encountered in conditions like this…. ^^; A valuable adult.
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.
Southward movement has already begun, but a few Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfishers are still present near home. Every individual is deep in moult and looking rather bedraggled. ^^;
Ruddy Kingfisher in moult. Those with trypophobia may find these pin feathers off-putting, so I recommend visiting before July. ^^;
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.