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

Ruff have turned up at several sites, almost all juveniles. The regulars — Red-necked Stint, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, and Long-toed Stint — are present in paddies everywhere. Dunlin have started to appear as well.

The first Pacific Golden Plovers of the season arrived in small flocks of juveniles. Around the park and cattle sheds, Chestnut-cheeked Starling, Red-billed Starling, and White-shouldered Starling are also increasing.

A juvenile Ruff.

Confirmed the first Dunlin of the season. In the paddies there were Long-toed Stint, Red-necked Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper and Black-winged Stilt, among others. On the coast there were also good numbers of Pacific Golden Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Grey-tailed Tattler and Greater Sand Plover. Whiskered Tern could be seen in flocks of a few birds up to around twenty at various points across the island.

First Dunlin of the season. It was a juvenile.

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.

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.

Still stalking Pin-tailed Snipe the day after, trying to get shots of the tail feathers. And then — incredibly!! — I managed to get video with the call of a Pin-tailed Snipe!! It's shaping up to be another wonderful autumn migration season!!

I recorded my first Marsh Sandpiper and Green Sandpiper of the season. Common Redshank and Whiskered Tern had also arrived.

An extremely close Pin-tailed Snipe. Preying on a cricket.

One Pheasant-tailed Jacana arrived. Summer records of Pheasant-tailed Jacana fall roughly between late May and the end of June.

A Red Collared Dove also turned up — numbers have been low this season. Two years ago was a banner year, with flocks of twenty-plus birds coming through, but last autumn and this season have been quiet.

The Whiskered Tern peak seems to have passed, but birds are still trickling through. An out-of-season Black-headed Gull was also noted. It appears to be a different individual from last week's bird.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana, first-summer plumage.

A look at the terns around Ishigaki Island over the past few days. After Typhoon No. 2 passed, a flock of Whiskered Terns and White-winged Terns arrived. Among roughly twenty Whiskered Terns, three White-winged Terns were mixed in.

Little Terns had been incubating at Painu Hamachō, but with the deployment of PAC3, more than thirty vehicles moved in and that was the end of it. As it's early in the breeding season, I hope they can find somewhere else to nest… We should always keep in mind that human activity affects other living things.

A Gull-billed Tern has been present for several days now. It is completely unafraid — it kept on fishing even with children splashing and making noise nearby.

An out-of-season Black-headed Gull arrived alone. Blown in by the typhoon, perhaps?

I couldn't get a photo, but I also had visual confirmation of several Black-naped Terns. I expect their numbers will build from here as they come to breed on Ishigaki. No Roseate Terns confirmed yet.

A White-winged Tern was flying over the rice paddies in strong winds left by the tail of a typhoon, catching dragonflies.

The Pectoral Sandpiper first recorded on 15 April is now into its fifth day. It is spending its time among a flock of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers. Autumn juvenile records are the norm, so a spring adult is a rare find.

Several Pin-tailed Snipe are also staying at multiple sites. Spring records of Pin-tailed Snipe are very scarce, making these birds equally valuable. They are approachable and allow extended observation — great fun. ^^ Swinhoe's Snipe and Common Snipe are also present.

The season's first Whiskered Tern arrived, following a tractor as it puddled a field.

A precious spring record of Pectoral Sandpiper.

Following the previous two adults, a juvenile Ruddy Shelduck has now arrived. The adults were extremely wary, but this juvenile showed almost no wariness — perhaps a sign of its youth — and was easy to observe.

The Greylag Goose has been staying a long time; it looks like it may well winter over. Taiga Bean Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Lesser White-fronted Goose, and Common Crane are also still present.

On the coast, small numbers of Siberian Sand Plovers, Kentish Plovers, Pacific Golden Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Common Greenshanks, and Dunlins are staying on. In the paddies, Spotted Redshanks, Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpipers, Long-toed Stints, Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, and Common Snipe are conspicuous. Whiskered Terns — both adults and juveniles — are also still present.

This season, the starling family is represented by several species but numbers are low.

Dusky Thrushes, Pale Thrushes, Brown-headed Thrushes, and Eyebrowed Thrushes have started arriving.

The third Ruddy Shelduck of the season was a juvenile — in the process of moulting from juvenile plumage into first breeding plumage.

Following yesterday, I found the second Pectoral Sandpiper of the season. This time conditions were good for both observation and photography.

The first Northern Lapwings of the season — a group of around ten, all juveniles. On Ishigaki Island at this time of year, Northern Lapwings are almost always juveniles.

I couldn't get photographs, but Red Collared Doves, Pechora Pipits, and Eurasian Skylarks were also seen.

The second Buff-breasted Sandpiper of the season. Like yesterday's bird, this one was also a juvenile.

Juvenile Pacific Golden Plovers have finally been confirmed. The fact that juveniles haven't arrived until now makes me worry that breeding may not have gone well.

There were two Chinese Pond Herons, one Javan Pond Heron, and a Yellow Bittern. Oriental Pratincole and Whiskered Tern are also still present.

Long-legged Buttonquail, first-winter plumage.

久しぶりに石垣島にオオハシシギがやってきました。台風のおかげでしょうか。

Long-billed Dowitcher transitioning from juvenile to first-winter plumage.

各地にハシブトアジサシが入っているようですが、石垣島にも到着。台風で疲れが見えるクロハラアジサシやツバメチドリも多く見られます。

A Bridled Tern on a distant reef from the coast.

アカエリヒレアシシギが飛来。今季2個体目。エリマキシギは複数個所で複数羽が到着。ハリオシギは数を減らしつつも滞在中。

It was in a paddy field near the airport in an area where Red-necked Phalaropes often turn up. They apparently visit the stadium frequently too — perhaps they are easily attracted to lights.

石垣島を直撃した台風12号でズグロミゾゴイ、クロハラアジサシ、ツバメを保護しました。暴風雨で結構な数の野鳥が被害に遭ったようです。

A juvenile Malayan Night Heron with a broken left wing. I took it to a veterinary clinic the next day. Apparently several other herons were also brought in that day.

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.

今季初のウズラシギを確認。4羽ほどで飛来していました。

クロハラアジサシは数日前から徐々に数を増やしています。トラクターについて回って巻き上げられた水生生物を捕まえているようでした。

リュウキュウヨシゴイは成鳥、幼鳥とも見やすくなっています。

ほかにも田んぼには、タカブシギやセイタカシギ、アオアシシギ、ヒバリシギ、トウネンなどが滞在中。

First Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season. Moulting into winter plumage.

今季初のクロハラアジサシとハマシギを確認。トウネン、アオアシシギ、ソリハシシギ、メダイチドリ、オオメダイチドリ、セイタカシギ、コチドリなども入れ替わりながら通過しているようです。

First White-winged Tern of the season. A single adult arrived.

エリグロアジサシ、ベニアジサシ、コアジサシ、ハシブトアジサシ、クロハラアジサシ5種を一つの海岸で確認できました。島内の他のエリアに飛来しているオオアジサシも期待しましたが、この海岸には現れませんでした…。^^;

エリグロアジサシ、ベニアジサシはコロニーを形成して繁殖序盤です。すでに抱卵しているペアも確認できました。

A White-capped Noddy incubating.

今季は、真っ黒な夏羽のハジロクロハラアジサシが石垣島に多く飛来します。ゴールデンウイークから十数羽を確認しています。クロハラアジサシも多く、50羽近い群れも確認されています。

ツバメチドリはコロニーを形成中。今のところ40つがいほどが繁殖しそうですが、毎年、農作業が入るのかが運命の分かれ道となります。

天気が悪くなるとアマツバメとヒメアマツバメの群れが低空を飛びます。低空と言っても、いつもよりは低いだけで、それなりに高いところを飛び回っています。

シマアカモズはどんどん減っているのですが、それでもまだ残っている個体がいます。

田んぼには全体的に数は少ないですがウズラシギやセイタカシギ、アオアシシギあたりが滞在中です。

Second sunny day of the month. Ishigaki Island has had an abnormal amount of rain this year, and clear skies are hard to come by. ^^;