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

The Lesser Whistling Duck that arrived on Ishigaki Island has now been here for three weeks. On this day it was active, and I was able to watch it feeding and in flight. Lesser Whistling Duck once ranged as far north as Okinawa, and with "Ryukyu" in the Japanese name, I hope records will increase and the range will recover here.

Four groups of acquaintances came to the island to see the Lesser Whistling Duck. Everyone is enjoying Ishigaki's birds, with Asian Koel as a bonus alongside the duck. Several more groups are due to come this week with the Lesser Whistling Duck as their target. Anyone wanting to see it, book a guide with Spotter-san!!

The Cotton Pygmy Goose was active on this day.

The Lesser Whistling Duck, visible every day. On this day it was particularly wary — both in the morning and in the evening, only the top of its head and neck were visible above the vegetation…

Chinese Pond Heron had also arrived, along with Grey-headed Lapwing, a scarce visitor to Okinawa and the Yaeyamas.

A Ryukyu Duck, just its face showing.

Since the Lesser Whistling Duck on Ishigaki Island was relocated, it has been seen continuously. When anglers arrive it gets spooked and moves away, hiding in the grass. There seem to be a lot of anglers at weekends.

I covered the release of a juvenile Crested Serpent Eagle that had been taken into care after being found weak. It was banded with a red leg ring engraved with the number "6" on its left leg. The person who handled its rehabilitation named it "Mirai" (Future). With staff and press looking on, it flew off strongly.

A Ryukyu Duck sitting on aquatic vegetation on the far bank.

I confirmed incubation beginning at a fifth Ryukyu Scops Owl site. The Ruddy Kingfisher female near my home has not been seen much lately, so she may also be incubating.

The rescued Crested Serpent Eagle, Mitchan, keeps getting driven off by the territorial male in this area, but comes back undeterred and keeps searching for food. I hope she builds up her strength properly this summer, gets through the winter, and grows into a fine adult.

The Lesser Whistling Duck is still present. Its reactions to passing vehicles and crows have settled down and its daily routine has become predictable, so a long stay looks likely. If it summers over, it will be a treat for many birders.

A male Ryukyu Scops Owl keeping watch over the nest. This is the third consecutive year breeding at the same site.

The Lesser Whistling Duck found on Ishigaki Island on 1 May has shown up again!! It has now been here for two weeks. I was able to get video as well. How long will it stay?

It turns out this Lesser Whistling Duck had been seen on Iriomote Island on 28 April, before it was photographed on Ishigaki. Apparently someone only realised what it was after it appeared in the newspaper. On top of that, a local resident says they saw two birds last year in the lower reaches of a certain river. The person is a farmer with a keen interest in wildlife, and from what they described, Lesser Whistling Duck seems very likely.

Furthermore, a blog post records that a bird — photographed unclearly — was seen on Kohama Island in late May to early June 2006.

Lesser Whistling Duck's northern breeding limit was Okinawa, but confirmed records had been absent since an observation in the Kerama Islands in 1963. A Yamashina Institute for Ornithology report noted two birds seen during a 1999 survey, but without photographs and with few details.

It sets the imagination going — could a small number be living somewhere along a river on Iriomote Island, much like the Mandarin Ducks of Yanbaru?

A Tufted Duck resting on floating weeds.