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

The second Common Hoopoe of the season has arrived. The Common Hoopoe is one of the birds that herald spring on Ishigaki Island, though it feels as if the arrival date gets a little earlier every year.

With the warmer weather, Crested Serpent Eagle and Black-winged Kite on Ishigaki Island have been observed carrying nesting material and displaying — confirmed breeding behaviour. Wintering waders and ducks are still present.

A Eurasian Hoopoe that turned up a little early. There are good years every few years, but I have a feeling this season will see a large influx of Eurasian Hoopoes on Ishigaki Island.

Ducks have started arriving on Ishigaki-jima. Eurasian Teal and Garganey — the first of the season — are increasing. The first Tufted Duck of the season was also in a drainage ditch on farmland.

In the rice paddies, the snipe are now down to Common Snipe only. Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, and Common Sandpiper are all still present. Eastern Yellow Wagtails are turning up here and there but numbers aren't building much. Could the heat be slowing their movement?

Whiskered Terns have been lingering along the river near my house.

Garganey, juvenile male. Fairly approachable.

Birding in the gaps between work assignments on Yonaguni Island. As I cruised the forest road with a sense that autumn migration was well and truly getting under way, I spotted a fig tree that birds were gathering in. While watching a flock of Warbling White-eyes, a yellow warbler flew into my field of view. I got it in the binoculars — it was a Willow Warbler!! It was moving from branch to branch, apparently picking off small insects.

I also had first records for the trip of Chinese Sparrowhawk, Oriental Dollarbird, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Grey-streaked Flycatcher, Garganey, Common Snipe, and White-shouldered Starling. Yonaguni Island delivers, as always. ^^

Arctic Warbler makes an appearance. It stands out clearly — obviously different from the other Japanese leaf warblers.

The wader migration has started on Ishigaki Island. Along the coast, Grey-tailed Tattlers, Terek Sandpipers, Eurasian Whimbrels, and Greater Sand Plovers have appeared, while the paddyfields have received Common Greenshanks, Black-winged Stilts, Wood Sandpipers, Long-toed Stints, and Little Ringed Plovers. Numbers and species will keep building from here. With any luck, the snipe we have all been waiting for will show up in late August.

As the tide came close to high, Grey-tailed Tattlers and Terek Sandpipers gathered on the coastal rocks.

With shorebirds on the increase, I spent the entire day searching for waders. The result: starting with Asian Dowitcher, I recorded Pectoral Sandpiper, Little Stint, Broad-billed Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Pin-tailed Snipe, Greater Sand Plover, and more — 21 species of waders in total. Seeing this many species in a single day is one of the great pleasures of this time of year. ^^

A Bar-tailed Godwit in summer plumage that suddenly dropped in alongside Black-winged Stilts and Black-tailed Godwits near the end of a shorebird search. Looking sharp in that summer plumage.

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.

Three Pied Avocets have been staying for several days. Single birds have also been found elsewhere, so they may have dispersed from the flock of eleven that arrived in November.

The first Black-tailed Godwit of the season has turned up. Also wintering in the paddies: Common Greenshanks, Common Sandpipers, Green Sandpipers, Dunlins, Common Snipes, Black-winged Stilts, Common Redshanks and Wood Sandpipers.

Three Pied Avocets delighting visitors to the island.

I went birding on the side of a work trip to Okinawa Main Island to cover the general election. The confirmed result for Okinawa District 4 came in just after 11 p.m. I quickly wrote and filed the article, returned to the hotel for a shower, then arrived in Yambaru just after 3 a.m.

It was my first night search in Yambaru in nearly three years, but hitting two reliable spots I encountered three Ryukyu Scops Owls. I had forgotten my flash, so I managed to photograph them using the rental car's headlights and a handheld torch. Before 5 a.m. I caught a short nap in the car. On the way back I stopped at Kin and Awase Tidal Flats and saw Eurasian Curlew, Far Eastern Curlew, ducks, snipe and other waders.

I visited the usual spot where Ryukyu Scops Owls breed, and sure enough one was there. I was also able to hear the well-known descending call: "Wok, wok, wok, woh."

First juveniles of the season confirmed for Wood Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper. Red-necked Stint and Sharp-tailed Sandpiper also first records of the season. The Greater Painted-snipe chicks are still moving with the adults but have grown large enough that they are barely distinguishable from them.

First Wood Sandpiper juveniles of the season. It seems they arrived all at once.

First Dunlin and Pacific Golden Plover of the season confirmed. The Dunlin was a single bird; the Pacific Golden Plovers were a flock of nearly ten.

Dunlin with winter plumage beginning to show in patches.

Typhoon No. 3 passed through without causing major damage, but even after it reached the western side of Taiwan the wind continued to make itself felt in the Yaeyamas.

In the rice paddies, wader numbers increased considerably — Wood Sandpipers were present in flocks of several dozen wherever I went. Common Greenshank, Common Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Red-necked Stint, and Long-toed Stint were all up in numbers too, making for a lively scene.

A Common Greenshank still largely in summer plumage.

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.

Oriental Pratincole and Kentish Plover are breeding well, with many fledged chicks on view. The Oriental Pratincoles in particular have formed a flock of nearly 60 juveniles. At the reclaimed land site, chicks from several Kentish Plover pairs have fledged and are running around energetically.

The Little Terns, which share the same site as the Kentish Plovers in a colony, had their nests flooded by heavy rain brought by the typhoon. Some eggs that had been submerged for several hours did hatch, but their prognosis looks poor.

In the rice paddies, juvenile Common Redshank arrived for the first time this season. Every year, Common Redshank is the first shorebird species to arrive as a juvenile.

Migrating waders and plovers are gradually increasing. Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint and Grey-tailed Tattler have arrived in the paddies. On the coast, Greater Sand Plover, Siberian Sand Plover and Grey-tailed Tattler numbers are building.

Oriental Pratincole in juvenile plumage (left) and first-winter plumage.

トウネンの群れにヨーロッパトウネンが入っていました。タマシギは繁殖期が終わってもペアで行動。2回目の繁殖あるのかな?

Little Stint in late summer plumage.

キセキレイから遅れること約2週間でマミジロツメナガセキレイを初確認しました。一夜にしてまとまった数が渡ってきたようです。

ハリオシギとチュウジシギも順調に渡っているようで、全てではありませんが識別できる個体を見ていてもメンバーは入れ替わっているようです。

イソシギも幼鳥が増え出しました。

First Eastern Yellow Wagtail of the season — adult. The juveniles come later.

メジロガモ3羽、沖縄的珍鳥のスズガモ2羽が滞在中。ホシハジロは八重山では珍しく、沖縄本島ではそこそこ見られます。ヘラサギ1羽が島内を移動しつつ滞在中でユリカモメも1〜8羽が増えたり減ったりしながら逗留しています。

田んぼのシギは、タシギやアカアシシギ、アオアシシギ、クサシギ、タカブシギあたりが滞在中です。

忘れていた10月の保護個体のアカオネッタイチョウも2カ月遅れで掲出しておきます。^^;

Two juvenile female Ferruginous Ducks. There was a juvenile male too, but it stayed deep in the grass and I couldn't get a shot….

職場と自宅周辺で少しだけ鳥見。

今季初のハシビロガモとオナガガモは前日、初認していましたが写真は撮れずでしたが、この日、ハシビロガモだけは写真の記録が残せました。シマアジは5羽の群れがやってきました。

海岸ではムナグロやダイゼン、キアシシギ、トウネン、メダイチドリなどが滞在中。

サトウキビ畑には警戒心の弱いカタグロトビがいました。石垣島のカタグロトビはずいぶん増えて、田んぼやサトウキビ畑、牧草地に行けばたいてい見られます。

Garganey, adult. Sex unknown.

田んぼと海岸を巡回。キアシシギとキョウジョシギ、セイタカシギ、イソシギで幼鳥を初確認しました。本土からはトウネン、ソリハシシギなどの幼鳥飛来情報ありますが、石垣島ではまだ未確認ですね。

田んぼはシギ、チドリの数、種類とも多くなっていますが、海岸はそれほどでもありません。越冬組が到着すればもう少し賑やかになると思われます。

複数羽いたハリオシギは残すところ1羽のみとなりました。チュウジシギはたくさんいます。タシギはまもなく到着するものと思われます。

The first Grey-tailed Tattler juvenile of the season.

今季初のハマシギを確認。タカブシギやヒバリシギは成鳥、幼鳥とも数を増やしています。ウズラシギ、クサシギ、コチドリなどもいましたが、幼鳥の到着はまだのようです。

石垣島で唯一、繁殖するシギのタマシギは親子連れが水浴びをしていました。

First Dunlin of the season. Adult, late breeding plumage.

定例調査で海岸3カ所巡り。オオメダイチドリの幼鳥が増えていました。ムナグロやキアシシギ、ソリハシシギ、メダイチドリ、キョウジョシギなどもぼちぼち。

Greater Sand Plover, juvenile. Adults had been trickling in from late June, but this is the first juvenile of the season.