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

I went birdwatching on the side while on a work trip to cover the Yonaguni Town Council election. ^^

I confirmed multiple migrating Chinese Sparrowhawk, and Common Kestrel had also arrived to overwinter. Migrating Oriental Dollarbird and Grey-streaked Flycatcher were also present, along with good numbers of overwintering Brown Shrike, Arctic Warbler, and Eastern Yellow Wagtail.

In recent years the rice paddies on Yonaguni Island have decreased, so waders and plovers are sparse — just small numbers of Black-winged Stilt, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Common Sandpiper, and Red-necked Stint.

Common Emerald Dove, having finished breeding, formed small flocks and I watched them feeding on several occasions.

Chinese Sparrowhawk, juvenile. I also picked out several adults soaring.

Migrant waders are building up and the paddies on Ishigaki are getting lively.

Juveniles now make up more than half of the Long-toed Stints present, and I confirmed the first juvenile Wood Sandpiper of the season. I had already found juvenile Common Redshank about two weeks ago, but this was my first time photographing one this season.

Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Pacific Golden Plover, and Black-faced Spoonbill have also been showing up one after another.

First juvenile Wood Sandpiper of the season. Only one individual confirmed, but numbers will keep climbing from here.

Three Javan Pond Herons turned up. While I was watching one, two more burst out chasing each other from among the rice in a nearby paddy. As happens every year, once Javan Pond Herons have been around for a while on Ishigaki in autumn, Chinese Pond Herons follow. Two Javan Pond Herons are also currently staying on Okinawa main island.

Encounters with Cinnamon Bittern — adults and juveniles alike — are becoming more frequent. It is the season when numbers peak after the breeding period ends. Purple Heron adults and juveniles are also showing up regularly.

Pin-tailed Snipe seem to be increasing gradually. I confirmed the first juvenile Black-winged Stilt of the season.

最初に見つけたジャワアカガシラサギ。あまり警戒心のない個体でした。

I found three Pin-tailed Snipe — the first of the season!! The three were together, so they may well have come through last night.

Besides snipe, the paddies now hold Common Redshank, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Black-winged Stilt, Long-toed Stint, Wood Sandpiper, and Whiskered Tern. Migration is well and truly under way.

For moult notation, from this season I will be adopting the WRP System (Wolfe–Ryder–Pyle System).

Finally got confirmation. Pin-tailed Snipe, adult. DCA (Definitive Alternate plumage).

The Glossy Ibis is still here. A Javan Pond Heron in beautiful summer plumage has also turned up. Both are unwary and easy to observe and photograph.

I recorded the first Common Greenshank, Long-toed Stint, and Black-winged Stilt of the season. Young Purple Herons have also started to appear — breeding seems to have concluded successfully.

A Crested Serpent Eagle was on the forest road, likely in the middle of raising chicks. I expect fledglings to appear from late August onward.

The other day I went to check on a recently fledged Ryukyu Scops Owl and found the parent locked in a battle with crows — apparently holding its own against four of them.

The Glossy Ibis seems to have a favourite paddy — it is always in the same spot.

Temperatures rose and the paddy birds became a little more active — I had good views of bathing behavior and similar scenes.

A distant Pin-tailed Snipe.

Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, and Common Snipe are all staying in the paddies of Ishigaki Island. Spring snipe identification gets harder than autumn — which is actually quite enjoyable. ^^

Pin-tailed Snipe spotted on a distant paddy bank. The backlight makes observation tough… ^^;

Ahead of the 6th Ishigaki Island Snipe Camp, I went to scout the paddies around the island. Pin-tailed Snipe, Swinhoe's Snipe, and Common Snipe were all confirmed — a relief. Now there is nothing left to do but hope they stay for a few more days.

First Pin-tailed Snipe of the season!!

Out birdwatching with my five- and eight-year-old children. Got some good photos too. ^^

Six Pied Avocets staying at multiple sites.

Autumn migration on Ishigaki Island is winding down, but an out-of-season typhoon drove in a greater variety of birds.

A Pied Avocet arrived at a paddy field near the town centre.

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.

A Common Ringed Plover — a rare bird on Ishigaki Island — has turned up. It's only the second time I've seen one on the island. It was associating with a flock of Little Ringed Plovers. A juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, the first of the season, also arrived. I had noted it a few days earlier, but today I managed to get photographs.

The rice fields have a true migration-season feel, with Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Long-toed Stint, Black-winged Stilt, and Red-necked Stint all coming and going.

The Kentish Plover was in transition from breeding to non-breeding plumage.

Javan Pond Heron have increased, with 4 birds confirmed at 3 sites. They seem to be turning up steadily on Okinawa Island too, and have become a fixture of this time of year. I recorded the first juveniles of the season for Black-winged Stilt, Long-toed Stint, Wood Sandpiper, and Marsh Sandpiper. Both the variety and numbers of juveniles are growing day by day.

Two Javan Pond Herons. Not particularly wary — easy to observe.

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.

Two consecutive days of bad weather brought large numbers of shorebirds and plovers — apparently mid-migration — dropping in to localized spots. The biggest group was Black-winged Stilts, over 400 birds, followed by Wood Sandpipers at 200+. There were too many to keep counting, so I stopped midway. ^^;

Pied Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, and Garganey also arrived, making the paddies extremely lively — though two days later everything was back to normal. ^^;

Along the coast, Greater Sand Plover numbers increased, and a small number of Grey Plovers also came through.

Two Curlew Sandpipers confirmed.

The Black-winged Kites that have been breeding continuously for several years in a woodland near my home appear to be starting their first breeding attempt of the year. Black-winged Kites on Ishigaki breed roughly twice a year, and the timing seems fairly irregular, though warmer periods likely bring higher success rates. Black-winged Kites can now be found everywhere on the island, from the towns in the south to Hirakubo in the north.

Pacific Swifts have arrived at the rice paddies. Around five birds were wheeling through the air together with Barn Swallows. I also recorded my first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper of the season, and Common Redshanks that are hard to separate from overwintering birds but appear to be on passage. Black-winged Stilts are also gradually increasing.

A Black-winged Kite perched on a prominent dead branch, occasionally calling back and forth with another individual perched nearby.

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….

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.