Birding

As a Birder

Birding Trip Report From Okinawa

"It is more commonly seen in Ryukyu islands".... This phrase commonly appears in description of the rare bird of a field guide to birds of Japan and it's Japanese birder's dream.
Ryukyu islands are almost foreign for Japanese birder because of its historical background, climate and different bird species (Also endemic subspecies).
There is few chance to go to Ryukyu in my whole life but when I was accepted to the University, I got the big chance of that. My best birding friend Mr. Ogawa had been telling me if I pass the Univiersity, he'll take me to Ryukyu.
Now it's become truly! Yes, I became undergrad and I can go to Ryukyu islands of bird paradise for a good two weeks!! Fantastic!!
Traveling expenses? No problem! I collected that from the side job of crow research. For your information, I used up money 1000$ with this birding trip (that was almost equal to side job's compensation).

>Main Island of Okinawa >Ishigaki Island >Yonaguni Island >Ishigaki Island Again >Species List >Photo Gallery

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Main Island of Okinawa

3/3/2004
We departed for the Naha airport from the Matsuyama airport at 14:05, and arrived in Naha at 16:00.

The bird which I saw first in Okinawa was Oriental Turtle Dove (Ryukyu ssp.) seen on the way to "Triangle pond". Soon after that, the flock of 14 Black-faced Spoonbill flew beyond our car in the direction of the pond.
We arrived at "Triangle pond" near the Naha airport. The first sight was flocks of Munia (not wild) which are on grass. The pond is not large but there was many birds such like Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank, Grean-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Common Moorhen, Brown-eared Bulbul (Ryukyu ssp.), Common Snipe, Tree Sparrow, Grey Heron, Great Egret, Little Egret, Common Kestrel, White Shouldered Starling, Water Pipit, Barn Swallow, Blue Rock Thrush, Japanese White-eye (Ryukyu ssp.), Pacific Golden Plover, Chinese BulBul. Chinese Bulbul has very odd voice like Oriental Reed Warbler so I couldn't get soon....

17:25~ I found Chinese Pond Heron on grass that is one of the birds of my yearning. Photo is bad but it's not big deal! Since it was on grass I felt little bit strange.

17:50~ Moved to Nagase-seacoast. It was windy and cold (even though Okinawa...). Far Eastern Curlew, P.G. Plover, Grey Plover, Black-faced Spoonbill, Common Redshank, Bar-tailed Godwit, B.R. Thrush, Water Pipit etc...

~21:00 We ate Okinawa dishes at Kokusai-street. I very much enjoyed the dinner! Our host Mr. Sugimoto showed me the stuffed birds before we leave; Chinese Bulbul, Ryukyu Ruddy Kingfisher, Whistling Green Pigion, Scaly Thrush, Ryukyu Narcissus Flycatcher, Japanese Bush Warbler (unknown ssp.), White-breasted Waterhen.

4/3/2004
01:00~ Drove around Higashi-mura Shinkawa dam. Many Eurasian Woodcock (unfortunately those were not Amami Woodcock. After all, we couldn't find Amami until the very last minute...) flew out of roadside. I felt so cold at night. Nonetheless Okinawa, we need dress warmly at this time of year.

06:40~ I waked up with many songs of Japanese White-eye (Ryukyu ssp.) like a shower and also Ryukyu Robin's song. In the car on the road, Grey Wagtail, Japanese Bush Warbler (unknown ssp.), Pale Thrush, Varied Tit, Great Tit (Okinawa ssp.) Large-billed Crow (Ryukyu ssp.). Large-billed Crow ssp. was very small than common.

08:50~ Fukugawa/Hennoki dam vicinity: Ashy Minivet (Ryukyu ssp.), Ryukyu Robin (female. I saw figure of Ryukyu Robin for the first time there. Bright chestnut color and chubby shape... so cute!). We walked for a while but nothing appeared. Tree ferns were seen in everywhere of Ryukyu forests and these shapes were reminiscent of Jurassic. Tree fern trunk was similar to PRETZ, so we called under the nickname of Pretz Tree (Do you know that? A Japanese famous snack.... if you know what I mean). Conseptor was Mr.Ogawa. I think he is humorist ;)

10:00~ Kunigani-mura Nishime-dake vicinity: Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (Ryukyu ssp.), Okinawa Woodpecker (Just only a sign of presence and voice.... Shoot!), Japanese Bush Warbler (unknown ssp.), Asian Stubtail, Ryukyu Robin, Narcissus Flycatcher. We waited for Okinawa Woodpecker for a long time but came to nothing.

11:40~ On the route to Yui-yui Kunigami roadside station: Pacific Swallow (the broad and short wing than Barn Swallow).

11:55~ Yui-yui Kunigami roadside station: Almost as soon as we arrive, Upland Buzzard flew over our heads very closely!! The individual was no absence and nice-looking. Though I knew Upland Buzzard had been staying there, I never thought this would happen easily like that. I forgot to take photos in the excitement! Since Ryukyu is wintering place, Lots of Grey-faced Buzzard was seen at the surrounding cane field. Other; Osprey, Zitting Cisticola (higher voice than the other Japan areas). We had lunch there.

13:00~ Agricultural fields of Kijoka elementary school vicinity: Common Kestrel, Osprey, Cattle Egret, Intermediate Egret.
14:00~ Common Sandpiper, Cinnamon Bittern (maybe imm. male). It appeared on water plants inside a irrigation channel which was unexpected place. Although we approached, it did not move at all.

15:23~ Return the roadside station: Brown Shrike (Ryukyu ssp. male; All Brown Shrikes I had watched after this, in Ryukyu was this ssp. only). I couldn't do identification soon so made a call to Mr.O.
15:35~ Upland Buzzard flew over our heads very closely again and flew away to nearby mountain's back. We went to Ginama bay where the Black turtle was artificial fed. But we couldn't see that. There were so many shells and fragments of coral on the sand beach.

18:00~ Kunigani-mura Nishime-dake vicinity: We had waited for a long time but Okinawa Woodpecker and Rail has not appeared in the end (These species can see easily at breeding season).

22:34~ Kim-cho: Brown Hawk Owl (Ryukyu ssp.). Perched on electric wire near the heating power station.
23:00~ I took a photo since Eurasian woodcock did not fly easily.

5/3/2004
I waked up with the cold. I guessed morning, but actually it was midnight 2:00 yet.
6:50~ Little Grebe, Chinese Bulbul, Common Snipe, Common Moorhen, Osprey, Brown-eared Bulbul, Great Egret, Zitting Cisticola, Tree Sparrow, Large-billed Crow.
7:00~ Many shorebirds were in rice paddy. Little Ringed Plover, White Wagtail, Water Pipit, Wood Sandpiper and Long-toed Stint etc....
7:10~ Ruddy Kingfisher's song, Pacific Golden Plover, Brown Thrush, Blue Rock Thrush, Olieve-backed Pipit, Common Greenshank, Green-winged Teal, Wood Sandpiper, Common Snipe, Grey-faced Bzzard, Oriental Turtle Dove and Cattle Egret etc.... Mr.Ogawa watched a White-breasted Waterhen but I couldn't.

9:35~ Triangle pond: Digiscoping of Japanese Whiteye, Black-faced Spoonbill, Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper etc....
9:50~ Mr.Ogawa found a Long-billed Dowitcher in the sandpiper's flock.

We moved to Nagase-seabeach: Grey-faced Buzzard, Osprey, Chinese Bulbul. After that, we went to Naha airport to see off Ms.Yamanaka.

12:15~ Kitanakagusuku-Hiyagon Marsh (weird name...): It got warm and sunny eventually. Pacific Golden Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Common Redshank, Lesser Yellow-legs, Blue Rock Thrush (very closely), Brown-eared Bulbul, Red-necked Stint, Long-toed Stint, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Common Kingfisher, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Japanese White-eye, Green-winged Teal, Oriental Turtle Dove and Chinese Bulbul etc....
14:45~ Far Eastern Curlew came from the nearby mudflat.

16:25~ Kim-cho: Wood Sandpiper, Little Ringed Plover, Long-toed Stint, Yellow Wagtail (It was different from the other Wagtails and feeding in grasses), Spotted Redshank, Kentish Plover, Pacific Golden Plover (a lot of), Common Moorhen (a lot of).

18:30~ Nago-shi Ohkawa: Collared Scops Owl (Ryukyu ssp.'s voice. We were not able to hear its voice or see figure at all after that. The call like Far-far-far-far.... and trail off into silence.), Brown Hawk Owl, Elegant Scops Owl(aka Ryukyu Scops Owl. Its voice differ greatly in individuals, high and low), And I saw Flying Fox very big like Night-heron. Fly like a butterfly, we saw that many times while birding.

We moved to Triangle pond and slept. It did not get cold so much after that.

6/3/2004
7:20~ Triangle pond: Windy and cloudy. Black-winged Stilt about 90, Black-crowned Night-Heron and Marsh Sandpiper etc.... Black-faced Spoonbill and Long-billed Dowitcher was absent.

7:40~ Nagase-seacoast: Bar-railed Godwit, Eurasian Curlew, Spotted Redshank, Long-toed Stint, Pacific Golden Plover, Grey Plover, Common Snipe, Ruddy Turnstone, Osprey, Chinese Bulbul, Black-headed Gull, Common Kestrel, Black-faced Spoonbill (Very closely. Some individuals were turning to summer). Passed stranger said he took a photo of a Pipit first record of Japan in Okinawa.

We departed from Naha airport to Ishigaki at 10:20.

Okinawa end.
3/3 Naha airport >Triangle pond, Nagase >Naha-shi >Kunigami, Fukugawa dam
4/3 Shinkawa dam >Fukugawa dam >Hennoki dam, Nishime-dake >Kunigami roadside station >Kijoka >Yagachi >Kunigami roadside station >Ginama >Nishime-dake >Shinkawa dam >Azuma >Ohgimi >Nago >Kim
5/3 Kim >Naha, Triangle pond, Nagase >Airport >Hiyagon >Kim >Ohurakawa >Okinawa-shi >Naha, Triangle pond
6/3 Triangle pond, Nagase >Naha airport >Ishigaki

Ishigaki Island

Yonaguni Island

Ishigaki Island Again

Species List

*: lifers/linked: photo recording

1. Little Grebe
2. Streaked Shearwater
3. Wedge-tailed Shearwater *
4. Brown Booby *
5. Masked Booby *
6. Great Cormorant
7. Japanese Cormorant
8. Cinnamon Bittern *
9. Malayan Night-Heron *
10. Black-crowned Night-Heron
11. Chinese Pond-Heron *
12. Cattle Egret
13. Great Egret
14. Intermediate Egret
15. Little Egret
16. Eastern Reef Heron
17. Grey Heron
18. Purple Heron *
19. Black-faced Spoonbill
20. Mallard
21. Spot-billed Duck
22. Green-winged Teal
23. Eurasian Wigeon
24. Northern Shoveler
25. Tufted Duck
26. Osprey
27. Northern Goshawk
28. Japanese Sparrowhawk (Ryukyu islands subspecies A. g. iwasakii Only.)
29. Sparrowhawk
30. Upland Buzzard *
31. Grey-faced Buzzard
32. Crested Serpent Eagle *
33. Peregrine Falcon
34. Common Kestrel
35. Slaty-legged Crake *
36. Ruddy-breasted Crake (Maybe ryukyu islands subspecies P. f. phaeopyga but also Japanese common subspecies P. f. erythrothorax is wintering to Ryukyu islands.)
37. White-breasted Waterhen *
38. Common Moorhen
39. Common Coot
40. Little Ringed Plover
41. Kentish Plover
42. Mongolian Plover
43. Pacific Golden Plover
44. Grey Plover
    (Northern Lapwing <I couldn't see!)
45. Ruddy Turnstone
46. Red-necked Stint
47. Long-toed Stint *
48. Dunlin
49. Long-billed Dowitcher *
50. Spotted Redshank
51. Common Redshank
52. Marsh Sandpiper
53. Common Greenshank
54. Lesser Yellowlegs *
55. Green Sandpiper
56. Wood Sandpiper
57. Grey-tailed Tattler
58. Common Sandpiper
59. Bar-tailed Godwit
60. Eurasian Curlew
61. Far Eastern Curlew
62. Whimbrel
63. Eurasian Woodcock
64. Common Snipe
65. Pintail Snipe *
66. Black-winged Stilt
67. Oriental Pratincole *
68. Black-headed Gull
69. Herring Gull
70. Black-tailed Gull
    (Japanese Wood Pigeon < I couldn't seen. What a pity!)
71. Red Turtle Dove *
72. Oriental Turtle Dove (Maybe Ryukyu islands subspecies S. o. stimpsoni but also Japanese common subspecies S. o. orientalis is wintering to Ryukyu islands.)
73. Emerald Dove *
74. Whistling Green Pigeon *(I couldn't seen S. f. permagnus. S. f. medioximus Only.)
75. Elegant Scops Owl *
76. Collared Scops Owl (Ryukyu islands subspecies O. l. pryeri Only.)
77. Brown Hawk Owl (Ryukyu islands subspecies N. s. totogo Only.)
78. Ruddy Kingfisher (we heard voice only, but maybe Ryukyu islands subspecies H. c. bangsi.)
79. Common Kingfisher
80. Hoopoe
81. Okinawa Woodpecker * (I saw maybe or not...hmmm :(
82. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker (D. k. nigrescens Only.)
83. Eurasian Skylark
84. Barn Swallow
85. Pacific Swallow *
86. House Martin
87. Yellow Wagtail * (M. f. taivana and M. f. macronyx or M. f. plexa.)
88. Grey Wagtail
89. White Wagtail (M. a. lugens, M. a. baicalensis and M. a. ocularis.)
90. Richard's Pipit
91. Blyth's Pipit
92. Olive-backed Pipit
93. Red-throated Pipit
94. Buff-bellied Pipit
95. Ashy Minivet * (P. d. tegimae Only.)
96. Chinese Bulbul *
97. Brown-eared Bulbul (H. a. pryeri, H. a. stejnegeri and H. a. nagamichii, but also Japanese common nominate subspecies H. a. amaurotis is wintering to Ryukyu islands.)
98. Brown Shrike * (L. c. lucionensis Only.)
99. Long-tailed Shrike
100. Ryukyu Robin *(E. k. namiyei Only.)
101. Siberian Rubythroat *
102. Daurian Redstart
103. Common Stonechat
104. Blue Rock Thrush
105. Eurasian Blackbird *
106. Brown Thrush
107. Pale Thrush
108. Dusky Thrush (Common T. n. eunomus and scarce T. n. naumanni)
109. Asian Stubtail
110. Manchurian Bush Warbler *
111. Japanese Bush Warbler (Ryukyu islands subspecies C. d. riukiuensis Only.)
112. Pallas's Grasshopper Warbler *
113. Great Reed Warbler
114. Dusky Warbler *
115. Yellow-browed Warbler *
116. Arctic Warbler
117. Zitting Cisticola
118. Narcissus Flycatcher (Ryukyu islands subspecies F. n. owstoni Only.)
119. Varied Tit (P. v. amamii and P. v. olivaceus.)
120. Great Tit (P. m. okinawae and P. m. nigriloris.)
121. Japanese White-eye (Z. j. loochooensis, but also Japanese common nominate subspecies Z. j. japonicus is wintering to Ryukyu islands.)
122. Little Bunting *
123. Rustic Bunting
124. Yellow-throated Bunting
125. Yellow-breasted Bunting *
126. Lapland Bunting(Lapland Longspur) *
127. Brambling
128. Tree Sparrow
129. Red-billed Starling
130. White-shouldered Starling *
131. Common Starling
132. Grey Starling
133. Large-billed Crow (C. m. connectens and C. m. osai.)

Exception: introduced species

Japanese Pheasant (Ring-necked)/Domestic Pigeon/Spotted Munia (Nutmeg Mannikin)/White-vented Myna

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