Okinawa 3 part 2

When there is one bulbul, there are many. The Chinese, or Light-vented Bulbul, シロガシラ exists next to the Brown-eared, (of which Okinawa has its own subspecies) and we all know how omnipresent they can be...  I suppose shira, 白 is white and kashira, 頭  means head. A common name for a locally common bird.

  

There were many fledglings around, crying for food and attention, who made the small flocks even noisier than they generally are. No birder visiting the island could ever miss them. 

below a Brown-eared Bulbul, ヒヨドリ Microscelis amaurotis; a local subsp.?

And one from Green Island in Taiwan: Microscelis amaurotis harterti, taken in 2010

Okinawa 3, part 1

Upon entering the forest of Yanbaru we noticed the signs: watch out for the endangered Yanbaru Kuina, The Okinawa Rail. ヤンバルクイナ. We were quite keen ofcourse. I remembered a friend visiting in winter who had not seen any in the wild. But spring is different! They pop out on the road early mornings and we could see them around our hotel real close!

A birding tour of a few hours from 5:30 am produced around 10. There were 5 of us in a car, including the driver, so the person in the middle had a hard time taking photos. The more so since the windows wouldn't roll down all the way and we could not leave the car...

This friendly bird was parading in front of our breakfast table. Even non-birders enjoyed the show.

Other wings we found in the area are the Ryukyu haguro tombo,  ﾘｭｳｷｭｳﾊｸﾞﾛﾄﾝﾎﾞ

 Stick insect, ナナフシ. Their wings are those little things protruding from their back.

And the beautiful Junonia orithya, ｱｵﾀﾃﾊﾓﾄﾞｷ In Asia called the Blue Pansy (male)

Okinawa 2 part 2

The following photo's were also taken over the 4 days we spent in Okinawa. The Blue Rock Thrush, イソヒヨドリis a very common bird, all over the country I guess and very much so here. On the coast, in towns, in the fields, the forest, the mountains, they are there.

The male is brightly colored blue and rusty orange in breeding.

Here with one of his 3 demanding chicks

How to eat a poisonous centipede? (He managed)

When birding I usually keep an eye out for other creatures. Like insects or reptiles. Lizards always intrigue me. Their skin, their behaviour... Maybe because they remind me of pre-historic giants

Okinawa climbing lizard　キノボリトカゲ

Okinawa 2 part 1

The second bird on my list: The Ryukyu Robin, アカヒゲ is closely related to the Japanese Robin. The names in Japanese are confusing, because アカヒゲ (akahige) means red beard. A feature of the Japanese Robin. Somebody in the past mixed them up. Was it Philipp Franz von Siebold himself?

We saw males and females on several locations and heard their song nearly everywhere we went in the northern part of Okinawa, Yambaru. One very friendly female entertained us for several hours.

She hopped her way right up to us and made us back up to keep distance!

Totally unconcerned.

A handsome male appeared from the bush several times. They seemed to be sharing territory but were not seen together - yet.

Okinawa 1

Time passes so fast, I better hurry up. The 4 day trip to Okinawa with birding friends is already half a month ago! We decided to visit this southern island at the end of May, not a good season for weather, because it is right into the "tsuyu" rainy season. But in order to see the birds that only come out this time of the year, and to see them around the flowering trees we took our chances.
The trip was a great success. We saw all 3 birds on our wish list. I had kept the list kind of short, anything else would be a bonus:). The weather behaved remarkebly well. We had heavy rain, but mostly at night and at other locations on the island. Good luck was with us. I guess this way I had had my portion of it, because during the shooting I had very little. But what the photos don't show are the pictures in my head, my memories forever!

At first: Okinawa Woodpecker, ノグチゲラ

I didn't think it would be easy to see these birds, but there are quite a number around. It was exciting to watch them suck honey from the Deigo trees, (Erythrina Orientalis). Thinking that woodpeckers eat mainly insects I couldn't imagine they liked it so much!

The male has a red head,

 Other birds stopping by for a nibble were Japanese White-eye, メジロ

And a very happy Carrion Crow, オサハシブトガラス, Corvus macrorhynchos osai 

The last 2 shots were taken from the breakfast table: Whistling Green Pigeon, ズアカアオバト,

minutes after an Okinawa Woodpecker visited the same trees, see images above,

We could here there call from afar and were happy to see them landing in these trees seen from the balcony of our lodge.

Yanbaru Okinawa. Not a bad place to be!