Okinawa 16-19 Jun 2018 - short trip for Okinawa trios

Introduction:
Wing Tung and my first 'self-traveling trip' in Japan was Ishigaki, a place governed by Okinawa Prefecture. We enjoyed the first birding experience in the "Eastern Galapagos" - the Ryukyu Islands group very much with friendly owls, serpent eagle (Paeagle ぱいーぐる!) and peaceful life. Furthermore, since I have particular interest on island ecology, visiting Okinawa main island to see the three endemics: the cute robin, skulking rail and the critically endangered woodpecker has been our next targets in Ryukyu and a wish for long.

In June 2018, we got three days holidays because of the weekend plus the Dragon Boat Festival, so we chose to make a short trip to Okinawa for the three targets.

Many thanks to Yann (for driving again!), Francis and Peter, we got a successful trip and made excellent views of the Okinawa Trios!


Flight:
We took the following two flights. Because of public holiday weekend, the cost for the tickets were much more expensive than usual:

16 June 2018
HX 658
1125 - 1510 (HKG to OKA)

19 June 2018
HX 659
1610 - 1750 (OKA to HKG)


Accommodation:
We stayed in Ada Garden Hotel for three nights. Room is good and the hotel is close to the birding spots, or you can even see the endemics just in the hotel if you are lucky. For birders, this hotel is highly recommended. However, if you want to take dinner in the restaurant in hotel, an appointment should be done three days before check-in, so we dipped. And the closest Family Mart is around 30 mins driving distance from the hotel. So it may be unconvenient for dinner especially you need to go owling.

More information can be checked here:
https://www.hotelscombined.hk/Hotel/Ada_Garden_Hotel_Okinawa.htm?gclid=CjwKCAjwma3ZBRBwEiwA-CsblDMh0qF1ouHiZ_Po8CqnfQ5O65eoJOV7cTySNxmU0UuuDITMi5g1XhoCtIIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds


The Trip:
16 June

HX 658, an A330

with Crested Ibis to Japan again

this is the lunch in plane

arrived Okinawa in 2 hours, very convenient! 

afternoon tea

the car with us in the following four days

we decided to have our dinner before heading to the hotel. My favorite - curry!

and ice cream!

pineapple is a must-try in Okinawa,though not as sweet as the one in Iriomote last time

our first bird in Okinawa was Blue Rock Thrush. We went out this night to try for Japanese and Ryukyu Scops Owl, we didn't see any but the first tick of the trip - Okinawa Rail!

Okinawa Rail is a flightless species and they climb up to roost to avoid predator, like cat, snake or mongoose. We saw the first (two) rails roosting on a electric post!

then we saw another pair on a dead tree

they were very tame at night

iPhone version

beer to celebrate the first tick of the trip!

17 June

a simple breakfast

we tried several forest road for owls but still none, just some calling.. but we did see the first Okinawa Robin during the first light.

we went to Hiji Fall next, a male Okinawa Rail welcomed us near the entrance

then a female in trail

a newt - should be Sword-tailed Newt which is endemic and endangered in Ryukyu Islands

Sword-tailed Newt

a damselfly, no idea which species

Brown-eared Bulbul, the subspecies here has a more reddish underpart

we soon finished our Trio task (just in the second day!) when Francis found this female Okinawa Woodpecker! Sadly a record shot

more Okinawa Robin

the female robin was surprisingly cooperative

a view from a metal bridge in Hiji Fall

we returned to the spot where we saw the Okinawa Woodpecker, and we refound the bird, this time a pair! The female lacks reddish crown.

while the crown for male is reddish

this time allowed us a longer view and more photos

Okinawa Woodpecker, an critically endangered species

the global population is assumed to be 250-999 mature individuals

even though, we wouldn't know the woodpecker is quite "common" in northern Okinawa

superb view of Okinawa Woodpecker

we then saw our first owl of the trip, not a scops but Northern Boobook, an Ryukyu endemic subspecies, which Wing Tung and I saw in Ishigaki before.

an angry Boobook

Brown-eared Bulbul, they were very common but not easy to take a good photo

newt again

a view from the fall

a snake, sadly it's dead

it was still early morning and we went to the only Family Mart in Northern Okinawa to buy some snacks

like this

and this, limited edition!

we birded in some forest road and saw many many Okinawa Robin

and here's a cooperative male

Okinawa Robin, super cute and beautiful bird

female was less tamer here

this is no doubt to be a Robin Day

Okinawa Robin

more Okinawa Robin

more robin

sometimes they'r responsive to playback

Okinawa Robin

more male Okinawa Robin

and they'r curious on you

Okinawa Robin

we took many photos of the male Okinawa Robin

Okinawa Robin

Brown-eared Bulbul watching us when taking the robin

and several woodpeckers came suddenly

we got excellent view even the light was not good

Okinawa Woodpecker

Ryukyu Minivet at the same spot. We also heard a very close pair of Okinawa Rail, so it is possible to tick the trios just in a road junction!

with Ibis

we continued and saw more robin

and more...

a naught fifi - the Japanese White-eye, endemic subspecies here

green tea in hot afternoon

on the way to other spot, we saw our first daylight rail

Okinawa Rail

Aha Dam, our target here was Japanese Wood Pigeon but sadly none

Rail everywhere, it looked like crying

nothing really exciting in the dam , a juvenile Japanese Tit

a butterfly, Tung should know much better

a tamer fifi

our surprised trip tick, a Japanese Sparrowhawk taking its prey, hopefully not a white-eye or robin

somewhere on the road we saw the first Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - another endemic subspecies and we missed the photo in Ishigaki

then we went for a late lunch

pork rice, quite famous in Okinawa

and tea in cafe with Rail

more rails

rail everywhere, with banana?

and also pineapple

just like in Ishigaki and Iriomote, very hot in summer Okinawa, so we needed plenty drinks

we continued birding, more robin, rail, and woodpecker.. Also road sign for rail alert!

we were back to hotel for a short break, before owling

a view from our room

our second owling night, we saw none again, made us worried we would dip the other two owl species. Lucky we got plenty roosting rail again this night, less boring! And this is one of my favorite rail night shot!

we didn't realize a 3-day prior appointment is needed for dinner at hotel, so we went to the same Family Mart for an easy dinner....

the chicken was very good indeed

quite simple, even simpler than the meal in Iriomote

Okinawa limited beer, to end the second day!

18 June

a good start with two Okinawa Rail in early morning, but sadly my lens was foggy to take a clean shot

Okinawa Rail

Ryukyu Box Turtle, this was a living one [not dead!] (it just put all its legs and head into the shell), we put this back to the side of road, preventing another road kill. Not a lifer as we ticked in Iriomote before.

another Okinawa Woodpecker

and the commonest bird of the trip - Okinawa Robin

male Japanese Paradise Flycatcher - endemic Ryukyu breeder

damselfly

and this damselfly was very common too

Pacific Swallow, the default swallow species in Okinawa

Large-billed Crow - endemic subspecies too

Ryukyu Green Pigeon - not as common as in Yayaema Islands. Only this female was photoable this time.

a common scene in Ryukyu Islands, snake on the road

Ryukyu Odd-toothed Snake

we tried to take some better photos, but this snake was quite angry

a bridge outside a primary school, with woodpecker

and rail. A relaxing village life.

time for breakfast

chicken again!

and the only sushi of the trip

ice cream cake

tea of course

continued birding after breakfast, headed to Hiji Fall again, and Japanese Paradise Flycatcher at the entrance 

and female Okinawa Robin

then a male Okinawa Robin

and more Okinawa Robin

we heard the Varied Tit, played its call but no response, then we tried to play the Japanese Tit call and the Varied came and called

the subspecies of Varied Tit in Okinawa looks like Iriomote Tit (we dipped!), maybe a lump in future?

Varied Tit amamii

and a juvenile followed the adult

another bird came suddenly, a juvenile Ryukyu Flycatcher. We didn't see any adult in this trip

We couldn't resist to take more Okinawa Robin. This one showed black flanks (after bath?), imitating the Ryukyu Robin which can be found in Amami. That one shows more extensive black flanks and forehead, also longer wings (as the Ryukyu Robin will migrate while Okinawa Robin is largely a resident).

Okinawa Robin

more Okinawa Robin

this one got a nice perch

Large-billed Crow

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, of course they were much more commoner than the Okinawa Woodpecker

Ruddy Kingfisher, with its prey

the Ruddy Kingfisher here is endemic breeder

we saw plenty Ruddy Kingfisher in this trip but only this bird allowed us to take photo

damselfly again, same or different species? no idea

we were leaving the fall and saw the same owl in the same tree again - the Northern Boobook totogo

a no-billed owl

then I heard a gang of crazy Brown-eared Bulbul, maybe a owl nearby (but Brown-eared Bulbul are always excited no matter any owl or not. . . .). After a few minutes I found this.. an owl!

I identified as Ryukyu Scops Owl at first (like Tung and I saw in Ishigaki in daytime), but then we realised the iris color was not yellow but red - a Japanese Scops Owl (in fact the Japanese is much larger)! Our second owl species of this trip was safely ticked!

a lizard

ibis in Hiji Fall

and we saw a greenish snake near the exit

no idea what was this but a snake

too humid and hot and so we needed more drinks, just 100JPY each

tea to celebrate the owls!

time to lunch, and this is a rail.. a weird one

pork rice again

menu

Peter's noodle, quite big

my pork set, very delicious

there were other places we didn't go this time. Tung must love the rail viewing station, just like the Egg Tower in Ishigaki.

features of Okinawa Pork

the tea is good too, I bought some in the souvenir shop just next to the restaurant

more rail

and more ice cream

heavy rain after lunch, so we were back to hotel and took a rest, with chips. We were sad to hear about the Osaka earthquake from the news.

and beer!

when the rain got smaller, that was nearly dusk, so we went out to try the last owling chance, hopefully we could get the Ryukyu Scops Owl (the last owl species in our target list). No owl yet but many rails on the road!

a family of Okinawa Rail

Okinawa Rail crossing the road

more Okinawa Rail

juvenile Okinawa Rail, the upperpart is more brownish

another pair feeding on the road

we tried several spots for the Ryukyu Scops Owl, we only heard some. Until around 8pm, we heard a close bird along the road, we stopped the car and looked for it. Success!

and we were lucky to saw at least two Ryukyu Scops Owl singing together!

Ryukyu Scops Owl - reminded the first time to see this species at the first night in Ishigaki

Ryukyu Scops Owl

the last night of the trip, and also the last owl target!

we were happy about the birds but not joyful with the dinner!

19 June

we tried in early morning to see any other Ryukyu or Japanese Scops Owl but none. While two Okinawa Rail calling just outside the hotel car park.

a nice wooden rail

morning drink

the introduction of the Rail in the lobby

from the Birder in the lobby, interested to know the wing shape and length are so different between Okinawa and Ryukyu Robin

we continued our last birding day of the trip

we drove to north in west coast, many Brown-eared Bulbul

a single Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker

not long until Francis saw a black pigeon - Japanese Wood Pigeon! with a Large-billed Crow here

one of my long wishing Japanese target - the Japanese Wood Pigeon

and finally got a better photo of the Brown-eared Bulbul at the pigeon site

a view from the pigeon spot

with ibis

not a pigeon but a dove - Oriental Turtle Dove, Ryukyu endemic subspecies

fifi on the wire, unexpected

we also encountered another pair of Okinawa Woodpecker

the male was very cooperative, excellent view again!

the woodpecker should be the most difficult among the trios but still common in this trip

they were very responsive to the call as well - Okinawa Woodpecker

a single Pacific Reef Egret in a lagoon

and tea break

our last bird(s) of the trip

a video

can you spot it?

the first and also the last species we took in this Okinawa Trip - the Okinawa Rail

we spent nearly half an hour on watching this pair!

Okinawa Rail

they fed in the field like normal crake

fantastic view of this flightless species

see its strong legs

some rails walking on the slope

or in some dimmer place 

said goodbye to us, see the rails next time in Okinawa again

chips to celebrate first before lunch

the place we lunched

pork rice

ice cream

ゆいゆい国頭 道の駅, this is the only place we could have a proper meal or buy some local souvenirs 

ゆいゆい国頭 道の駅

hard to believe we could clear all the targets! celebration with this ice cream grapes (we try every-time in Japan)

way back to airport

and bought two pineapple to HK in the domestic terminal

my favorite but... sold out

time flies, need to go back to HK soon

Ryukyu Islands is always a great place to visit, and we wish to come back very soon (ibis too)

this is the 'dinner', so I needed more when I returned home.

the pineapple also safely arrived

algae 海ぶどう - Caulerpa lentillifera, very famous dish in Okinawa so I bought some too

Reference:
An online photoguide for birds of Okinawa 
Birds of Okinawa
http://www.okinawa-kaeru.net/wild/bird.html

Okinawa Nature Photography
http://okinawanaturephotography.com/


Okinawa trip report
An excellent one include Iriomote (and the Tit!)
https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/KNASS_Ryukyu_03_2017.pdf

A Birder's Guide to Okinawa by Tom Marko
https://thewildernessalternative.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/abirdersguidetookinawav-19dec2012.pdf

Amami-Oshima and Okinawa report by Jeffrey H. Skevington, Sander Bot, Andrew D. Young
https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport/repository/SKEVINGTON_Japan_06_2016.pdf

Field Guide - Birds of Japan (2018) by Mark Brazil
https://lovingthetodiesforever.blogspot.com/2018/06/book-review-birds-of-japan-2018.html

A bird guide in Okinawa (if you need one)
http://park1.aeonnet.ne.jp/~yanbaru/birdwatching.html

ゆいゆい国頭 道の駅 (we bought souvenirs and took lunch here)
http://www.yuiyui-k.jp/shopping

Trip List:
A total of 36 species seen (no heard only) in four days. We did see most of the birds in our target list, except two: Barred Buttonquail, which can be found in paddy-field or sugarcane-field we didn't check this time; and Amami Woodcock, a rare bird (residents and winter visitors?) in northern Okinawa, so we better wait for next time to Amami.

Birds of the trip are the three Okinawa endemics:
1st: Okinawa Rail
2nd: Okinawa Robin
3rd: Okinawa Woodpecker

Rock Dove Columba livia

- seen in Naha only

Japanese Wood Pigeon Columba janthina janthina

- 2 seen, probably a pair

Oriental Turtle Dove Streptopelia orientalis stimpsoni

- Ryukyu endemic subspecies

Ryukyu Green Pigeon Treron permagnus permagnus

- not yet split in IOC; Ryukyu endemic subspecies; 3 seen and one more possible seen by Peter only

Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus

- the default cuckoo species in Okinawa in summer; many heard and 1 hepatic seen in Hiji Falls

Okinawa Rail Hypotaenidia okinawae

- Okinawa endemic, around 30 individuals seen and 15 individuals heard in four days

(Eastern) Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis coromandus

- not yet split in HBW, as Eastern Cattle Egret

Great Egret Ardea alba modesta
- several seen

Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia
- several seen in northern Okinawa

Little Egret Egretta garzetta garzetta
- several seen

Pacific Reef Egret Egretta sacra sacra

- 1 black morph seen

Little Tern Sterna albifrons sinensis

- seen in Naha only

Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana sumatrana

- 1 seen in Naha only

Tern sp.

- some unidentified tern species encountered in Naha and northern Okinawa

Northern Boobook Ninox japonica totogo (japonica in HBW)

- 1 seen in Hiji Falls in daytime and several heard at night; possible split as Ryukyu Hawk Owl

Japanese Scops Owl Otus semitorques pryeri

- 1 seen in Hiji Falls in daytime and 1 heard near hotel; possible split as Pryer's Scops Owl

Ryukyu Scops Owl Otus elegans elegans

- Ryukyu endemic subspecies; commonly heard and at least 2 seen at night
- 1 calling bird was sound-recorded as: https://www.xeno-canto.org/421782

Japanese Sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis (iwasakii ?)

- 1 seen hunting in Aha Dam

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis bengalensis

- 1 seen in Hiji Falls

Ruddy Kingfisher Halcyon coromanda bangsi

- Ryukyu endemic breeding subspecies

Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker Picoides kizuki nigrescens

- Ryukyu endemic subspecies

Okinawa Woodpecker Dendrocopos noguchii

- Okinawa endemic; more than 11 individuals seen and 6 individuals heard in four days

Ryukyu Minivet Pericrocotus tegimae
- several seen and heard

Japanese Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone atrocaudata illex
- Ryukyu endemic breeding subspecie; sseveral seen and heard

Large-billed Crow Corvus macrohynchos connectens

- Ryukyu endemic subspecies

Varied Tit Sittiparus varius amamii
- Ryukyu endemic subspecies; at least 1 adult and 1 juvenile seen in Hiji Falls

Japanese Tit Parus minor okinawae
- not yet split in HBW; Okinawa endemic subspecies

Zitting Cisticola Cisticola juncidis brunniceps
- commonly seen displaying

Pacific Swallow Hirundo javanica namiyei
- as House Swallow in HBW

Brown-eared Bulbul Hypsipetes amaurotis pryeri
- Ryukyu endemic subspecies

Light-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus sinensis orii
- Ryukyu endemic subspecies

Japanese Bush Warbler Horornis diphone cantans
- commonly heard and at least 1 seen

Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus loochooensis
- Ryukyu endemic subspecies

Okinawa Robin Larvivora namiyei
- Okinawa endemic; not yet split in IOC; more than hundred seen and heard in four days

Ryukyu Flycatcher Ficedula owstoni shonis
- not yet split in IOC; at least 2 juveniles seen in Hiji Falls

Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius philippensis
- commonly seen

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 
- commonly seen