Ruddy Kingfishers have now made their annual pilgrimage back to Okinawa. These diminutive birds are among the most exciting seasonal bird arrivals of spring and summer, bringing vivid color and unmistakable calls to the forests of the Ryukyu Islands.
After many years of hoping to snag a decent photograph of this illusive bird, I finally landed on the jackpot, in avian terms. I was booked to lead a full day tour for some visitors from mainland Japan.
Snippets of information filter through chat groups and interest pages, where Manta Rays have been spotted, an errant Whaleshark, Turtles laying eggs, or indeed Turtle hatchlings making their dash to their liquid calling.
The power of wide angle macro lies in its ability to simultaneously highlight the intimate detail of a subject while situating it within its environment.
On one of my early treks towards Fukugawa waterfall, I first came across the Japanese Tiger Beetle. At the time, I wasn’t even looking for it—just pausing along the path when a sudden flash of metallic green and bronze darted across the trail.
For the past eight years I have devoted myself to photographing the rare and remarkable wildlife of the Yambaru jungles in northern Okinawa. Each encounter has deepened my appreciation of their fragile world and sharpened my awareness of just how precarious their survival is.