While planning our ‘Ancestor Tour” of Japan, I fell in love with Okinawa. Beaches, coral reefs, banyan trees, unique birds, mangroves plus castles, temples, shrines, shopping and sightseeing–so much to admire! Our first full day in Naha near the beginning of April was sunny and warm and low tide was at about 2 pm. Without hesitation, I announced the itinerary for the day was a walk along the river with a breakfast stop then on to the board walk at the Manko Waterbird and Wetland Center. After we could have lunch watching the planes at the airport and stroll along Senaga Beach. And hopefully peek into some coral tide pools. I was hoping to see some “firsts” during the day–and we did!
Great Egrets and Even Greater Black-faced Spoonbills at the Manko Waterbird Boardwalk
During bleak January, I read about the waterbirds that over-winter or migrate through Okinawa most of which rest at the Manko Waterbird and Wetland mudflats. I was particularly captivated by the Black-faced Spoonbills. As a teen visiting Ding Darling in Florida, I had seen a (then endangered) Roseate Spoonbill flying in to the trees to roost at sunset. I really wanted to see this new Spoonbill if I could but they don’t always stay for the summer.
While pretty, this Egret was not what I was hoping to see at Manko.
So when we arrived, despite the lure of Mudskippers and Fiddler Crabs, I barely slowed down till I reached the furthest end of the boardwalk. From the end, I could see 4 large white wading birds resting. The sun was reflecting off the mudflats and their white feathers and my camera was resisting focussing. I took a bunch of photos but frankly felt a bit disappointed as I thought these were just Great Egrets, the same ones I can see at the Rattray Marsh in Mississauga.
Then one decided to preen. Wow! Two of the birds were actually Black-faced Spoonbills! I took lots of badly focussed photos and then with a happy sigh when the birds went back to sleep, went to look more closely at the crabs and mudskippers.
Mudskippers Make Merry in the Manko Mudflats
You may be able to see that this guy is so propped up on its fins that the middle of its body is off the mud.
I grew up watching Jacques Cousteau and John and Janet Foster and other shows exploring the wild places. I remember seeing photos of Mudskippers, small fish that can survive being out of water and even ‘walk’ around using their fins. So when I read I could see them in Naha, a short walk from our hotel, they became a “must try to see!”
When we arrived, the tide was much further out than I expected and had left hundreds of yards of exposed mudflats. Along the board walk, near the spot where the river would meet the mangroves at high tide, I first spotted Barred Mudskippers. And there were dozens of them of all sizes. Some were scooting around on the mud. Others were peeking out of tubes of mud they had built. Some were bullying others. All of them had the bulgy bulbous eyes and tiny fin ‘legs.’ The way they half jump half scoot across the mud makes them fun to watch. They reminded me a bit of tadpoles half changed into frogs.
Barred Mudskipper doing a Sphinx impersonation?
Mystery Wading Bird at the Manko Mudflats in Naha Okinawa
I have not yet decided what this bird is. There were two rapidly feeding in the mud while the Spoonbills slept. I’m pretty sure it is a Common Redshank.
So Many Crabs in the Tidal Mudflats and Mangroves at the Manko Waterbird and Wetland Center in Naha
I knew from the Wetland Center website that there were many types of crabs along the Manko Waterbird board walk. I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to see any or not, though. Luckily, I was!
These brightly-coloured crabs were along the drier part of the boardwalk at Manko.
This is one of the Banzai Crabs I hoped to see! Well 4 of them actually. There were 1000s of them.
A Bulbul But Not Another Brown-Eared Bulbul Pops Up at the Boardwalk
While trying from the boardwalk to get sharp photos of bright red crabs under a mangrove, I was startled when a robin-sized bird suddenly flew in. It perched briefly on top of a mangrove near me, but hastily zipped off again when it realized I was there. My camera was set for closeups, but fortunately a random click caught the bird. This is a Light-vented Bulbul, another first for me. There were also Brown-eared Bulbuls around but they were skulking.
Mangroves and Manko Waterbird and Wetland Center
The signage and website for Manko says there are three types of mangroves growing in the wetland. This type did not have the ‘octopus’ roots nor the ‘knee-step’ roots but rather a thick main trunk. It is what the Center calls a Mehirgi, also called Ryukyukougai in Okinawan. Kougai means hairpin which the seed pod resembles.
Beautiful Butterflies Distract Me from My Plans for Beach Combing at Senaga
Just as I was leaving the board walk to visit the Center and head for the coral beach at Senaga, more new butterflies chased their way into my life. Orange ones buzzed off after brown ones; Little Blues chased anything that moved; Irridescent blue patched ones shimmered under the noon-day sun. I had seen black ‘swallowtail’ type butterflies and one yellow one patrolling the edges of the mangroves along the boardwalk but alas none of them slowed down. These butterflies perched. So I stopped, entranced.
This is a Blue Pansy. No it’s not a flower! It is on more of the Beggarticks.
This butterfly is some type of Fritillary. It may be a Tropical Fritillary.
I photographed this Pea Blue while it sipped nectar from clover in the lawn at the front door of the Center. More of them were dancing around the overgrown ‘meadow’ at the start of the boardwalk, too. Like my hometown Eastern Tailed-Blue, it has tiny ‘tails’ off the hind wings.
Many First Time Views at the Manko Waterbird and Wetland Center in Naha Okinawa
It certainly was a morning (and early afternoon) of discoveries. I had never seen any of the crabs before, nor a real live Mudskipper. I had seen a Spoonbill in the wild before but never a Black-faced Spoonbill. Some of the butterflies looked like ones I’d seen in conservatories but these ones were wild and free-flying. Overall, it was a great day for Firsts!
Related Reading
and if I ever get them written and posted
An Afternoon at Senaga Beach and U Terrace near Naha Okinawa