A Japanese Retrospective

Since I am in the mood and still have no camera, here are a few shots from Japan. The flowering blossoms on the tree outside my window reminded me of some pictures I took during blossom time in Narita, Tokyo, Japan.
A Brown-eared Bulbul was picking throught the blooms at the Naritasan Temple in the “village” of Narita.
The Black-bellied (Grey) Plover was taken at a wetland sanctuary called Yatsu Higata, one hour from Tokyo on the JNR Sobu Line. Close to Tsudanuma Station.

Brown-eared Bulbul

Brown-eared Bulbul

Brown-eared Bulbul

Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover

Black-bellied Plover showing the characteristic axillaries

We are moving

News has come through that we are to change Hotels in Doha, Qatar.
This comes as a great disappointment to me personally, as the gardens at the Sheraton, Doha have given me many hours of pleasure over the years. The gardens have lawns and acacia trees, bushes and a small lagoon. All packed neatly against a quiet shore. There are many residents there such as the bulbuls, doves and mynas and it also acts as a very attractive stopping point for many birds who are just passing through.
So here is a gallery of birds from a number of trips over the several years we have been staying there.

White-cheeked Bulbul

White-cheeked Bulbul

Lesser Sand Plover

Actually, while I was watching it, I was convinced that this was a Lesser Sand, but I am having a crisis of confidence. Now that I look at it again, could it be a Greater? Comments and thoughts welcome.

Hoopoe

Eurasian Wryneck

Whimbrel

Isabelline Shrike

Red-vented Bulbul

Quite possibly, this chap comes from escapee stock.

Rose-ringed Parakeet

The parakeets are also popular in aviaries and possibly the wild population came from this source.

Wot? No pictures?

My trip this weekend is scheduled to be Lagos in Nigeria.

Without the camera, It could be a dull monologue, so here is a picture gallery taken from previous trips to Nigeria.

Common Wattle-eye

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Malachite Kingfisher

Blue-breasted Kingfisher

Yellow-billed Shrike

Scarlet-chested Sunbird

Yellow-throated Longclaw

Splendid Sunbird

I hope you liked them.

Now that I look with an ritical eye, I notice that all of these pictures came from Abuja. Abuja is a few hundred miles North of Lagos and was recently adopted as the administrative capital of Nigeria

Actually, the trip to Lagos was quiet with only a very few birds seen around the grounds of the Sheraton Ikeja, Lagos.

These included, Allied Hornbill, Western Grey Plantain Eater (always reliable) and Splendid Glossy Starling among the African Thrush and Common Bulbul.

While we are waiting,

After my little accident with a tripod and the garage door, I had to send the camera away to the menders. I spoke with them yesterday and it could still be another couple of weeks before the parts arrive. So this could create a very dull hiatus in my new blog.
I’m brimming with enthusiasm and would hate to waste all this nervous energy, so I shall post a few retrospective galleries. This will help to keep my spirits up while I wait for a response to tell me that there is someone out there.

Redgannet, red gannet, the on-line photographic diary of a travelling birder. Birding trip reports from around the world.

Birdwatching trip reports and photo galleries from around the world
Redgannet, red gannet, the on-line, photographic diary of a travelling birder.
http://www.redgannet.blogspot.com/
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from San Francisco, Los Angeles, California USA. Bolsa Chica, LA River, Off-shore. Long Beach Harbour, Palo Alto Baylands.
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from New York, USA. Central Park, Jamaica Bay.
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Bombay, Mumbai, New Delhi, India. Tughluqabad Fort, Sultanpur, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Powai Lake
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Vancouver, Canada. Boundary Bay
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Mauritius. SSR Botanical Gardens
Birds, birdwatching, birding odonata, dragonflies, and trip reports from Singapore. Paser Ris, Macritchie Reservoir, Sungei Buloh.
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Hong Kong. Hong Kong Wetland Park, Mai Po
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Sydney Australia. Sydney Botanical Gardens.
Birds, birdwatching, birding and trip reports from Johannesburg, Cape Town, South Africa. Heldeberg, Betty’s Bay, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Paarl Bird Sanctuary, Kruger National Park, Pilanesberg National Park, Marievale Bird Sanctuary.
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi National Park,
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Accra, Ghana. Aburi Botanical Gardens.
Birds, birdwatching, birding, odonata, dragonflies and trip reports from Miami Florida.
Newark, New Jersey