Birding/ Bird watching on Denarau, Fiji

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Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

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E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Wednesday 18 ^th of October 2017 and the alarm went off at 5 o'clock. I checked the low water for Denarau marina and it looks to be low water at 10:40. The time to be there. But first some birding around Westin Denarau Island Resort. Tea and oatmeal and I was soon out on Westin's compound here on Denarau. I had seen the Fiji Parrotfinch in the tree at my balcony this morning and I had not been walking for long before I saw a group of them eating seeds on the lawn

Fiji Parrotfinch

Fiji Parrotfinch

Fiji Parrotfinch

I walk along the beach

I met a lady on her morning constitutionaland she told me that the Fiji Parrotfinch was a gorgeous little bird. I walked on the concrete walk path along the beach when I spotted two Pacific Swallows. I walked along the beach and I entered Sheraton's compound. No birds and I walked back to The Westin and I walked out on the grass to check out a group of Fiji Parrotfinches.

Walking on the lawn and it was almost like the lawn as moving, plenty frogs and I don't want to kill any frogs. But they jumped away when I approached playing the Vanikoro flycatcher song. The Fiji Parrotfinch just looked a time, I don't know what they thought, but most likely:
- That is a very big bird

The Fiji Parrotfinch didn't flew away as I was almost like one of them. And as the lady said, it is a gorgeous little bird. I continued to walk along a small creek/ pond avoiding stepping on frogs. I heard a White-faced Heron and I went to investigate.

Pacific Swallow

Pacific Swallow

Pacific Swallow

Leaving Westin's compound

Fiji Parrotfinch

Fiji Parrotfinch

Fiji Parrotfinch

Fiji Parrotfinch

Fiji Parrotfinch

Westin Denarau Island Resort

Westin Denarau Island Resort

White-faced Heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

I was back between Westin and Sheraton and I saw the White-faced Heron sitting in the top of a palm tree. It looked very beautiful up there in the green. I got a few pictures and I looked around the area, but nothing to see except Mynas and Red-vented Bulbuls.

I was starting to get hungry and I started to walk back towards the restaurant. I ended up in an area full of huts, spas and a pond. I spotted some birds that I could not identify. I never got any pictures either. It was a beautiful area and I will be back to see if I can see the unidentified birds again, maybe tomorrow morning before we leave for the Mamanuca Sightseeing Cruise. Boat leaves at 9 o'clock and pick-up time is 08:20 from the hotel.

I booked three tours from Bangkok:

1) Mamanuca Sightseeing Cruises with optional lunch - Cruise with Optional Lunch

2) Half-Day Finding Nemo Cruise to South Sea Island

3) Fijian Islands and Snorkel Full-Day Whales Tale Cruise including Beach BBQ Lunch

And after having been 2 nights at Barefoot Kuata Island I have seen it all. So I don't need to go on these tours, but I booked them because this is the kind of activities you do when on Fiji. Well, tomorrow, optional lunch and I really hope I didn't choose the lunch option. That means 3 hours extra on Beachcomber Island to have pretty much the same lunch we had on Barefoot Kuata Island. We will see what happens tomorrow.

Walking back towards the hotel breakfast

Walking back towards the hotel breakfast

Walking back towards the hotel breakfast

I had checked out the breakfast last time I was here. They had fresh fruit, but what a disappointment, mango and papaya and they had not peeled the fruit. Well, I had sausages and bread with a pot of tea instead.

I was back in my room to check my pictures and I was quite satisfied. Low water at 10:41 and I took a taxi to Denarau Marina to see if I can rent a boat and a Captain.

I went in to the Ship chandler and they called around. They had a boat but that boat was too big for me. I need a small boat that can take me to the mudflats and the birds eating there. He called around and we came up with nothing. We saw a few boats returning but they never came to our jetty. We walked towards the shopping centre when we saw a boat approaching.

The boat landed at our jetty and my new friend the Ship Chandler ran over to see if the Captain could take me on a birding tour.

A boat is coming

The boat is unloading passengers and I can get on board

I brought two bottles of water, I turned my hanky in to a hat and we took off towards the mudflats and mangroves. It is hot, darn hot so some water is of course good to have, but it is more important to cover the bald spot on top of my head or I will burn myself.

We were a little late due to the problem to find a boat, but I hope we can get 2 hours with low water. We leftt he jetty and a few minutes later we spotted the Greater Crested Tern on the mud flats. We also saw Pacific Golden Plovers and a couple of Bar-tailed Godwits.

Greater Crested Tern

Greater Crested Tern

Greater Crested Tern

Greater Crested Tern

Greater Crested Tern

Low water in Denarau

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Mudflats ahead

Mangrooves

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

Pacific Reef Egret (Dark morph)

Pacific Reef Egret (Dark morph) get scared and fly away

We reach the bridge

We try to get up one of the rivers through the mangrove. But there was a guy in the mangrove and he had put out a fishing net so we turned south towards the bridge to Denarau Island. We pass a White-faced Heron and a Pacific Reef Egret. The White-faced Heron didn't cared much about us but the Pacific Reef Egret took off.

There were several White-faced Heron in the area and it is really a beautiful bird. We approached the bridge and we discovered another river going up in the mangrove. We changed course and we entered the river. We were soon stopping as there were a couple of White-faced Herons looking for food at the mudflat.

There was a family of Pacific Swallows sitting on a dead tree on the mud flat. Everything very peaceful and the birds minded their own business. There was a Pacific Reef Egret landing at the other end of the mudflat and I don't know what happened. One of the Pacific Swallows left the dead tree and started to attack the Pacific Reef Egret.

The swallow was diving at the Pacific Reef Egret several times and the Pacific Reef Egret was ducking trying to avoid the Pacific Swallow. I tried to get pictures but I failed. It really looked fun, the swallow is so small you could hardly see the bird. The Pacific Reef Egret must have been 50 times bigger and was so scared. Why was the swallow attacking the Pacific Reef Egret and not the other birds?

The Pacific Reef Egret gave up and left and the swallow started to chase after the poor bird.

We find another river

A Pacific Swallow family

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

White-faced heron

Also known as the white-fronted heron

Pacific Swallow chasing away a Pacific Reef Egret

I was shooting from the hip

We continue up the mangroves

We meet our friend the Pacific Reef Egret again

Working our way up the mangrove

Working our way up the mangrove

Working our way up the mangrove

We are coming back again - Time to go home

Pacific Swallow babies

Pacific Swallow

Pacific Swallow

We turn around in the middle of the jungle. On the way back and we're running in to another Pacific Swallow family. I could hear the Wattled Honeyeater and I played the Wattled Honeyeater song and we were soon having two of them flying around the boat. We also saw another bird that I could not identify. When we came back we checked out some of the mudflats, but the low tide was turning and the mudflats at the mangroves was already under water.

If you ever come here I can recommend you to do this tour. Just to find out when the low water is. HERE is a web page so you can check out the time to be at the mudflats.

We passed more White-faced Herons on the way back to the marina. We also spotted a group of the Greater Crested Terns. And that was my last mudflat pictures.

Greater Crested Tern

Greater Crested Tern

Greater Crested Tern

To see the map in a full window click HERE

I said good bye to the Captain and I went to look for a taxi. I passed a bar on the way and I asked for two fresh Mango/ Papaya juice. They had run out of Mango so I asked for two Papaya/ Banana juices instead.
- Ok, one fresh juice
- No, two
- OK, 2 papaya/ pineapple juice
- No, Banana/ papaya
- OK, banana/ pineapple
- All righty, banana/ papaya. They make the juice in the bar so you can pick them up there.

I could hear them all the way to my table.
- 2 banana/ Pineapple juice, the bar tender to the guy in the bar
- FER FOCKS SAKE! How hard can it be? I asked.

I also cancelled my order, this was just too bad. But anyway, I got my juice and I enjoyed it while taking pictures of a Pacific Swallow on the wire outside the bar.

Construction site outside the bar

Pacific Swallow

Pacific Swallow

Pacific Swallow

I took a taxi back to my hotel and I spent the rest of the day in my room. Tomorrow will be a new adventure with the Mamanuca Sightseeing Cruises with optional lunch - Cruise with Optional Lunch. And I havehopefully not gone with the lunch option, but I guess we will find out. And we will soon find out, just a simple click HERE

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