Birding/ Bird watching in Nadi, Fiji

Birding/ Bird watching in Nadi, Fiji
Friday 29th of September 2017 and as I made a mistake when I booked my ticket I will have a day to kill here on Fiji before going to Tonga. What to do? Bird watching! Wake up at 5 o'clock, snoozing a few times until I turned off the alarm. I felt asleep again and I woke up 10 minutes past 6 o'clock.

The taxi will be here at 7 so I had a quick shower before I went to the restaurant for breakfast. I was alone in the restaurant and I asked for a cheese and ham omelette, bacon and sausages. They brought me a giant omelette and a bucket of bacon. I could not eat it and right there and then I decided to go buy smoked salmon and oatmeal and I will eat in my room from now on. 2 plates of Bangers & mash yesterday didn't help me feel better about my diet.

I took my bottle of Pepsi MAX and I went out to the parking lot. I spotted the Fiji Parrotfinch but I never got any picture. I spotted many of them yesterday but no picture. My driver arrived and we took off towards Garden of the sleeping giant outside Nadi

Birding/ Bird watching in the Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi, Fiji
On the way to the garden of the sleeping giant

Birding/ Bird watching in the Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi, Fiji
On the way to the garden of the sleeping giant

The dirt track to the Garden of the sleeping giant was blocked by some rocks and there was a sign giving directions to continue on the road. When we came to the new road we discovered that this road was blocked with rocks as well. It was early so they might be closed. So we continued driving along the dirt road looking for birds.

As no surprise, we saw a lot of Mynas and Red-vented Bulbuls. Otherwise we only saw some small birds and as soon as we approached they disappeared and we kept ourselves busy for more than an hour before I could get a picture. And then it was not a very good picture, but good enough so I could identify the bird, it was a Red avadavat.

We ended up at Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool. I left the car and I walked around the area. More of the Red avadavat, also known as the Red munia or Strawberry finch. I spotted, of course several Red-vented Bulbuls and Mynas.

Red avadavat, Red munia or Strawberry finch, Amandava amandava

Red avadavat, Red munia or Strawberry finch, Amandava amandava
Red avadavat, Red munia or Strawberry finch

Red avadavat, Red munia or Strawberry finch, Amandava amandava
Red avadavat, Red munia or Strawberry finch

Birding/ Bird watching in the Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi, Fiji
We continue chasing the Red avadavat trying to get a picture

Birding/ Bird watching in the Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi, Fiji
We continue chasing the Red avadavat trying to get a picture

Birding/ Bird watching in the Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi, Fiji
We continue chasing the Red avadavat trying to get a picture

Birding/ Bird watching in the Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi, Fiji
Red avadavat at the hot mud place

Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis, นกเอี้ยงสาริกา
Common Myna

Common Myna, Acridotheres tristis, นกเอี้ยงสาริกา
Common Myna

I also discovered a slight difference between 2 Mynas, one was dark grey and when I checked it turned out to be a Jungle Myna. I saw a bird looking as a Kingfisher in top of a tall tree. When I came closer I saw that it was a Kingfisher, a Pacific Kingfisher. I never seen any Kingfishers in top of a tree before. They usually sits low.

I checked out Fiji Kingfishers and I found the Pacific Kingfisher, previous a subspecies of the Pacific Kingfisher. I will have to check with an expert if it is a Collared or a Pacific Kingfisher.

Red-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool, Nadi
Many birds in the trees and in the creek/ ditch

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

There were many birds around the Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool. I was especially happy to see the Kingfisher fishing from the creek/ ditch. The Fiji Parrotfinch was very scared and disappeared before I had a chance to get a picture.

I had just did a very short time of birding here on Fiji and I had already seen a lot of birds that I had never seen before. So I was happy when we left Sabeto Hot Springs and Mud Pool bound for Garden of the sleeping Giant. I saw two more Kingfishers at the top of a tree at the entrance. There were also a group of very shy Jungle Mynas.

I paid the 18 dollar entrance fee plus 2$ 50¢ for a bottle of water. Fiji Dollars and the same Fiji Water brand I paid 25$ for at Swisshotel Stamford in Singapore and that was the last time I stayed there.

Anyway, they gave me an information pamphlet that I handed back to them and I entered the garden expecting to see many birds in the forest.

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

Kingfisher - Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi
Pacific Kingfisher
I will soon find out, so stay tuned

Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi

Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi

Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi

Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi

Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater, Foulehaio taviunensis

Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater, Foulehaio taviunensis
Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater

Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater, Foulehaio taviunensis
Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater

Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater, Foulehaio taviunensis
Fiji wattled honeyeater or northern wattled honeyeater

Bird watching at Garden of the sleeping giant, Nadi
We pass a moongose on the way back to the hotel

Fiji Parrotfinch, Erythrura pealii

Fiji Parrotfinch, Erythrura pealii
Fiji Parrotfinch - Erythrura pealii

Fiji Parrotfinch, Erythrura pealii
Fiji Parrotfinch - Erythrura pealii

I spotted the Fiji wattled honeyeater so it was yet another new bird for me. We left the Garden of the sleeping giant and we went to check out another road on the other side of Nadi. This dirt road will take us down to Nadi River, more like a creek now in the dry session. Mid-day and no birds. The driver will be back at my hotel to pick me up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and then we will return here.

We stopped to buy oatmeal and smoked salmon and I went back to my hotel for lunch. I have not been doing much bird watching here on Fiji, but I have been looking for the Fiji Parrotfinch and I have failed to get any pictures. I step out of the taxi at the hotel entrance carrying oatmeal and smoked salmon. I spot two FIJI Parrotfinches in the flowers next to the entrance. I put down my bags and I got a few pictures before the birds took off.

I was very happy when I went to my room for my lunch. Expensive salmon, but DARN! It was the best smoked salmon I have ever had, even better that the salmon from Iceland. I will buy more salmon when we're ready with the afternoon birding so I have for dinner and breakfast tomorrow.

We leave the hotel at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and we drive back to Nadi River to see if we could see any birds in the area.

Jungle Myna, Acridotheres fuscus
Jungle Myna - Acridotheres fuscus

Bird watching in Nadi
Red avadavat cooling down in the Nadi River

Bird watching in Nadi
Nadi River

Bird watching in Nadi
Nadi River

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
Bird bath

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
Bird bath

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
Bird bath


There were many birds when we came down to Nadi River, but nothing exciting, the normal mynas and Red-vented Bulbuls. And a group of the Red avadavat cooling down in the water. It was late afternoon and it was a wee bit cooler than when we were here during lunch time. Then it was hot and we didn’t see any birds, now they had come out.

We left the river and we drove along a dirt track and we ended up at a storage area for gravel and there was a big excavator making a terrible noise. So I was surprised to find a group of Common and Jungle Mynas bathing in the puddles. And it was very fun to watch them bit we were soon leaving because the excavator was going to start digging where we were.

Where to go now? We decided to go up in the highlands to see if we could see any birds there.

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
On our way up in the highlands

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
Crossing a river

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
On our way up in the highlands

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
On our way up in the highlands

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
On our way up in the highlands

Red-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer
Red-vented Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer
Red-vented Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul, Pycnonotus cafer
Red-vented Bulbul

We saw a lot of red-vented Bulbuls on the way up in the highlands, nothing else. We turned around and we drove back. We passed a group of house and I asked the driver to stop as I spotted a Fiji Woodswallow sitting on the wire. I spotted it yesterday but I never got any good pictures. Now I managed to get some good pictures of the Fiji woodswallow. And as I was sneaking around taking pictures of the bird people came out asking what I was looking for.

I was so lucky so I spotted an Fiji White-eye as well. I saw several other small birds as well, but I could never identify them. Anyway, it was a good stop and when we left we decided to drive down to the creek at the river we had passed coming here. So we left the White-eye and Woodenswallows behind bound for new adventures.

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
We make a stop

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
We make a stop

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
We make a stop

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
Fiji woodswallow

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
Fiji woodswallow

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
Fiji woodswallow

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
Fiji woodswallow

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
Fiji woodswallow

Fiji woodswallow, Artamus mentalis
Fiji woodswallow

Fiji White-eye, Zosterops explorator
Fiji White-eye - Zosterops explorator

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
We stop at the creek, many birds, but the usual birds
During the wet season the bridge is under water

Birding/ Bird watching in, Nadi, Fiji
We stop at the creek, many birds, but the usual birds
During the wet season the bridge is under water

To see the map in a full window click HERE
The map will not be ready until I leave Fiji 23rd of October

last birding on Fiji before leaving for Tonga. I was happy and I had seen many new birds. We stopped to buy more smoked salmon and oats. I decided to bring oatmeal to Tonga to continue my healthy lifestyle. I was thinking to buy smoked salmon as well. But I can wait until I'm back on Fiji. Well, this is it from Fiji, I will get out of bed 5 o'clock tomorrow morning and I will fly to Tonga. Click HERE to see how this turns out.

Sverigedemokraterna

Birding/ Bird watching in Nadi, Fiji

       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
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.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

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.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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