Spotting and watching birds has been a favorite activity of mine for many years. Now I am in Okinawa and I am born again. Not “born again” like:

George W. Bush – U.S. President
Ronald Reagan – U.S. President
Jimmy Carter – U.S. President

I am born again cos I am in  a new bird environment. When birdwatching you see the first 200 or so birds  in a region in the first couple of years and then pick up rarer stuff by either luck or work. Work means going to weirdo places specifically to see birds. Thus in Europe I have seen my 200, in the US I have seen my 200 but in Okinawa  I am starting afresh.

Oriental Turtle Dove

Okinawa is cool because I think there are less than 200 birds that live or come to the island. Compare that to over 700 for the States. There is a pretty good chance that I can see them all! Yahoo, I am born again.

Without trying, these are the birds I have seen so far.

Eurasian Wigeon

Northern Pintail

Greater Scaup

Great Cormorant

Gray Heron

Great Egret

Pacific Reef Egret

Osprey

Gray-faced Buzzard

Common Moorhen

Black-winged Stilt

Common Sandpiper

Whimbrel

Temminck’s Stint

Oriental Turtle Dove

Common Kingfisher

Rook

Large-billed Crow

Pacific Swallow

Great Tit

Light-vented Bulbul

Blue Rock Thrush

Pale Thrush

Dusky Thrush

Japanese White-eye

Gray Wagtail

White Wagtail

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Black-headed (Tricolored) Munia

Japanese White Eye

So sooner, I hope, than later, I will set off for some seious birdwatching. Those of you who are not birdwatchers, who string yourselves up in strange, complex harnesses with an orange in your mouth and a vial of Amyl Nitrate up your nose  to have thrill, think of me with my binoculars and fresh air.