Friendly Natives, Hooded Cranes and Big Lenses

My adoring fans, I apologise for the lack of posting of late but it's been a bit busy and the energy levels are low. Work is fine, busy as always but getting more interesting all the time. Last week was just about the work and the gym. A few pints after work on Friday night was really really good. I was tempted to go hell for leather but I wanted to find some Cranes on Saturday morning so I curtailed that and got the last train home instead.

So, up reasonably early, 7.30am, and met TM at Kyobashi station where we caught the Loop line to Tennoji and then a regional rapid express to Kumeda, about 40 minutes from Tennoji and so a total travel time of about an hour. Not bad. It was a nice day, a bit of sunshine made for a pleasant autumnal day. This could turn into a birding post, so I'll spare you all the enthusiastic and exciting atmosphere of the day that was and tell you a bit about the folk I met while waiting for the Hooded Cranes to come into to roost for the night.



The typical "birder" in Japan, from my experience, are all retirees or near-retirees who have a lot of money and hence, buy the best there is, in whatever hobby they decide to take up. For example, two fellas we got chatting to yesterday were 65 and 70 years old. They both didn't look a day over 60 and they were very friendly. Although the day was spent carefully playing out charades and miming in order to communicate, we had good fun and they had a great sense of humour. Anyway, the 70 year old had about 12,000US dollars worth of camera gear and he was only doing this for the last couple of years. He basically thought it would be a nice hobby to take photographs of birds so the best of equipment was bought and any updated products replaced the previous models. The lens he had was an awesome Nikon 600mm beast and with the teleconvertor on, it was amazing. As good as my telescope as regards zoom and I was amazed....I want one!!! I took my, paltry in comparison, baby 70-300mm zoom out and was doing my best to take some good photos of the goings on of the day. When he showed me some of the shots he took, I just felt deflated but he was so encouraging and giving me tips that all that delfatedness was soon washed away.



The old guys whom I have met in situations like this have always been friendly, forthcoming and excited to share their stories with you. It's a lovely way to spend an afternoon, basking in the autumnal sun, listening to stories about Japan and their travels. There are truly amazingly friendly people in Osaka. It's not at all what I had expected. So, when the multitudes arrived (about 100 people) to see 5 Hooded Cranes come into land, all pandemonium broke loose with the sound of cameras clicking, whirring and shutters closing and opening. It was a beatufiul sight to see these magnificant, elegant Hooded Cranes come into land from the direction of the slowly setting sun, gliding in on their large wings, arcing in before dangling their legs and breaking in mid-air, landing gracefully on the water's edge. Some people even clapped....what an end to the day.



To make it even more amazing, the two old boys offered TM and I a lift back into Osaka. They were from Amagasaki (where the train crash was in April/May this year) which is very near to where I live (about 30 minutes by train) and on the same train line. We had a great laugh with them in the car and they showed me their printed photographs of many birds, some globally threatened. They gave us their phone numbers and we said our goodbyes. I'd like to meet up with them again.



So, then, after getting dropped off, another 45 minutes on the train to a party in Abiko to a house of one of the new guys from work. It was really strange walking into a house, seeing stairs, more than one room...a couch, seats, a fridge (that can hold more than a bottle of water and a pint of milk), and cupboards...it was palatial!! Bit of a laugh at that and then home...home to bed and to a well earned sleep.

Not much doing today, work late, missed going to the horse racing but I really needed a rest and a sleep until the warmth of the sun in the room woke me. A good weekend, nice people, good food, Hooded Cranes and big lenses...

Carmo's Diet: this week I have mostly been eating chicken gizzards and cartilage

Carmo's birds: Long-billed Dowitcher, BAIKAL TEAL, HOODED CRANE, Buff-bellied pipit, osprey, black kite, peregrine, dunlin, widgeon, teal, mallard, gadwall, common gull, black-headed gull, japanese wagtail.