Ed Forum birdwatching 2008

[Kotatsu]

Tripods sure beat monopods if you're also going to use the same one for a telescope, though.

 

[EHocking]

How do you think I felt when I got to the Eagles's nest on Honeymoon Island and the professional bird photographer looked at my gear and scoffed, saying, they should shoot whoever sells that tripod, and I thought it was a pretty good tripod.

He then proceeded to tell me that I should never use a tripod, I should replace the 300mm lens I have with a 100-400 and 1.4x coverter, then I might have a chance. His thick German accent is burned into my memory, "learn panning technique, tripod is s***!"

I didn't take it personally, I thought it was funny and very informative.

Actually that is quite funny. A "professional" that eschews a tripod for handheld and prefers zoom lenses to prime? In his case a prime 100mm, 400mm and 600mm would have been a more informed opinion than using a teleconverter.

You can afford to ignore "professional" advice like that.

A teleconverter and a zoom lens will always be a compromise in picture quality compared to a prime lens. It's very much the most economic alternative for a non-professional. Certainly practicing panning is invaluable for those shoot from the hip shots that are inevitable in nature photography, but to bag the use of a tripod as s*** in just plain ignorance.

If at all possible I would use a prime, a tripod and a remote shutter release in order to give yourself all the technical advantages for taking a photo. After that it's practice, technique, a sound knowledge of your equipment and subject - and sometimes a bit of luck.

Luck of course is mostly being prepared to get the shot when the opportuntity arises.

 

[RedIbis]

I'm learning that there are as many opinions as there are photographers. Perhaps I'm not experienced enough but I can't imagine shooting birds with a prime lens. They fly all over the place, and most don't sit for very long in one spot.

 

[EHocking]

I'm learning that there are as many opinions as there are photographers.

That's your opinion.
Yeah, I spent quite a few years on birding and photography usenet groups and the advice I took away from that was mostly based on the track record of the poster. You can usually spot opinion over experience any day. Biggest thing to remember is a professional is merely someone who gets paid for it. Think of all the foolish opinions you hear from your cow orkers, and then remember, by definition, they are professionals.

That said, there are quite a number of wildlife photography sites on the web that CAN be relied upon for accurate and well balanced opinions on technique, gear and approach. I'm not at home for a week or so, but will try to look up the favourites that I've saved from the past.

Perhaps I'm not experienced enough but I can't imagine shooting birds with a prime lens. They fly all over the place, and most don't sit for very long in one spot.

Oh, yeah. I was talking about the "ideal" situation, of course. About the only time you'd have opportunity like that would be staking out a nest, roost or feeding site behind a hide (blind to Merkins), but that said, most of my birding shots have been with the focal length set at max, i.e. 300mm with 2X teleconverter. Given that experience (and it would depend on where your shooting, really) I would kill to be able to afford a prime 500 or 600mm lens for birding. As it is, a zoom lens is the most practical and versatile for amateur wildlife photographers, and quite a number of professionals.

IMO

 

[RedIbis]

That's your opinion.
Yeah, I spent quite a few years on birding and photography usenet groups and the advice I took away from that was mostly based on the track record of the poster. You can usually spot opinion over experience any day. Biggest thing to remember is a professional is merely someone who gets paid for it. Think of all the foolish opinions you hear from your cow orkers, and then remember, by definition, they are professionals.

That said, there are quite a number of wildlife photography sites on the web that CAN be relied upon for accurate and well balanced opinions on technique, gear and approach. I'm not at home for a week or so, but will try to look up the favourites that I've saved from the past.Oh, yeah. I was talking about the "ideal" situation, of course. About the only time you'd have opportunity like that would be staking out a nest, roost or feeding site behind a hide (blind to Merkins), but that said, most of my birding shots have been with the focal length set at max, i.e. 300mm with 2X teleconverter. Given that experience (and it would depend on where your shooting, really) I would kill to be able to afford a prime 500 or 600mm lens for birding. As it is, a zoom lens is the most practical and versatile for amateur wildlife photographers, and quite a number of professionals.

IMO

That's great info, and if you'd like to post those links, I'd appreciate it. The 2X converter is a cheaper option for me, but I was under the impression that it would affect the quality of the image. I'm also curious what the compability issues are as I'm not using a Canon lens, but a Tamron 28-300 3.5-6.3

 

[EHocking]

That's great info, and if you'd like to post those links, I'd appreciate it. The 2X converter is a cheaper option for me, but I was under the impression that it would affect the quality of the image. I'm also curious what the compability issues are as I'm not using a Canon lens, but a Tamron 28-300 3.5-6.3

Well, the fact that you are adding a couple of more lens elements will have some effect on the image, but if you buy quality glass, as with any lens, you and I won't be able to notice any quality loss.

On compatibility, I'd hazard that a Tamron TC to go with the Canon-configured Tamron lens would be safe - best thing is to take your camera with you to make sure all the TTL functions still operate.

The only real practical loss will be "slowing" your lens down and potentially losing autofocus capability. From memory, rule of thumb is that a 1.4X TC will drop your lenses speed by 1 f-stop and a 2X will drop it by 2.
So, a 1.4X TC on an f4.5 lens will render it's effective "speed" to f5.6, with a 2X TC attached you effectively have an f8 lens and, on my SLR, f5.6 is the threshold for AF to function, so I lose it with a 2XTC. It's really not a problem, more often than not you'll be in manual mode with a long lens shooting a bird anyway - if not, you should learn to!!

So, it's just a matter of checking the lower range at which your camera's AF will function and check the (lower) f rating of the lenses you have and then the effect of the TC. These specs should always be available for any TC so you can figure that out.

Biggest caution that I have heard about TCs on dSLRs is that a NON digital TC (or lens) should not be used on a dSLR without checking that it IS compatible. Apparently on some lenses (and Tamron/Canon combo comes to mind) the distance from where the lens fits to the body to the sensor is much shallower than the distance to the film plane on a non-dSLR. I'd hazard you'd know of that when you bought the Tamron lens (I hope).

We might have to start a Forum Photographers thread at this rate!

Note, all of the above is from memory and a few years out of date - treat with caution and a bit of research!

 

[Kotatsu]

I will give you a full list as soon as I get home, but in the meantime:

Tak Thale, 30/11 2008:
SPOONBILLED SANDPIPER!!!!!!

Muahahahahahahaha.

 

[Kotatsu]

Went birdwatching in Lumpini Park this morning and got another 10-odd species, almost all new to the list. It included two rarities for the Bangkok area (accoridng to Phil Round, who took me to Tak Thale yesterday, and who is the leading expert on birds in Thailand, having written at least two field guides). I forgot my notebook in my room, but here are some of the species at least:

Bangkok, Tailand, 1/12 2008:
Pink-necked pigeon
Pied fantail
Pied starling
Oriental Magpie robin
Asian grey flycatcher
Common kingfisher
Olive-backed sunbird
Common Iora
Chestnut-tailed starling
Black-necked starling
Yellow-browed warbler
Black-naped oriole
Coppersmith barbet

Tak Thale, Thailand, 30/11 2008:
Back-tailed godwit
Bar-tailed godwit
Great knot
Long-toed stint
Red-necked stint
Dunlin
Curlew sandpiper
Ruff
Spoonbilled sandpiper
Greenshank
Redshank
Spotted redshank
Common sandpiper
Little tern
Whiskered tern
Gull-billed tern
Common tern
Brown-headed gull
Little cormorant
Brahminy kite
Asian palm swift
Germain's swiftlet
Barn swallow
Green sandpiper
Black-winged stilt
White-breasted kingfisher
Black-capped kingfisher
Common kestrel
Asian openbill
Little egret
Great egret
Intermediate egret
Red-wattled lapwing
Greater sand plover
Lesser sand plover
Little ringed plover
Yellow wagtail
Paddyfield pipit
Black drongo
Indian roller
Lesser whistling duck
Common mynah
Ruddy turnstone

I will add more to this later when I have my notebook, and could add the scientific names as well later. I think that's most of it, though. I have sen about 77 species, I think. I'm going to another park tomorrow morning where Phil has said there are a few very nice birds as well.

 

[BillyJoe]

You realise that we are not going to believe that list until we see every last one of them on film.

 

[sphenisc]

I will give you a full list as soon as I get home, but in the meantime:

Tak Thale, 30/11 2008:
SPOONBILLED SANDPIPER!!!!!!

Muahahahahahahaha.

[grits teeth] I'm glad it went so well. [/grits teeth]

Having Phil Round as your guide must have been superb - I don't know how many notes I've got saying "swiftlet (sp.)" or "pipit (sp.)", having someone explain how to ID the little blighters in the field would be excellent!

 

[Kotatsu]

[grits teeth] I'm glad it went so well. [/grits teeth]

Having Phil Round as your guide must have been superb - I don't know how many notes I've got saying "swiftlet (sp.)" or "pipit (sp.)", having someone explain how to ID the little blighters in the field would be excellent!

Yeah, he's a very nice man who took time in the weekend to drive me almost 2 hours out of town just to have a chance at the spoonbilled. He was not at all shy of stopping or slowing down along the high way to let me take pictures of mynahs or get a better look at Indian Rollers. I'm about to meet him this aternoon as well.

Here is the complete list of Thailand so far:
26/11 Suvarnabhumi Airport:
House sparrow Passer domesticus
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava (possibly thunbergi)
Tree sparrow Passer montanus
Peaceful dove Geopelia placida
Barn swallow Hirundo rustica gutturalis

26/11 Bangkok:
Little cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
Domestic pigeon Columba livia domestica*
JUngle crow Corvus macrorhynchus*
White-vented mynah Acridotheres grandis*

30/11 Bangkok area:
Little egret Egretta garzetta*
Spotted turtledove Streptopelia chinensis
Red collared dove Streptopelia tanquebarica
Lesser whistling duck Dendrocygna javanica
Black-capped kingfisher Halcyon pileta
White-breasted kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis
Black drongo Dicrurus macrocercus

30/11 Phetchaburi:
Asian openbill Anastomus oscitans*
Greater egret Egretta alba
Intermediate egret Egretta intermedia
Grey heron Ardea cinerea
Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus
Red-wattled lapwing Vanellus indicus
Spotted redshank Tringa erythropus
Green sandpiper Tringa glareola
Brahminy kite Haliastur indicus
Asian palm swift Cypriurus balasiensis
Plain prinia Prinia inornata
Common mynah Acridotheres tristis*
Indian roller Coracias benghalensis*
Germain's swiftlet Collocalia germani
Striate-eared bulbul Pycnonotus blanfordi

30/11 Tak Thale:
Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus
Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius
Curlew sandpiper Calidris ferruginea
Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus
Greater sand plover Charadrius leschenaultii
Leser sand plover Charadrius mongolus
Sanderling Calidris alba
Red-necked stint Calidris ruficollis
Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia
Little tern Sternula albifrons
Brown-headed gull Larus brunniceps
Broad-billed sandpiper Limicola falcinellus
Great know Calidris tenuirostris
Grey plover Pluvialis squatarola
Greenshank Tringa nebularia
Ruddy turnstone Arenaria interpres
Long-toed stint Calidris subminuta
Common sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica
Marsh sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis
Common tern Sterna hirundo
Dunlin Calidris alpina
Spoon-billed sandpiper Calidris (?) pygmaeus (1)
Red knot Calidris canutus
Osprey Pandion haliaeetus
Common redshank Tringa totanus
Ruff Philomachus pugnax
Pacific golden plover Pluvialis fulva
Paddyfield pipit Anthus rufulus
Black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa
Bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica
Common kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Black kite Milvus migrans

1/12 Lumpini park. Bangkok:
Yellow-browed warbler Phylloscopus inornatus
Oriental magpie robin Copsychus saularis*
Coppesmith barbetMegalaima haemacephala*
Black-naped oriole Oriolus chinensis*
Pink-necked green pigeon Treron vernans*
Asian pied starling Sturnus contra*
Black-collared starling Sturnus nigricollis
Chestnut-tailed starling Sturnus malabaricus
Pied fantail Rhipidura javanica*
Common Iora Aegithina tiphia
Olive-backed sunbird Nectarinia jugularis
Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Asian brown flycatcher Muscicapa dauurica
Brown shrike Lanius cristatus

Now I'm off to another park, and then to Phil's university. I'll post the australian list tonight, hopefully.

---
(1) Placed in genus Calidris in the field guide here, but I don't know where it is officially places. The old genus was Eurynorhynchus or so.

 

[Kotatsu]

Two new today:
Chatuchak Park, Bangkok:
Asian Koel Eudynamus scolopacea
Black-winged cuckoo-shrike Coracina melaschistos (avensis?)

Tomorrow I go look for minivets, and if I am still here this weekend (as seems likely) Phil has said we might go birdwatching again somewhere.

 

[Kotatsu]

Hi again, time for another long list. Footnotes are not in order, as these birds were entered taxonomically, not chronologically.

7/11 Perth:
Dusky moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa*

7/11 Broome City:
Crested Pigeon Ocyphaps lophotes

8/11 Broome Bird Observatory (BBO) and surroundings:
Pied cormorant Phalacrocorax varius
Litle egret Egretta garzetta*
Striated heron Butorides striatus
Australian Wgite Ibis Threskiornis molucca
Royal spoonbill Platalea regia
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus*
Grey-tailed Tattler Heteroscelus brevipes*
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucus
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia*
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis*
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa
Great Knot calidris tenuirostris*
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata*
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea*
Sanderling Carlidrs alba*
Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum
Pied Oystercatcher Haematopus longirostris*
Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles*
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius
Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus*
Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus*
White-winged black tern Chlidonias leucopterus*
Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica*
Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus*
White-bellied sea-seagle Haliaeetus leucogaster*
Wedge-tailed eagle Aquila audax
Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus
Nankeen Kestrel Falco cenchroides
Peaceful dove Geopelia placida*
Diamond dove Geopelia cuneata*
Bar-shouldered dove Geopelia humeralis*
Tawny Frogmouth Podargus strigoides*
Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus*
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis
Little Friarbird Philemon citreogularis*
Grey-headed Honeyeater Lichenostomus keartlandi
Rufous-throated honey-eater Conopophila rufogularis*
Grey-crowned Babbler Pomatostomus temporalis
Restless Flycatcher Myiagra inquieta nana (5)
Great Bowerbird Chlamydera nuchalis*
Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae
Torresian Crow Corvus orru
Double-barred Finch Taeniopygia bichenovii
Long-tailed Finch Poephila acuticauda
Yellow White-eye Zosterops luteus

9/11 BBO:
Red-winged parrot Aprosmictus erythropus*

9/11 Coconut Wells, Broome:
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica*
Red-necked Stint Calidris ruficollis*
Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii*
Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus*
Common Tern Sterna hirundo*
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
Little Tern Sternula albifrons
Little Corella Cacatua sanguinea
Little Crow Corvus bennetti

9/11 Lake Eda:
Plumed Whistling Duck Dendrocygna eytoni
Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus*
White-necked Heron Ardea pacifica
White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus
Yellow-billed spoonbill Platalea flavipes
Black-necked stork (Jabiru) Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus
Brolga Grus rubicunda
Little Curlew Numenius minutus
Wood sandpiper Tringa glareola*
Australian Pratincole Stiltia isabellina
Oriental Plover Charadrius veredus
Black-fronted dotterel Elseyornis melanops*
Black-breasted Buzzard Hamirostra melanosternon
Black kite Milvus migrans
Spotted Harrier Circus assimilis
Australian Hobby Falco longipennis
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
Flock Bronzewing Phaps histrionica
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus*
Australian Pipit Anthus australis

10/11 Wader Point, Broome:
Great Egret Egretta alba
eastern Reef Egret Egretta sacra
Red knot Calidris canutus*

10/11 BBO:
Brush cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus (2)
Litle Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites minutillus (4)

11/11 Richard's Point, Broome:
Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus*
Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus*
Blue-winged Kookaburra Daceloa leachii

11/11 Broome City:
Red-collared Lorikeet Trichoglossus rubritorquis* (3)
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Fairy Martin Petrochelidon ariel (6)
Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava simillima
Yellow wagtail Motacilla flava macronyx (7)
Mistletoebird Dicaeum hirundinaceum*

11/11 BBO:
Pallid Cuckoo Cuculis pallidus
Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris*

12/11 Two Dog Hermit, Broome:
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres*
Beach stone-curlew Esacus neglectus
Sooty Oystercatcher Haematopus fuliginosus
Varied Lorikeet Psitteteles versicolor
Pied Butcherbird Cracticus nigrogularis*

12/11 Male Oval, Broome:
Olive-backed Oriole Orioalus sagittatus

13/11 BBO:
Grey Shrike-thrush Colluricincla harmonica (*?)

13/11 Tattler Rock, Broome:
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus*
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
Crested Tern Sterna bergii (1)

14/11 Roebuck Plains:
Red-backed Fairy-wren malurus melanocephalus

14/11 Anna Plains:
Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis (*?)
Yellow-throated Miner Manorina flavigula*

15/11 Anna Plains:
Sacred Kingfisher Todiraphus sanctus
Zebra Finch Taeniopygia guttata

15/11 80 Mile Beach:
Leser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis (1)

16/11 Anna Plains:
Australian Bustard Ardeotis australis
Black-shouldered kite Elanus axillaris

17/11 Anna Plains:
Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo Chalcites basalis (4)
Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus
Horsfield's Bushlark Mirafra javanica
Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis

19/11 80 Miles Beach:
Leser Frigatebird Fregata ariel*

22/11 Anna Plains:
Pacific Swift Apus pacificus
White-winged Triller Lalage tricolor

22/11 Lake Eda:
Green Pygmy Goose Nettapus pulchellus
Bush stone-curlew Burhinus grallarius

23/11 Lake Eda:
Long-toed Stint Calidris subminuta*
Mangrove Gerygone Gerygone levigaster

23/11 Broome harbour:
Osprey Pandion haliaeetus*

25/11 Lake Monger, Perth:
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus*
Hoary-headed grebe Poliocephalus poliocephalus*
Black Swan Cygnus atratus*
Australian shelduck Tadorna tadornoides*
Australasian shoveler Anas rhynchotis*
Blue-billed duck Oxyura australis*
Musk duck Biziura lobata*
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio*
Clamorous Reed Warbler Acrocephalus australis*
Little Grassbird Megalurus gramineus

EHocking: if you feel all these records are too much to add, just leave them out until I come back and I will add them instead.

---
(1) I don't know which genus these two are placed in in the new taxonomy of Terns. Thalasseus?
(2) May be in genus Cuculus.
(3) May be same taxon as Rainbow Lorikeet.
(4) May be in genus Chrysococcyx
(5) Also known as "Paperback Flycatcher" Myiagra nana, which apparently is not a good taxon.
(6) May be genus Hirundo.
(7) This record is not yet reported properly to the rare species commite of Australia. If accepted, it would prove the first record for mainland Australia, the only other record being from Christmas Island, I think. At the time of observation, we didn't know what this was, other than that is was a Yellow wagtail with no eyebrow, and with a head and earcover that was considerably darker (almost black) than that of the ubiquitous simillima. Discussions with Phil Round and comparison with drawings in the Thailand field gudie (where macronyx is apprently common seals the case for me; it was either macronyx or one of the even less likely more western subspecies. I will confer with the other two birders who saw it, and try to file a joint report. Ths, this record should not be added yet.

 

[sphenisc]

Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis: Dundee, Scotland 04/12/08

 

[RedIbis]

12/7/08 Ft. DeSoto St. Pete, FL

Does anyone know if this is a broadwinged Hawk? Although not very common in Florida, they do winter here.

 

[bruto]

I reported earlier the sighting of a snowy owl here. Fortunately, it seems that in addition to being diurnal, they are also pretty reliable in their rounds. So anyway, here is a photograph taken on the third sighting of the snowy owl which is hanging around Whiting, VT. It's a low res scan from the processor (good old fashioned fillum). I haven't gotten around yet to doing a better scan. For the camera geeks, it's a crop of a shot on Fuji Superia 400, taken with a Nikon F, Nikkor 400/5.6 lens with 1.4x converter.

 

[RedIbis]

I reported earlier the sighting of a snowy owl here. Fortunately, it seems that in addition to being diurnal, they are also pretty reliable in their rounds. So anyway, here is a photograph taken on the third sighting of the snowy owl which is hanging around Whiting, VT. It's a low res scan from the processor (good old fashioned fillum). I haven't gotten around yet to doing a better scan. For the camera geeks, it's a crop of a shot on Fuji Superia 400, taken with a Nikon F, Nikkor 400/5.6 lens with 1.4x converter. View attachment 12508

That's a beauty. It's quite remarkable the diversity of birds that sit on telephone wires. I guess I was under the impression that all of the interesting birds were in the woods far from civilization, but this isn't the case at all. Retention ponds, cow pastures, telephone wires, and parking lots often prove to be the best birding sites.

 

[Kotatsu]

Wonderful picture. I have some photos somewhere of an old nest hill from the place I visited this summer.

Incidentally, it seems the thread has succumbed to the winter.

EHocking: if you could send me the list and note up to which post you have added, I could do the rest and we'll do at least one more update before the year's over...

 

[BillyJoe]

It's Summer down here, but I'm in training and I cannot take my gear along. I have a holiday at Sandy Point coming up soon but I doubt I'm going to see any birds not already posted here. If I do I will post them.

 

[Kotatsu]

Does anyone know if this is a broadwinged Hawk? Although not very common in Florida, they do winter here.

Sorry, I missed this.

To me, based on Sibley's "Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America", this is a Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus. I base this identification mainly on the evenly streaked belly, and the light crescent of the upper wing tip. It appears to be a juvenile bird, and that's often tricky no matter what raptor you're looking at, but the Broad-winged would be either much lighter, almost Osprey-white, on the undersides, or much darker, with white primaries and secondaries (if juvenile). In all adult plumages in the book, the Broad-winged has a distinct white tail band, which I cannot find on the bird in your picture.

The alternative would, of course, be the Red-tailed hawk, but while this species has a white "window" on the primaries, the bird in your picture seems to me to have rather the crescent-shaped patch of the Red-shouldered. However, I would appreciate if someone with more experience of American hawks would chime in...

It's Summer down here, but I'm in training and I cannot take my gear along. I have a holiday at Sandy Point coming up soon but I doubt I'm going to see any birds not already posted here. If I do I will post them.

Well, for what it's worth, we have very few honey-eaters from the everywhere except Perth and Broome, where we have almost all species^^. People at the expedition saw both the Black and the Pied honey-eater, as well as the Red-headed, but I missed them all...

In other news, I have started looking through my lice collected in Australia, and I believe I have at least six or seven new species here, as well as several new host-relations. I haven't started looking at the Japanese material yet, but I think there are few new things there.

I'll leave for Jönköping today, and be away over Christmas, and then go to Austria for New Years, so maybe we'll get a new country at least.