Another great birding trip to Papua
New-Guinea. This fascinating country is home to some of the most
charismatic birds on the planet. The trip kicked off in Port
Moresby on 26 August with an afternoon
visit to Pacific Adventist University. Mike
Tarburton took time out to show us around his bird rich campus and we enjoyed
stunning Orange-fronted Fruit-Doves, Fawn-breasted Bowerbirds at the bower and
two pairs of Papuan Frogmouth amongst many others. Thanks Mike! Next we had a
full day in Varirata National
Park in the foothills above Moresby. Always
a great site we had a male Magnificent (Eastern) Riflebird in the scope for 10
minutes, excellent views of Raggiana Bird of Paradise
in display mode, superb Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfishers but the best
highlight was a Barred Owlet-Nightjar watched basking at a tree hollow entrance.
On the 28th our flight to Tari
was cancelled-so I rescheduled an afternoon visit back to Varirata.
Our special sighting in the afternoon was a stunning Yellow-legged Brush-Turkey
that froze in the middle of the track. Another good sighting was a Dwarf Longbill feeding in some flowers in the forest interior and
also a Streak-headed Honeyeater. We made it to Tari
on the 29th and settled into Ambua
Lodge-our base for the next six nights.
Tari is one of
the great birding sites in the world. Our first afternoon and we were enjoying
Plum-faced and Papuan Lorikeets, Crested Berrypecker
and a male Crested Bird of Paradise. We had great luck with the latter species
having a male and female feeding over our heads in the forest interior for 10
minutes on one occasion, and seeing it on three days. Great birds continued for
the duration of our stay and the weather was fairly kind to us. Highlights were
Salvadori’s Teal, New Guinea Harpy-Eagle
(scoped for twenty minutes as it called just prior to dusk), Chestnut and Forbes’s
Forest-Rail giving superb views (the latter calling on a log in full view for
three minutes female giving the frog call), Little Red Lorikeet (present in
flocks of up to 20 around flowering trees in mid montane rainforest), Sooty Owl
(one flushed in the day from a tree hollow in remnant forest in a village
garden in the lower valley), Mountain Nightjar (1-predawn), Papuan Logrunner,
Spotted Jewel-Babbler, Orange-crowned Fairy-wren, Black-cheeked and Garnet Robin,
Lesser Ground-Robin, Mottled Whistler (1 female), Wattled Ploughbill,
Black Sittella, Olive Straightbill, Papuan
Parrot-Finch (one of the highlights for me as we watched a party of seven birds
including feeding dependent juveniles giving outstanding views of the
especially large and heavy bill), Archbold’s
and MacGregor’s Bowerbirds, Lesser Melampitta (4 sightings), Loria’s
Bird of Paradise, Short-tailed Paradigalla, Black and
Brown Sicklebill, Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, Stephanie’s
Astrapia, Superb Bird of Paradise, Lawe’s Parotia, King of
Saxony Bird of Paradise, Raggiana Bird of Paradise
and Blue Bird of Paradise (including three males in one tree in the scope!) We
sighted 115 species in the Tari valley and heard an
additional 2. Our total trip list was 202 native species seen.
I spent most nights out spotlighting but was underwhelmed with mammal sightings but did get to examine a
Stein’s Spiny Rat and the major highlight a female with large young on
her back Mountain Cuscus Phalanger carmelitae. Also heard Sugar Glider, saw Papuan
Boobook and Papuan Frogmouth and heard the elusive Feline Owlet-Nightjar at
least four times, close twice!
I was impressed by the number of Australian tourists in PNG my
return flight being fully booked. Good birding.
Dion
