On a recent visit to Vanuatu spent several nights with the family staying at
Aore Island. It is across the Segond Channel from Luganville on Espiritu
Santo. It was a great location and offered some very comfortable birding. It
is an ideal location for those with kids or a non-birding partner. There is
good forest about 1km behind the lodge and a small freshwater wetland in a
cow paddock about .5 km behind the lodge.
Species recorded were Red Junglefowl, Vanuatu Scrubfowl (heard only), Swamp
Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Buff-banded Rail, White-browed Crake, Mackinlay's
Cuckoo-dove, Emerald Dove, Red-bellied Fruit-Dove, Tanna Fruit-Dove, Pacific
Imperial-Pigeon, Rainbow Lorikeet, Shining Bronze-Cuckoo (heard only),
Glossy Swiftlet, Uniform Swiftlet, White-rumped Swiftlet, Chestnut-bellied
Kingfisher (heard only), Collared Kingfisher, Pacific Swallow, Melanesian
Cuckoo-shrike, Long-tailed Triller, Fan-tailed Gerygone, Cardinal Myzomela,
Spotted Fantail, Grey Fantail, Buff-bellied Monarch, New Caledonian
Flycatcher, Golden Whistler, Yellow-fronted White-eye, Silvereye,
White-breasted Woodswallow and the introduced Common Myna and Chestnut
Munia.
Vatthe and Loru Protected Areas also offer good birding though I did not
make it there this time. Vatthe has accommodation for visitors. The Beleru
Airstrip is a good site for the Chestnut-bellied Kingfisher which can be
difficult as it spends a lot of time in the canopy.
A stay in Port Vila turned up a flock of forty Blue-faced Parrot-Finches on
the Mele Golf Course feeding on the greens right out in the open. Crested
Tern, Eastern Reef-Egret and the abundant Dark-brown Honeyeater were other
list additions.
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