Wednesday 30 August 2017

Papua New Guinea 2

We now had lost a day & Sicklebill Safaris had to rearrange our schedule (which they did in a timely & excellent fashion). So we flew to Tari & stayed three nights at a local landowner lodge on 3rd August at Makira. This proved to be an excellent spot, with a good local guide & some great birds on offer.

Our transport!

Oscar, Aiden, Andrew & Graham

The lodge itself was OK. Not luxurious, but served 
its purpose & it is in a great location.






Fan tailed Berrypecker




Common Smoky Honeyeater

This was our transport for
 the next few days.
Benson , our bird guide 
is on the left.

Looking down the valley at dawn.


Oriental Hobby




Mountain Kingfisher


This can be a very difficult 
species to see.



The famous Tari Gap.

At these higher elevations clouds/rain 
can roll in at any time.

Grasslands are found on the top & as one descends
 you get a succession of differing forest habitats.



Birding close to the top of the Tari Gap.


Papuan Eagle


Youngster on the left, adult on the right.








Brilliant!





We always attracted polite interest 
wherever we went.

Some of the friendly locals!



Stephanie's Astrapia


Female





Ribbon tailed Astrapia


An atmospheric shot 
of two males.


Star bird!


Their tails get longer than this!


Superb Bird of Paradise


Papuan Grassbird


Brown Sicklebill


A very distant male Black Sicklebill


King of Saxony Bird of Paradise


One of the highlights of the trip.





Belford's Melidectes


Common Smokey Honeyeater


White winged Robin






Friendly Fantail





Mountain (White bibbed) Fruit Dove


Modest Tiger Parrot


Short tailed Paradigalla

Wattled Ploughbill








Female Crested Satinbird


Blue capped Ifrit

Crested Tit Berrypecker


Female Tit Berrypecker




Hooded Mannikin


This list was based over three days basically covering the same area from the lodge up to the top of the Tari Gap & one morning we went further down the valley. The birding was generally excellent & we could have done with an extra day here. Benson also proved to be an excellent bird guide & despite some heavy down pours we saw some fantastic species:

2 Papuan Eagle; Mountain Fruit Dove; Papuan Mountain Pigeon; Mountain Kingfisher; Oriental Hobby; Brehm's Tiger Parrot; Modest Tiger Parrot; Plum faced Lorikeet; Papuan (Stella's) Lorikeet; Yellow billed Lorikeet; White shouldered Fairy Wren; Red collared Myzomela; Common Smoky Honeyeater; Black throated Honeyeater; Yellow browed Melidectes; Belford's Melidectes; Fan tailed Berrypecker; Tit Berrypecker; Black breasted Boatbill; Black Butcherbird; Black bellied Cuckooshrike; Wattled Ploughbill; Rufous naped Whistler; Brown backed Whistler; Regent Whistler; Black headed Whistler; Black Fantail; Friendly Fantail; Dimorphic Fantail; Black Monarch; Lesser Melampitta; Blue capped Ifrit; Short tailed Paradigalla; Ribbon tailed Astrapia; Stephanie's Astrapia; Lawes Parotia; King of Saxony Bird of Paradise; Superb Bird of Paradise; Black Sicklebill; Brown Sicklebill; Blue Bird of Paradise; Black throated Robin; White winged Robin; Slaty Robin; Canary Flyrobin; Papuan Grassbird; Papuan Whiteye & Hooded Mannikin.

Ambua Lodge

A great place to stay.

Nice rooms with a view!


The chain of lodges in PNG.


Great Woodswallow



Dining room.

Waterfall Trail

This is a tricky trail with a few
 rope bridges over the river.


Torrent Lark


It took a long time to find these!




Modest Tiger Parrot


High flying Blue collared Parrots.


Brown Sicklebill








Female Superb Bird of Paradise




Stephanie's Astrapia












Friendly Fantail

Dawn from the lodge.


We only had one night at Ambua, due to the high cost of staying there. But it proved a good base for experiencing the surrounding forest (including the infamous Waterfall Trail) & the gardens themselves were good for Birds of Paradise on the fruiting trees.

Best birds:

Amboyna Cuckoo Dove; Mountain Fruit Dove; Brush Cuckoo; Blue collared Parrot; Modest tiger Parrot; Stella's Lorikeet; Grey streaked Honeyeater; Yellow browed Melidectes; Mountain Honeyeater; Mountain Mouse Warbler; Large Scrubwren; Streaked Berrypecker; Great Woodswallow; Mottled Berryhunter; Rufous naped Whistler; Black Fantail; Torrent Lark; Blue capped Ifrit; Stephanie's Astrapia; Lawes Parotia; Superb Bird of Paradise; Brown Sicklebill; Slaty Robin & Hooded Mannikin.



Our plane to Kumul.


Graham taking photos


It was a spectacular flight.






Getting the luggage from the plane.


Many people are very poor in the highlands.


Outside Kumul Lodge


The lodge it set among some great montane forest.




One of the rooms in the lodge.


Dawn in the forest




Lots of friendly locals!


Look at the funny man!






Ribbon tailed Astrapia














Brehm's Tiger Parrot










Juvenile Island Thrush




Belford's Melidectes


Common Smoky Honeyyeater


White winged Robin




Regent Whistler


Rufous naped Whistler


An interesting little critta!


I am not sure what this is!


Birding one of the trails around the lodge.


Forbes's Forest Rail


Mountain Mouse Warbler


Common on the trails around the lodge.






Long tailed Shrike


White bellied Cuckooshrike




Lesser Bird of Paradise








Superb Bird of Paradise





Kumul Lodge is surrounded by highland forest & there are a couple of good trails. one day we drove further down the valley to a much lower elevation, mainly to see Lesser Bird of Paradise. So the species list is a bit of a mixture!

Best birds:

2 Forbes's Forest Rail (for me one of the highlights of the trip); Great Cuckoo Dove; Rufescent Imperial Pigeon; Brehm's Tiger Parrot; Yellow billed Lorikeet; Goldie's Lorikeet; Archibold's Bowerbird; Orange crowned Fairy Wren; Mountain Myzomela; Grey streaked Honeyeater; Yellow browed Melidectes; Belford's Melidictes; Ornate Melidectes; Mountain Mouse Warbler; Buff faced Scrubwren; Fan tailed Berrypecker; White bellied Cuckooshrike; Rufous naped Whistler; Regent Whistler; Friendly Fantail; Ribbon tailed Astrapia; Stephanie's Astrapia; Superb Bird of Paradise; Brown Sicklebill; Lesser Bird of Paradise; Blue Bird of Paradise; White winged Robin; Canary Flyrobin & Hooded Mannikin.


The wonderful Rondon Lodge.


The next day we flew to Rondon Ridge Lodge, which was in a great location amid some excellent forest. There are some amazing species here but the weather was dark & gloomy & we had quite a bit of rain so biridng was quite tough. best species was Black Pihoui & five species of Birds of Paradise (however none gave great views). This is certainly a place to go back to, as there is still a lot to see.



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