Kadavu Island:Fiji

It's a very small airport!

A very UK orientated taxi driver!

Quite an enjoyable ride to the resort.

The resort is on the main island

 but only accessible by boat.

A very scenic trip though.

Matava Resort

Our chalet, which was in a very nice situation.

The view!

Two flights in very small planes & a 50 minute boat ride saw us in Matava Resort on Kadavu Island on 28th November. It is on the main island but transfer is by boat (there are no roads here). It is situated in quite a remote location, overlooking a huge fringing coral reef. The snorkeling is supposed to be world class & it supposedly has all four endemic birds on the property.

Crimson Shining Parrot.

Kadavu Honeyeater

Not common & quite difficult to see.

We settled into our little wooden cabin & spent the afternoon around the resort. Managed to see two endemics: Crimson Shining Parrot & Kadavu Honeyeater.

Grey-tailed Tattler

Up early on 29th November but little new seen. In fact only seven species recorded in the mornings birding! The afternoon was similar but a Grey-tailed Tattler appeared on the shore, & gave excellent views.

It was more of the same on 30th November, birding around the resort & along the shore.

Crimson Shining Parrot

These birds behave like South American Macaws!

But we are on the other side of the ocean!

Peale's Imperial Pigeon

Pacific Kingfisher

Vanikoro Flycatcher

Kadavu Honeyeater

We were up at the crack of dawn on 1st December & walked along the shore, through thick mud at low tide to the village. This is a bit of a trek but when we finally hit the land there was some good forest along the way. It proved to be the best birding of this area: 

White-faced Heron

Grey-tailed Tattler

2 Pacific Black Duck; 2 Peale's Imperial Pigeon; 3 Grey-tailed Tattler; White-faced Heron; Fiji Goshawk; 4 Pacific Kingfisher; 10+ Crimson Shining Parrot; 2 Kadavu Honeyeater; 4 Polynesian Triller; 2 Slaty Monarch; 2 Vanikoro Flycatcher. Kadavu Fantail was twice heard, but not seen. There was no sign of the Whistling Dove.

View from the hill I had to climb!

Crimson Shining Parrot

I just can't get enough of these birds!

Peale's Imperial Pigeon

Vanikoro Flycatcher

I was up at dawn again on 2nd December for my last attempt at seeing the two remaining endemics: Whistling Dove & Kadavu Fantail. This morning the walk along the sea was more challenging, the tide had only just turned & was going out, so I was wading through quite deep water & it was hard going in the sticky deep mud. Much more difficult than yesterday. 

The birding was very similar to yesterday & yet again I heard the Kadavu Fantail but failed to see it despite extensive searching! I didn't hear or see the Whistling Dove, so they are probably present on another part of the island.

Delana returning from the island.

Delana spent the morning snorkeling around a nearby island.

Our last sunset at Matava.

Saying goodbye!

Bottle-nosed Dolphins

Delana & I then packed our gear & we had a lovely boat ride to a different part of the main island where we could catch our flight out. 

Pacific Golden Plover

Eight Pacific Golden Plovers were on the airfield. The flight was again memorable! It is a very small plane! 

On arrival at Nadi we transferred to our beach resort for the night before our flight out the next day. We didn't do any meaningful birding, just chilling out in the resort. However a pair of Fiji Woodswallows gave excellent views & a couple of Fiji Parrotfinch were on the lawn.

The next couple of days were all about travelling: four flights; twenty nine hours flying time; crossing ten time zones & a three hour drive to Pearly Beach. It was great to be home, but both of us were totally exhausted! We couldn't even unpack our luggage! It had been a memorable trip, spanning just over eleven weeks, birding every day. 546 species seen & I recorded 84 life birds. This was a new region for Delana, so most of the species seen were new for her. It is a great region for birding, generally few species present, but many of what you do see are endemic to that particular island. Both of us would love to go back to this under birded region & explore a different set of islands.