This was meant to be Brian Finch’s farewell fling, a weekend trip to find Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise, the only Bird of Paradise to occur in PNG that had managed to elude his binoculars. Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise is a high altitude species found from 9000 – 13000 feet in Podocarpus (high altitude pine) forests. The closest point to Port Moresby where this habitat and this species’ range coincide is on the Mount Victoria Massif. A few miles north of Mount Victoria lies Mount Scratchley and here PTC have built a microwave repeater station, including a hut for service engineers and a helipad. We had permission to use this hut, and so it was to Mount Scratchley, with the help of Pacific Helicopters that we headed in search of Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise.
Brian, John Ismay, Paulene Kibble and myself departed from Jacksons Airport at 06:25 on 21/12/1985, piloted by Mike Stockton. The view was superb with the top of Mount Victoria completely clear. The helicopter with five aboard, (plus gear) would not be able to make it up to the rarified heights of the PTC station (11600 ft). Brian and I were off-loaded at Onange mission airstrip (c.6000 ft) where, during a twenty minute wait I had distant views of a Great Wood-Swallow. We were landed on top at about 07:30 to find Paulene and John had already moved the gear into the hut so it was on with the birding.
At that altitude birds are few and far between. In the pine forests below the PTC station we saw Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Belford’s Melidectes and Papuan Scrub-Wren. On the grass and scrub covered hillsides there were Crimson Firetails and at least one pair of Alpine Pipits. These have a display flight like the Eurasian Tree Pipit and also sing from tree tops. The most colourful bird was Crested Berrypecker, found both in the scrub and forest and usually in small parties. There was no sign of Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise, probably because none of the pines were in fruit.
We climbed back to the hut noticing the effect of the altitude for the first time,a fast pumping of the heart as it tried to grab the necessary oxygen from the thin air. In the afternoon the weather deteriorated rapidly and we sheltered in the hut while strong north-west winds sent clouds of rain scudding past the window. Birding was almost impossible but an enjoyable time was spent collecting some of the numerous varieties of lichen.
Monday dawned cold, clear and calm. The helicopter duly arrived and departed with all of us aboard in a stomach wrenching dive to lose altitude and gain speed. We were back in the tropical humidty of Port Moresby within half-an-hour. We had only recorded 13 species and failed to see Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise. Still there is always next time.
Our thanks to Mike Stockton for landing us safely on Scratchley and for coming to take us off again when it looked like we could have been there for Christmas. Also thanks to PTC for the use of their hut without which our stay would have been a lot less enjoyable.
Species List:
Little Eagle, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Glossy Swiftlet, Alpine Pipit, Island Thrush, Papuan Scrub-Wren, Crested Berrypecker, Regent Whistler, Friendly Fantail, Belford’s Melidectes, Sooty Melidectes, Crimson Firetail.
First published in PNGBS Newsletter 219: 2 - 3
Brian, John Ismay, Paulene Kibble and myself departed from Jacksons Airport at 06:25 on 21/12/1985, piloted by Mike Stockton. The view was superb with the top of Mount Victoria completely clear. The helicopter with five aboard, (plus gear) would not be able to make it up to the rarified heights of the PTC station (11600 ft). Brian and I were off-loaded at Onange mission airstrip (c.6000 ft) where, during a twenty minute wait I had distant views of a Great Wood-Swallow. We were landed on top at about 07:30 to find Paulene and John had already moved the gear into the hut so it was on with the birding.
At that altitude birds are few and far between. In the pine forests below the PTC station we saw Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Belford’s Melidectes and Papuan Scrub-Wren. On the grass and scrub covered hillsides there were Crimson Firetails and at least one pair of Alpine Pipits. These have a display flight like the Eurasian Tree Pipit and also sing from tree tops. The most colourful bird was Crested Berrypecker, found both in the scrub and forest and usually in small parties. There was no sign of Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise, probably because none of the pines were in fruit.
We climbed back to the hut noticing the effect of the altitude for the first time,a fast pumping of the heart as it tried to grab the necessary oxygen from the thin air. In the afternoon the weather deteriorated rapidly and we sheltered in the hut while strong north-west winds sent clouds of rain scudding past the window. Birding was almost impossible but an enjoyable time was spent collecting some of the numerous varieties of lichen.
Monday dawned cold, clear and calm. The helicopter duly arrived and departed with all of us aboard in a stomach wrenching dive to lose altitude and gain speed. We were back in the tropical humidty of Port Moresby within half-an-hour. We had only recorded 13 species and failed to see Macgregor’s Bird of Paradise. Still there is always next time.
Our thanks to Mike Stockton for landing us safely on Scratchley and for coming to take us off again when it looked like we could have been there for Christmas. Also thanks to PTC for the use of their hut without which our stay would have been a lot less enjoyable.
Species List:
Little Eagle, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Glossy Swiftlet, Alpine Pipit, Island Thrush, Papuan Scrub-Wren, Crested Berrypecker, Regent Whistler, Friendly Fantail, Belford’s Melidectes, Sooty Melidectes, Crimson Firetail.
First published in PNGBS Newsletter 219: 2 - 3
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