A red-letter day for PNG
birders as we got our first look at the new field guide which Bruce Beehler
personally presented to the PNGBS. We have had copies of the illustrations for
the past year, so it will be nice to have the entire book. Fifteen members and
friends including Derek and Joanna Scott as well as Bruce Beehler headed off
for the Lower Vanapa and the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise display tree. En
route a pair of Large-tailed Nightjars were disturbed from the road. Within
minutes of our arrival we were rewarded with views of two female Twelve-wired
Birds of Paradise but sadly no sign of the male. A good morning’s birding
followed with more than 50 species being recorded: the highlight was a single
Collared Imperial Pigeon, rarely recorded from the Port Moresby area. Also seen
were a pair of Pinon Imperial Pigeons, a pair of Golden Mynas, a glimpse of a
Common Paradise Kingfisher and a singing male Emperor Fairy-Wren.
Next it was onto Kanosia
Lagoon where we found the usual waterbirds plus an Australian Hobby. On the
road from Kanosia to Aroa Service Station there was an ominous ticking from
under the bonnet of my Suzuki Jeep which then expired. The timing chain had
broken. I got a tow to the service station but none of the birders’ cars was
thought to be up to the job of towing me back to Port Moresby. Silver-eared
Honeyeaters, Pacific Swallows and Yellow-tinted Honeyeaters were seen around
the services. The other birders headed onto Aroa Lagoon but with my car out of
action there was not enough room for all the rest. Joanna Scott volunteered(?)
to stay with me. Eventually, I managed to organise a tow behind a PMV (it cost
me K60!) and Joanna and I endured a very dusty ride back to Moresby.
Species List:
