Leaving the NBC tree at about 05:45, we headed out along the Hiritano Highway again, on a misty morning. First stop was the King Bird Tree, just beyond the Brown River crossing, where the mist turned to fine drizzle. It did not make seeing the rain-forest birds any easier. We saw and identified Emperor Fairy-Wren and Frilled Monarch among the usual forest birds. Most intriguing sighting was a flock of 20 mannikins followed shortly after by another four. They made the typical manikin call and could, possibly, have been Streak-headed Mannikins. As we were getting ready to leave a male King Bird of Paradise flew across the road, a fleeting flash of red, giving just about everybody a brief glimpse.
We made a brief 20-minute stop at the oxbow, seeing a few species, of which Little Kingfisher was the pick.
Two weeks previously we had visited the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise display tree at Lower Vanapa. While we were away bird-watching my car was broken into and various bit and pieces stolen, including my spare pair of binoculars. We reported it to the local village and they said come back in a couple of weeks and they would see what they could do. We made a brief unscheduled visit today and the villagers were as good as their word having retrieved most of the stolen items, including the binoculars and my tool kit.
On the road again, we continued along the Hiritano Highway reaching Kanosia Lagoon at about 10:30. En route we had recorded four species of raptor: Brahminy and Whistling Kites, Crested Hawks and Brown Goshawk. The lagoon held a flock of c.400 Green Pygmy Goose and a nice range of waders including Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-necked Stint and six Marsh Sandpipers. While some of us were scanning the lagoon for waders, others had found a recently fledged Maske lapwing chick, crouched in a hoof print. Among the birds on the lagoon were a flock of 34 Glossy Ibis while a single Cattle Egret, in breeding plumes was in nearby fields. While we had a picnic lunch an Australian Hobby passed through.
As time was getting on, plans to push on to Cape Suckling were abandoned and at about 13:00 we headed back to Moresby.
Species List:
Australasian Grebe, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Australasian Darter, Great Egret, Pied Heron, Rufous Night Heron, Whistling Kite, Crested Hawk, Australian Hobby, Spotted Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Pacific Black Duck, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Bush-hen, Comb-crested Jacana, Masked Lapwing, Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Coroneted Fruit-Dove, Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Greater Streaked Lory, Dusky Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Common Koel, Pheasant Coucal, Large-tailed Nightjar, Uniform Swiftlet, Papuan Spine-tailed Swift, Common Paradise-Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Pacific Swallow, Tree Pipit, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike, Varied Triller, Emperor Fairy-Wren, Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Green-backed Gerygone, Willie Wagtail, Black-faced Monarch, Frilled Monarch, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Rusty Pitohui, Black Sunbird, Silver-eared Honeyeater, Dusky Myzomela, Graceful Meliphaga, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Brown Oriole, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Singing Starling, Metallic Starling, White-breasted Wood-Swallow, Black-backed Butcherbird, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Torresian Crown.
We made a brief 20-minute stop at the oxbow, seeing a few species, of which Little Kingfisher was the pick.
Two weeks previously we had visited the Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise display tree at Lower Vanapa. While we were away bird-watching my car was broken into and various bit and pieces stolen, including my spare pair of binoculars. We reported it to the local village and they said come back in a couple of weeks and they would see what they could do. We made a brief unscheduled visit today and the villagers were as good as their word having retrieved most of the stolen items, including the binoculars and my tool kit.
On the road again, we continued along the Hiritano Highway reaching Kanosia Lagoon at about 10:30. En route we had recorded four species of raptor: Brahminy and Whistling Kites, Crested Hawks and Brown Goshawk. The lagoon held a flock of c.400 Green Pygmy Goose and a nice range of waders including Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Red-necked Stint and six Marsh Sandpipers. While some of us were scanning the lagoon for waders, others had found a recently fledged Maske lapwing chick, crouched in a hoof print. Among the birds on the lagoon were a flock of 34 Glossy Ibis while a single Cattle Egret, in breeding plumes was in nearby fields. While we had a picnic lunch an Australian Hobby passed through.
As time was getting on, plans to push on to Cape Suckling were abandoned and at about 13:00 we headed back to Moresby.
Species List:
Australasian Grebe, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Australasian Darter, Great Egret, Pied Heron, Rufous Night Heron, Whistling Kite, Crested Hawk, Australian Hobby, Spotted Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Pacific Black Duck, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Bush-hen, Comb-crested Jacana, Masked Lapwing, Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Coroneted Fruit-Dove, Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Collared Imperial Pigeon, Zoe Imperial Pigeon, Papuan Mountain Pigeon, Greater Streaked Lory, Dusky Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Common Koel, Pheasant Coucal, Large-tailed Nightjar, Uniform Swiftlet, Papuan Spine-tailed Swift, Common Paradise-Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Pacific Swallow, Tree Pipit, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike, Varied Triller, Emperor Fairy-Wren, Yellow-bellied Gerygone, Green-backed Gerygone, Willie Wagtail, Black-faced Monarch, Frilled Monarch, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Rusty Pitohui, Black Sunbird, Silver-eared Honeyeater, Dusky Myzomela, Graceful Meliphaga, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Brown Oriole, Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Singing Starling, Metallic Starling, White-breasted Wood-Swallow, Black-backed Butcherbird, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, Torresian Crown.
