The heat and humidity of pre-wet season Port Moresby was gladly swapped for the cooler, fresher air of Myola at 2080m in the Owen Stanley Mountains. We landed at Myola shortly after 07:00 on 4 December 1987. The birding began almost immediately with small parties of Goldie’s Lorikeets flying overhead as they left their roost in the crowns of nearby Pandanus trees. Glossy Swiftlets and Tawny Grassbirds were soon added to the list, all these birds new for Phil who had recently arrived from England for a bird-watching holiday.
Following the welcoming breakfast, the bird-watchers and bush-walkers went their separate ways. The walkers stretched their legs in the direction of the crashed WW2 aircraft while the birders set mist nets in the forest to the east of the village using the same sites as in September 1987. The first birds, a pair of Orange-bellied Fairy-Wrens, were in the net before we had even finished putting it up. Once up, the nets were left for a while and we bird-watched in the moss forest seeing female Stephanie’s Astrapia feeding in the canopy and a Papuan Treecreeper spiralling up tree trunks. We had caught several birds when we made our first round of the nets including three Olive Straightbills, two of which we had ringed the previous September, and a Tawny Grassbird.
Shortly after lunch it began raining and we were treated to heavy showers through the afternoon. This was the pattern throughout our stay with clear mornings and wet afternoons. This reduced our bird-watching and bird-catching time. The mist nets were furled during the heaviest rain and checked often while there were only light showers. Despite the rain we managed to see some good birds. Phil caught up with the elusive Spotted Jewel-Babbler, often heard but seldom seen, while Barry and Lynda glimpsed a Lesser Ground Robin.
On Saturday the bush-walkers made a bog-stomp towards the Kokoda trail as low cloud had deterred them from trying to reach the tree fern forest. This was a wise choice because the rain came early. En route Peter saw a Lesser Melampitta hopping along the trail. The birders stayed around the village seeing ashy Robin, Regent Whistler and Grey Wagtail and catching Large Scrub-Wren and Rufous-backed Honeyeater. A male Mottled Whistler, not previously recorded from Myola, was also caught.
On Sunday the bush walkers, accompanied by Phil, set off early in the hope of reaching the tree fern valley before the rain started. This they managed even seeing Papuan Lorikeet and Painted Tiger-Parrot on the way but they were soaked by the time they returned to the village. Meanwhile, the nets had been going up and down regularly between the showers and catching a few good birds. The star of the weekend was the very last bird caught, a male Garnet Robin.
Once again we would like to thank the villagers of Myola for their hospitality, Pacific Expeditions through whom we organised the weekend and Talair.
People List: bird-watchers: Roger & Jenny Hicks (+1/2), Barry & Lynda Hopkins and Phil Whittington; bush-walkers: Veronique Badoux, Dave Briggs, Peter & Andrea Storer.
Species List:r = ringed,, h = heard only
New Guinea Harpy-Eagle (h), King Quail, Forbes’ Forest Rail, Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove, White-breasted Fruit-Dove, Goldie’s Lorikeet, Papuan Lorikeet, Painted Tiger Parrot, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Sooty Owl (h), Mountain Swiftlet, Glossy Swiftlet, Pacific Swallow, Pied Chat, Lesser Ground Robin, Island Thrush, Spotted Jewel-Babbler, Lesser Melampitta, Blue-capped Ifrita, Orange-crowned Fairy-wren (r) Tawny Grassbird (r), Mountain Mouse-Warbler, Large Scrub-Wren (r), Buff-faced Scrub-Wren, Papuan Scrub-Wren (r), New Guinea Thornbill, Brown-breasted Gerygone, Dimorphic Fantail, Black Fantail (r), Friendly Fantail, Black Monarch (h), Black-breasted Boatbill, Canary Flycatcher, Garnet Robin (r), Ashy Robin (r), Mottled Whistler (r), Regent Whistler (r), Rufous-naped Whistler (r), Papuan Treecreeper, Fan-tailed Berrypecker (r), Olive Straightbill (r), Rufous-backed Honeyeater (r), Belford’s Melidectes, Common Smoky Honeyeater (r), Grey-headed Mannikin, Loria’s Bird of Paradise, Stephanie’s Astrapia.
First published in Muruk 3(2): 67-68
Following the welcoming breakfast, the bird-watchers and bush-walkers went their separate ways. The walkers stretched their legs in the direction of the crashed WW2 aircraft while the birders set mist nets in the forest to the east of the village using the same sites as in September 1987. The first birds, a pair of Orange-bellied Fairy-Wrens, were in the net before we had even finished putting it up. Once up, the nets were left for a while and we bird-watched in the moss forest seeing female Stephanie’s Astrapia feeding in the canopy and a Papuan Treecreeper spiralling up tree trunks. We had caught several birds when we made our first round of the nets including three Olive Straightbills, two of which we had ringed the previous September, and a Tawny Grassbird.
Shortly after lunch it began raining and we were treated to heavy showers through the afternoon. This was the pattern throughout our stay with clear mornings and wet afternoons. This reduced our bird-watching and bird-catching time. The mist nets were furled during the heaviest rain and checked often while there were only light showers. Despite the rain we managed to see some good birds. Phil caught up with the elusive Spotted Jewel-Babbler, often heard but seldom seen, while Barry and Lynda glimpsed a Lesser Ground Robin.
On Saturday the bush-walkers made a bog-stomp towards the Kokoda trail as low cloud had deterred them from trying to reach the tree fern forest. This was a wise choice because the rain came early. En route Peter saw a Lesser Melampitta hopping along the trail. The birders stayed around the village seeing ashy Robin, Regent Whistler and Grey Wagtail and catching Large Scrub-Wren and Rufous-backed Honeyeater. A male Mottled Whistler, not previously recorded from Myola, was also caught.
On Sunday the bush walkers, accompanied by Phil, set off early in the hope of reaching the tree fern valley before the rain started. This they managed even seeing Papuan Lorikeet and Painted Tiger-Parrot on the way but they were soaked by the time they returned to the village. Meanwhile, the nets had been going up and down regularly between the showers and catching a few good birds. The star of the weekend was the very last bird caught, a male Garnet Robin.
Once again we would like to thank the villagers of Myola for their hospitality, Pacific Expeditions through whom we organised the weekend and Talair.
People List: bird-watchers: Roger & Jenny Hicks (+1/2), Barry & Lynda Hopkins and Phil Whittington; bush-walkers: Veronique Badoux, Dave Briggs, Peter & Andrea Storer.
Species List:r = ringed,, h = heard only
New Guinea Harpy-Eagle (h), King Quail, Forbes’ Forest Rail, Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove, White-breasted Fruit-Dove, Goldie’s Lorikeet, Papuan Lorikeet, Painted Tiger Parrot, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Sooty Owl (h), Mountain Swiftlet, Glossy Swiftlet, Pacific Swallow, Pied Chat, Lesser Ground Robin, Island Thrush, Spotted Jewel-Babbler, Lesser Melampitta, Blue-capped Ifrita, Orange-crowned Fairy-wren (r) Tawny Grassbird (r), Mountain Mouse-Warbler, Large Scrub-Wren (r), Buff-faced Scrub-Wren, Papuan Scrub-Wren (r), New Guinea Thornbill, Brown-breasted Gerygone, Dimorphic Fantail, Black Fantail (r), Friendly Fantail, Black Monarch (h), Black-breasted Boatbill, Canary Flycatcher, Garnet Robin (r), Ashy Robin (r), Mottled Whistler (r), Regent Whistler (r), Rufous-naped Whistler (r), Papuan Treecreeper, Fan-tailed Berrypecker (r), Olive Straightbill (r), Rufous-backed Honeyeater (r), Belford’s Melidectes, Common Smoky Honeyeater (r), Grey-headed Mannikin, Loria’s Bird of Paradise, Stephanie’s Astrapia.
First published in Muruk 3(2): 67-68
