Roger and Jenny Hicks lived in Papua New Guinea for six years between 1985 and 1991. Their sons, Andrew and Matthew were both born in Port Moresby. They left PNG when the boys were still young but had always promised to return so Andrew and Matthew would have their own memories of the land of their birth.
Behind Port Moresby, the mountains of the Owen Stanley Range rise to 3500m with the peak of Mount Victoria dominating the skyline. Nestled beside a grassy basin at 2100m in the heart of this range, less than 30 minutes flying time from Port Moresby, is the small village of Myola and its bush materials guest house. Its proximity to the capital and the crisp, cool air at this altitude made it a favoured weekend retreat while we were resident in Port Moresby. It was also top of our list of places to revisit when we returned to PNG.
Myola is only accessible on foot or by air. We opted for the latter and as Myola is not on a scheduled route, we chartered a plane from one of the third level airlines. The flight parallels the route of the infamous Kokoda Trail, crossing the same rugged terrain, deep forest filled river valleys separated by steep, narrow ridges. From the air, the villages of the local Koiari people appear as a thin strip of bare earth lined with up to thirty houses built along one of the broader ridge tops. Nearby and usually along another ridge, is the wider, undulating village airstrip. Otherwise, the only break in the forest cover are the occasional glimpses of white water in the valley floors as the rivers tumble towards the sea.
At over 2000m, Myola lies above the limit of cultivation for the staple food crops of the area and so is not permanently occupied. It also differs from other villages in occupying a flat site on the edge of an inter-montane basin. It is believed this site was first occupied during WW2 when the open grassland of the basin was used as a dropping zone to re-supply troops fighting along the nearby Kokoda Trail. After the construction of an airstrip, at right-angles to the current strip, it was also used as a supply depot and field hospital.
Flights for Myola depart early, before convection currents in the mountains make flying a risky business. As we climbed steadily into the Owen Stanleys many of the valleys were still filled with cloud but the Myola basin, thankfully, was clear. From the air not much seemed to have changed. We could make out the guest house and the other village buildings, about 20 bush material huts, clustered around the northern end of the airstrip. Upon landing, the villagers gathered round the plane to help unload our gear. We were warmly greeted by Mark and his wife Gaba who still run the guest house. We had last seen them when we spent Christmas 1991, our last in PNG, at Myola, and I think they were surprised to see us again. When we had time to pause and take stock a few changes became apparent such as a few more huts at the forest edge but nothing to detract from our pleasure at being back and in no time at all it seemed as though we had never been away. Tawny Grassbirds chirruped from the dense grass beside the runway; Mountain and Glossy Swiftlets cruised overhead and Goldie’s Lorikeets streaked to and from their roost and nests in the crowns of tall pandanus trees close to the village.
Jenny and the boys had often heard talk of the tree fern forest which lies about 800m above Myola and had long wanted to see this magical valley for themselves. After a traditional Myola breakfast of fresh home-baked bread and coffee we set off. At first the going was flat but soon started climbing steeply. It quickly became obvious that not many had walked this way recently and at times we had to crawl under fallen trees or hack our way through dense undergrowth. This did not deter Andrew and Matthew who relished the role of trail blazers for most of the climb. While they remained bright and cheerful the rest of us floundered red-faced in their wake. Much of our effort was going into climbing with little energy to spare for birding. When I did stop for a breather my glasses would fog up. Such are the frustrations of a bespectacled birder in the tropics. I did manage to see small Plum-faced Lorikeets and larger Orange-billed Lorikeets feeding at the flowers of a towering Syzigium sp. where they were joined by Red-collared Myzomelas, small honeyeaters where the male is glossy black except for a red back, nape, neck and breast. When I first arrived in New Guinea it was known as the Red-caped Myzomela which seems a more appropriate name.
We reached the half-way point after about 90 minutes of climbing and when a Macgregor’s Bowerbird bower was discovered close by the trail we called a 10 minute halt. The bower was on a ridge crest and consisted of a bowl of moss about 1.5 m across with mossy walls between 10-15cm high. A small sapling in the centre of the bowl was decorated with moss for the first 10cm and then with a criss-cross of small twigs for a further 40cm. The rim of the bowl was decorated with butterfly wings (of at least five different species), black beetle cases, iridescent blue beetle cases, black lichen and black bark. I had previously seen a bower very near this one in August 1988. Although the bower appeared to be well maintained unfortunately the owner did not put in an appearance. When the colour of our faces had subsided from livid red to a more healthy pink we continued our climb seeing Canary Flycatcher, a bright yellow relative of the Jacky Winter, in the forest understorey and Brown-breasted Gerygones in the forest canopy. Another 90 energy-sapping minutes later we reached the summit of the ridge at about 2800m. Following a brief, very steep descent we broke out of the trees onto the edge of the tree fern forest.
The tree ferns occupy a valley at about 2700m through which runs the clear, sparkling and very cold Iora Creek. The upper slopes of the valley are cloaked in montane forest. The lower slopes are covered with evenly spaced tree ferns mostly 3-4m tall and interspersed with grasses. It is not a very rich bird habitat; we only recorded Tawny Grassbird and Grey Gerygone, but is nonetheless fascinating. Why is this valley dominated by tree-ferns when others nearby are forest filled? There are tree ferns just inside the forest so is the forest slowly encroaching or are the tree ferns spreading? We pondered these questions, without reaching any conclusions, while eating our picnic lunch on a vantage point that afforded views up and down this wonderful valley. All too soon it was time to leave. Bird-watching was easier on the way down. My glasses remained clear allowing me to record displaying Papuan Mountain Pigeons, climbing steeply above the canopy and then gliding down to the trees (just like Spotted Turtle Doves in suburban Melbourne). Also seen on the descent were a female Stephanie’s Astrapia (a bird of paradise) using her long bill to probe the rotting wood of a dead branch and a Black-breasted Boatbill flycatching under the canopy. It was a tired but well satisfied group that walked back into Myola at dusk.
That evening we recovered from our exertions while celebrating Chris’s birthday around the camp fire. The call of a Mountain Owlet-Nightjar rending the still night air prompted us to play recordings of other night birds. On previous visits we had heard the falling bomb whistle of Sooty Owls and more recently a visiting bird-watching tour group had recorded Feline Owlet-Nightjar. This species, the largest of the owlet-nightjars, has a boldly marked face and long cat-like ‘whiskers’. Sadly, we had no success and instead turned our attention to the night sky. Amongst the myriad pin pricks of light Will Glynn pointed out Jupiter and through the ‘scope we could see four of its moons. Eventually, it was time for bed.
Salvadori’s Teal is endemic to New Guinea, being found on mountain streams and lakes above 600m. So far it had avoided addition to my list, but had recently been recorded at Myola prompting a stomp through the grasslands of the basin and along the banks of Iora Creek. The grassland is home to very few birds: a local population of Grey-headed Mannikins probably of a subspecies awaiting formal description; ubiquitous Tawny Grassbirds and small parties of King Quail. Numerous Pacific Swallows hawked over the reed beds bordering Iora Creek and although we disturbed some duck they turned out to be Pacific Blacks. Undeterred, I set out alone early the following morning to explore the creek closer to Myola. They had to be there somewhere. More King Quail were flushed from the grassland as was a single Spotless Crake which flew away with its legs trailing. More Pacific Black Ducks were seen on the creek along with Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants. After two hours struggling through the uneven tussocky grass that edges the creek I heard splashing coming from under some grass that overhung the water. At first I thought it was probably one of the giant rats (up to 1m long) that can be found in this habitat but then made out the large yellow bill of a Salvadori’s Teal and its heavily barred flanks. At the same moment the duck saw me and flew off without a sound, keeping well below the banks of the deeply incised creek. I made a bee-line back to the village for a well earned breakfast feeling well satisfied with myself.
Bird-watching around the edge of the village, where the forest had once been cleared but had now regenerated to dense secondary growth, could be rewarding. Fan-tailed Cuckoos favoured the stumps of forest trees as perches while Pacific Swallows and Island Thrushes could be seen about the village. Three species of Birds of Paradise, Stephanie’s Astrapia, Brown Sicklebill and Loria’s Bird of Paradise fed on the small berries of an unidentified tree which also attracted flocks of New Guinea White-eyes and Tit Berrypeckers. Fan-tailed Berrypeckers fed on the same berries but kept to the denser undergrowth. Small parties of Blue-faced Parrot-Finches were regularly recorded feeding in the village gardens but flying to the surrounding forest when disturbed.
The forests around Myola are readily accessible along several trails where the walking is much easier than the climb to the tree fern forest or following Iora Creek through the grasslands. Belford’s Melidectes, a large friarbird-sized honeyeater was the most conspicuous and noisy bird in the forest. It was most often seen flying under the canopy of the 30m tall trees. The moss-draped branches of the forest trees were a rich hunting ground for numerous species. Blue-capped Ifritas, robin-sized brown birds with a white supercilium and stunning metallic light blue caps behaved much like the tits of northern Europe as they foraged amongst the moss. Papuan Treecreepers mainly confined their activities to the tree trunks and larger branches; as with their Eurasian counterparts they only ever spiralled upwards. Although closely related to the Australian treecreepers I have never recorded them foraging on the ground. Black Sittellas were adept at climbing up and down branches but mainly kept to the canopy and smaller branches. Other birds foraged on the ground amongst the leaf litter including; Rufous-naped Whistler, a large long-legged whistler, mainly dark green above and paler below with a rufous nape patch and yellow throat; Spotted Jewel-Babbler, thrush-sized with dark green upperparts, bluish underparts and white cheeks, it takes its name from two rows of spots across the wing coverts; and Lesser Ground Robin another thrush-sized ground-dweller with only weak powers of flight and drab brown plumage. It can take a while to get onto all these birds but it is worth the effort.
With great birding and good company Myola lived up to and even exceeded our expectations. It remains ‘nambawan ples bilong PNG’ for Jenny and I and now hopefully Andrew and Matthew will also regard it as a special place.
We would like to thank Will Glynn who organised our long weekend in Myola; our companions Brian Bond, Chris Eastwood, Will Glynn and Liz Kerr without whom it would not have been as much fun and, last but not least, Mark and Gaba who run the Myola Guest House. Thank you all for helping Jenny and I rekindle old memories and for giving all of us, but especially Andrew and Matthew, such enjoyable new memories of Myola.
Getting There: Accommodation at Myola Guest House can be booked through South Pacific Tours, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Fax: +675 323 5246; Email: spt@onthenet.com.au. Costs in September 1998 were K45.00 per night including accommodation and 3 meals per day. Charter Flights can be booked through MBA Tel: +675 325 2011. To charter a nine seater Islander cost K1800 in September 1998.
Complete list of species recorded at Myola between 1985 and 1998. Species recorded in September 1998 are marked with a ‘X’
Dwarf Cassowary Casuarius bennetti
X Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
X Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Darter Anhinga melanogaster
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans
New Guinea Harpy-Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguineae
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
X Peregrine Falco peregrinus
X Salvadori's Teal Anas waigiuensis
X Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Common Scrubfowl Megapodius freycinet
Wattled Brush-Turkey Aepypodius arfakianus
Brown Quail Coturnix australis
X King Quail Coturnix chinensis
Lewin's Rail Rallus pectoralis
Forbes’ Forest-Rail Rallina forbesi
X Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis
Rufous Woodcock Scolopax saturata
Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia nigrirostris
X Bronze Ground-Dove Gallicolumba beccarii
X White-breasted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus rivoli
X Papuan Mountain Pigeon Gymnophaps albertisii
X Goldie's Lorikeet Trichoglossus goldiei
Pygmy Lorikeet Charmosyna wilhelminae
Little Red Lorikeet Charmosyna pulchella
X Papuan Lorikeet Charmosyna papou
X Plum-faced Lorikeet Oreopsittacus arfaki
X Yellow-billed Lorikeet Neopsittacus musschenbroekii
X Orange-billed Lorikeet Neopsittacus pullicauda
X Brehm's Tiger-Parrot Psittacella brehmii
Madarasz's Tiger-Parrot Psittacella madaraszi
X Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx ruficollis
Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa
Feline Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles insignis
X Mountain Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles albertisi
Mountain Nightjar Eurostopodus archboldi
X Mountain Swiftlet Collocalia hirundinacea
X Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta
Shovel-billed Kingfisher Clytoceyx rex
Sacred Kingfisher Halcyon sancta
X Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
X Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus
X Spotted Jewel-Babbler Ptilorrhoa leucosticta
X Lesser Melampitta Melampitta lugubris
X Blue-capped Ifrita Ifrita kowaldi
X Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis
X Orange-crowned Fairy-Wren Clytomyias insignis
X Mountain Mouse-Warbler Crateroscelis robusta
X Large Scrub-Wren Sericornis nouhuysi
X Buff-faced Scrub-Wren Sericornis perspicillatus
X Papuan Scrub-Wren Sericornis papuensis
New Guinea Thornbill Acanthiza murina
X Grey Gerygone Gerygone cinerea
X Brown-breasted Gerygone Gerygone ruficollis
X Dimorphic Fantail Rhipidura brachyrhyncha
Black Fantail Rhipidura atra
X Friendly Fantail Rhipidura albolimbata
X Black Monarch Monarcha axillaris
X Black-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus nigripectus
X Canary Flycatcher Microeca papuana
X Garnet Robin Eugerygone rubra
X Ashy Robin Poecilodryas albispecularis
Black-throated Robin Poecilodryas albonotata
X Lesser Ground-Robin Amalocichla incerta
X Blue-Grey Robin Peneothello cyanus
X Mottled Whistler Rhagologus leucostigma
X Regent Whistler Pachycephala schlegelii
X Brown-backed Whistler Pachycephala modesta
X Rufous-naped Whistler Pachycephala rufinucha
Wattled Ploughbill Eulacestoma nigropectus
Papuan Treecreeper Cormobates placens
Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
X Black Sittella Daphoenositta miranda
X Fan-tailed Berrypecker Melanocharis versteri
X Spotted Berrypecker Rhamphocharis crassirostris
X Tit Berrypecker Oreocharis arfaki
X New Guinea White-eye Zosterops novaeguineae
Olive Straightbill Timeliopsis fulvigula
X Slaty-chinned Longbill Toxorhamphus poliopterus
X Red-collared Myzomela Myzomela rosenbergii
Black-throated Honeyeater Lichenostomus subfrenatus
X Rufous-backed Honeyeater Ptiloprora guisei
X Belford's Melidectes Melidectes belfordi
X Common Smoky Honeyeater Melipotes fumigatus
X Blue-faced Parrot-Finch Erythrura trichroa
X Grey-headed Mannikin Lonchura caniceps
Eastern Alpine Mannikin Lonchura monticola
Torrent-Lark Grallina bruijni
Macgregor's Bowerbird Amblyornis macgregoriae
X Loria's Bird of Paradise Cnemophilus loriae
X Brown Sicklebill Epimachus meyeri
Behind Port Moresby, the mountains of the Owen Stanley Range rise to 3500m with the peak of Mount Victoria dominating the skyline. Nestled beside a grassy basin at 2100m in the heart of this range, less than 30 minutes flying time from Port Moresby, is the small village of Myola and its bush materials guest house. Its proximity to the capital and the crisp, cool air at this altitude made it a favoured weekend retreat while we were resident in Port Moresby. It was also top of our list of places to revisit when we returned to PNG.
Myola is only accessible on foot or by air. We opted for the latter and as Myola is not on a scheduled route, we chartered a plane from one of the third level airlines. The flight parallels the route of the infamous Kokoda Trail, crossing the same rugged terrain, deep forest filled river valleys separated by steep, narrow ridges. From the air, the villages of the local Koiari people appear as a thin strip of bare earth lined with up to thirty houses built along one of the broader ridge tops. Nearby and usually along another ridge, is the wider, undulating village airstrip. Otherwise, the only break in the forest cover are the occasional glimpses of white water in the valley floors as the rivers tumble towards the sea.
At over 2000m, Myola lies above the limit of cultivation for the staple food crops of the area and so is not permanently occupied. It also differs from other villages in occupying a flat site on the edge of an inter-montane basin. It is believed this site was first occupied during WW2 when the open grassland of the basin was used as a dropping zone to re-supply troops fighting along the nearby Kokoda Trail. After the construction of an airstrip, at right-angles to the current strip, it was also used as a supply depot and field hospital.
Flights for Myola depart early, before convection currents in the mountains make flying a risky business. As we climbed steadily into the Owen Stanleys many of the valleys were still filled with cloud but the Myola basin, thankfully, was clear. From the air not much seemed to have changed. We could make out the guest house and the other village buildings, about 20 bush material huts, clustered around the northern end of the airstrip. Upon landing, the villagers gathered round the plane to help unload our gear. We were warmly greeted by Mark and his wife Gaba who still run the guest house. We had last seen them when we spent Christmas 1991, our last in PNG, at Myola, and I think they were surprised to see us again. When we had time to pause and take stock a few changes became apparent such as a few more huts at the forest edge but nothing to detract from our pleasure at being back and in no time at all it seemed as though we had never been away. Tawny Grassbirds chirruped from the dense grass beside the runway; Mountain and Glossy Swiftlets cruised overhead and Goldie’s Lorikeets streaked to and from their roost and nests in the crowns of tall pandanus trees close to the village.
Jenny and the boys had often heard talk of the tree fern forest which lies about 800m above Myola and had long wanted to see this magical valley for themselves. After a traditional Myola breakfast of fresh home-baked bread and coffee we set off. At first the going was flat but soon started climbing steeply. It quickly became obvious that not many had walked this way recently and at times we had to crawl under fallen trees or hack our way through dense undergrowth. This did not deter Andrew and Matthew who relished the role of trail blazers for most of the climb. While they remained bright and cheerful the rest of us floundered red-faced in their wake. Much of our effort was going into climbing with little energy to spare for birding. When I did stop for a breather my glasses would fog up. Such are the frustrations of a bespectacled birder in the tropics. I did manage to see small Plum-faced Lorikeets and larger Orange-billed Lorikeets feeding at the flowers of a towering Syzigium sp. where they were joined by Red-collared Myzomelas, small honeyeaters where the male is glossy black except for a red back, nape, neck and breast. When I first arrived in New Guinea it was known as the Red-caped Myzomela which seems a more appropriate name.
We reached the half-way point after about 90 minutes of climbing and when a Macgregor’s Bowerbird bower was discovered close by the trail we called a 10 minute halt. The bower was on a ridge crest and consisted of a bowl of moss about 1.5 m across with mossy walls between 10-15cm high. A small sapling in the centre of the bowl was decorated with moss for the first 10cm and then with a criss-cross of small twigs for a further 40cm. The rim of the bowl was decorated with butterfly wings (of at least five different species), black beetle cases, iridescent blue beetle cases, black lichen and black bark. I had previously seen a bower very near this one in August 1988. Although the bower appeared to be well maintained unfortunately the owner did not put in an appearance. When the colour of our faces had subsided from livid red to a more healthy pink we continued our climb seeing Canary Flycatcher, a bright yellow relative of the Jacky Winter, in the forest understorey and Brown-breasted Gerygones in the forest canopy. Another 90 energy-sapping minutes later we reached the summit of the ridge at about 2800m. Following a brief, very steep descent we broke out of the trees onto the edge of the tree fern forest.
The tree ferns occupy a valley at about 2700m through which runs the clear, sparkling and very cold Iora Creek. The upper slopes of the valley are cloaked in montane forest. The lower slopes are covered with evenly spaced tree ferns mostly 3-4m tall and interspersed with grasses. It is not a very rich bird habitat; we only recorded Tawny Grassbird and Grey Gerygone, but is nonetheless fascinating. Why is this valley dominated by tree-ferns when others nearby are forest filled? There are tree ferns just inside the forest so is the forest slowly encroaching or are the tree ferns spreading? We pondered these questions, without reaching any conclusions, while eating our picnic lunch on a vantage point that afforded views up and down this wonderful valley. All too soon it was time to leave. Bird-watching was easier on the way down. My glasses remained clear allowing me to record displaying Papuan Mountain Pigeons, climbing steeply above the canopy and then gliding down to the trees (just like Spotted Turtle Doves in suburban Melbourne). Also seen on the descent were a female Stephanie’s Astrapia (a bird of paradise) using her long bill to probe the rotting wood of a dead branch and a Black-breasted Boatbill flycatching under the canopy. It was a tired but well satisfied group that walked back into Myola at dusk.
That evening we recovered from our exertions while celebrating Chris’s birthday around the camp fire. The call of a Mountain Owlet-Nightjar rending the still night air prompted us to play recordings of other night birds. On previous visits we had heard the falling bomb whistle of Sooty Owls and more recently a visiting bird-watching tour group had recorded Feline Owlet-Nightjar. This species, the largest of the owlet-nightjars, has a boldly marked face and long cat-like ‘whiskers’. Sadly, we had no success and instead turned our attention to the night sky. Amongst the myriad pin pricks of light Will Glynn pointed out Jupiter and through the ‘scope we could see four of its moons. Eventually, it was time for bed.
Salvadori’s Teal is endemic to New Guinea, being found on mountain streams and lakes above 600m. So far it had avoided addition to my list, but had recently been recorded at Myola prompting a stomp through the grasslands of the basin and along the banks of Iora Creek. The grassland is home to very few birds: a local population of Grey-headed Mannikins probably of a subspecies awaiting formal description; ubiquitous Tawny Grassbirds and small parties of King Quail. Numerous Pacific Swallows hawked over the reed beds bordering Iora Creek and although we disturbed some duck they turned out to be Pacific Blacks. Undeterred, I set out alone early the following morning to explore the creek closer to Myola. They had to be there somewhere. More King Quail were flushed from the grassland as was a single Spotless Crake which flew away with its legs trailing. More Pacific Black Ducks were seen on the creek along with Little Pied and Little Black Cormorants. After two hours struggling through the uneven tussocky grass that edges the creek I heard splashing coming from under some grass that overhung the water. At first I thought it was probably one of the giant rats (up to 1m long) that can be found in this habitat but then made out the large yellow bill of a Salvadori’s Teal and its heavily barred flanks. At the same moment the duck saw me and flew off without a sound, keeping well below the banks of the deeply incised creek. I made a bee-line back to the village for a well earned breakfast feeling well satisfied with myself.
Bird-watching around the edge of the village, where the forest had once been cleared but had now regenerated to dense secondary growth, could be rewarding. Fan-tailed Cuckoos favoured the stumps of forest trees as perches while Pacific Swallows and Island Thrushes could be seen about the village. Three species of Birds of Paradise, Stephanie’s Astrapia, Brown Sicklebill and Loria’s Bird of Paradise fed on the small berries of an unidentified tree which also attracted flocks of New Guinea White-eyes and Tit Berrypeckers. Fan-tailed Berrypeckers fed on the same berries but kept to the denser undergrowth. Small parties of Blue-faced Parrot-Finches were regularly recorded feeding in the village gardens but flying to the surrounding forest when disturbed.
The forests around Myola are readily accessible along several trails where the walking is much easier than the climb to the tree fern forest or following Iora Creek through the grasslands. Belford’s Melidectes, a large friarbird-sized honeyeater was the most conspicuous and noisy bird in the forest. It was most often seen flying under the canopy of the 30m tall trees. The moss-draped branches of the forest trees were a rich hunting ground for numerous species. Blue-capped Ifritas, robin-sized brown birds with a white supercilium and stunning metallic light blue caps behaved much like the tits of northern Europe as they foraged amongst the moss. Papuan Treecreepers mainly confined their activities to the tree trunks and larger branches; as with their Eurasian counterparts they only ever spiralled upwards. Although closely related to the Australian treecreepers I have never recorded them foraging on the ground. Black Sittellas were adept at climbing up and down branches but mainly kept to the canopy and smaller branches. Other birds foraged on the ground amongst the leaf litter including; Rufous-naped Whistler, a large long-legged whistler, mainly dark green above and paler below with a rufous nape patch and yellow throat; Spotted Jewel-Babbler, thrush-sized with dark green upperparts, bluish underparts and white cheeks, it takes its name from two rows of spots across the wing coverts; and Lesser Ground Robin another thrush-sized ground-dweller with only weak powers of flight and drab brown plumage. It can take a while to get onto all these birds but it is worth the effort.
With great birding and good company Myola lived up to and even exceeded our expectations. It remains ‘nambawan ples bilong PNG’ for Jenny and I and now hopefully Andrew and Matthew will also regard it as a special place.
We would like to thank Will Glynn who organised our long weekend in Myola; our companions Brian Bond, Chris Eastwood, Will Glynn and Liz Kerr without whom it would not have been as much fun and, last but not least, Mark and Gaba who run the Myola Guest House. Thank you all for helping Jenny and I rekindle old memories and for giving all of us, but especially Andrew and Matthew, such enjoyable new memories of Myola.
Getting There: Accommodation at Myola Guest House can be booked through South Pacific Tours, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; Fax: +675 323 5246; Email: spt@onthenet.com.au. Costs in September 1998 were K45.00 per night including accommodation and 3 meals per day. Charter Flights can be booked through MBA Tel: +675 325 2011. To charter a nine seater Islander cost K1800 in September 1998.
Complete list of species recorded at Myola between 1985 and 1998. Species recorded in September 1998 are marked with a ‘X’
Dwarf Cassowary Casuarius bennetti
X Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
X Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos
Darter Anhinga melanogaster
Swamp Harrier Circus approximans
New Guinea Harpy-Eagle Harpyopsis novaeguineae
Brown Falcon Falco berigora
X Peregrine Falco peregrinus
X Salvadori's Teal Anas waigiuensis
X Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa
Common Scrubfowl Megapodius freycinet
Wattled Brush-Turkey Aepypodius arfakianus
Brown Quail Coturnix australis
X King Quail Coturnix chinensis
Lewin's Rail Rallus pectoralis
Forbes’ Forest-Rail Rallina forbesi
X Spotless Crake Porzana tabuensis
Rufous Woodcock Scolopax saturata
Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia nigrirostris
X Bronze Ground-Dove Gallicolumba beccarii
X White-breasted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus rivoli
X Papuan Mountain Pigeon Gymnophaps albertisii
X Goldie's Lorikeet Trichoglossus goldiei
Pygmy Lorikeet Charmosyna wilhelminae
Little Red Lorikeet Charmosyna pulchella
X Papuan Lorikeet Charmosyna papou
X Plum-faced Lorikeet Oreopsittacus arfaki
X Yellow-billed Lorikeet Neopsittacus musschenbroekii
X Orange-billed Lorikeet Neopsittacus pullicauda
X Brehm's Tiger-Parrot Psittacella brehmii
Madarasz's Tiger-Parrot Psittacella madaraszi
X Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelliformis
Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx ruficollis
Sooty Owl Tyto tenebricosa
Feline Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles insignis
X Mountain Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles albertisi
Mountain Nightjar Eurostopodus archboldi
X Mountain Swiftlet Collocalia hirundinacea
X Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta
Shovel-billed Kingfisher Clytoceyx rex
Sacred Kingfisher Halcyon sancta
X Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica
Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea
X Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus
X Spotted Jewel-Babbler Ptilorrhoa leucosticta
X Lesser Melampitta Melampitta lugubris
X Blue-capped Ifrita Ifrita kowaldi
X Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis
X Orange-crowned Fairy-Wren Clytomyias insignis
X Mountain Mouse-Warbler Crateroscelis robusta
X Large Scrub-Wren Sericornis nouhuysi
X Buff-faced Scrub-Wren Sericornis perspicillatus
X Papuan Scrub-Wren Sericornis papuensis
New Guinea Thornbill Acanthiza murina
X Grey Gerygone Gerygone cinerea
X Brown-breasted Gerygone Gerygone ruficollis
X Dimorphic Fantail Rhipidura brachyrhyncha
Black Fantail Rhipidura atra
X Friendly Fantail Rhipidura albolimbata
X Black Monarch Monarcha axillaris
X Black-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus nigripectus
X Canary Flycatcher Microeca papuana
X Garnet Robin Eugerygone rubra
X Ashy Robin Poecilodryas albispecularis
Black-throated Robin Poecilodryas albonotata
X Lesser Ground-Robin Amalocichla incerta
X Blue-Grey Robin Peneothello cyanus
X Mottled Whistler Rhagologus leucostigma
X Regent Whistler Pachycephala schlegelii
X Brown-backed Whistler Pachycephala modesta
X Rufous-naped Whistler Pachycephala rufinucha
Wattled Ploughbill Eulacestoma nigropectus
Papuan Treecreeper Cormobates placens
Varied Sittella Daphoenositta chrysoptera
X Black Sittella Daphoenositta miranda
X Fan-tailed Berrypecker Melanocharis versteri
X Spotted Berrypecker Rhamphocharis crassirostris
X Tit Berrypecker Oreocharis arfaki
X New Guinea White-eye Zosterops novaeguineae
Olive Straightbill Timeliopsis fulvigula
X Slaty-chinned Longbill Toxorhamphus poliopterus
X Red-collared Myzomela Myzomela rosenbergii
Black-throated Honeyeater Lichenostomus subfrenatus
X Rufous-backed Honeyeater Ptiloprora guisei
X Belford's Melidectes Melidectes belfordi
X Common Smoky Honeyeater Melipotes fumigatus
X Blue-faced Parrot-Finch Erythrura trichroa
X Grey-headed Mannikin Lonchura caniceps
Eastern Alpine Mannikin Lonchura monticola
Torrent-Lark Grallina bruijni
Macgregor's Bowerbird Amblyornis macgregoriae
X Loria's Bird of Paradise Cnemophilus loriae
X Brown Sicklebill Epimachus meyeri
X Stephanie's Astrapia Astrapia stephaniae
(Originally published in Australian Birding 5(2): 12-14)
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