PNGBS Outing: 6th October 1985: Lea Lea and Lake Iaraguma

Several car loads of members and friends met at the Baruni turn off at 06:00. Unfortunately two car loads were lost before the birding had begun, one to a puncture and a second to escort duties. The latter was subsequently unable to locate the rest of the party. Perhaps a map of reas to be visited should be supplied to all participants in the future. Along the way to the first stop at Lea Lea salt pans, Australian Kestrel and Horsfield’s Bushlark were seen in the grassland near Fairfax. Relatively few waders were recorded at the salt pans: several Common Sandpipers, 3 Black-tailed Godwits, 2 Red-necked Stints and one each of Eastern Curlew, Whimbrel, Little Curlew and Grey-tailed Tattler. The Eastern Curlew was the first returning bird after the northern breeding season.Two of the uncommon (or less often observed) herons, White-faced Heron and Striated Heron were seen around the edge of the pans.

From the salt pans it was a short drive to the mud flats at Lea Lea where an opening in the mangroves afforded some good views of a variety of shore birds being pushed steadily closer by the in-coming tide. There were distant views of four species of terns: Little, Common, Gull-billed and Crested (Swift). The proble of distinguishing between Greater and Lesser (Mongolian) sand-Plovers raised its ugly head again. For me the bird of the day was the solitary Terek Sandpiper, with bright orange legs and an incongruously long upturned bill, so long it seemed it might over-balance.

The next stop was Lake Iaraguma. Here the birds were watched from a small hillock over-looking the flood plain of the Laloki River, most of which was under water. It was quite an unexpected vista. There were distant views of soaring White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Australian Pelicans. One of the latter drifted over head and landed on the lake in full view. Amongst the many herons and egrets were four Cattle Egrets in full breeding plumage. A single Australian White Ibis and a flock of 11 Little Curlew were seen flying over the lake, possibly looking for non-existent mud.

To sum up: 74 species were recorded including 9 species of heron.

Australasian Grebe, Lesser Frigatebird, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Australian Darter, Australian Pelican, Eastern Great Egret, Pied Heron, Intermediate Egret, Eastern Cattle Egret, White-faced Heron, Little Egret, Eastern Reef Egret, Striated Heron, Nankeen Night Heron, Australian White Ibis, Whistling Kite, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Swamp Harrier, Papuan Harrier, Nankeen Kestrel, Spotted Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Grey Teal, Pacific Black Duck, Brown Quail, Comb-crested Jacana, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Masked Lapwing, Grey Plover, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Sand-Plover, Greater Sand-Plover, Eastern Curlew, Little Curlew, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Terek Sandpiper, Black-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Swift (Crested) Tern, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Yellowish-streaked Lory, Rainbow Lory, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Rainbow Bee-eater, Oriental Dollarbird, Horsfield’s Bushlark, Pacific Swallow, Tree Martin, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrke, Willie Wagtail, Golden-headed Cisticola, Mangrove Greygone, Lemon-bellied Flyrobin, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, New Guinea Friarbird, Grey-headed Mannikin, Singing Starling, White-breasted Wood-Swallow, Black-backed Butcherbird, Torresian Crow.

PNGBS Outing: 8th September 1985: Kanosia, Cape Suckling and sites en route

This was my first experience of bird-watching in Papua New Guinea outside the immediate environs of the capital. So much was new to me that I missed many birds observed by the rest of the party, if my impressions differ from those of the ‘old hands’ then I apologise in advance.

After meting at the NBC tree, we were on the road before 06:00 heading out of town on the Hiritano Highway. First stop was Veikabu Oxbow where I had my first sight of Azure, Little and Forest Kingfishers, Australian Darter and Comb-crested Jacana. Many other species were seen by the group, some identified only by ‘jizz’ or call which I have yet to learn.

The second stop in the rain forest shortly after the oxbow supplied the highlight of the day for many members of the party with a brief look at a Bat Hawk flying across the road, its moustachial streaks very prominent. Not having learnt the rarity value of various species yet, I was much more taken with the excellent views of a male Black Sunbird and a Yellow-billed Kingfisher. If I offend anyone’s sensibilities I can only apologise again and promise to look more carefully next time.

En route to Kanosia were several birds of prey, including a pair of Papuan Harriers, a Crested Hawk and a white phase Grey Goshawk of ghostly appearance. Kanosia Lagoon proved to be a bit of a disappointment as the water level was quite high. I for one did not mind too much as my list continued to increase with my first Green Pygmy Geese, Wandering Whistling Duck and Pacific Black Duck. An inadequate glimpse wasthe first view for most of us of a Baillon’s Crake, while a single Wood Sandpiper was a reminder of home. A brief stop was made at Aroa for refreshments and here we were entertained by Silver-eared Honeyeaters, probably my favourite bird of the day. Then it was off through the coconut plantations to Cape Suckling where Paulene fed the multitudes, and delicious it was too. Here I found it quite easy to separate Greater Sand Plovers and Mongolian Plovers and learnt to distinguish between Greater and Lesser Frigatebirds. Birds familiar from home, Common Sandpiper, Turnstone, Grey Plover and Whimbrel were seen alongside species previously seen only on the pages of books, Grey-tailed Tattler and Red-necked Stint. All these species were searching out the sun during the northern winter while in contrast three Channel-billed Cuckoos seen flying out to see were heading south to their Australian breeding grounds.

To sum up: 109 species were recorded including 10 birds of prey, 7 pigeons, 8 parrots and 7 kingfishers. I can only count half of these but intend to catch up with the rest shortly. Thanks to all the members who came along and helped me; especial thanks to Paulene, who supplied the grub, without which more than just one new arrival would have starved.

Species List:
Australasian Grebe, Greater Frigatebird, Lesser Frigatebird, Little Black Cormorant, Australian Darter, Brown Booby, Eastern Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Eastern Reef Egret, Nankeen Night Heron, Osprey, Pacific Baza, Bat Hawk, Whistling Kite, Brahminy Kite, Papuan Harrier, Swamp Harrier, Grey Goshawk, Collared Sparrowhawk, Nankeen Kestrel, Spotted Whistling Duck, Wandering Whistling Duck, Green Pygmy Goose, Pacific Black Duck, Buff-banded Rail, White-browed Crake, Baillon’s Crake, Dusky Moorhen, Purple Swamphen, Comb-crested Jacana, White-headed Stilt, Masked Lapwing, Grey Plover, Lesser Sand-Plover, Greater Sand-Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, Grey-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Bar-tailed Godwit, Red-necked Stint, Gull-billed Tern, Common Tern, Black-naped Tern, Swift (Crested) Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Stephan’s Ground-Dove, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Torresian Imperial Pigeon, Yellowish-streaked Lory, Coconut Lory, Black-capped Lory, Red-flanked Lorikeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot, Red-cheeked Parrot, Eclectus Parrot, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pheasant Coucal, Papuan Spinetail, Uniform Swiftlet, Azure Kingfisher, Little Kingfisher, Forest Kingfisher, Sacred Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Kingfisher, Rufous-bellied Kookabura, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, Oriental Dollarbird, Pacific Swallow, Tree Martin, Black-faced Cuckoo-Shrike, Black Cuckoo-Shrike, White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrke, White-shouldered Fairy-Wren, Australian Reed Warbler, Golden-headed Cisticola, Willie Wagtail, Shining Flycatcher, Olive Flycatcher, Papuan Flowerpecker, Black-Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Tawny-breasted Honeyeater, Dusky Myzomela, Brown-backed Honeyeater, Rufous-banded Honeyeater, Silver-eared Honeyeater, Graceful Honeyeater, Yellow-tinted Honeyeater, Grey-headed Mannikin, Chestnut-breatsed Mannikin, Yellow-faced Myna, Singing Starling, Metallic Starling, Figbird, White-breasted Wood-Swallow, Black-backed Butcherbird, Hooded Butcherbird, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Trumpet Manucode, Glossy Manucode, Raggiana Bird of Paradise.

First published in PNGBS Newsletter 218: 3 - 4

Respite in the Northern Isles

The Romans knew them as the Ultima Thule – The Edge of the World. They lie at the same latitude as the southern part of Greenland, straddling 60^oN. Although the climate is officially described ass equitable, due in large part to the ameliorating effect of the warm North Atlantic Drift, they are one of the coldest (mean July temperature some 10^oF lower than London), wettest and windiest places in the United Kingdom. They are the northernmost and remotest part of the British Isles. They are the Shetland Isles. Not it would seem the ideal destination for a summer break.

However, it was to Shetland I headed for my summer holiday in 1983, as I had done for the previous six years. The lure of the islands is their natural history, particularly for me, the bird life. On my previous visits I had been a member of the Leicester Polytechnic Shetland Expeditions monitoring the wildlife in the approaches to the Shetland Oil Terminal at Sullom Voe, that is the east and west coasts of Yell Sound and the Yell Sound islands. I have carried out breeding bird surveys and helped with the extensive bird ringing programme. Other work of the expedition includes monitoring permanently marked seashore transects, the continuation of some of these transects underwater by a team of divers, plus botanical and entomological studies on land. The aim of the expedition is to produce a base line against which the effect of any environmental accident, e.g. an oil spill, can be measured.

Most of my studies have been concentrated on one species, the Red-throated Diver. It is almost exclusively marine in its habits and only comes to the freshwater lochs and lochans to breed. Even then most of its feeding is done at sea. It is well adapted for the marine environment being very streamlined and having its legs set well back along the body for better movement through the water. This makes it clumsy on land and its nest is usually placed within a few feet of the water’s edge. Censusing is relatively straightforward as adults with eggs can usully be observed on the nest and adults with young can be seen on the water. These observations can be made from some distance so reducing disturbance to a minimum. This ease of censusing makes it a good monitor species for the state of the marine environment.

This year (1983) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) was conducting a complete census of this species in Shetland. This meant visiting every water body on the islands twice, to ensure no breeding attempts were missed, during the main part of the breeding season. A look at the Ordnance Survey 1:50000, or better still the 1:25000. Maps shows what a mammoth task this was. I was asked by the RSPB to be a member of the team, but work commitments meant I was only able to join for three weeks in July.

Inspecting every loch and lochan involves a lot of walking over the desolate interior of the islands. The terrain is mostly gently rolling peat moorland where walking is made difficult by the erosion of the peat into deep gullies amid the sphagnum bogs. It is impossible to walk in a straight line. Despite the hard slog, it had its compensations, I saw a lot of Shetland from the northernmost point of Hermaness on the island of Unst to the highest, Ronas Hill on the mainland. The inland scenery is not particularly inspiring but as nowhere in Shetland is more than three miles from sea, almost any hill top will give wide views over the archipelago showing many islets in the sounds between the main islands and the long thin inlets known as voes or firths, scaled down versions of the Norwegian fjords. The coastal scenery is some of the most impressive in the British Isles with cliffs soaring to over 300m in places plus many caves, stacks and natural arches.

And, of course, there are the birds. The moorlands of Shetland are the breeding grounds for a variety of species including Curlew, Dunlin, Common Sandpiper, Greenshank, Merlin and Twite. Shetland is also the British stronghold for breeding Whimbrel, Arctic Skua and Great Skua, 25% of the world population of the latter breeds in Shetland. The Great Skua, or Bonxie as it is known in Shetland, is one of the more obvious birds of the moorland. They nest in loose colonies where the adults can be seen standing guard on small hummocks over-looking their territories. On the approach of any intruder, man or beast, they take flight and mob the trespasser. This takes the form of a dive-bombing run: starting high, they power dive almost vertically, slowly lessening the steepness of the descent until they are travelling parallel to the ground at high speed and at about eye-level. The intensity of the attacks increases as the nest or chicks are approached. It is quite an experience to have a large gull-sized bird bearing down on you at great speed and a test of nerve to stand there without flinching.

Not all of my time in Shetland was spent stomping across the moors censusing Red-throated Divers, although most of my time was spent bird-watching. I visited the huge seabird colonies at Noss and Hermaness where millions of cliff-nesting seabirds breed. Most impressive of these is the Gannet. The adult is a large white bird with black wing tips and a cream-coloured head which glides effortlessly about the cliffs, using the wind to great effect. It feeds with spectacular plunge-dives, dropping from a great height on half-closed wings. Probably everyone’s favourite is the Puffin which nests in burrows near the cliff top. Although wary, they often fly away at first, but they are also inquisitive and may approach within a couple of feet of the patient observer. The overall sensation of the seabird city is one of constant movement with birds coming and going wherever you look. While at Hermaness I also visited Albert Ross, a well known but somewhat lonely summer resident of the cliffs.

On several occasions I went out bird-ringing (banding) with the Leicester Polytechnic Shetland Expedition. One of the main target species is Storm Petrel. These are small, black seabirds with a white rump which nest in hollows among rocks. Their natural nest site is scree on the cliffs but they have taken to using dry stone walls and the remains of Pictish brochs. They only come ashore at night as they a quite weak on land and would be easy prey for the marauding gulls and skuas. The expedition ringing teams are out every night, weather permitting, using mist nets to catch the Storm Petrels. It is not necessary to go to the colonies as the birds can be attracted by playing an amplified recording of their calls. It has been shown that only young, non-breeding birds are attracted in this way and even when close to a known colony few, if any, breeding birds are caught. The mist nets are set up at a suitable site where there is some protection from the elements and the wind is blowing offshore, to carry the amplified calls. The first Storm Petrels are usually seen just before midnight and catching continues through the darkest part of the night until about 02:00 by which time there is usually enough light for the birds to see the net. It is possible to catch more than 100 birds per night, depending on the weather conditions, and occasionally there is the added bonus of trapping the rarer Leach’s Petrel. All birds caught are weighed, measured and have a uniquely numbered metal band put around one leg which enables them to be identified should they be re-caught.

Shetland has a lot to offer naturalist, including many more bird species than I have mentioned above. There is also much to interest the archaeologist, botanist and geologist, but little to offer the sun seeker, although this year, for the first time, I spent two whole days in shorts and t-shirt. Usually the regulation wear os thick jumpers and cagoules! I hope to return to Shetland next year and continue my studies of Red-throated Divers.

By the way Albert Ross is a lone Black-browed Albatross which has take to nesting among the Gannets at Hermaness – although with no mate this must be a frustrating experience.

Recommended Reading: The Natural History of Shetland. New Naturalist Series.