1st January 2000: Just another new year’s day....

The wonders of television had allowed us to watch the beginning of the new year around the globe, starting in Kiribati then by way of Sydney, Moscow and Paris (the Eiffel Tower going off like a rocket was probably the best firework display!) until it was our turn in the U.K. We saw the new year in with our neighbours and had a wander up and down the village street but the many fireworks drowned out any birds that might have been flying over. Whether or not it was the first day of the new millennium, it was another first of January and I would be out and about trying to see as many birds as possible within a 10 km radius of home so I was soon in bed.

During 1999 we had returned from Melbourne, Australia to England where home was now the village of Codicote, about 50 km north of London, in the populous south-east corner of Britain. It is a far cry from the western suburbs of Melbourne, with more people living within 100 km than can be found in the whole of Australia. My home range includes a couple of small towns, Welwyn Garden City and Stevenage and is hemmed in the north, west and south by the towns of Hitchin, Luton, Harpenden, Hatfield and Hertford. Despite this urbanisation, and the proximity of London, it is surprisingly rural with some pleasant scenery. Three small rivers, the Lea, Mimram and Beane flow NW - SE across the area separated by low rolling hills, none higher than 200 m. Much of the higher land is given over to arable farming, with wheat and barley being the major crops grown in large fields from which the hedges have been removed. The hedges remain in the valleys where there is more pasture for grazing. Some flood meadows remain. A feature of the area are the water-cress beds, some still operating commercially, others in disrepair and yet others now local nature reserves. There are numerous small woodlands, although few are natural, with plantations of both deciduous and coniferous trees. With the change of hemisphere came a change of season and once more my new year’s day birdwatch would be taking place in the depths of winter, although the 1999/2000 winter had, so far, been exceptionally mild.

While most people were still sleeping off their new year’s eve celebrations, Andrew, my eldest son, and I were up and about at 06:00. It was still dark at 06:21 when a Robin singing under the street lights of the village was our first bird of the new year. Our plan was to spend the hour until first light searching for owls. Between Christmas and new year we had heard owls calling near the hamlet of Rabley Heath, so this is where we headed first. No sooner had we pulled up in the car park of the Robin Hood and Little John public house than we heard the piercing call of a Little Owl followed almost immediately by the too-whit-too-whoo of a Tawny Owl. Not a bad way to start new year’s day. Our next stop was a small plantation of conifers near the village of Kimpton where Long-eared Owl had been reported during 1999. It was a still morning, with no wind to rustle the trees and ideal for listening for bird calls. We heard several more Tawny and Little Owls but not the deeper hoots of a Long-eared Owl. Nor did we have any luck, at a nearby site, with Barn Owl. Our straining ears did pick up the flight calls of a flock of redwing, the louder caws of an early rising flock of Rooks and the deeper honk of a Pheasant. It was 07:00 and still dark but more birds were becoming active. A Moorhen squawked from the damp fields beside the river, a Blackbird gave its alarm call from gardens in the village and a Skylark called as it flew over.

As the eastern sky began to lighten we parked at Kimpton Mill to begin our first walk of the day. A pair of Mallards flying noisily from the water cress beds just north of the mill were the first birds we had seen. Nearby a Wren churred from the weeds, mainly the dead stems of rose bay willow herb, that clogged one of the cress-beds while a Grey Heron stood sentinel on the bank of the Mimram, flying off with a loud croak when we disturbed it. A pair of Carrion Crows foraged on the edge of a field. On the small millpond, formed where a tributary of the Mimram has been dammed, were a pair of Eurasian Little Grebes in winter plumage and a pair of Coot. While we scanned the pond a skein of 27 Canada Geese, in typical “vee” formation, flew south down the valley.

We retraced our steps past the mill house, where a pair of Jackdaws, small black crows with grey napes, warmed themselves by the smoking chimney pots. A small flock of Meadow Pipits flew over and some Collared Doves fed on the ground in a horse paddock. We continued north along the valley with an expanse of ploughed field, no birds, on our right and an area of rough, uncultivated ground between us and the River Mimram. Rabbits feeding close to a hedgerow were our first mammals of the day while Wood Pigeons feeding on ivy berries were our 20th species at 07:56. By this time last year, in the western suburbs of Melbourne, we had already seen more than 50 species. Alder seeds are a favoured food of many small finches but this morning the alder trees on the banks of the Mimram were sadly devoid of birds. Not until we reached a small poplar plantation, also on the banks of the river, did we see any new birds. Two Magpies perched in the tree tops and a flock of 20 Long-tailed Tits foraged through the tangle of brambles that formed the understorey. From an isolated oak tree on the hillside overlooking the valley we heard the distinctive kik call of a Great Spotted Woodpecker but were then surprised to hear it drumming on a dead branch. Drumming does not usually take place until later in the year when the woodpeckers are staking claim to a territory - another indication of the mildness of the weather this winter. As we continued northwards a Hare broke from cover and streaked up the field until it was lost to sight over the brow of a hill. A pig-like squealing from an overgrown marshy area beside the river alerted us to the presence of a Water Rail, which we later saw wading in shallow, flowing water at the river’s edge. Where a remnant of woodland bordered the river a flock of Blue Tits foraged in the outer branches and grey squirrels ran for the safety of the canopy when we disturbed their foraging on the ground. In an area of willow carr, which has become established on a former duck decoy, we saw Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Goldcrest and Great Tit. This stretch of the Mimram has been a wintering area for the introduced Mandarin Duck, which recent surveys suggest is now more numerous in southern England than in its natural range in East Asia. But none were present today so we headed back downstream. A Common Gull, only common in winter, drifted north along the valley and a flock of Fieldfares, another thrush and winter visitor accompanied by a few Mistle Thrushes flew to the top of a hedgerow tree. A handsome male Kestrel, with chestnut back and blue-grey tail hovered along the woodland edge where we had walked earlier. Where the footpath followed the bank of the Mimram, Andrew saw the vivid blue streak of a Common Kingfisher disappearing downstream, it did not even have the courtesy to call and as I was looking in another direction I missed it completely! Needless to say, we did not glimpse another one all day. A Dunnock, the archetypal little brown job, foraged at the base of a hedge around the gardens of Rye End cottages, where a flock of Starlings adorned the TV aerial. As we returned to the car we saw a pair of dapper Grey Wagtails feeding in the stony shallows of the cress beds.

From Kimpton Mill we drove the short distance to some now derelict water cress beds maintained as an unofficial nature reserve. Against the drab brown stems of dead rose bay willow herbs, the pink breast of a male Bullfinch positively glowed in the weak wintry sun, otherwise there were disappointingly few birds to be seen or heard. Several Lesser Black-backed Gulls flew over as did a flock of Siskins, heading for a nearby conifer plantation, and a single Pied Wagtail, our 40th species at 09:40.

Now it was time to get back in the car and explore the north Hertfordshire countryside further. On the edge of Kimpton village we stopped to scan a mixed flock of gulls roosting on a ploughed field and added Black-headed Gull to our list. Nearby was a covey of 11 Red-legged Partridges while in a farmyard were several Feral Pigeons (Rock Doves) and our first House Sparrows of the new year. As we drove towards Breachwood Green, looking for Buzzards that are now resident in the area, we found a covey of the rarer, native Grey Partridge (Red-legged Partridge having been introduced for hunting). We dipped on the buzzards but did see a pair of Jays feeding on the abundant acorn crop. While looking through a flock of thrushes (3 Mistle Thrushes & 95+ Fieldfares) we noticed a large raptor being mobbed by a pair of Carrion Crows. We raced down the road to get past the trees and give ourselves a clearer view. Expecting to see a Buzzard we were more than delighted to note the deeply forked tail and reddish plumage of a Red Kite. Formerly widespread in the UK, for much of the last century the Red Kite has been restricted to a small area of mid-Wales where a few pairs have been steadily, but slowly, increasing under the protection of the RSPB and other conservation bodies. In the 1990s it was decided to give the kites a helping hand by re-introducing them to some of their former haunts. We assumed that this bird, although carrying no obvious markings such as wing tags, originated from the new Chiltern population about 60 km to the west. Having previously driven hundreds of kilometres to catch a glimpse of a Red Kite it was great to find one on my local patch. We watched it for about five minutes until it disappeared over the woods to the north and then headed in the same direction.

Our final walk of the morning was through the mixed woodland of Hitch Wood where we hoped to pick up some of the woodland species currently missing from our list. In the coniferous plantation on the lower slopes a mixed flock of tits included Goldcrest and Coal Tit. As we climbed the hill the closely planted firs of the plantation gave way to more open broad-leaved, mainly beech and oak woodland. From the edge of a clearing, overgrown with bracken and brambles, a Woodcock, a large snipe-like wader that inhabits woodland, exploded from near our feet and zig-zagged away through the trees. A bonus bird. Another mixed flock included a noisy group of Nuthatches (our 50th species at 11:30) and a quieter Treecreeper, feeding on the trunks and main branches of the deciduous trees. The gentle contact calls of the feeding birds suddenly gave way to more strident alarm calls as a large raptor glided low over the tree canopy. Expecting Buzzard or possibly Red Kite, I was surprised to note, briefly, the dark grey upperparts, distinct supercilium, paler underparts and long rounded tail. Although the view was brief and we could not relocate the bird, I was almost certain it was a Northern Goshawk, a large relative of the more common Sparrowhawk. It is a rare resident in the UK with some if not most of its population derived from escaped birds. This was the first Northern Goshawk I had seen in the UK and so the second local area tick of the day. We headed home for lunch well satisfied with our mornings birding; en route a flock of Goldfinch feeding on some teasel heads became our last birds of the morning.

Following lunch we headed out again, accompanied now by Jenny, Matthew and Brian Bond. We saw our first Greenfinch while en route to Bramfield Woods where we did not see much at all. The finch flocks which in previous years had frequented the woodland were conspicuous by their absence. It would have paid to do some reconnaissance just prior to new years day, as it was we spent an hour without adding a species to the list. From Bramfield we drove via the village of Tewin to check out another stretch of the River Mimram. Near Tewinbury, where the river has been dammed to create an ornamental pond we found a flock of 20 Siskins feeding in riverside alders, plus a gathering of waterfowl, including Tufted Duck, Mute Swan, Gadwall and Shoveler. This was another site where Mandarin Ducks had previously been seen, but not today. Our final stop was Stanborough Lakes, alongside the River Lea immediately south of Welwyn Garden City. A flock of Canada and Greylag Geese begged hand-outs from those strolling the banks while Great Cormorants rested in island trees. On the more open eastern pond were four Great Crested Grebes in winter plumage and a solitary male Pochard. The reed bed to the south of this pond is the second most extensive in Hertfordshire, but yielded no new birds today. The yodelling call of a Green Woodpecker (at 15:04) and one Snipe flying over were all we added before returning to the car and resuming our drive. As the light was fading, shortly after 16:00, Yellow Hammer became our 65th and last species of the day. We had missed several common species such as Linnet, Lapwing and Herring Gull plus several others we had recorded on new year’s day 1996, Mandarin, Teal, Sparrowhawk and Corn Bunting but had had the pleasure of adding Red Kite and Northern Goshawk to my local patch list.

House Martins in Codicote, 1999

I participated in the Hertfordshire Bird Club 1994 (pilot) and 1995 House Martin Delichon urbica survey (Davies & Smith 1996) covering tetrad TL21E which includes my home village of Codicote. After three years overseas, I returned to Codicote in the spring of 1999 and decided to repeat the survey. Codicote occupies the south-eastern quadrant of tetrad TL21E The remainder of the tetrad has only a few relatively isolated houses and farms. House Martin nesting activity was noted throughout the summer but as with the 1995 survey all farms and buildings within the tetrad were checked for House Martin nests over one weekend, 17 - 18 July 1999.

In 1999 I first saw House Martins in the Codicote area on 10 May when one was seen over High Heath Farm to the north-west of the village and were first seen over the village the next day. Numbers increased throughout May with a flock of 22 recorded over Valley Road on 22 May. Despite the build up in numbers I did not see birds visiting nest sites until the end of the month. After heavy rain in early June, House Martins were seen collecting mud from puddle edges and from then on were regularly seen visiting nests sites. I first heard young birds in the nest towards the end of June and first saw them being fed at the nest entrance on 5 July. I was not able to determine if pairs raised second broods, but gained the impression that only one brood was raised per nest. On 14 July a nest from which the young had recently fledged was found broken on the ground. Adults and young were recorded roosting in the still broken nest on 29 July. By 16 August the nest had been rebuilt. Although adults visited the nest up until 4 September I recorded no evidence of a second brood. Most of the nesting activity in the village appeared to have been completed by the end of August. (In contrast House Martins in Bottesford, near Scunthorpe, South Humberside, were feeding young in the nest on 28 August). On 10 September, 38 House Martins were seen over Valley Road, the largest flock recorded over the village this summer. The last House Martin over the village was seen on 27 September 1999.

Nineteen intact House Martin nests were found in the village of Codicote. As in 1994 and 1995 the majority of these were concentrated in the Valley Road area of the village with only four nests found away from this area. House Martins were recorded visiting each intact nest and evidence of young was recorded from most, but not all intact nests. Seventeen of this year’s nest sites had been utilised in 1995. One of the remaining two had definitely not existed in 1995 while the other could easily have been overlooked.

Evidence of a further 32 nests (either ruins from previous year(s) or abandoned attempts from this year) were noted. As with the intact nests most of these were in the Valley Road area. All had been intact or broken nests in 1994 and 1995. All nests, both intact and broken, were built against a white fascia board i.e. the ‘roof’ of the nest was white. None were built against black or dark fascia boards even where the building was otherwise identical to a site in use.

One group of houses had many splotches of mud under the eaves along the entire front of the building, as though the birds had begun building many times. It had been like this in 1995 and it was difficult to tell if the splotches were new or old. Only one house had an artificial nest which was not used and had only been successfully used once in the past 20 years. House Sparrows were recorded nesting in one broken House Martin nest.

The number of intact nests recorded in 1999 was markedly down on the numbers recorded in 1994 and 1995. With such a short series and lack of interim results it is not possible to determine if this represents a step in a downward trend, as recorded elsewhere in Hertfordshire (Davies & Smith 1996), or a one off poor year

NEW YEAR'S DAY BIRDWATCH 1999

Our third New Year's Day down-under was spent on a bird-watching 'big-day'. As in previous years, both in England and Australia, we limited ourselves to an area within 10 km of home. During our first year in Australia we lived in Seaholme and spent our first new years day (1997) birdwatching within 10 km of Seaholme station. Although we moved during 1997 we decided to use the same area for our New Year's Day bird-watch in 1998, and again on 1 January 1999.

Seaholme is a small suburb, sandwiched between Williamstown and Altona, to the west of Melbourne, Victoria. Taking Seaholme Station as the centre of our home range, Melbourne's western suburbs occupy the north-eastern quadrant while much of the south-eastern quadrant is covered by the waters of Altona Bay. The coast and Marybyrnong River form the southern and eastern boundaries with Point Cook R.A.A.F. base the southernmost point. The western border was formed by the Derrimut/HopkinsRoad (north of Werribee) while to the north we did not cross the Western Highway. This area offers a range of habitats including suburban gardens, grassland, wetlands and coast but little in the way of woodland. In this area, on the first days of 1997 and 1998 we recorded 74 and 85 species respectively. This year our aim was to beat our 1998 score and our dream was to record 100 species which should be possible if our luck held.

To maximise our chances we changed our strategy from last year. We would still start with a walk round Truganina Swamp, my local patch, followed by a drive around various sites such as Newport Lakes and Laverton grasslands before ending the day at Point Cook and Laverton saltworks. Andrew and I surfaced at about 05:00 on a cool, calm new year's morning while Jenny, my wife and Matthew, our younger son opted for a lie-in. By straining our ears we picked up the call of a Willie Wagtail for our firstbird of 1999 followed shortly by the carolling of an Australian Magpie. Breakfast of a crunchy muesli bar was taken while wandering around a still dark garden but nothing was heard until the munching abated. Rule 1 for the aspiring big-day birder, forget the crunchy muesli bars. Then, Skylarks could be heard singing from nearby Truganina Swamp and Blackbirds from closer rooftops while Silver Gulls called as they flew overhead. As the sky slowly lightened other birds gradually joined the dawn chorus; the raucous calls of Common Mynas, the soft coos of Spotted Turtle Doves and the whistles of White-plumed Honeyeaters from surrounding gardens were joined by the harsher calls of Red Wattlebirds in trees bordering the swamp. House Sparrows feeding in a neighbour's garden as we made our way towards Truganina Swamp became the first birds seen on new year's day.

The swamp has been my local patch since we moved to Altona Meadows in mid-1997 and forms part of Melbourne Water's drainage system acting as a retarding basin to prevent flooding. Laverton Creek flows through the middle of the swamp and has been widened to facilitate flood control. For much of the time the swamp has been dry grassland due to lack of rain but currently the north-eastcorner is flooded. There are areas of salt marsh and reed-bed, the latter mainly to the east of the creek, and a small freshwater pond/swamp behind Mount St. Joseph's school which in contrast to last year is full of water. Kooringal Golf course, to the south-east, is well wooded but there is no access from the swamp. The Western Purification Plant, to the south-west, is similarly out of bounds but the settling tanks can be viewed through the fence and often hold concentrations of ducks and gulls.

As we approached the swamp Superb Fairy-Wrens were heard calling from the long grasses and a flock of mostly immature Common Starlings, some moulting into winter plumage, flew out from the housing estate and settled in some boxthorn bushes before dropping to the ground to feed. We were still hearing more birds than we were seeing so we stopped at the edge of the swamp for a listen. A Purple Swamphen squawked from the reeds growing alongside Laverton Creek; Magpie-Larks called from nearby suburbia; Golden-headed Cisticolas buzzed and Little Grassbirds whistled from the taller stands of grass and reeds while Masked Lapwings complained, I don't know what about, from the centre of the swamp. Rabbits are common around here despite various control measures and were the first mammal seen followed shortly after by a solitary Hare, the only other mammal we recorded all day. New birds were coming much slower than at the same stage last year. As we followed the cinder track down the west side of Laverton Creek a party of Little Ravens flew over, heading towards the trees of the golf course. Where the creek broadens out there was a flock of six Greenshanks standing in the shallows, plus our first wildfowl of the morning; a couple of Black Swans, a pair of Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal plus a few Pacific Black Duck. Three White-headed Stilts waded amongst the duck delicately picking items from the surface of the water and 4 White-faced Herons foraged along the creek bank while a Common Tern in non-breeding plumage patrolled over the creek. The wheezing song of a Greenfinch was heard from the pines bordering the golf course and a pair of Little Lorikeets screeched overhead. As last year the settling ponds and surrounds of the Western Water treatment plant brought a rush of species. Australian White Ibis and Straw-neckedI bis stood on the grassy banks where a pair of European Goldfinch fed at a thistle head. The tanks held numerous Grey and Chestnut Teal plus Hoary-headed Grebe, Eurasian Coot, a small flock of Hardheads and a lone Australasian Shoveler. A single Little Black Cormorant and an Australian Pelican sat on the pontoons separating the ponds. We paused just long enough to complete a count for the Victorian Wetland database before continuing towards Queen Street. As we crossed the bridge over Laverton Creek a party of Musk Lorikeets exploded noisily from a flowering tree where they had been feeding and a pair of Feral Pigeons circled over the nearby netball and basketball centre. Following the edge of the golf course northwards we disturbed a flock of Yellow-rumped Thornbills and then some Crested Pigeons, the latter flying away with an audible whirring of their stubby wings while overhead an Australian Hobby soared on stiff wings. From the golf course woodland we heard the calls of Galah just before two flew over and then had our first surprise of the day when an Eastern Rosella, only previouslyr ecorded once, was seen clambering through the casuarina trees that edge the golf course where there were also several New Holland Honeyeaters. Welcome Swallows and Eurasian Tree Sparrows belatedly put in a welcome appearance, they are normally common around home, where had they been earlier? As last year Red-capped Plover and Marsh Sandpiper were the only new birds seen on the shallow salt marsh. At 07:42 a burst of Clamorous Reed-Warbler song from the reed bed in the north-east corner of the marsh brought up our half-century, some 34 minutes later than last year. Two juvenile Black-shouldered Kites, still showing some pale rufous markings on the underparts, perched on top of a tall pole near Mount St Joseph's pond where only Dusky Moorhen was added to the list. In contrast to last year the pond remained full of water and this year there were no muddy margins to entice crakes into the open. However, a portion of the north-east corner of Truganina Swamp has been flooded and during December I had regularly seen Buff-banded Rails here. We were not disappointed on New Year's day. As we headed home across the northern end of the swamp a Striated Fieldwren popped up onto the fence bordering the track. This is a species that has eluded us on previous big days and is only irregularly recorded from the swamp, so it was doubly pleasing to see it this time. The mournful whistle of a Brown Quail was heard from the grassland where a party of White-fronted Chats fed on the shorter sward. Nearer home Purple-crowned Lorikeet, the commonest of the three smaller lorikeets fed in a flowering eucalypt where there was also a Little Wattlebird. Although birds seemed to be coming at a slower pace than in 1998 we had completed a circuit of my local patch at about the same time and with about the same number of species, 58 in 1999 cf 61 in 1998.

After breakfast, Jenny and Matthew joined Andrew and I for a drive to more distant parts of our home range. A Song Thrush perched on the overhead wires near home was the first new bird. This species can be surprisingly elusive so it was nice to get it under the belt without too much hard work. A small flock of Fairy Martins swooped over rough grassland south of Laverton and a shallow stretch of Skeleton Creek in Hoppers Crossing held a Black-fronted Dotterel and a Latham's Snipe. Richard's Pipits were common in the grasslands north-west of Laverton where we also found some Banded Lapwings near their regular site. Singing Bushlarks were back in residence and where one had imitated a Galah for us last year, this year we were treated to a fine rendition of a Goldfinch calling. Continuing west along ? road we could not repeat the luck of last year when we discovered a male Brown Songlark but were treated to a fine collection of raptors. Every other telegraph pole seemed to offer a perch for a Brown Falcon but one had been claimed by a magnificent Peregrine which allowed us two minutes to admire his finery before effortlessly powering away over the fields. A pale-phase Little Eagle soared over the Derrimut-Hopkins road which marks the western edge of our territory and nearby another smaller bird of prey also soared on high - but too far away for me to identify. A Nankeen Kestrel was our last new bird from the grasslands.

Newport Lakes is an old quarry that has been made into an attractive park featuring wetland and some native bush. We visited it as a guaranteed site for Australasian Grebe, but we also pleased to add Darter and, our second surprise of the day a Great Crested Grebe in immaculate breeding plumage. At Jawbone Point, part of the Williamstown wetlands on the north shore of Kororoit Creek we saw Pacific Gull, Pied Cormorant (our 75th species at 11:39) and Little Pied Cormorant perched on rocks just offshore and a Royal Spoonbill roosting in the reeds with its bill tucked under its wing. Crested Terns off Altona were our last new birds of the morning.

Only Andrew and I ventured out after lunch, first visiting Cherry Lake, where we recorded Silvereye and Red-browed Firetail in the waterside vegetation and numerous Australian Shelducks on the lake. Next we visited a lower section of Skeleton Creek, near where it enters Laverton saltworks, but saw no new birds. Finally we drove to Point Cook Metropolitan Park where we intended spending much of the remainder of the day. Singing Honeyeaters were numerous around the picnic site car park and a male Swamp Harrier flew over Spectacle Lakes where there were a pair of Wood Duck. Sadly, the Pink-eared Duck and Black-tailed Native-hen that I had seen at this site on Christmas Day were no longer in evidence. At the gate to Laverton saltworks we met the ranger Bernie McGarrick who kindly offered to drive us around, so saving us a fair amount of leg work. Most of the waders were roosting on one pond where we saw Red-necked Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Pacific Golden Plover but, disappointingly, could not pick out any other species. However, with 87 species we had now beaten our 1998 total although we were struggling to think where new birds were going to come from. A Whistling Kite in wing moult soared over the saltpans; the buzzy calls of a White-browed Scrub-Wren were heard near the Point Cook Homestead and an adult Gannet was seen off-shore from Point Cook. So we ended New Year's Day1999 on 90 species. We were a little disappointed not to have made the ton, especially as this will probably be our last new year down under (at least for a while), but we really could not think where we could have found another 10 species.

Post Script: On 23 January 1999, on one of my regular walks around TruganinaSwamp, I recorded six species that we did not see on New Year's Day. These were Musk Duck, Pink-eared Duck, Little Egret, White-necked Heron, Great Cormorant and Horsfield's Bronze Cuckoo.

Communal roosting of Brahminy Kites Haliastur indus

Brahminy Kites Haliastur indus were regularly recorded during a recent visit to New Britain, both in the area between Hoskins and Talasea (West New Britain Province) and between Rabaul and Keravat (East New Britain Province). At 17:30 on 28 September 1998, in fine, calm weather, a large flock of Brahminy Kites was seen flying towards Keravat golf course (04o20' S 152o00' E) from the north-east. The birds were gathering above a grove of Swamp Terminalis Terminalia brassii on the edge of the golf course. At first the Brahminy Kites soared at varying heights above the trees and surrounding area before coming into roost. Some dropped on folded wings, losing height rapidly before gaining a perch in the grove. Others flew beyond the roost and then returned at tree height. The Swamp Terminalis in the grove were all c. 30 m tall. When first seen the flock of Brahminy Kites numbered 86 birds. In the next 30 minutes to 18:00 a further 35 kites flew in from the NE making a minimum of 121 birds in the roost. All birds observed were adults and no other species, of birds of prey or other families were noted.

In cloudier conditions on 12 October 1998 the Brahminy Kites approached the roost on a much lower flight path than on the earlier observation and from two directions. Between 17:00 and 17:30, 210 Brahminy Kites arrived at the roost and were joined by a further 110 between 17:30 and 17:50 giving a minimum of 320 birds in the roost. (R. Prior pers obs).

This roost is not a recent occurrence having been present for at least 12 months (R. Prior pers. obs.). Communal roosting of Brahminy Kite does not seem to have been recorded elsewhere in PNG (Coates 1985) and there is only one record from Australia (Gifford 1991). Communal roosting has been recorded where Brahminy Kites are numerous e.g. in southern India (Brown & Amadon 1968) and in Pakistan (Roberts 1991).

Brown, L. and D.Amadon. 1968. Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of the World. Volume 1. Country Life Books.
Coates, B.J. 1985. Birds of Papua New Guinea, Volume 1. Dove.
Gifford, C. 1991. A’asian Raptor Assoc News 12:27.
Roberts, T.J. 1991. Birds of Pakistan. Oxford.

Note submitted to Muruk. Jointly authored with Bob Prior.

Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis on New Ireland

Coates (1985) lists Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis as occurring on New Ireland, although this island is not shown as part of its range on the distribution map. Coates (1990) in ‘Additions and Corrections’ notes that the Little Grebe’s range also includes southern New Ireland following a sighting by T.Palliser. Beehler et al (1986) lists this species as occuring in the Bismarcks (of which New Ireland is one). Bird-watchers visiting New Ireland subsequent to these publications have not recorded Little Grebe (Jones & Lambley 1987, Finch & McKean 1987, Lyburn 1991, Eastwood 1996).

On 3 and 5 October 1998 I observed seven Little Grebes on a small pond beside the road to Kaut at the northern end of New Ireland. The road to Kaut crosses the island from a point on the Boluminski Highway about 22 km south of Kavieng (just after crossing the first bridge out of Kavieng). The pond lies to the north of the road, 5 km from the junction. All the Little Grebes were in breeding plumage: black bill, black crown, red eye, obvious pale yellowish gape, sides of neck and throat a rich rufous while the lower neck and remainder of the body was dark grey with a rufous tinge on the flanks and paler round the rear end. Although the birds were in breeding plumage there was no evidence of nesting or breeding behaviour.

This note is submitted to confirm the presence of Little Grebe at the northern end of New Ireland.

Beehler, B., T.K. Pratt & D. Zimmerman. 1986. Birds of New Guinea. Princeton.
Coates, B.J. 1990. Birds of Papua New Guinea, Volume 1. Dove.
Coates, B.J. 1990. Birds of Papua New Guinea, Volume 2. Dove.
Eastwood, C. 1996. Kavieng, Djaul and Mussau Island, New Ieland: A trip report. Muruk 8(1):28-32.
Finch, B. & J. McKean. 1987. Some notes on the birds of the Bismarcks. Muruk 2(1):3-28
Jones, & P. Lambley. 1987. Notes on the birds of New Ireland. Muruk 2(1):29-33.
Lyburn, A. 1991. Report of an expedition to New Ireland. Muruk 5(1):32-33

Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotos on New Britain

While waiting for an Air Niugini flight from Hoskins airfield, West New Britain Province, on 27 September 1998, I passed the time by bird-watching around the airport terminal. Up to 20 Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva, one Large Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii and one Whimbel Numenius phaeopus foraged or roosted on the short grass bordering the airports runway and taxi-way. Among these waders was a sandpiper, which at first I thought was a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata. Fortuitously, it flew closer to the terminal so that I could observe it from a distance of about 30 m, without the problems of heat haze, and could see that it was a Pectoral Sandpiper Calidris melanotus.

It was smaller than the Pacific Golden Plover; the Large Sand-Plover was too distant for direct comparison. It had a relatively short, straight, dark bill, yellowish at the base. There was no hint of rufous in its brownish crown. It had a pale supercilium. The streaked breast was a ‘cold’ brown with none of the buff or rufous tones of a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. The breast streaking was cleanly demarcated from the white of the belly. Its legs were yellowish-green. In flight it showed a faint, pale wing bar while the rump had a dark central bar with white sides.

Pectoral Sandpiper is a regular but uncommon non-breeding visitor to PNG with the great majority of records (as for most migrant species visiting PNG) from the Port Moresby area (Coates 1985). The only records away from Port Moresby are from Higaturu, Northern Province and Bougainville, North Solomons Province (Coates 1985), which is more indicative of observer coverage than species occurrence. This is the first record of Pectoral Sandpiper for the island of New Britain and for the province of West New Britain.

Coates, B.J. 1985. Birds of Papua New Guinea, Volume 1. Dove.

Myola

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

X Stephanie's Astrapia Astrapia stephaniae

(Originally published in Australian Birding 5(2): 12-14)