PAPUA NEW GUINEA: WEST NEW BRITAIN

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: WEST NEW BRITAIN AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 LEADER: DION HOBCROFT COMPILED BY: DION HOBCROFT VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS 2525 WA...
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA: WEST NEW BRITAIN

AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

LEADER: DION HOBCROFT COMPILED BY: DION HOBCROFT

VICTOR EMANUEL NATURE TOURS 2525 WALLINGWOOD DRIVE, SUITE 1003 AUSTIN, TEXAS 78746 WWW.VENTBIRD.COM

WEST NEW BRITAIN August 27–September 4, 2014 By Dion Hobcroft A smooth arrival into Port Moresby gave us enough time to squeeze in a couple of hours of birding at the Parliament House building. Beyond admiring the architecture on display, we spotted some quite good birds. Amongst the species on offer were Torresian Imperial-Pigeon, Coconut (Rainbow) Lorikeet, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Sacred Kingfisher, Black-backed Butcherbird, Brown Oriole, Gray ShrikeThrush, and Fawn-breasted Bowerbird to mention some.

A male Blue-winged Kookaburra in Port Moresby ©Dion Hobcroft

An equally smooth departure had the group arriving in Hoskins, the largest city in the province of West New Britain. Interestingly, a volcanic eruption near Rabaul in the north of New Britain had seized global media headlines, but did not disrupt our tour in any way. An hour later we were based in Walindi Dive Resort, our very comfortable base for the next four nights. Greeting us at the lodge, beyond the very friendly staff, were Greater Sand-Plover, Gray-tailed Tattler, Common Sandpiper, Lesser Frigatebird, Brahminy Kite, and Spangled Drongo. Our first afternoon foray took us into the hills overlooking the resort. Joel, a local man, had staked out a New Britain Boobook, a small endemic hawk-owl. It was soon focused in the binoculars—a great start. We had great views of Knob-billed Fruit-Dove, Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon, Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon, Red-flanked Lorikeet, Purple-bellied Lory, Eclectus Parrot, Blue-eyed Cockatoo, Moustached Treeswift, Pacific Baza, and our first magnificent Blyth’s Hornbills.

This year the seas were smooth so I could arrange a deep water pelagic element to our usual inshore island cruise. We headed towards Kimbe Island, picking up Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, Black Noddy, and Brown Booby on the way. Stopping at the island first, we found a beautiful Beach Kingfisher that allowed a close approach, while there were plenty of Island Imperial-Pigeons to distract us. A Yellow-bibbed Fruit-Dove, a species rarely seen here, made a brief appearance, as did Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-Dove. Scarlet-bibbed (Sclater’s) Myzomela were “squeaked” in overhead. We cruised out wider, laying out some chum of tinned mackerel and vegetable oil. Not much happened, but then a Red-necked Phalarope, a rare bird here, made a good fly-past. Then a large, dark storm-petrel appeared over the slick, giving the leader heart palpitations. A Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrel, a first live sighting in New Britain, even allowed some diagnostic photographs of its pale primary shafts. We headed inshore to Malo Malo Island where we had great views of Nicobar Pigeon perched up before heading for lunch at Restoff Island. Here we landed and enjoyed excellent views of Mangrove Golden Whistler and Island Monarch. Several folks went for a snorkel, enjoying a variety of colorful corals and tropical marine fish that included species of angel, butterfly, trigger, clown, and parrotfish. Tired but happy, we returned to Walindi.

Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrel: a poorly known tropical storm-petrel that breeds south of Japan. Note the pale primary shafts. This may be the first record in New Britain. © Dion Hobcroft

It was not over for the day and the keen folks continued for an hour of late afternoon birding at Numundo Beef Ranch. The major highlight was a covey of Blue-breasted (King) Quail that fed beside the road including the knockout male, a bird that rarely shows to the telescope. Black Bittern, White-browed Crake, Bismarck Munia, Australian Reed-Warbler, and Papuan Grassbird (heard) were all recorded. Then Joseph called out a dashing raptor in flight that obligingly perched. It proved to be a female Australian Hobby that was digiscoped, the second record for New Britain. What a day for rarities. Our next full day was broken into morning and afternoon birding with a siesta in between, my usual modus operandi, if possible. The morning was spent at Garu Wildlife Management Area. Here geothermal heat incubates the eggs of the Melanesian Scrubfowl. Some patient stalking in the forest

gave some good scope perched views of these shy birds. Other new birds included good numbers of Stephan’s Emerald Dove, the extraordinarily tiny Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot, a very timid Velvet Flycatcher, Common Cicadabird, and the cute Bismarck Flowerpecker. In the afternoon we explored a new site called Vage (pronounced Vay-gay), where vegetable gardens abut primary forest. It was alive with many of the big, brassy, colorful birds that are a feature of New Britain. Very obliging Dollarbirds and Varied Trillers livened the scene. While trying to draw out a Rufous-vented Bush-hen with the group, Joseph spotted a large black accipiter, presumably the rare Meyer’s Goshawk. The following day we spent exploring the Boku area, one of my favorite sites in this area, with some good trails in the forest interior to do battle with some of the many skulkers here. After some patient work we were rewarded with great views of Violaceous Coucal, Black-tailed Monarch, and the spectacular Black-capped Paradise-Kingfisher. The afternoon saw the group taking in the relatively relaxing birding at Kulu River Bridge. We were in luck and enjoyed a quartet of Spotted Whistling-Ducks. Towards dusk we found a Rufous-tailed Bush-hen swimming across the river. This was followed by a pair foraging out along the river bank, a rare event for this usually highly secretive species.

A male Black Bittern: New Britain is a great location for this species. ©Dion Hobcroft

On our last morning we returned to Garu to squeeze the last possible birds to our list. Flowering trees produced quite a lot of action. Coconut (Rainbow) Lorikeets were joined by Ashy, Black, and Carmine and a brief male Red Myzomela, the latter unusual at this low altitude. At the last minute we eventually located a pair of the scarce, inconspicuous endemic White-mantled Kingfisher. It is amazing what a

racket twenty Eclectus Parrots and four Blue-eyed Cockatoos can make together; quite the scene. A last stop in a swamp produced a Purple Swamphen and a rarity in the form of a Dusky Moorhen. The recently split Red-bellied Pitta (now 16 species) was heard and despite some effort would not budge towards us. The last bird for our list was a heard only Superb Fruit-Dove. Beyond the birds we observed several enormous Great Flying-Foxes and some interesting lizards including a Forest Angle-headed Dragon and a Brown Tree-Snake, the villainous species that was introduced to Guam in World War II and ate all of their passerine birds to extinction. Now it was time to head to mainland Papua New Guinea for our next adventures. Many thanks to Joseph, Max, Andrew, Cheyne, and the crew at Walindi for making our tour of this fascinating Melanesian island so comfortable and enjoyable.

The Brown Tree Snake is a native species in New Britain, not dangerous to humans. ©Dion Hobcroft

The distinctive subspecies of Common Kingfisher in New Britain is probably good for a split. ©Dion Hobcroft

BIRDS: Spotted Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna guttata) Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa)

Melanesian Scrubfowl (Megapodius eremita)

King (Blue-breasted) Quail (Coturnix chinensis)

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus) Matsudaira’s Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma matsudairae)

Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel)

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster)

Black Bittern (Ixobrychus flavicollis) Great Egret (Ardea alba) Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) Pacific Reef-Heron (Egretta sacra) Eastern Cattle Egret (Bubulcus [ibis] coromandus) Rufous Night-Heron (Nycticorax caledonicus)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

Pacific Baza (Aviceda subcristata)

Variable Goshawk (Accipiter hiogaster) Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus) Port Moresby Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

Buff-banded Rail (Gallirallus philippensis) Rufous-tailed Bush-hen (Amaurornis moluccana) White-browed Crake (Porzana cinerea) Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio) Dusky Moorhen (Gallinula tenebrosa)

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva) Masked Lapwing (Vanellus miles) Port Moresby Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) Gray-tailed Tattler (Tringa brevipes) Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis) Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)

Black Noddy (Anous minutus) Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) Great Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

Rock Pigeon (Columba livia) Introduced Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia amboinensis) Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia mackinlayi) Stephan’s Dove (Chalcophaps stephani) New Britain Bronzewing (Henicophaps foersterii) Heard only Peaceful Dove (Geopelia placida) Port Moresby Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) Knob-billed Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus insolitus) Yellow-bibbed Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus solomonensis) Superb Fruit-Dove (Ptilinopus superbus) Heard only Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula rubricera) Finsch’s Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula finschii) Heard only Island Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula pistrinaria) Torresian Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula spillorhoa) Port Moresby Yellowish Imperial-Pigeon (Ducula [spillorhoa] subflavescens)

Brush Cuckoo (Cacomantis variolosus) Australian Koel (Eudynamys cyanocephalus) Heard only Violaceous Coucal (Centropus violaceus) Pied Coucal (Centropus ateralbus)

New Britain Boobook (Ninox odiosa)

White-rumped Swiftlet (Aerodramus spodiopygius) Uniform Swiftlet (Aerodramus vanikorensis)

Moustached Treeswift (Hemiprocne mystacea)

Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis hispidoides) Variable Kingfisher (Ceyx lepidus sacerdotis) Blue-winged Kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) Port Moresby White-mantled Kingfisher (Todiramphus albonotatus) Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris tristrami) Beach Kingfisher (Todiramphus saurophagus) Sacred Kingfisher (Todiramphus sanctus) Black-backed Paradise-Kingfisher (Tanysiptera [sylvia] nigriceps)

Violaceous Coucal is a skulker of the New Britain rainforests, where its deep booming call is a signature sound of the jungle. ©Dion Hobcroft

Rainbow Bee-eater (Merops ornatus)

Dollarbird (Eurystomus orientalis)

Blyth’s Hornbill (Aceros plicatus)

Blue-eyed Cockatoo (Cacatua opthalmica)

Coconut (Rainbow) Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus massena) Purple-bellied Lory (Lorius hypoinchrous) Red-flanked Lorikeet (Charmosyna placentis) Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot (Micropsitta pusio) Eclectus Parrot (Lorius roratus solomonensis)

New Britain Red-bellied Pitta (Pitta [erythrotis] gazellae) Heard only

Fawn-breasted Bowerbird (Chlamydera cerviniventris) Port Moresby

Yellow-tinted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus flavescens) Port Moresby Rufous-banded Honeyeater (Conopophila albogularis) Port Moresby Ashy Myzomela (Myzomela cineracea) Red Myzomela (Myzomela cruentata coccinea) Black-bellied Myzomela (Myzomela erythromelas) Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides) Port Moresby New Britain Friarbird (Philemon cockerelli)

White-breasted Woodswallow (Artamus leucorhynchus) Port Moresby Black-backed Butcherbird (Cracticus mentalis) Port Moresby

Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike (Coracina novaehollandiae) Port Moresby Varied Triller (Lalage leucomela) Common Cicadabird (Edolisoma tenuirostris heinrothi)

Gray Shrike-Thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) Port Moresby Mangrove Golden Whistler (Pachycephala melanura)

Brown Oriole (Oriolus szalayi) Port Moresby

Spangled Drongo (Dicrurus bracteatus)

Northern Fantail (Rhipidura rufiventris) Willie-wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys)

Island Monarch (Monarcha cinerascens) Black-tailed Monarch (Symposiachrus verticalis) Shining Flycatcher (Myiagra alecto) Velvet (Lesser Shining) Flycatcher (Myiagra hebetior)

Bismarck Crow (Corvus [orru] insularis)

Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)

Australian Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus australis)

Papuan Grassbird (Megalurus macrurus) Heard only

Metallic Starling (Aplonis metallica) Singing Starling (Aplonis cantoroides) Long-tailed Myna (Mino krefftii)

Red-banded (Bismarck) Flowerpecker (Dicaeum eximium)

Black Sunbird (Leptocoma sericea) Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus)

Bismarck (Buff-bellied) Munia (Lonchura melaena)

MAMMALS: Great Flying-fox (Pteropus neohibernicus) New Britain Bare-backed Fruitbat (Dobsonia)

Black-tailed Melomys (Melomys rubescens)

REPTILES: Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis)

Forest Angle-headed Dragon (Gonocephalus/Hypsilurus sp.)

Forest Angle-headed Dragons are cryptic and rarely encountered. This individual was found sleeping at night at Walindi. ©Dion Hobcroft

Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) Introduced