PAPUA NEW GUINEA. Right to left above: Graham Talbot, Andrew Ward, Aidan G Kelly, Steve James, Edmund (Kwatu guide) and Oscar Campbell

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1 PAPUA NEW GUINEA Saturday 22 nd July 12 th August 2017 Right to left above: Graham Talbot, Andrew Ward, Aidan G Kelly, Steve James, Edmund (Kwatu guide) and Oscar Campbell Introduction During the spring of 2016 I received an from Oscar asking if I would be interested in joining a trip to PNG that he was organising. It took me all of 10 nanoseconds to say yes as it was a place I had always wanted to go to but was not keen on going with a tour company. I had travelled with Oscar before and it would be good to team up with him again. Oscar did a great job of getting a small team together and sorting out the logistics (i.e. corresponding with Sicklebill see below) and all I had to do was turn up. My sort of trip. This report has been compiled by Graham and Oscar with input from the rest of the group. For completeness the final visits to Varirata and PAU by Oscar, Steve and Aidan after their extension to Manus have been included, but not Manus itself. The Manus extension features on Cloudbirders as a trip report in its own right and can be accessed by clicking here. Logistics and What to Bring We considered trying to organise the logistics using a local ground agent but in the end we decided to use Sicklebill Safaris (see website info@sicklebillsafaris.com or info@s2travel.com.au), experts in organising PNG birding trips. We were not disappointed with their service and are particularly grateful to Sue Gregory for endlessly working through things both in the planning stages, behind the scenes when we were on the road, and trying to clear up the mess left by Air Niugini after the trip. For example, when after our first week Mount Hagen airport was closed (due to local civil 1

2 unrest issues) Sicklebill instantly rerouted flights and adjusted the itinerary accordingly; everything then again went like clockwork. Their service comes very highly recommended and the cost was significantly lower than a fully organised tour with a big company would be. Other key points with regard to logistics are as follows: Planning and guides: Sicklebill planned the route (with input from us), booked all accommodation and flights and arranged a local guide for us at each location. Hence, we were always picked up at the airport and dropped off at the end of each leg. Guides were variable but mostly good (or better) with, in particular, Leonard (Varirata; vaiekeleonard@gmail.com), Edmund (Kiunga), Benson (Makara), Joseph (Ambua) and (a different) Joseph (Rondon) all outstanding and good fun to be out with. Note that no guides had laser pointers or a library of digital calls. Hence, it was essential to bring these ourselves. Although we used our call library a lot in the field (and it was handy for checking IDs or prepping stuff we needed to listen out for), playback was often not very successful. This may be due to the fact that so many tours visit the same few sites which are hence taped out, or perhaps we were a bit late in the season and birds were breeding and hence less interested in responding (we certainly saw juveniles of many species). A pocket sound recorder was useful for recording unknown vocalisations but many birds were no more interested in their own voices than in playback of other recordings. A number of recordings made on the trip can be downloaded from Xeno-canto via this link. Right: no bins nor shoes but eagle eyes! Kwatu (GT) We were advised that telescopes would be useful so we took four. Useful was not the word: scopes were essential at most locations, as a lot birding was done from vantage points looking across forested hills, where we stood around waiting for things to happen. When they did, quick reactions were invariably required. Don t consider coming without a scope! Bugs: The forest in the lowlands around Kiunga had plenty of leeches; at times it was possible to find half a dozen climbing up your boots looking for a feast. Mosquitos were also prevalent in lowland areas but were kept at bay by plenty of DEET cologne. We were advised that chiggers could be a problem and so some of us dusted sulphur around the boots and legs. We had no problem with insects or bugs in the highlands. Most of us had wellington boots and lived in them for most of the trip; these were not totally essential but nearly so at certain places (e.g. riverine forest at Kiunga). If you don t bring wellies, you will need gaiters, very strong leather boots and lots of pairs of socks. Leech socks and waterproof trousers were very useful in the lowlands. Wifi was not widely available and we only found it in Port Moresby and at Rondon Ridge (though we managed to get a phone signal at most places). Due to the possibility of logistics changing, either inadvertently or when Air Niugini decide to throw a spanner in the works, the need to call Sicklebill to find out what is going on may well arise. Hence, it may be worth buying a local sim card at the airport to save on roaming charges. Security can be a serious issue in PNG but throughout our stay we had no problems, though there had been some serious civil unrest in Mount Hagen prior to our arrival and this disrupted our itinerary. (The unrest was apparently due to national elections, held a month before our visit and still being resolved). Everyone was very friendly and we never felt threatened in any way. We were careful in Port Moresby not to leave the hotel compound after nightfall and in the highlands we were advised by guides where we could go. At Sicklebill s suggestion, we flew on a TNT charter flight from Tari to Mount Hagen which avoided a seven hour drive along a notoriously bad road where gangs are known to operate. It also saved a lot of birding time and was a great experience! 2

3 Overview of the route Port Moresby and Varirata NP Drive to Varirata is 1hr from Port Moresby, with PAU 20mins out of the capital along the same road. 2 Tabubil area (2hr flight from Port Moresby) visiting Dablin Creek and OK Menga. 3 Kiunga area (3hr drive from Tabubil) visiting Km17 and Boystown Road; also Kwatu Lodge / Elevala River (c2hr boat trip from Kiunga). 4 Tari area (1:30hr flight from Port Moresby) based at Makara and Ambua Lodges (c45 min drive from Tari airport) and situated on the main road below the Tari Gap. 5 TNT charter flight from Ambua airfield to Mt Hagen (40mins). This saved a seven hour drive along some bad and potentially dangerous roads; it was well worth the extra cost. And the plane is quite exciting (GT) 6 Mt Hagen area Kumul Lodge (1hr from Mt Hagen airfield) with sites Kama and Tonga (c45mins and c30mins respectively from Kumul) and Rondon Ridge (30mins from Mt Hagen airfield; c1:30hr from Kumul). Flight Mt Hagen back to Port Moresby is 1:30hr. Accommodation and Food All accommodation we used was very flexible with regard to providing breakfast, lunch and dinner when needed; this sometimes involved breakfast at 5am (or earlier). Note that everywhere, with prior warning, catered for vegetarians (with various degrees of success: make sure you can cope with endless permutations of eggs). The places we stayed are as follows, in the order in which we visited: Raintree Lodge, Port Moresby: (One night). Very nice! Conveniently located very close to the airport; breakfast served early and they did a packed lunch for us to bring to Varirata. 3

4 Cloudlands Hotel, Tabubil: (Two nights). A western-style motel, used mainly by workers at the nearby mine. It was comfortable but the food (and rooms) were expensive for what you got. Kiunga Guest House, Kiunga: (Three nights total). A well-run western-style motel with good food (by PNG standards) and very flexible re early starts, late dinners etc. They helpfully looked after our gear when we went upriver to Kwatu. It was good to get back here after two nights upriver! Kwatu, Elevala River: (Two nights): A very basic landowner lodge built of local materials with bush showers and a pit toilet. We found it more comfortable than we thought it was going to be. There was clean bedding and mosquito nets in small twin rooms; the temperature at night was pleasant and not overly humid. Main issue was the food - very basic, verging on the dire; bring lots of snacks or consider it as a health farm. Home, sweet home at Kwatu (GT) Citi Service Apartments, Port Moresby: (Three nights total). Serviced apartments conveniently located near the airport. They did our laundry free of charge very promptly and had a very nice restaurant and friendly staff. Highly recommended. Makara Lodge: (Three nights). Located very close to Ambua; this is a more basic lodge with small rooms and thin walls but en-suite facilities. It had a cosy lounge with a fire. Food was good and the staff friendly but the bathrooms could do with a good clean. However, staying here and accessing the wonderful forests of the Tari Gap without paying Ambua rates was very enjoyable. Makara Lodge (GT) Ambua Lodge: (One night). Owned by the same company as Rondon Ridge; this is a famous high-end lodge but not quite to the standards at Rondon. However, a good place to stay and excellent birding in the grounds. Kumul Lodge: (Three nights). A comfortable landowner lodge. Clearly designed for birdwatchers with a bird table providing excellent photo opportunities. The food was some of the best we had and there was lots of it. Rooms were fine and the electric blankets kept us warm at night. Rondon Ridge: (One night). A really excellent high end lodge; garden is not nearly as birdy as Ambua but the excellent trails leading to sicklebills and astrapias a one hour walk uphill made it well worth staying here. Five mud-clad birdwatchers were a bit out of place here; we don t expect to return to find our pictures on the wall (unlike Mick Jagger s ) After Air Niugini bumped us off the flight Port Moresby to Tari (see below) we also had the dubious pleasure of experiencing the Hideaway Hotel, near the airport in Port Moresby acceptable just about (given that we didn t have to pay for it). 4

5 Weather It appeared to be a particularly wet dry season this year and, especially in the lowland areas (Tabubil and Kiunga) there was a large amount of heavy rain. Whilst we didn t have any washed-out days, birding was cut short on a few. The other problem was that, on our arrival, the low-lying riverine/swamp forest around Kwatu was flooded. However fortunately the rain eased a bit and the water levels rapidly went down on our second day there, allowing access (albeit very muddy and wet). On the plus side, the generally cloudy conditions ensured that it never got too hot or sweaty and, when dry, bird activity was often quite high. The Varirata / Port Moresby area was very dry but we did have a few drops of rain one morning. In the highlands (Tari and Kumul) it was warm but not hot during the day and cool to cold (very cold at Kumul; 2800m) at night. It rained most days but usually only for a few hours (sometimes less) in the afternoon; mornings were always fine. Dealing with airlines This is best left to Sicklebill, as Papuan airlines do not have a good reputation, something we found Air Niugini very keen to promulgate. Most flights were fine, but several late and the Port Moresby domestic terminal is a shambles; we got bumped off the Port Moresby-Tari flight as we did what we were told (i.e. joined the back of the queue) and then stood there for over 20mins, by which time the check-in had closed and they denied us boarding passes as they had decided the flight should have 26 passengers instead of the 36 who had tickets. With no further flights for two days, this could really have screwed our trip and we had to cough up almost 300USD in short order to PNG Air for a flight one day later. Air Niugini, despite all this being their fault and seemingly standard business practice, have no system for transferring customers to PNG Air and are unable to issue refunds. They did at least admit liability (and put us up in a hotel) but getting them to do so was a long and tedious struggle. Sicklebill had purchased our international and internal tickets as a package, and this allowed us to carry 23kg check-in on internal flights. However, when we inadvertently had to use PNG Air, the 16kg baggage limit was then applied and we had to pay the excess, although, unlike most PNG costs, this wasn t too excessive. Yesterday s flight, Kiunga (AW) PNG AIR: a better way to fly (OC) Useful References Calls Aidan downloaded all the calls for PNG from Xeno-canto over 1700 of them in all. That was no mean feat! For field guides, the following were used: 1. Birds of New Guinea including Bismarck Archipelago and Bougainville by Phil Gregory. Very recently published (2017) with very progressive taxonomy. 2. Birds of New Guinea by Bruce Beehler, Thane Pratt and D. Zimmerman. A recently published (2016) and totally revamped 2 nd edition of the old standard. Includes lots of excellent natural history information as well as ID information. Both books had pluses and minuses; either would be perfectly adequate but ideally bring both. Overall, the consensus was that Phil s guide edged it just with its cleaner, more accurate plates. Trip Reports Cloudbirders ( is, of course, the go-to source for these; there are plenty of reports for PNG from the big tour operators but very few private / independent reports. The former give a good insight to the birds that can be expected. Of the 5

6 latter, special mention for usefulness goes to Vincent Van-der-Spek s nicely written 2016 report (see Further, one from a Danish group on a 2010 trip (authored by Jørgen Bech and Michael Trasborg; see is also worth consulting. For a large number of additional images taken on this trip and some associated commentary, see Steve s blog at (all entries filed under August 2017). Sites (and some key highlights / species to look for) We basically completed the standard PNG tour taking in the main sites at the various altitudes. We added in a few extra days (our trip was 20 days; most organised, commercial tours are c.16) so had two nights at Kwatu and also managed to take in Rondon Ridge (an excellent site that most companies seem not to go to) as well as the more famous Kumul Lodge in the Mt Hagen area. 1. Port Moresby Area Varirata National Park (770m asl). An area of hill forest with some savannah woodland on the Sogeri plateau above Port Moresby; one hour drive from the city. It has a number of trails and a picnic site clearing which gives good views over the forest. Birding is (relatively) easy here as the trails are wide, the forest birdy and well-protected. It holds a lot of important species including a Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise lek, plus the likes of Growling Riflebird, Forest Bittern, Goldenface, Painted Quail-Thrush, Pheasant Pigeon, many fruit-doves, cuckooshrikes and others. Many species found at Varirata were not seen at other sites. Two days are the minimum you want here and three would be much better and very worthwhile. The savannah woodland below the entrance gate has White-bellied Whistler and a suite of different species typical of more open woodland. PAU Ponds: The ponds at the Pacific Adventist University in Port Moresby offer an excellent change from forest birding with many Australian waterbirds and are also a good site for Fawn-Breasted Bowerbird, Papuan Frogmouth, Black-backed Butcherbird and Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove. Greyheaded Mannikins are present not far from the access road (with Grand Mannikin a possibility). Port Moresby City: We spent a few hours one afternoon birding in the city environs and along the bay foreshore. A key species here is the scarce and local Silver-eared Honeyeater; we had a reasonable range of other common birds of coastal and lowland open habitats too. Right: Varirata rocks! (OC) 6

7 2. Tabubil Area ( m asl). Very wet (invariably cloudy; regularly raining) hill forest on the south-facing slopes of the Starry Mountains. A very remote area, accessible due to the presence of a large copper mine. There are several sites a short drive from town: Dablin Creek: Located 30min from town, this is basically a short, steep gravel road that leads to the water intake area. Birding is from the road. It was hard going at times; much of the forest is inaccessible and degraded but it holds the birds (Carola s Parotia and Magnificent Bird-of- Paradise were easy when we visited; also White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo, flyover Vulturine Parrots, Obscure Berrypecker seen but tricky and White-rumped Robin vocal but even more of a devil to see). A scope proved vital here; nothing was close and we d never have sorted out a perched Papuan Eagle without one! OK Menga Hydro Water in-take: Also a 30min drive from the town, along another road. The entrance to the tunnel is a site for Shovel-billed and Hook-billed Kingfisher but good luck with those. On the other side of the tunnel a track leads down to the river where Torrent-Lark, Torrent Fly-robin and Salvadori s Teal may be found (two out of three for us). The road continues for another c1km before ending at the hydro plant. Good views of the river can be had from here; we saw Salvadori s Teal well at this point. The forest lining the road was quite good (relative to Dablin) for various pigeons, parrots etc. 3. Kiunga Area Lowland forest in the Fly River area; 30m 50m asl. Humid, warm and buggy. And birdy Km 17: Located, as its name indicates, 17km north of Kiunga on the Tabubil road. Made famous by David Attenborough s visit to film displaying Birds-of-Paradise. Both Greater and King Birds-of- Paradise have leks in the forest. It s not an extensive area; a single trail runs through the forest from the road. Other species here include Hooded Pitta, Blue Jewel-Babbler (common on voice, as in much of the Kiunga area) and Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon. The roadside produced our only Trumpet Manucode of the trip; we also found a Papuan Frogmouth on its nest here. BoysTown Road: A 30min drive from Kiunga, birding is done by standing on a mound by the side of the road and scanning the surrounding forest. We spent 5 hours on the mound and saw an amazing selection of birds including great views of various pigeons and parrots that are otherwise hard to see perched. Flame Bowerbird is the biggie here; other notables for us included Lowland Peltops and Meyer s Friarbird. There is a small trail going into the forest which had a few birds (male Magnificent Riflebird for example!) and many leeches. Kwatu Lodge / Elevala River: Located two hours upstream of Kiunga on the Elevala, a tributary of the mighty Fly River. Kwatu is in the heart of unspoilt old growth lowland rainforest. We explored the surrounding forest using the boat and on the trails; some leading from the lodge whilst others were accessed from places along the riverbank. Kwatu is a slightly arduous place to stay (we don t recommend civilians trying it) but the birding is outstanding with many species that you have simply no chance of elsewhere. Two nights is the minimum you would want; more if you can stick it would be better. Some of the monster species we saw on the trails included Southern Cassowary (on a nest! this wasn t expected), Black-billed Brush-Turkey (seen at the New Guinea Rail hide), several Common Paradise-Kingfisher and one Hook-billed Kingfisher rounded up inside an hour, Hooded Monarch in a flock with White-bellied Pitohui. Blue Jewel-Babbler was common on voice and we had Wallace s Fairywren in a small mixed feeding flock. 7

8 Birding by boat from the river was both relaxing and productive with, for example, Twelve-wired Bird-of- Paradise, Dwarf Koel, many Blyth s Hornbills and Palm Cockatoos, flyover Large Fig- Parrot and the incomparable Southern Crowned-Pigeon. Right: Tari Gap, best birding on the planet? (OC) 4. Tari Area (Makara and Ambua Lodges; elevation 2200m asl) These lodges are a 10min walk apart, on the road that leads to the wonderful cloud forests of the Tari Gap. There was good birding in both lodges gardens (especially Ambua, of course) and even better birding all the way up the road towards Tari Gap. The forest gives way to open grassland at the Gap itself (Papuan Harrier no problem here). Most birding is done from the road (which sees little traffic) but a small trail into the forest on the right (well-known for its displaying Kingof-Saxony Birds-of-Paradise) was awesome, despite the forest being opened and degraded. It is also possible to visit farmsteads and small forest patches below the lodges to see, for example, Blue and Superb Birds-of-Paradise. The whole area is prolific and sensational birding and well worth four or even five days. At least during our visit, bird activity was (very) high and highlights were far too frequent to list. These included nine species of birds-ofparadise (including Ribbon-tailed Astrapia and, of course King-of-Saxony never mind Blue, these are two of the greatest birds on the planet), two species of both satinbirds and painted berrypeckers, Ifrits and Wattled Plougbills aplenty, Torrent-Lark (eventually), Spotted Jewel- Babbler and even Papuan Eagle (perched at close range on the forest of snags below the gap! WTF!?!) Birding the grounds of Ambua (GT) Tari sunrise looking downhill from Ambua (OC) 8

9 5. Mount Hagen Area (Kumul Lodge and surrounding areas, and Rondon Ridge) Kumul Lodge and surrounding areas: (1700m 2860m asl, depending on location) There is a famous bird table in the lodge gardens and a number of hours can be spent indulging in coffee and photography. Birding around the lodge was done along the entrance road and a trail through dense, choked cloud forest leading from the entrance road that eventually winds up in Max s Orchid Garden (please ask Max s permission to enter here; he lives nearby), a wonderful place to linger and scan (Archbold s Bowerbird and male Ribbon-tail here). There were other trails but they were poorly maintained. Particular notables included a female Crested Satinbird, Rufescent Imperial Pigeon, Orange-crowned Fairywren and New Guinea Woodcock (only a displaying flyover, but the display is epic). We had no luck with nightbirds and overall the bird density and activity was rather lower than at Tari. Not the greatest bird in PNG (but not far off; OC) Friendly and interested locals at Kama (OC) Lesser Bird-of-Paradise (GT) Two excursions were completed from the lodge, the first to Kama (a 45 minute drive) to see Lesser Bird-of-Paradise. This took some time but we eventually had great views. The area also had Superb and Magnificent Birds-of-Paradise, Ornate Melidectes and Yellow-breasted Bowerbird. The second excursion was only 20 minutes away to Tong village and we spent much time scoping from a track overlooking some forest which held Blue (two males) and Superb Birdsof-Paradise. Both the trips were done first thing in the morning with the rest of the day spent birding the grounds of the lodge Rondon Ridge (2300m asl) The lodge is located halfway up a well-forested ridge (apparently regenerating secondary forest but in good nick) and is 30min drive from Mount Hagen airport. The forest around the lodge was visited in the afternoon but proved not overly productive, although cool and cloudy (and eventually very wet) conditions didn t help. However, we hiked to the ridge early next morning (one hour walk in the dark). Here we had a wonderful experience with the forest echoing to the calls of both Brown and Black Sicklebills (check that double bill out here), whilst King-of-Saxony and Stephanie s Astrapias were even easier to see. Spotted Jewel-Babbler was also seen rather well (by jewelbabbler standards). We only had a few hours here (we had a midday flight to Port Moresby) and could easily have spent much longer. If time (and finances) allow, a two-night stay would be better. 9

10 Daily Diary Sat 22 July: getting there We had all departed from various places around the world the (UK, Ireland, UAE, Bali and Hong Kong) and met at Singapore airport where we boarded the evening flight to Port Moresby. Sunday 23 July: Varirata National Park We arrived Port Moresby at 0500; visa on arrival was free and quick so we were soon through immigration and met Leonard, our guide. Whilst waiting for the transport we changed money then boarded the spacious minibus which took us the short distance to the Raintree Lodge. Handily, our rooms were available so we checked in, freshened up and were soon on the road to Varirata. A small roadside flock of Grey-headed Manikins got the ball rolling. Leonard was keen for us to get into the park proper as the Raggiana Birdsof-Paradise would soon stop lekking. We stopped by the road and walked a short distance into the forest. We could hear the Raggianas calling and very soon we were treated to the full works. This constituted a blinding start to PNG birding! Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher Barred Owlet-Nightjar (all GT) We had our fill, then moved on to the picnic site where we stood in the open to watch birds moving through the surrounding trees, some of which were fruiting. In three hours we amassed quite a respectable list of typical Varirata birds including a female Growling Riflebird. We had lunch, then walked the Treehouse trail (starts at the picnic site). It was slow going at times but we eventually managed to see Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher, one of the main targets, soon followed by Yellow-billed Kingfisher and our first canopy flocks of small birds included Golden Monarch and Drongo Fantail. Returning to the picnic site, we drove the short distance to the lookout point where we had somewhat obscured views of Port Moresby. We failed to see a calling Dwarf Koel but a short walk into the forest produced a Barred Owlet-Nightjar at roost. It was now getting on so we left the park and spent 30mins birding an area not far below the entrance gate; here we saw plenty more new species including the important White-bellied Whistler. As dusk approached we headed back to the hotel for a shower, early dinner and bed. It had been a long day with very little sleep the night before but a great introduction to PNG birding. 10 Stout-billed Cuckooshirke (GT) Monday 24 th July: Port Moresby to Tabubil flight; pm Dablin Creek road Today started with a travel morning, so we had breakfast at 0630, left for the airport (15mins away) and checked in for our flight to Tabubil. The flight was 30mins late; two hours later we landed at the small Tabubil airport. Whilst waiting for our bags we saw two Australian Pratincoles (a species we went on to

11 find on several airfields). We were met by our transport but the local guide had been delayed as he was traveling from Kiunga and flooding had closed the road. We were taken to the Cloudlands Motel where we checked in and had lunch. We decided not to wait so drove the short distance to Dablin Creek road, a steep gravel track leading to some reasonable forest edge. The bus could only get halfway up so we walked to the end of the road and scanned the surrounding forest. It was not particularly birdy but we started to grind things out, though most were distant and needed a scope. A few Mountain Peltops were nearby and we had good views of the important Carola s Parotia (both males and females). After about an hour it started to rain but we persevered initially; eventually the rain increased and we sheltered under the large pipe. The rain eased and bird activity increased with good scope views of more Parotia s and a male Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise. It started to rain again and although we pushed it, we saw little more; as the light started to go we sacked off. Returning to the hotel we dried out and discussed with Samuel (our guide who had now arrived) the plan for the tomorrow. Great Woodswallow (GT) Salvadori s Teal (OC) Vulturine (Pesquet s) Parrot (AGK) Tuesday 25 th July: Dablin Creek road (am) and OK Menga (pm) Heavy overnight rain stopped by the time we got up at After breakfast we left the lodge at 0530 and drove to Dablin Creek. It was still dark and we played Papuan Boobook, almost immediately getting a response but only flitting views. Next up was Hook-billed Kingfisher which was calling in the forest but it refused to come in. Light was now improving and we walked the track but birding was again slow. In the end we decided to climb the iron walkway to the water intake which was now clear of low cloud. En-route we saw a White-shouldered Fairywren. Pesquet s Parrot flew over calling for a good view and on return a raptor was found perched distantly in a tree. We got scope views of it and although it looked a lot like Papuan Eagle, we were reluctant to call such a monster bird on Day 3. However, after prolonged scope views and checking photos and video we finally came to the conclusion that it had to be one. We arrived back on the gravel track and birding picked up further with good scope views of Magnificent Bird-of- Paradise and no bother at all with further good Carola s Parotias. We spent a bit of time looking for a vocalising White-rumped Robin and a couple of us saw it. By now it was 1300 and so we decided to head back to the hotel for a quick lunch. It started to rain as we drove there and the rain set in for the rest of the day. After lunch we headed to OK Menga Hydro Water in-take and as we got off the bus we picked up a Salvadori s Teal on the fast flowing river at the power station. We spent time looking for Torrent-Lark but no luck. We walked back along the road to the tunnel and scanned the river again; still no Torrent-Lark though a couple of Torrent Fly-Robins gave a nice view. At dusk we decided to give Shovel-billed Kingfisher a try (roost near the tunnel) but nothing doing in heavy rain. That thereby solved the problem of tomorrow s first task. Wednesday 26 th July: OK Menga and Dablin Creek (am); drive to Kiunga (pm) It rained intermittently during the night but was dry in the morning. After breakfast at 0500, we arrived at the OK Menga tunnel in the dark. Papuan Boobook was calling but again eluded us. As it was getting light Shovel-billed Kingfisher called but didn t respond and stayed distant. We made our way through the tunnel to check the river on the other side, flushing two Salvadori s Teals but still no Torrent-Larks (a recurrent theme until the last morning at Ambua!) We continued to the hydro station and saw two more (or the same?) teal. We decided to walk back along the road to the tunnel entrance, seeing small numbers of forest birds. We then returned to Dablin Creek, which proved hard going as usual, although Spotted Honeyeater and White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo (both new) were found. 11

12 By now it was after midday so we headed to town, had lunch and started the three hour drive along a reasonable (gravel) road to Kiunga. En-route we stopped at a wet gravel clearing where we found the distinct local race of Little Ringed Plover. We reached Km17 at 1700 and spent the rest of the evening scanning the surrounding trees. This yielded Greater Bird-of- Paradise flying over and the only Trumpet Manucode of the trip. We checked into our Kiunga Hotel for an early dinner. More than meets the eye (AGK) Thursday 27 th July: Kiunga area (Boystown Road and Km17) We departed at 0600 and arrived at the Boystown Road viewing mound just as it was getting light. This low roadside rise didn t look that promising but we spent five hours scoping and racked up a very good haul of birds including many perched and seen very well. Not long after arrival we saw a distant female Flame Bowerbird, later followed by a male. We had further sightings of at least three more. Parrot diversity was excellent, and included Yellow-streaked and Black-capped Lories, Red-flanked Lorikeet perched and good flybys of Sulphurcrested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot and Papuan King-Parrot. Three Blyth s Hornbills flew over and we taped in a Meyer s Friarbird. A couple of female and single male Greater Birds-of-Paradise appeared, as did female Magnificent Riflebird. Papuan Spinetails were blatant and we had good views of three species of cuckoo-dove (i.e. including Great) and perched Zoe s Imperial-Pigeon. Lowland Peltops, one of only two on the entire trip, was seen nearby. Zoe s Imperial Pigeon (GT) All-in-all it was a good morning s birding; Dablin Creek it was not. We took a short trail into the forest but saw little, bar brief views of male Magnificent Riflebird. So not too shabby then! We returned to the hotel for lunch and at 1400 made our way back to Km17 and took the trail through the tall forest. We were soon enjoying great scope views of a male King Bird-of-Paradise high in the canopy on its favoured perch. King Bird of Paradise (GT) Greater Birds-of-Paradise lekking (OC) As the afternoon progressed the Greater Birds-of-Paradise started to display and we found a good vantage point where we could look up onto the bare lekking tree for another classic PNG experience. On the way out we got tantalisingly close to a Blue Jewel-Babbler but it wouldn t come out; as a consolation we had perched Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon. We returned to the hotel for dinner and to prepare for two days upriver. 12

13 Friday 28 th July: Kiunga to Kwatu Lodge, Elevala River It was a very short drive to the Fly River where the boat was moored and by first light we were heading upstream. It was very pleasant cruising in cool air, birding from the boat. Flyovers were pretty active, and included flocks of Channel-billed Cuckoos and many Collared Imperial-Pigeons (and fewer Pinon s). Views of Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise were obtained. After an hour we turned off the Fly River and headed up a tributary (the Elevala); it was not long before we saw a stunning Southern Crowned-Pigeon (first of three) which proved very photogenic. Southern Crowned-Pigeon (left GT; right OC) At one point we stopped and walked a trail into the forest to a hide which overlooked a Southern Cassowary sitting on a nest. Extremely shy, it allowed us all a quick look before creeping off. This was a massive and unexpected bonus. Again we failed to properly see Blue Jewel-Babbler, though a few of us got glimpses and we did see Papuan Babbler and Rufous-backed Fantail. We arrived at Kwatu Lodge which, although basic, was not as rustic as we had envisaged; we had all stayed in a lot worse in our time. (well maybe except Andrew...) After lunch we boated upriver before making a stop and doing a trail. We walked along a trail and again got very close to Blue Jewel-Babbler, but you know the ending now By 1800, we returned to the boat and drifted home; Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus and Pesquet s Parrots flew over and as darkness fell a nightjar fed over the river but didn t call and remained unidentified. We had planned to go night birding but heavy rain thwarted this, although we heard Marbled Frogmouth from the lodge. Dinner was had on the veranda and the log completed by candle light. OMG! (AGK) 13

14 Saturday 29 July: Kwatu Lodge We were all out by We walked from the lodge into the nearby forest along a good trail. With no rain, it was not long before we heard Marbled Frogmouth which was very responsive and quickly gave great views. We continued to find Wallace s Owlet-Nightjar calling strongly; although it came very close at times we just couldn t see it. As dawn broke we returned to the lodge for a quick breakfast seeing an incubating female Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise on the way back. After breakfast, we staked out a tree for the male Twelve-wired; it duly arrived but perched on another branch and rather briefly gave good views before moving to where we couldn t see it, although it was calling regularly. Considering the views we had had of the other Birds-of-Paradise we felt a bit short changed on this one Heading back to the lodge we boarded the boat and were pleased to see the river level had dropped significantly and we could now access the swamp forest that had been submerged in water following floods a few days back. We sailed out and then walked a very muddy trail into the forest; it was amazingly leechfree (give or take ) and eventually very birdy. Birding was slow to start with but by the time we left three hours later we had seen three Common Paradise-Kingfishers (and a candidate for Little Paradise- Kingfisher) plus, after some amazing work by Edmund and the boat drivers, Hook-billed Kingfisher. New Guinea Flightless Rail was heard and we saw White-bellied Pitohui and both Hooded and Spot-winged Monarchs amongst many other species in a good canopy flock. We left in good spirits at 1230 and headed back to the lodge for lunch. Marbled Frogmouth (AGK) Common Paradise-Kingfisher Hook-billed Kingfisher (both GT) After lunch we walked the trail leading from the lodge. Brief views of Hooded Pitta and even briefer flight views of Blue Jewel-Babbler were had (by some). We continued along the trail and found a wacky pair of Wallace s Fairywrens, a great looking bird. Again we got tantalising views of a jewel-babbler but then it started to rain so we headed back to the lodge and scanned the trees from the veranda to see Dwarf Fruit Dove, Palm Cockatoo and Yellow-eyed Starling in the surrounding trees. The rain continued as it got dark, putting paid to any thoughts of night birding. Sunday 30 th July: Kwatu Lodge to Kiunga We elected to try again for the Wallace s Owlet-Nightjar so were in the forest by 0430 and then had the run-around for a good hour. We then concentrated on Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, but the female was more obliging than the male. We returned to the boat to head upstream and stopped at Edmund s new house from where we followed a trail into the forest, eventually reaching a hide overlooking a wet area where New Guinea Flightless Rail sometimes showed. After 20mins a Black-billed Brushturkey put in an appearance but that was the end of our luck; four hours later nothing else had ambled out. Still, not a bad consolation prize. 14

15 Black-billed Brush-Turkey(GT) Yellow-billed Kingfisher (GT) Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise (AGK) We walked back to the boat, getting messed around again by Blue Jewel-Babbler but views of a Yellowbilled Kingfisher were pleasing. The trees around the house held numerous parrots, Ruby-throated Myzomela and Streak-headed Honeyeater. We packed and were ready to go by 1430 but we wanted to try again for the jewel-babbler so it was agreed we would walk the trail and join the boat downstream. During the walk there was no sniff of the jewel-babbler though we did see Yellow-breasted Boatbill. Yellow-breasted Boatbill (GT) Blyth s Hornbill (OC) Back on the boat, we headed downstream towards Kiunga. It took a couple of hours and we got soaked when it poured with rain 20mins from town. We arrived back at the hotel to learn Mount Hagen Airport was closed due to civil unrest but Sicklebill had done an amazing job of rearranging the itinerary and we would be heading back to Port Moresby the following lunchtime. Monday 31 st July: Kiunga (am; Km17) then flight to Port Moresby As the flight was not until midday we decided to try Km17 again. We arrived at first light and birded the forest edge for a while before taking the trail. A Hooded Pitta was heard calling but apart from that it was very quiet. We walked to the Greater Birdof-Paradise lek where they performed well, but no major advances were made on our earlier visits and overall a return visit to Boystown Road may have been more productive. Frilled Monarch (GT) Varied Triller (GT) 15

16 On the way back we heard a Blue Jewel-Babbler and, of course, although it came very close it refused to show itself apart from a brief flight across the trail. We spent an hour birding along the road before heading back to the hotel, packing, settling the beer bill and heading to the airport where we were allowed to wander around the airfield at our leisure, finding ten Australian Pratincoles, brief views of mannikins which may have been the ones we were seeking (White-spotted) and, er, the wreckage of a crashed plane... It was a two hour flight to Port Moresby and we were picked up at the airport by the Citi Service Apartments minibus which took us to our accommodation. What was left of the day was spent at the hotel preparing for the following morning Tuesday 1 st August: Varirata National Park and PAU Leonard picked us up at 0545 and we headed to Varirata. We went straight to the Raggiana Bird-of- Paradise lek and saw them performing well before heading to the Lookout carpark. After enjoying the view we worked the nice, spacious trail that leads down to the picnic site. We had a few nice flocks and eked out a few notables including a male Growling Riflebird and a nice Azure Kingfisher. We walked the trail very slowly, eventually arriving at the picnic site where we scoped the trees. Along the Treehouse trail we came across a small bird wave which included the difficult Crested Pitohui (seen well and later heard giving its crazy song) plus, for some, Goldenface. We heard Painted Quail-Thrush which came in close but views were poor. Returning to the picnic site we had a late lunch before heading back along the Treehouse trail which was not as birdy as earlier. We cut over to the river trail where Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babbler was lured in close and Andrew got tickable views. A nice party of White-faced Robins put in an appearance. We worked along the river trail and, just as we exited, two Forest Bitterns flew up from the stream and appeared to land in a nearby tree. We rushed across but could not find them. We spent 20mins looking, slowly widening the search area and walking back up the nearby lookout trail. Some 200m in we came across a single Forest Bittern which flew to a nicely exposed perched and preceded to give great views. Wow! It eventually flew down and out of sight. It was a happy bunch of birders that returned to the transport and headed to PAU White-faced Robin (GT) Forest Bittern (GT) come on, Aidan! The last two hours of light were spent birding the lush PAU grounds. It was easy going with lots of nice water birds (including Plumed Whistling-Duck) on the small lakes and a nice selection of Australian open-country species on show. Fawn-breasted Bowerbird (including a bower), Black-backed Butcherbird and Papuan Frogmouth were all easily found. It was a good end to the day with plenty of trip additions. We returned to the hotel and found our revised itinerary, as promised by Sicklebill, had been sent to us. We were to fly to Tari next morning to start the highlands part of the trip or, at least, so we thought Papuan Frogmouth (GT) 16

17 Comb-crested Jacana (GT) Pacific Black Duck (OC) Wednesday 2 nd August: stuck in Port Moresby The plan was to fly to the highlands today and everyone was excited, to say the least, about a new birding area. However when we arrived at the airport there was confusion at the check-in area and by the time we had reached the counter we were told the flight was overweight and we were being bumped off. No matter how much we protested there was no way we were flying. To make matters worse the next flight was in two days time. After tedious hours of arguing and waiting, we eventually managed to book onto a PNG Air flight the following day and Air Niugini put us up in a hotel. It was a waste of a day, not to mention yet more cash, but at least we were going to get out the following day. Weren t we..? Thursday 3 rd August: getting to Tari; Makara Lodge and road above (pm) Keen to avoid yesterday s disaster, we were at the front of the queue three hours before the flight and checked in as soon as the counter opened. We worried the flight might be cancelled due to bad weather but luck was with us and we landed at Tari at midday, and, equally surprisingly, in sunshine. Benson, the Makara guide, met us and it was a 30mins drive to the Lodge. As we arrived, it started to rain so we had lunch and birded the veranda for a few hours. When the rain stopped we drove a short distance up the main road leading to the Tari Gap. It was now overcast but dry and, perhaps in response to the heavy rain, birding was very good and we went some way to assuaging the frustration of the previous day. Wattled Ploughbill (OC) White-winged Robin (GT) 17

18 We slowly walked up the road and were soon revelling in lots of top quality birds, all easily found and coming in thick and fast. Birds-of-Paradise were, of course, were well represented and we saw both Stephanie s and Ribbon-tailed Astrapias and four King-of-Saxony females plus brief Brown Sicklebills and even a paradigalla. A stunning male Wattled Ploughbill was found, Blue-capped Ifrits followed and our first tiger-parrots (Modest) were scrapping on the ground. There was a great supporting cast of commoner species; it had been fabulous introduction to the PNG highlands. We continued until the light failed and then returned to the lodge for dinner and to warm up, doing the log by the fire. That night it rained heavily again. Straight out of the top drawer between Makara Lodge and Tari Gap: Brown Sicklebill (OC) and Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (GT) Friday 4 th August: Makara Lodge After an early breakfast, we headed down the road to scan for displaying Black Sicklebill but didn t even hear any. We moved on a little further and walked a track to a fruiting tree in a small farmstead. Here, it was not long before we saw our first Blue Bird-of-Paradise, a female then the male. With the weather brightening we drove back up the road to where we birded yesterday. We then walked along a short track through the cloud forest. It was an extremely productive few hours with stunning views of three King-of- Saxony males singing (and one eventually bouncing on vines in the scope!), along with male Brown Sicklebill, our first Tit Berrypeckers, Loria s Satinbird and many others. After lunch we drove uphill all the way to the Tari Gap, an area of open grassland circled in cloud forest. Before long the hoped-for Papuan Harrier appeared. We slowly birded down the hill with Andrew claiming the chief prize of two perched raptors both Papuan Eagles that remained perched for a good 15mins, giving vastly improved views on those obtained at Dablin. We didn t dare hope to see one eagle, yet alone three in two different sightings. We had some good flocks including our first Crested Berrypecker but by 1730 the rain had returned so we threw in the towel, well pleased with an excellent day. Papuan Eagle (GT) King-of-Saxony (GT) 18

19 Saturday 5 th August: Makara Lodge After (another) early breakfast, we birded the road a few km below Makara as it got light. We had rather brief views of a female Black Sicklebill whilst the next stop produced a female Superb Bird-of-Paradise and perched Oriental Hobby; we also jammed a Mountain Kingfisher juvenile, bizarrely sat in a roadside hedge. Another stop further down in agricultural fields produced Black-headed Whistler. By now the sun was shining and we decided to go high to make the best of the weather. We stopped at the Gap grassland and then slowly walked down the road, birding on route. It was bit slower than yesterday afternoon but Regent Whistlers put on a fine display, visually and orally. Eventually we reached the track into the forest we had explored the previous day and, despite threatening clouds went in for 20mins and stayed for 2hrs, moving no more than 200m. The place was simply hopping and we saw many species, virtually all extremely well. Short-tailed Paradigalla for ages on the floor picking through mossy trunks was perhaps the best, but stunning views of Wattled Ploughbill, tiger-parrots, berrypeckers, Sclater s Whistler, and Black-crowned Robin where all memorable with even a very obliging party of Black Sitellas unearthed by Steve. Short-tailed Paradigalla (GT) Crested Berrypecker (GT) Mountain Kingfisher (AGK) By 1500 we could see it was going to pour, so we quickly descended for a very late lunch. As it cleared we decided to do the Waterfall trail which started just below Makara and led, eventually to Ambua. With the curse of Dablin still lingering, we couldn t find Torrent-Lark and actually saw rather little so we returned to the road and spent the last hour scanning the trees from the road and amusing the local kids. The Irish contingent decided to stay out and look for nightbirds for an hour but our lean times with them continued; the (more realistic) others warmed themselves by the fire. Sunday 6 th August: Ambua Lodge (am); Tari gap forests (third time; pm) After breakfast we and our gear drove the (very) short distance to Ambua Lodge, arriving just as it was getting light. They were not expecting us until midday but it was not a problem and soon Joseph, the lodge guide, appeared and we hit the grounds. The legendary fruiting trees (behind chalets 18-20) were soon under constant surveillance and before long we were getting awesome close-ups and photos of Brown and Black Sicklebill, Stephanie s Astrapia, Blue and Superb Birds-of-Paradise and Lawes s Parotia, albeit mainly females, although the later appearance of our first male Superb Bird-of- Paradise elsewhere in the garden had us punching the air. The rare Spotted Berrypecker (lacking spots!) also showed, with Mountain Peltops and Mountain Fruit-Dove also giving wonderful looks. Brown Sicklebill (GT) 19

20 Princess Stephanie s Astrapia (OC) Superb Bird-of-Paradise (OC) After coffee / tea, we then did the Waterfall trail. We scanned all visible sections of the river in an increasingly desperate manner for Torrent-Lark but no joy. We heard Black-billed Sicklebill and Lesser Ground-Robin but neither proved co-operative, although Mottled Berryhunter was very obliging. We then had the misfortune to hear Spotted Jewel-Babbler and that was an hour of our lives gone, for the reward of three (out of four of us) getting (very) brief views. Inevitably the rain began, so we adjourned for lunch. After lunch we birded the grounds again, and then the majority decided to try Joseph s Sooty Owl stakeout down the valley which, to his and the landowner s surprise, had gone awol. This could have doomed the afternoon as low, damp cloud swept in but Joseph suggested higher up would be clear so (again) we drove up the road to below the gap and got to work. And (again) had a magical, bird-filled hour or two! New birds included Lesser Melampitta and female Crested Satinbird and improved looks at Plumfaced Lorikeet but two sensational male Ribbontails and photogenic ifrits, ploughbills and Crested Berrypeckers, to name just a few, also featured. At the lodge, where Graham had elected to persevere, low cloud persisted and very little was seen despite at least two searches for Torrent-Lark, which by now was looking extremely dicey. At dusk we spent some time looking for night birds but the only thing that responded was a Papuan Boobook which called nearby but then did a jewel-babbler on us. King-of-Saxony (OC) Monday 7 th August: Ambua (am), then to Kumul Lodge via TNT charter flight from Ambua Mount Hagen. Irish pre-dawn nightbirding around the lodge produced absolutely zero despite clear skies. After breakfast we split into two groups in search of Torrent-Lark; the Irish contingent starting at the trailhead below Makara and the rest to the Ambua Waterfall. It was the last-chance saloon for all and the speed of success varied but, eventually everyone had good (or very good) looks at three Torrent- Larks, probably the same group ranging the stream. We felt we had truly earned getting that particular monkey off our backs! This was a major result, especially given that the famed Ambua grounds, despite a superb, sunny morning, were much, much quieter than yesterday and we added little despite much effort. Back of the net at last (AGK) 20

21 Our charter plane was due at 1040 but it didn t arrive and, due to the local mobile signal going down, nobody knew what was going on. Eventually we heard that the plane was going to arrive at midday which it duly did, more-or-less (Papuan time). It was an 8-seater and took off by racing down a gravel track; this and then flying over vast areas of basically untouched cloud forest was really wonderful. We were sorry to end it all by landing at Mount Hagen airport and we then had a far less comfortable 1:30hr drive to Kumul Lodge along pot-holed roads. We settled in and spent time viewing the famous bird table, soon acquainting ourselves with the locals. Despite the obstreperous Belford s Melidectes and Smoky Honeyeaters, female and immature Ribbon-tailed Astrapias were regularly down on the papaya, with Rufous-naped Bellbird abundant and repeated good views of Island Thrush and Brehm s Tiger-Parrots. Brehm s Tiger-Parrot and Belford s Melidectes (GT); Mountain Mouse-Warbler (AGK) We then spent the last two hours of the day working the entrance road the and nearby, very narrow trail but it was very enclosed, dull and activity very low compared to Tari. Then it started to rain and that put paid to night birding. Again. Kumul selection (OC) Tuesday 8 th August: Kama village (am); Kumul Lodge area (pm) First up was the traditional stake-out for Lesser Bird-of- Paradise. It was the usual early breakfast and a 0530 departure. It took about 45mins to get to the site where we walked through a garden and some fields and positioned ourselves on a lookout point on the edge of a spectacular cultivated valley. Soon after arrival we could hear one male Lesser Bird-of-Paradise but a long wait produced no countable views; this was a bird adept at remaining in thick cover. The wait did, however, yield an important and very nicely scoped Yellow-breasted Bowerbird along with Ornate Melidectes and a fair selection of scrubland birds. After over an hour it was decided to try another angle, so we accessed a local garden from back along the road and were soon face-to-face with the male Lesser Bird-of-Paradise for a great view. Whew! Back on the road, prolonged scanning of the slope behind, and 21

22 aided by friendly, interested locals, we soon found female Lesser and Magnificent Birds-of-Paradise and a singing male Superb Bird-of- Paradise. To complete the set, and to cheers from the locals, the male Lesser finally flew across the road and gave a great view in a fruiting tree. We spent ages soaking all this up and then headed back to the lodge, stopping en-route to see Torrent Fly-robin. At the lodge we walked the lower trail but it was quiet birdwise; a very close look at Rufescent Imperial Pigeon easily surpassed some awkward Orange-crowned Fairywrens. We had lunch and then staked out a fruiting tree near the chalets for Crested Satinbird but nothing doing so we moved to the lower trail where we soon saw a female. We then walked a long loop and ended up on the road. Walking back up the entrance track Steve glimpsed a forest rail and, suddenly it appeared by the side of the track, which it then crossed. Good views and photos (see above, by GT) allowed us to clinch it as Forbes s. Get in! We spent the rest of the afternoon walking the trails and working the garden hoping for male Crested Satinbird but only the same female was seen. An Irish breakthrough late on down at the orchid garden yielded perched Goldie s Lorikeet and female Archbold s Bowerbird seen well (presumably another of the latter also glimpsed a few times flying through the garden feeding area; be alert for a peculiarly menacing, gravelly growl given very intermittently). At 1830 we positioned ourselves in the forest by a dead tree sometimes used by New Guinea Woodcock at dusk. We heard it calling, an amazing gurgling sound, but it flew low over and didn t stop. We heard it call again a few times but had no further visuals. We tried for an hour for other nightbirds but no luck despite very still (albeit cold) conditions. Wednesday 9 th August: Tong Village track (am) and Kumul Lodge (pm) This morning we had a 20 minute drive to a forested hillside where we walked up a track leading to Tong village and scanned the surrounding trees. It was not long before we saw males of both Blue and Superb Birds-of-Paradise although scope views were much better than any photos obtained. Other than this, activity was low as the slope was very slow to get the morning sun. Hiking up the track, whilst steep, proved worthwhile with Lawes s Parotia, a Short-tailed Paradigalla and Tit Berrypecker seen. Back at Kumul by 1030, we had a rather sluggish day, slowly squeezing out birds from the garden and trails. Another look at Forbes s Forest Rail, Lesser Melampitta heard, lots of Mountain Mouse-Warblers and odd ifrits and berrypeckers were all dragged out, with much improved views of Orange-crowned Fairywren. Late afternoon saw us again down at the orchid garden, where the Archbold s Bowerbird was joined by a fabulous, fully streamered Ribbon-tailed Astrapia that gave epic views. We got the same treatment from the New Guinea Woodcock as the night before and again had no success with Mountain Nightjar, despite a good look. 22

23 Thursday 10 th August: Kumul Lodge (early am); then to Rondon Ridge and trails above Rondon lodge (pm) Our last morning at Kumul; we birded the trail and spent some time scoping from the orchid garden viewpoint. This gave perched Goldie s and Orange-billed Lorikeets (amongst many more Yellow-billed) and the male astrapia was still around but no bowerbird and no other major breakthroughs. The Rondon Ridge minibus picked us up and we arrived at 1100 after a drive of just over 1.5hrs. This beautiful lodge was quite a few steps up from anywhere we had stayed before. After lunch we met the guide, Joseph, and worked the maze of trails not far above the lodge. Activity was rather low and heavy rain stopped play for almost an hour. Black Pitohui was the main breakthrough, although Superb Birds-of-Paradise were very vocal and Island Leaf-Warblers and Elfin and Redcollared Myzomelas very showy. The gerygone-like Grey Thornbill was present but took work to see well. We tried hard for Macgregor s Bowerbird this afternoon (and the following day) but got no further than calls and a fine bower. Red-collared Myzomela (GT) Friday 11 th August: Rondon Ridge (am); flight to Port Moresby and then Port Moresby city birding (pm) By 0530 we were heading uphill by torchlight on muddy trails. We (again!) heard Papuan Boobook and even Mountain Owlet-Nightjar called briefly close by. However, we didn t spend long trying as we wanted to be on the ridge by dawn. It was just getting light as we arrived and soon we could hear both Black and Brown Sicklebill calling regularly in close proximity. Over time we had great views of Brown but male Black was, typically, more elusive, although we did eventually get some views. The wall of dawn calls, along with King-of Saxony males fizzling away, and noisy Regent Whistlers was quite wonderful. Another trip highlight up here was a stunning male Princess Stephanie s Astrapia and most of us got good (well as good as they come ) looks at a pair of Spotted Jewel Babbler which walked up to the speaker and, amazingly didn t fly across the trail in blind panic. Princess Stephanie s Astrapia (GT) On the way back to the lodge we heard Macgregor s Bowerbird and spent a bit of time trying to see it but failed. We packed and, waiting for transport to pick us up, left the lodge a little bit late and duly had an anxious check-in at Mount Hagen airport as they were very slow, even by Papuan standards, and we were scared we d get bumped again. However, we made it through and were soon watching a fine Papuan Harrier from the gate. On arrival at Port Moresby, we were met by Leonard, punctual and cheerful as ever, and he whisked us off to an urban Silver-eared Honeyeater stake-out which we saw within a few minutes. We then headed along the foreshore to the west of downtown, visiting some intertidal areas and remnant mangrove patches. Here we saw a limited number of species, including distant frigatebirds and much closer Brown Booby, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Osprey and Gull-billed Tern. A Singing Starling was seen in some adjacent trees to, er, everyone s great relief. We then returned for the last time to Citi Apartments, for the last supper. 23

24 Saturday 12 th August: Varirata (GT, AW) With three of the group now heading to the airport for an extension to Manus, Andrew and Graham were picked up by Leonard at 0530 and headed to Varirata for their last morning. Along the Treehouse trail brief views of Painted Quail-Thrush and good views of Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher were obtained along with Goldenface. We tried hard for Chestnut-backed Jewel-Babbler but the same old story: very close but no cigar. There was only limited time as we had to return to the airport at midday for the Singapore flight. International check-in was much more efficient than domestic and we were soon on our way. Wednesday 16 th August: PAU (OC, AGK, SJ) The Manus team arrived back in Port Moresby early afternoon (i.e. on time, much to their surprise). Leonard soon appeared and there was time to fit in a visit to PAU. Here much of the same species as before were soon being enjoyed, and a long search eventually yielded the desired Orange-fronted Fruit- Dove; Green Pygmy-Goose was new at this site, as was Australian Grebe. The (vagrant?) Hardhead was still present and we had a large flock of Grey-headed Mannikins back along the main road, before heading to Citi Apartments for the evening. Thursday 17 th August Varirata (OC, AGK, SJ) Papuan Dwarf-Kingfisher (OC) To round things off, another roll of the Varirata dice was the obvious choice for a quality half-day. It was as birdy as ever and, again, the mix of species was a little different to before. Highlights this morning included really great looks at Brown-headed Paradise and Papuan Dwarf-Kingfishers, a different Barred Owlet- Nightjar, the peculiar Pygmy Drongo very close in a busy canopy flock of smalls and, especially, the sudden, startling appearance of no less than Pheasant Pigeon on the trail. We enjoyed many old friends, with a close Beautiful Fruit-Dove male especially appreciated. Brief looks at Crested Pitohui and Chestnut-backed Jewel-babbler for some were a fairly appropriate send off to what had been a sensational, three-week birding bonanza. Then it was time to go to the airport for Singapore and, ultimately, the post-extension extension (in Panti Forest, Johor, where the Papuan jewel-babblers made Rail-babbler look like a complete exhibitionist ) 24

25 Bird of the trip By top secret ballot and a scoring system that made the American electoral system look simple (but ultimately delivered a far less obnoxious and much more deserving winner), voting for this went as follows: 1 Ribbon-tailed Astrapia (16 points) 2 King-of-Saxony & Southern Crowned- Pigeon (both 14 points) 4 Papuan Eagle (11 points) 5 Brown Sicklebill (6 points) Greatest bird on earth? (OC) Systematic List The following list details the birds seen (or heard) by at least one group member but excludes the birds seen or heard by guides which we could not positively identify ourselves. Of course, the vast majority of species were seen well by all group members. Days when we birded two locations are identified by an initial. H = heard only (on that data) and r = recorded, number not specified. As you will see below, we had some fun attempting to convert an excel file into a word doc. If you would prefer to see the original spreadsheet, please ojcampbell25 AT yahoo.com (omit spaces before ing). Location data used in the first page of the following systematic list are: V Varirata T Tabubil area Ki Kiunga K17 Km17 B Boystown Road K Kwatu PM Port Moresby Pacific Adventist PAU T Tari gap K Kumul R Rondon Ridge University grounds area Lodge area 25

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34 Final bonus section: leaders in the field Dablin stand-around Don t worry; I am sure this thing flies better than that male astrapia Total arse Nope, no jewel-babblers up there either This river was 2 miles further away yesterday You know, I am starting to feel that I might actually survive this trip 34 What s that weird yellow glowing ball in the sky? Delicious Varirata lunch