New Caledonia, 3rd - 11th June 2008

Transcription

1 New Caledonia, 3rd - 11th June 2008 Richard Rae Obligatory Kagu Photos.Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleu, 4 th 2008 June

2 This report covers an 8-day trip to New Caledonia by Richard Rae and Emer Callanan. We visited New Caledonia during a round the world trip (although it was not actually included on our round the world ticket) consequently we were fairly time-rich but certainly on a budget. For this reason we spent longer than most people do on the main island, but didn t visit any of the offshore islands such as Lifou. I saw no lifers after the 5 th day. I thought New Caledonia was great the birding is pretty straightforward, with a good number of high-quality endemics and several other Melanesian species that will be new to most people. Also it is, in places, a very scenic island and a pleasant place to travel around if you have the time. It has been mentioned in a number of reports that New Caledonia is an expensive place. We were actually pleasantly surprised by how reasonable the costs were. The key is to stay in cheap accommodation in Noumea (the Youth Hostel is probably the most obvious choice in this respect), take a tent with you to use outside Noumea, and be prepared to cook at least some of your meals yourself (or make do with baguette and tuna or cheese for a couple of days). Outside of Noumea it can be surprisingly hard to find any shops to spend money in. We ate one meal in a restaurant and the price was only slightly more than one might expect to pay in the UK or Australia. In conclusion, I think it s important to keep in mind that although New Caledonia is not a budget destination, neither does it have to be ludicrously expensive and certainly shouldn t be ruled out on grounds of cost. Getting There and Getting Around We flew to New Caledonia from New Zealand because it suited us best most people seem to visit from Australia. We flew there with Air Calin flights can be booked on their website. I don t have the exact cost to hand but it was approx 250 p.p. for the return flight from Auckland to Noumea not unreasonable. Having your own transport is more-or-less essential in New Caledonia we booked a Toyota Yaris through Avis at a cost of 206 for 8 days. This was picked up from the airport and proved perfectly adequate for our needs. The roads are generally good, and petrol stations sufficiently numerous that you don t need to worry about running out of fuel. From memory, I think petrol cost about the same as in the UK (ie. bloody expensive!) but the distances are not huge. Finding your way around can be a bit of a challenge at times being a French territory the road signage will be familiar to anyone who has driven there i.e. seemingly designed in such a way as to minimize your chances of reaching your destination as much as possible ;-) Having said that we managed to find everywhere we wanted to go without too much gnashing of teeth a GPS and the excellent report by Dave Sargeant proved very helpful. Money The currency in New Caledonia is the Central Pacific Franc (CPF). This currency is used in a number of other French Pacific Territories including French Polynesia. The exchange rate at the time of our visit was approx CPF150 : 1.

3 We generally used cash to pay for things there was an ATM at the airport and there are also plenty in Noumea. Don t expect to find too many away from these places. Accommodation We brought a tent with us, which is recommended as a great way to keep costs down and there are plenty of good campsites in New Caledonia. In Noumea itself the Youth Hostel is perhaps the best option it s cheap, clean and well located. And you can book it via which is not a bad idea as it s a popular place. The cost of a double room was CPF 4100 / night. Food Although I am writing this some time later and don t have the full menu to hand, I seem to recall baguettes, French cheese, and tins of tuna figuring quite prominently. It is certainly worth keeping a supply of this kind of stuff in the car, particularly if you head over to the east coast because it can be hard to find much in the way of shops. Beer is widely available. Drinking in bars is very expensive but buying cans from a shop is pretty reasonable from memory in the region of CPF 100 per can was a typical price. Health and Safety New Caledonia seemed like a very safe place to us I m sure Noumea probably has its dodgy parts like any town but you would be unlikely to end up in these on a birding trip. There are no special health concerns, and New Caledonia is Malaria-free. Trip Reports and Field Guides There are quite a number of trip reports available for New Caledonia on the internet the ones by Dave Sargeant and Petri Hottola are probably the most useful. It is best to try and obtain the most recent you can find in order to establish what the latest access information is for Riviere Bleu. The field guide we used was the The Birds of the Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia by Doughty, Day and Plant which proved perfectly adequate. However a quick look on Amazon reveals a new guide called Birds of Melanesia: Bismarcks, Solomons, Vanuatu and New Caledonia by Guy Dutson, which I would imagine is now the book of choice for New Caledonia. Sound Recordings I had attempted to get hold of the CD Songs of New-Caledonian Birds prior to setting off on the trip but it was out of stock at the places I tried, so I had to make do with the CD Birds of Melanesia which does include quite a few useful New Caledonian species but doesn t include the Grassbird. SITES VISITED This covers sites that were visited for birding. As we spent a few extra days on the island, some birds were also seen at other sites these are mentioned in the systematic list. The sites are described in the order they were visited.

4 Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleu The main road through Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleu This is the key site on New Caledonia and the only place where Kagu is likely to be seen. The parc is situated to the south east of Noumea it took us about 1 hr and 15 mins to get there including one or two wrong turns (which should be anticipated with most journeys in New Caledonia). The GPS co-ordinates in Dave Sargeant s report are helpful as the signs are not always great. The entrance fee was CPF 400 per person (I presume this is per day). The parc is closed on Mondays. In between the entrance and the main bit of the parc is a bridge across a lake which was apparently rendered structurally unsound by a tropical storm in the early 2000 s, with the result that only official vehicles are allowed across it. (Some reports mention a causeway next to the bridge that you could drive across yourself but this was not an option at the time of our visit). There is a shuttle bus which leaves from the bridge several times a day and takes you into the parc. Get the times from the people on the gates when we were there the first bus of the day left at 7.30am. We just missed it and had to get the 2 nd bus at 9am. One of the key areas for birds is around the Grand Kaori tree - the bus will stop here but does go further. The return fare for the bus was CPF 400. Most of our birding was done in the area of the Grand Kaori tree, and along the road walking both up and down from this area. We caught the 4.10pm bus back from the Grand Kaori tree. During our day at Riviere Bleu we saw some excellent birds the following of note were not seen elsewhere during our trip Kagu, Crow Honeyeater, New Caledonian Cuckoo-shrike.

5 Mount Khogis View from near the auberge at Mount Khogis This montane site close to Noumea offers a number of different species to Riviere Bleu. Directions and GPS are found in Dave Sargeant s report. There is a steep road up the mountain, with a lot of hairpin bends, and you park at the auberge at the top. We visited this site on two mornings (the second time EC decided to have a lie in - I don t blame her) and saw a good selection of birds. On both mornings we parked at the auberge and explored the forest nearby (slightly disappointing as it was hard to see much) and walked down from the auberge birding the roadside (which was better). Most of the birds were actually seen around the auberge itself. We also stopped at various points on the way back down one of these stops gave us our only sighting of the exquisite Cloven-feathered Dove. Farino Farino has been put firmly on the map in recent years as a reliable place to see the notoriously skulking New Caledonian Grassbird. It also offers good general birding and another chance to see some species which may have been missed at RB or MK. Directions are in the Sargeant report I would also mention that getting up to the Grassbird site in an ordinary car is possible, although the road is not great! Although it could in theory be day-tripped from Noumea, we stayed overnight at the Farino Refuge, where camping cost CPF 600 per person. The owners were very friendly and there is a pleasant bar area. To my considerable surprise, given our lack of a tape, we managed brief but good views of New Caledonian Grassbird at GPS S E We

6 also saw our first New Caledonian Crows on the road up to the Grassbird site, as well as Horned Parakeet and Red-throated Parrotfinch in the area. DAILY DIARY 3 rd June - Up very early to catch the Sky Shuttle from our hostel in Auckland to the airport (NZ$26). Our Air New Zealand flight to New Caledonia left on time and we were on our way to warmer climes again. The flight took about 3 hrs as we approached New Caledonia we could see clusters of small tropical islands fringed by coral and turquoise seas. Arriving at Tontouta airport, we collected our hire car, took out some cash and headed in to Noumea. After checking in the Youth Hostel we spent a fairly leisurely afternoon in Noumea, picking up a few provisions. We prepared an evening meal at the hostel and then headed to be early. 4 th June Another early start, we were up at 5.45am and left the hostel at 6.15 to drive to Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleu. After a couple of navigational missteps (but nowhere near as many as we would have had without GPS!) we arrived at the Parc entrance at A quick conversation with the staff on the gate revealed that the bridge at Pont Perignon was still closed and that we would be reliant on the shuttle bus to get into the more interesting parts of the reserve. Unfortunately we had just missed the first bus of the day and the next one wasn t until After a look around the visitors centre we drove to PP and waited for the bus. A Peregrine, several Green-backed White-eyes and a couple of Barred Honeyeaters kept us reasonably entertained. The bus departed with us and a few other people on it, and we headed into the forest proper. Any concerns I had about the likelihood of us seeing Kagu (a bird that you really don t want to miss, having made the effort to get to New Caledonia!) were quickly allayed when the bus driver stopped, got out and shouted Kaaaaaaa-gu!..Kaaaaaaa-gu!, and 3 Kagus came running out of the forest giving crippling views to all. Not that I was complaining, but I would have been prepared to work a little bit harder than that in order to see them! Having had a good first encounter, and being reasonably confident that we would see more, we got back on the minibus and headed up to the Grand Kaori tree. The next 6 hours or so were spent on a few of the shorter trails in the vicinity of the Grand Kaori tree, as well as exploring the road both up and down from the GK tree. Highlights included another 3-4 Kagu, most of which gave extremely good views, as well as seconds of the original 3, a brief Crow Honeyeater, a brief New Caledonian Cuckoo-shrike, 2 stunning New Caledonian Myzomelas, 3 male New Caledonian Whistlers, a lovely female New Caledonian Flycatcher and a cracking Red-throated Parrotfinch. All told it was a pretty successful day, the only slight frustration being a briefly heard Southern Shrikebill which couldn t be located (and in fact we failed to see this species at all during the trip). We had a small amount of light rain during the day but it didn t seem to detract from the birding. We caught the bus back to the entrance and drove back to Noumea. Just as we were leaving the parc, I caught a glimpse of an interesting looking bird which on investigation proved to be the endemic (and very handsome) White-bellied Goshawk, sat obligingly in a hedge. We again spent the night at the Youth Hostel in Noumea. 5th June - It was another early start this morning, our destination being Mount Khogis near Noumea, where we hoped to see a few different species. Finding the site proved relatively straightforward, although we were again glad to be armed with the GPS and the co-ordinates from Dave Sargeant s report. Parking up at the auberge, we were immediately seeing new birds, including Melanesian Cuckooshrike, Striated Starling and Long-tailed Triller. We proceeded to slowly walk back down the road, although this didn t prove overly productive due to a lack of decent habitat. We then to return to the car park, and followed a trail into the

7 forest, which also proved rather quiet, with the exception of another smart New Caledonian Flycatcher. A series of frustrating glimpses of what I was sure were Horned Parakeets then ensued, before the birds in question disappeared and we were forced to admit defeat. After a drink at the auberge, we headed back down the road, stopping at any good looking spots. At one of these, EC spotted one of the highlights of the trip in the form of a pair of Clove-feathered Doves with a juvenile. Definitely one of the best New Caledonian endemics, and probably one of the most attractive doves I ve seen anywhere. 6th June - Having been foiled in our attempts to get a good look at Horned Parakeet yesterday at Mount Khogis, I ventured forth once again - this time on my own as EC decided that staying in bed was more appealing - can t say I blame her! Having visited the site yesterday, finding it was straightforward, making a nice change for a journey in New Caledonia! My strategy paid off, with excellent views of 2 Horned Parakeets close to the auberge. Otherwise, most of yesterday s species were seen again. Horned Parakeet, Mount Khogis, 6th June 2008 Returning to Noumea, we packed up and checked out of the hostel, before embarking on the drive up to Farino. En route we stopped off at La Foa and Fort Teremba for a look round, also adding a few new birds to the trip list although no lifers. We then headed to Farino, where we found the Refuge without too much difficulty. On arrival we quickly saw one of the remaining endemics, New Caledonian Friarbird, and (typically after spending so much effort trying to see one at Mt Khogis!) 4 Horned Parakeets. After pitching our tent we had our tea and then headed over to the very pleasant outside bar area for a couple of drinks. 7th June - Up early for a not-particularly- hopeful quest for the Grassbird. Heading up the tolerable road to the Grassbird site, we finally added New Caledonian Crows to the list, as well as a stonking Red-throated Parrotfinch. Parking up at the top, we started slowly walking down the track, pishing (due to our lack of a recording) for the Grassbird. Somewhat surprisingly (given that even

8 with tape people frequently dip, and the bird is a notorious skulker), we managed a couple of brief but good views of a New Caledonian Grassbird - textbook! Very pleased indeed with this, and with relatively little prospect of any other additional ticks here, we embarked on the non-birding bit of our trip, starting with a visit to the beach. The beach in question (Poe Beach if you re interested) was a pleasant enough way in which to while away a couple of hours (with 7 Greytailed Tattlers a bonus, although I would have preferred Wandering!), although not being massive beach-lovers we were then ready to move on. We headed for the nearby Roche Percee lookout, which I seem to remember being quite picturesque, and also had a White-bellied Goshawk circling around. We camped overnight in a lovely secluded cove called Turtle Beach. What a hell-hole.turtle Beach 8th June - A non-birding day today. Woken up at ca 4:30am by rain,we had to retreat to the car as our tent no longer had a rainproof outer cover (we ditched it to travel light, as we didn't think we'd need it any more!). Following a slow start, we headed up to Kone and Voe, where we were unable to find or even see a single sign for the famous heart of Voe. Then we drove across the island, through attractive scenery, and up the coast to Hienghene where we eventually found the Babou campsite (400 CPF p.p.). There seemed to be nothing in this area in terms of shops/eateries, so we had a warm beer on the beach followed by tuna sandwiches. There then followed a truly appalling night s sleep, for RR at least, with some locals singing accompanied by guitar until 3:30am, then some inconsiderate ****s playing music and laughing until dawn. How dare people be having fun near our tent...

9 East coast, heading north towards Hienghene 9th June Another primarily non-birding day today. We drove down the east coast to Canala, where the promise of thermal springs had us intending to spend the night. On arrival, Canala proved to have nothing to offer, not even an open shop! We eventually got directions for La Crouen springs and campsite, and eventually found it after getting some provisions at a petrol station. It would be fair to say that the springs didn t quite measure up to our expectations, consisting of little more than a collection of litter-and-moss-filled bathtubs! We stripped off (not totally) for a token dip in one of the cleaner tubs and then headed on as it was clearly not an overnighter! Heading back west on the road via Sarramea, we stopped to do a little bit of birding in a decentish bit of habitat between the junction with RN 3 and the Sarramea turnoff - the recording of Southern Shrikebill was deployed with predictably little success although we did see a few birds (nothing new). Also near here we saw a recently-expired White-bellied Goshawk on the road. We then drove on and spent the night in a delightfully quiet campsite at Bourake Beach back on the west coast.

10 You know you re struggling for quality bird photos when you have to resort to roadkill..ex-white-bellied Goshawk, nr Sarramea, 9th June th June Today we returned to Noumea, where we had an expensive Big Mac meal, then tried to visit the museum but discovered in was shut on Tuesday, so had a couple of beers instead. In the evening we headed out for a nice meal at La Chaunesse restaurant - well deserved after numerous tuna sandwiches over the past week! Overnight in the Youth Hostel in Noumea. 11th June Up at 4:15am for the short, uneventful drive back to the airport for our flight back to Auckland at 08:00am, the conclusion of a very enjoyable trip. SYSTEMATIC LIST OF BIRDS SEEN IN NEW CALEDONIA, JUNE 2008 Endemics in Capitals Australasian Grebe Tachybaptus novaehollandiae One at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos 2-3 at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa 5+ at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. White-eyed Duck Aythya australis 5+ at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. White-faced Heron Egretta novaehollandiae

11 10 near Bourail on 7 th June. Pacific Reef-Egret Egretta sacra 3 at Hienghene on 8 th June. Rufous Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus One between Noumea and Mount Khogi on 5 th June. Osprey Pandion haliaetus One between Noumea and Mount Khogi on 5 th June; one near Bourail on 7 th June. Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus Several seen while driving on 6 th and 7 th June. Swamp Harrier Circus approximans Several seen while driving on 6 th and 7 th June. Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus One at La Foa on 6 th June. WHITE-BELLIED GOSHAWK Accipiter haplochrous One just outside Riviere Bleu on 4 th June, sat in a hedge; one at Roche Percee lookout on 7 th June; 2 (plus one freshly dead on the road) while driving near Sarramea on 9 th June. A really smart accipiter. Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus One at Pont Perignon in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June. Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis Two by the roadside near Bourail on 7 th June. Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio 10+ at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa One at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. KAGU Rhynochetos jubatus 6-7 seen during the day at Riviere Bleu on 4 th June. Extremely good views obtained at ranges of down to 3m of this unique and charismatic species. Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes 7 on Poe Beach on 7 th June. Silver Gull Larus novaehollandiae One near Houailou on 9 th June and 5 at Noumea on 10 th June. Crested Tern Sterna bergii ca 5 at Hienghene on 8 th June. Metallic Pigeon Columba vitiensis Up to 10 at Mount Khogi, a short way down the road from the Auberge, on 5 th June; ca 7 there the following day; one at Farino Refuge on 6 th June and several there on 7 th June; 2 near La Fou on 9 th June. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis Common around Noumea.

12 Zebra Dove Geopelia striata One of this recent introduction was seen at La Foa on 6 th June. Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica 2 at Farino on 7 th June. CLOVEN-FEATHERED DOVE Drepanoptila holosericea An absolutely exquisite species, only seen once, with a pair and an immature seen very well 1-2 km down the road from the Auberge at Mount Khogi on 5 th June. NEW CALEDONIAN IMPERIAL-PIGEON Ducula goliath 4-5 seen and others heard at Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 1-2 in forest at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; 2 near Sarramea on 9 th June. An attractive and impressively large pigeon. [Barn Owl Tyto alba One dead on the road near Farino on 7 th June.] HORNED PARAKEET Eunymphicus cornutus After utv s at Mount Khogi the day before, superb views of 2 there on 6 th June and 4 at Farino Refuge on the same day. Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus Common around Noumea. Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta Common and widespread, seen on most if not all days. Sacred Kingfisher Todirhamphus sanctus Very common and widespread, seen on most days. Fan-tailed Gerygone Gerygone flavolateralis 10+ in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 10+ at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; heard at Farino on 7 th June; common near Sarramea on 9 th June. Dark-brown Honeyeater Lichmera incana 2 at the Youth Hostel in Noumea on 5 th June, 1 at Mount Khogi on same date; one at Paita on 6 th June; one at the Youth Hostel in Noumea on 10 th June; 1-2 at the airport on 11 th June. NEW CALEDONIAN MYZOMELA Myzomela caledonica 2 males at Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 5+ at Mount Khogi on 5 th and 6 th June. Stunning. NEW CALEDONIAN FRIARBIRD Philemon diemenensis Surprisingly, one of the last endemics we saw. 2 at Farino Refuge on 6 th June; 1-2 seen while driving on 7 th June; 5+ seen while driving on 8 th June. CROW HONEYEATER Gymnomyza aubryana A rather frustratingly brief view along the road in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June but better than nothing! BARRED HONEYEATER Phylidonyris undulate 2 in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 5+ at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; 2 there on 6 th June and one at Farino Refuge on the same date. YELLOW-BELLIED ROBIN Eopsaltria flaviventris

13 5+ in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 2 at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; one there on the 6 th June. NEW CALEDONIAN WHISTLER Pachycephala caledonica 3 males in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 3 at Mount Khogi on 5 th June. Lovely. Rufous Whistler Pachycephala rufiventris One male in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; 2 at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; several seen on 6 th June. Grey Fantail Rhipidura fuliginosa 4+ in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; several at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; common at Farino on 7 th June. Streaked Fantail Rhipidura spilodera ca 5 in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; several at Mount Khogi on 5 th June and one there on the 6 th June. New Caledonian Flycatcher Myiagra caledonica One female taped-in, Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; one female in forest at Mount Khogi on 5 th June. Stunning. NEW CALEDONIAN CROW Corvus moneduloides Not seen until we got to Farino, but from there northwards it proved quite common 6 in the Farino area on 7 th June (including one carrying a stick in its bill); 4 seen while driving on 8 th June; 5 seen while driving on 9 th June. White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus Several seen on 7 th June. Melanesian Cuckoo-shrike Coracina caledonica Excellent views of a pair around the auberge car park at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; one at Farino on 7 th June; one near Hienghene on 8 th June; 7 seen on 9 th June (mostly near Sarramea). NEW CALEDONIAN CUCKOO-SHRIKE Coracina analis Rather brief - but satisfactory views of one in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June. Long-tailed Triller Lalage leucopyga One male just down the road from the auberge at Mount Khogi on 5 th June; 2 there on 6 th and one at a roadside stop near Dumbea on the same date; one at Farino on 7 th June; one near Hienghene on 9 th June. STRIATED STARLING Aplonis striata 10+ around the auberge car park at Mount Khogi early on 5 th June; also seen there and at Farino Refuge on 6 th June; one seen on 9 th June. Common Myna Acridotheres tristis Lots seen on 6 th June. Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica One seen on 6 th June. Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer 2 in Noumea on 3 rd June, one there on 6 th June. GREEN-BACKED WHITE-EYE Zosterops xanthochrous

14 5+ in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June. I must admit that after the initial sighting I paid little attention to any White-eyes seen, so probably overlooked Silvereye. However this or Silvereye were noted at Mount Khogi on 5 th June and near Sarramea on 9 th June. NEW CALEDONIAN GRASSBIRD Megalurulus mariei Probably the most missable of the definitely extant endemics, I wasn t holding out great hopes for this species as I didn t have any recordings. However old fashioned pishing payed off and good views were eventually had of a single bird at Farino on 7 th June. House Sparrow Passer domesticus Noumea Youth Hostel on 5 th June, also seen on 6 th June. Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Seen at Fort Teremba and Dumbea on 6 th June. RED-THROATED PARROTFINCH Erythrura psittacea An absolutely cracking species, and not too hard to see, in our experience at least. One in Riviere Bleu on 4 th June; one at Farino on 7 th June; one near Hienghene on 8 th June; 2 seen on 9 th June (possibly near Canala). Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Lonchura castaneothorax Seen at Fort Teremba on 6 th June. Richard Rae, London, 2014