2007 Tour Narrative
In Brief: The first-ever WINGS tour to the remote destinations of Manus and the West New Britain Islands was a resounding success. While Superb Pitta was the star performer on Manus and perhaps the bird of the trip for some, other sightings also received top marks during the trip. The rarely seen Heinroth’s Shearwater during a memorable boat trip off New Britain, Melanesian Scrubfowl, Blue-eyed Cockatoo, Meek’s Pygmy-Parrot, 10 species of kingfisher, and numerous island endemics provided a sensational “off the beaten track” birding adventure for all.
In Detail: Variarata National Park, a short drive from Pt. Moresby, offered our “island” group a taste of mainland PNG on our first day in the country. We soon realized the great avian diversity as we saw the first of many endemics in both familiar and new families. Binoculars and scopes worked overtime as Pink-spotted and Orange-bellied Fruit-Doves and colorful parrots including Papuan King had us clamoring for second looks. The kingfisher family lived up to expectations as we sighted the first of several to come, including Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher and Yellow-billed Kingfisher. The reputation of Hooded Pitohui as a ‘poison bird’ made it a “must-see” bird in the park. We were soon to find out how well represented the honeyeater family is in PNG, as we sighted Black Myzomela and had the first of many struggles with the confusing genus Meliphaga. And a late afternoon visit to a display area of Raggiana Bird-of-paradise provided us with the “real thing” — displaying male Raggianas in all their glory!
Manus is the largest of the Admiralty Islands, and our flight provided views of the beauty of the Bismarck Archipelago. We soon immersed ourselves in island birding and quickly adopted the mindset of quality, not quantity – as all small-island birding requires. One of our first island endemics, the “Chauka” or Manus Friarbird, was to become a regular sighting during our time here, in large part because of its loud vocalizations. The low density of birds here allowed us the opportunity to enjoy many of our sightings, including Moustached Tree Swifts and Eclectus Parrots, and to start studying the separation of the endemic Mayr’s Swiftlets from the more common White-rumped Swiftlets.
We were an eager group the next morning as we set out early to walk the old Rossun (Colonial) Track with our local guide, who was to lead us to a territory of the bird that had enticed many of us on this island rendezvous, Superb Pitta. A walk in the early dawn hour had us listening to vocalizations of lifers, but our focus was on arriving at the designated site as quickly as possible. Upon arrival at the territory, we soon heard one. Within minutes, a Superb Pitta was calling in the trees above us. Sharp eyes quickly spotted it so that we all were soon enjoying a moment that then stretched into an hour as the pitta gave us not only binocular but lingering scope views. A satisfied group leisurely returned to our transport, chatting with our local guide and the landowners of this patch of forest about the history of the area during World War II. With the primary target and most difficult species a lasting memory, we spent the rest of our time on Manus enjoying some of the other gems of the island, including Beach Kingfisher, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Manus (Admiralty Pied) Monarch and Golden Whistler. On our final morning, again with local help, we found Meek’s Pygmy Parrot.
We may have been less chatty than usual with our 2:45 am departure for the airport, but we quickly regained energy and enthusiasm on arriving in Hoskins, New Britain. The diversity of birds on the Kilu Ridge Track the first afternoon left us wishing for more hours of daylight with sightings of our first Blue-eyed Cockatoo, Purple-bellied (Eastern Black-capped) Lory, New Britain Friarbird, and Knob-billed Fruit Dove and Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeons. The “swoosh” of the wings of Blyth’s Hornbill in flight provided as much enjoyment as sighting these personable birds.
New Britain offered a different type of birding adventure each day, including a boat trip to the surrounding waters and offshore islands. The early morning trip started on an excellent note with a dawn sighting of Beach Stone-curlew, and improved as the morning progressed and we sighted our primary target, Heinroth’s Shearwater, along with Lesser Frigatebirds and eight tern species. Scanning Restorf and Malo Malo islands from the boat provided sightings of Stephan’s Dove and, for a lucky few, a brief sighting of a Nicobar Pigeon. The delicious picnic lunch provided by our crew and shared with a Brahminy Kite added to the enjoyment of the day.
On our final day in New Britain, Pokili Wildlife Management Area yielded yet more target species and endemics on our final day in New Britain, with Melanesian Scrubfowl common in the area. Stephan’s Dove, Bismarck Imperial Pigeon, Green-fronted (Bismarck) Hanging Parrot, Violaceous Coucal, and Red-banded Flowerpecker added to the sightings of the day, while Black-headed Paradise Kingfisher and New Britain Kingfisher once again placed kingfishers in one of the top families of the trip.
The Bismarck Archipelago provided us with sightings of species that few birders have had the opportunity to see, as well as a look at island life very different from that on the PNG mainland. A Superb Pitta calling from his perch high in a tree on the Colonial Track, parrots ranging from large to minute, colorful pigeons and doves, seabirds enjoyed on a calm sea, and the hospitality of our hosts at our lodges all provide indelible memories of a trip “off the beaten track.”
Judy Davis
Updated: January 2008