Western Pacific Odyssey 2013 Part 6 - Kolombangara and onwards

Moustached Treeswift

Hemiprocne mystacea

Kolombangara is one of the New Georgia group of islands in the northwest Solomons. Nearby Gizo is popular with divers, who fly there from Honiara. Like the other islands in the group there is a high level of endemism among the birds.

We went ashore at the pleasant school campus of Kukudu.  A Moustached Treeswift posed on a beachfront snag, while Pacific Golden Plovers foraged in the surf below. 

Moustached Treeswift

Hemiprocne mystacea

Pacific Golden-Plover

Pluvialis fulva

Landing site, Kolombangara

Among the gardens and vegetable patches behind the main school buildings Chris played his recording of Roviana Rail which only attracted the attention of a large cat. This gave us a clue as to how this endemic and endangered rail has become so hard to find.

A small party of Pacific Black Ducks gave a brief flypast.

Pacific Black Duck

Anas superciliosa

A few relict primary forest trees towered over Kukudu, and in one of these a juvenile Solomon Islands Sea-eagle gave us a clear view.

Solomon Islands Sea-eagle

Haliaeetus sanfordi

We split into two groups and set off in different directions.  Our group lacked Chris and his bird recordings, but in a large grove of trees near the beach we encountered Melanesian Megapode for the first time and saw a co-operative juvenile Buff-headed Coucal.

Buff-headed Coucal

Centropus milo

The smaller forest birds were not particularly easy to find but the endemic White-capped Monarch was an exception. 

White-capped Monarch

Monarcha richardsii

Roviana Rail was encountered in someone's garden.  With the homeowner's permission we entered and everyone got a view, although the rail was too shy for me to get a picture.  Later, the other group saw the same individual bird in the same area.   

This captive Yellow-bibbed Lory  was a distraction while we waited for the rail.

Yellow-Bibbed Lory (captive)

Lorius chlorocercus

The shade of a huge tree near the landing point was a glorious spot to wait for departure. There some of the local wood-carvers put their goods on display, and visitors and locals alike sat around and chatted. 

In the late afternoon we had a "Zodiac Cruise" around a nearby inlet, with some birds and scenery photographed from the Zodiacs.

Pacific Swallow 

Hirundo tahitica subfusca

Claret-breasted Dove

Ptilinopus viridian lewisii

Cardinal Lory

Chalcopsitta cardinalis

Cardinal Lory

Chalcopsitta cardinalis

Up the creek....

Towards the cone of Kolombangara

As darkness fell, the ship headed towards the south coast of Bougainville Island, and when dawn broke on 10th April we were in the waters of Papua New Guinea. 

Of course, human boundaries meant nothing to the birds and there were few to see anyway.  A surprise was Leach's Petrel, which popped up from the water close to the boat.

Leach's Storm-petrel

Oceanodroma leucorhoa

Leach's Storm-petrel

Oceanodroma leucorhoa

With "slow" birding conditions on the last two full days of the voyage we were able to resume our alternative sport of flying-fish spotting....

Flying fish A

Yellow-wing Flyingfish Cypselurus poeciliopterus (top left),  Flying fish A (top right)

Spotfin Flyingfish Cheilopogon furcatus, (bottom left),  Flying fish B (bottom right)

Flying fish C

Flying fish C

Flying fish D, C, E, F

Flying fish E

Flying fish E

Spotfin Flyingfish

Cheilopogon furcatus

Flying Fish G

Flying Fish G

Flying Fish G

"What are they called...?" -  Maybe we will find out ..... eventually

At the other end of the size scale, frigatebirds appeared now and then.

Great Frigatebird

Fregata minor

Lesser Frigatebird

Fregata ariel

Lesser Frigatebird

Fregata ariel

Even if they were often quite distant, Spinner Dolphins demanded our attention with their pirouetting out of the still waters.

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

Spinner Dolphin

Stenella longirostris

One of the "targets" of the WPO is Beck's Petrel.  Dutch Ornithologist Rollo Beck shot the original two specimens in the late 1920s.  For many years this species was only known from the specimens, but it has been seen on the WPO every year since 2007.  So, the WPO has put Beck's Petrel back on the birding radar.  

Anyhow, Beck's Petrel performed for us.  Tahiti Petrel looks almost identical, but cruises about like a 1950s airliner, whereas Becks is 10-20% smaller and behaves more like a "normal"  petrel.

Beck's Petrel

Pseudobulweria becki

In late afternoon we were still in the area off the eastern tip of New Ireland.  It was the prime area for Beck's Petrels and Heinroth's Shearwater, but no amount of wishful thinking by the birders could draw more of them in.

The appearance of a large, mixed pod of dolphins made the final afternoon a joy.  Some photos below..

Melon-headed Whales

Peponocephala electra

Melon-headed Whales

Peponocephala electra

Fraser's  Dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

Fraser's  Dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

Fraser's  Dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

Fraser's  Dolphin

Lagenodelphis hosei

206 species of bird were seen on the trip.  This may not seem a lot for 19 days effort; but two thirds of then were "lifers" for Jemi and me.