French Polynesia

Society, Marquesas and Tuamotus Islands

19th September – 3rd October 2019

Graham Talbot

Introduction I was always quite envious that Bill Simpson had carried on to do the Marquesas Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago after our Pitcairn Island trip in 2018. (https://www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport ) I never thought I would ever get there as it was a logistical nightmare and Bill’s efforts were commendable. However it was a sense of Deja vu as one hot summers day I was idly surfing the net and saw that Birdtourasia http://www.birdtourasia.com/ had a spare space on the second leg of their French Polynesia Tour which would cover the Islands Bill went to plus a couple more I ummed and arghed and in the end I signed up. Although this trip would cover most of the remaining Islands there will still be Raiatea or Rimatara left which Bill made it to but I just ran out of time….. There could be French Polynesia 3 coming up one day.

Logistics Trying to visit all the Islands where the endemic land birds occur in the Marquesas and Tuamotu Archipelago’s is not easy unless you have your own boat. Birdtourasia had charted the Braveheart for a month-long trip of French Polynesia and I joined the second leg which covered the northern Islands. I had travelled on the Braveheart last year. It is a small boat with 12 berths and is ideally suited for the task. Some of the landings on the more remote islands were on the tricky side to say the least but as usual the Matt and his crew made sure we managed to get on and off ok. We flew from Tahiti to Nuku Hiva where the Braveheart was waiting for us and finished in Moorea returning to Tahiti on the ferry. Although we managed to land on all the islands that we needed to see the endemics, the seawatching from the Braveheart was poor due to the rough seas for most of the two weeks making chumming difficult and hence seabirds were few and far between. Apart from Rob and James from Birdtourasia, Teiki (ww.imikoana.com) a local guide joined us for the Marquesas leg of the trip. He was excellent and appeared to know everybody on the islands and guided us expertly on the uninhabited ones.

Route

Sites To see all the endemic land birds, we had to visit seven different Islands of which two were un- uninhabited. As is quite often the case with island endemics the difficult part is getting to the island as once there the birds were quite easy to see. This was true on this trip with the exception of Hatutu and Mohotani both uninhabited which required trails to be hacked to the best birding areas. Apart from the regional endemic birds the island held very few other birds and on most it was hard to see more than five land birds in a day. The following is a summary of each of the islands we visited. The birds in red are endemic to that island

Nuku Hiva – Marquesas Imperial Pigeon. White-capped Fruit Dove, Northern Marquesas Reed Warbler A large inhabited island with an airport. The airport is on the opposite site of the island to the main settlement and the connecting road rises to 1400m as it crosses the Island. The west of the Island consists of open grassland whilst the east has taller trees. We birded the tall trees adjacent to the road starting at the high point and at other locations as we headed down the eastern side. A stop at Hati Heu Archaeological site was productive with the Imperial Pigeon and Fruit Dove being easily located. We stayed in a hotel for one night at Taioha’e and spent time exploring the costal area which held good numbers of the Reed Warbler and Fruit Dove whilst we waited for the Braveheart to arrive.

Hati Heu Archaeological site Roadside Stop for Marquesas Imperial Pigeon

Hatutu – Marquesas Ground Dove White-capped Fruit Dove, Northern Marquesas Reed Warbler. An uninhabited island consisting of low bushes with a few patches of tall trees. It’s the last strong hold of the Ground Dove. There are no proper landing areas and no trails, so we had to make our own. We hacked through the low bush to the area of tall trees where we located a single Ground Dove.

View of wooded area Hacking through dense vegetation to reach trees

Ua huka- Ultramarine Lorikeet. Iphis Monarch, White-capped Fruit Dove, Northern Marquesas Reed Warbler. From the quay at Vaipee it was a ten-minute drive to the Arboretum called Papuakeikahn where the Lorikeet and Monarch can be found without much difficulty. We drove round the Island to the town of Hane where we also saw the Lorikeets in the trees along the main street.

Tahuata – Marquesas Kingfisher, White-capped Fruit Dove, Southern Marquesas Reed Warbler. We landed at the main town of Motopu and walked along the only road which headed up into the hills. The Kingfisher was seen near the school in the main village with another pair further along the road.

Looking towards Motopu Kingfisher Area

Mohotani – Marquesas Monarch, White-capped Fruit Dove, Southern Marquesas Reed- An uninhabited island with the ridge covered in tall trees. From the landing spot it required an initial scramble up the rocky cliffs and then a walk up through grassland and then cutting a trail through low trees before we reached the wood area. Once in the tall trees the Monarchs were easy to see. The far side of the island consisted of steep cliffs which no doubt one day in the past held huge numbers of seabirds. There are plans to eradicate the rats and possibly relocate some Ground Doves to the island. One hopes they can find the money to do this.

Trees on ridgeline where Monarch is Scramble up from the landing spot

Fatuhiva – Fatu Hiva Monarch, White-capped Fruit Dove, Southern Marquesas Reed. There are only 28 Monarchs left and they all occur in a single valley. We landed at the village of Omoa from where it was a short 10-minute drive in a pickup to the start of the valley. It was a short walk up the valley to the first territory but it did involve crossing three streams There is a MANU team on the Island trying to stop the Monarch from becoming extinct through extensive trapping of rats and wild cats but it’s a never ending battle.

Crossing one of the three streams

Rangiroa – Blue Lorikeet, Tuamotu Reed Warbler, Atoll Fruit Dove. One of the largest Atoll’s in the world being 80km long and 30km wide and made up of over 400 small islands or Motus. We anchored just off the main town of Ohotu where there was good snorkelling and a small island which held numerous Grey-backed Terns. The Lorikeets are located near the Blue Lagoon on the far side of the Atoll a two-hour speed boat ride from the main town. It’s a very famous tourist attraction and no wonder why it’s stunning. The Lagoon is encircled by Motus and it is possible to wade between them. The Lorikeets were easily heard but not so easily seen. We didn’t see the Fruit dove apparently they are not common here. The lagoon held a few waders including Bristle -thighed Curlew.

Blue Lagoon Wading to the next Motu

Niau – Niau Kingfisher, Tuamotu Reed Warbler, Atoll Fruit Dove. A round shaped atoll with a central lagoon which is surrounded by coconut groves. The Kingfisher was seen easily not far from the main settlement of Tupana. Measures are in place to protect the birds with steel plates fixed to potential breeding trees to stop the rats and cats attacking the nests. Atoll Fruit Dove was also quite plentiful.

Coconut planation Kingfisher habitat

Makatea – Polynesian Imperial Pigeon, Makatea Fruit Dove, Tuamotu Reed Warbler. The island was once home to over 15000 residents during the peak mining years but now there are only a handful left. Evidence of the mining could be found everywhere with rusting machinery, railway tracks and buildings scattered across the island. Although we heard and eventually saw the Pigeon and Fruit Dove on the road from the wharf to the village the best place to see them was the far side of the island from a viewpoint.

Viewpoint from where Imperial Pigeon easily seen

Moorea – Society Kingfisher Moorea sub species, Grey-green Fruit Dove – Close to Tahiti the island is less developed though still has some swish resorts. The best area is the road from Opunohu Bay to Belvedere. Birding in the trees was hard going and it was much easier see the Kingfisher by walking along the along the road from the viewpoint downhill.

View from Belvedere down valley where Kingfisher can be found by walking along the road

Itinerary

Wednesday18th September I left Hong Kong on the evening flight to Auckland where I had a 4-hour layover before taking the flight to Papeette arriving late evening of the 18th due to crossing the international date line … most confusing. It didn’t take long to get through the airport and then it was a short but expensive taxi ride to the hotel.

Thursday 19th September Having arrived a day early in case of flight delays I decided to go to Moorea on the spare day as it has a race of the Society Kingfisher which looks very different from the Tahiti form and could be a potential future split. I walked the 3km from hotel to the ferry to stretch my legs after the 24 journey and caught the 7am ferry. The crossing only took 30 minutes due to the speed of the ferry and close proximity of the island. My pre booked Avis car was waiting for me and very quickly I was heading along the coastal road towards Opunohu Bay before heading inland to Belvedere The weather looked a bit threatening, so I was keen to get there as soon as possible. I parked at the archaeological carpark and after applying liberal amounts of bug spray as recommend in the previous trip reports I headed into the forest along the well-marked trails. It was hard going birding in the forest the limited birds were few and far between with just a few Silvereyes and the occasional introduced Bulbul. It took a good hour before I located a pair of Kingfishers which stayed very high up in the trees and hence views were not that good. The only other bird of note was a pair of Grey-green Fruit Doves. I decided to try and find a photogenic Kingfisher so headed up the trail towards the viewpoint.

Society Kingfisher Sub species youngi Greater-crested Tern

Whilst walking along the trail I heard at least two more birds calling but couldn’t located them. I decided it may be better to look from the road so once I arrived at the viewpoint I headed back to the car along the road and it wasn’t long before I had located a pair and managed to get some decent views. I was flagging a bit by now so decided to return to the coast and find some refreshments. At the start of the road were some pools withheld a few Greater Crested Terns. I returned to the same area and managed to get some photos before heading back to the coast and driving slowly to the port making a few stops on route to look at the Brown Noddy’s and White Terns. The return journey was uneventful, and I was happy to get back to the hotel for a short power nap before meeting up with the other members of the trip for dinner.

Friday 20th September It was an early start as we were on the 7am flight to Nuku Hiva however the pre booked taxis failed to materialise and it ended up in a bit of a frantic dash to the airport. It was a long three-and-a-half-hour flight north over basically ocean all the way. At the airport we were loaded into three pickup trucks and headed inland. The weather was not good with low cloud and drizzle and the occasional heavy shower. The first birds we saw were Marquesas Swiftlets which we continued to see in good numbers all day. The road rose to 1400mm and we stopped at the pass, but the low cloud meant there was no views and no birds. We continued down the other side and stop at a layby surrounded by mature trees and very soon heard a Marquesas Imperial Pigeon calling. Before long a pair flew out of the trees across the car park and landed on the other side of the road where they gave good views though photographing them was hard due to the continuing rain.

Marquesas Imperial Pigeon White-capped Fruit Dove ss dupetithouarsii

We continued along the road heading down to the other side of the Island to Hati Heu Archaeological site where apart from the Imperial Pigeons and some White capped Fruit Doves we found our first Northern Marquesas Reed Warbler.

Northern Marquesas Reed Warbler ss percernis White Tern

The weather was not good dull over caste and drizzle, so we retired to the hotel Hee Tai Inn in Taioha’e the islands main town. Dinner was had at a local restaurant which was followed by a gentle walk back to the hotel.

Saturday 21st September First light found me exploring the hotel gardens and adjacent seashore. It had rained overnight and was still over-caste. There were many White-capped Fruit Doves and a few Northern Marquesas Reed Warblers, but none were very co-operative and then the rain returned, and I spent a good part of the time sheltering. After breakfast we headed out in the cars to the group of trees that we had stopped at the previous day and obtained some good views of the Imperial Pigeon and Reed Warbler. From here we returned to the coast and then turned inland up a dirt track which eventually petered out and then it was a steep 400m climb along a poorly defined trail to a large rock that held some 50 plus Marquesas Swiftlet nests. We spent some time watching them fly in and out before returning to the town where we had lunch. The rain returned again and from cover I scanned the beach and sea and whilst watching three Brown Booby’s diving into the sea I saw a small plover running along the beech which was eventually identified as a Semi-palmated Sandpiper a rare straggler from the states. The beach also held Wandering Tattler and Reef Egret

Semi-palmated Sandpiper Marquesas Swiftlet

By mid-afternoon the Braveheart was ready for us to board. The zodiacs transferred us to the boat and I and met up with some familiar faces from my trip last year. Around the boat there were several Manta rays and a few of the team jumped in and swam with them but the water was a bit murky. We set sail and slowly cruised along the coast. The sea was alive with thousands of birds the majority being Black Noddy’s with plenty of Blue Noddy’s mixed in with them. As the evening started to draw in, we headed further out to sea and Bulwer’s Petrels started to arrive in big numbers and a single Polynesian Storm

Petrel put in a brief appearance. Tropical Shearwaters were now starting to be seen with a single Wedge tailed Shearwater and Herald Petrel. Finally, at least two Grey Backed Terns flew by.

Blue Noddy Wedge-tailed Shearwater

It was a good evening sea watching. As we hit open water the ship started to roll, and I skipped dinner and headed to bed to get my sea legs

Sunday 22nd September Overnight we sailed to Hatutu and by first light we had anchored a long way from the coast due to the large swell. The first Zodiac made its was way along the cliffs and rocky headlands to the only landing spot near a small valley. The landing required jumping off the zodiac onto slippery rocks and then making our way to higher ground above the surf line. It took over an hour to get everybody ashore. We were hoping the Marquesas Ground Dove would be in the clump of trees on the small beach close to the landing point but as we approached it was obvious, they were not there just a few rats. Therefore, we had to resort to plan B which was to hike up to a big patch of trees halfway up the island. It was easier said than done as there was no trail and it was at least 300 to 400m meters away. We scrambled up out of the trees and then followed a steep dry riverbed until it petered out and then it was a matter of making a trail through the low trees. It was tough going and the sun came out making it hot going as well. It took a long time but eventually we reached the edge of the trees. We scanned the open understory from the edge but no Ground Doves. Once everybody had caught up, we slowly made our way through the trees scanning the ground ahead of us but still no Ground Doves. We were running out of areas to search and were getting a bit worried when suddenly a bird jumped up onto a rock. It was a Ground Dove… relief. The bird was very confiding, and we all got excellent views and photos as it wandered around the ground.

Marquesas Ground Dove White Tern ss microrhyncha

Overhead in the trees there were Black Noddy’s and White Terns of the sub species microrhyncha split by a few authorities. We checked the rest of the area but couldn’t locate any more Ground Doves. It was time to leave so reluctantly we made our way down through the low trees which held breeding Great Frigatebirds and Red-footed Booby’s towards the landing spot. It was a tough slog down the hill but eventually we all arrived back at the landing spot and were transported back to the Braveheart. There were some exhausted people that evening. We set sail southwards and sea watched from the top deck seeing a few Polynesian Storm Petrels and Bulwer’s Petrels as well as plenty of Noddy’s and Terns

Monday 23rd September The boat arrived at Ua huka in the early hours after a rough crossing. We hauled anchor and as we headed to the landing spot at the town of Vaipee we sailed past two large rocks which had been part of a successful rat eradication programme and which were now home to an estimated half a million breeding pairs of Sooty Terns

Sooty Tern colony

It was dry landing at the wharf where there were three pick-up trucks waiting for us. We climbed aboard and headed inland through the village to Papuakeikahn arboretum stopping and paying our respects to the Mayor on route. We spent the next three hours exploring the Arboretum grounds. It was not long before a small party of Ultramarine Lorikeets came in and very soon a single Iphis Monarch was found followed by a pair. Northern Marquesas Reed Warblers hopped around on the ground under the trees and there were good numbers of White-capped Fruit Doves in the fruiting trees. The owner constantly fed us many different kinds of the exotic fruits that grew on the farm which he picked freshly from the tress.

Iphis Monarch Northern Marquesas Reed Warblers ss idae

After a few hours we again boarded the trucks and drove round the coast and reached the village of Hane where we had an hours birding before catching the Zodiacs back to the Braveheart which had repositioned whilst we were birding. The village held a few Lorikeets which eventually gave good view.

Ultramarine Lorikeet

Once we were all aboard it was a quick lunch before we sailed south. Sea watching was slow with just a few Polynesian Storm and Bulwer’s Petrels and our first Tahiti Petrels. It was yet another bumpy night as we sailed towards Tahuata.

Tuesday 24th September We had arrived at Tahuata during the night and were all ashore by 7.30. From the wharf we walked along the edge of the bay to the village and then headed inland along the only road for about 1Km stopping near the village school where eventually a Marquesas Kingfisher came in. It started to rain so we sheltered for a while before carrying along inland where we again locate the Kingfisher this time with eye level views

Marquesas Kingfisher Southern Marquesas Reed Warbler ss mendanae

The Reed Warblers were now Southern Marquesas Reed Warblers and one put in a brief appearance. Continuing along the road we came across another Kingfisher high in the trees. The group then split up and I carried along the road for another km but apart from a few White capped Fruit Doves I saw very little. On the return I spent some time trying to get photos of the Reed Warbler but without success until I arrived at the village where one performed excellently. We were all back on the boat just after midday and we set sail to Mohotani. The sea crossing was quiet with a few Tahiti Petrels and some Bulwer’s Petrels plus plenty of Black Noddy’s and White terns. It was only a three-hour sail. The Braveheart

12 dropped anchor and James, Rob and Teiki went ashore to check out the path for tomorrow. That was it a relaxed end to the day.

Wednesday 25th September It was an early start and we were all on deck at 6am ready to go. The landing was not to bad mainly due to Matts skills at manoeuvring the zodiac close to the rocks. It was a steep first 30m where it was more climbing than walking but after that it was a steady uphill walk across a grassy area until we reached the bushes. Teiki then started cutting a trail through the bushes towards the tall trees located on the ridge of the island. It was time consuming but eventually one and a half hours of setting off we reached the trees. After a short rest we headed into the dense forest of tall trees. After a bit of playback, we soon located a male and Immature Marquesas Monarch. They performed well.

Marquesas Monarch male and female Male

Heading deeper into the forest we located a pair of Monarchs the female looks better than the male. We continued up seeing more Monarchs and eventually reached the ridge where the forest stopped giving good views over the cliffs which no doubt once held thousands of seabirds but now very few due to the rats. It was time to head down, following the trail was not easy but eventually we left the woods and headed through the bushes across the open grass areas and down to the rocky shore. We all managed to get off without getting our feet wet and we were back on the Braveheart five hours after leaving.

Bulwer’s Petrel Polynesian Storm Petrel

We set sail to Fatuhiva. It was a choppy crossing, but sea watching was good with plenty of Bulwer’s Petrels, a few Wedge tailed Shearwaters and Polynesian Storm Petrels plus the usual Terns and Booby’s. Three hours later we arrived at Fatuhiva and cruised along the coast past the Bay of Penis (renamed the Bay of Virgins) and onto our mooring site outside the town of Omoa. Dinner was held on deck and turned into a bit of a lavish late dinner as a few representatives from Manu joined us.

Thursday 26th September It was an early start and we were all on the wharf by 7am where we met Maria a young enthusiastic researcher who has been studying and helping with the efforts to save the Fatu Hiva Monarch. Currently there are only 28 birds left with 8 breeding pairs. They only lay one egg, so the recovery rate is very small. The main issue appears to be feral cats and black rats which were introduced to the island in the late eighties. Prior to then the Monarch was common throughout the Island. Extensive trapping has reduced the threat but it’s a never-ending battle. We boarded a couple of pickup trucks and after a short 10 min drive, we stopped at the start of a valley. It was now going to be a short walk to the first territory however this walk involved crossing three streams which were quite deep. We all manged to get across and once we had arrived at a territory were shown a nest high up in the canopy which had one well grown chick in. The parents came in regularly to feed it. After a while the more able of us climbed higher to another territory where we saw an additional two birds. We had seen 15% of the world’s population.

Fatu Hiva Monarch Male Female

We eventually returned to the pickup trucks and drove partly down to village where we were dropped off and continued foot the last couple of Km’s to the wharf on route seeing the local race of Southern Marquesas Reed Warbler and a few White capped Fruit Doves. We sat on the wharf waiting to be taken back to the Braveheart.

Braveheart moored in distance

Nobody was raring to go as it was very pleasant sitting in the sunshine with a cool breeze and we knew this would be the last time we would see land for over two days. After lunch we set off on the 1100km journey to the Tuamotus Islands. Sea watching from the boat brought the usual suspects but nothing out of the ordinary.

Friday 27th September I was on deck having a morning cuppa as daylight broke. The first couple of hours of sea watching produced a few Tropical Shearwaters, Tahiti Petrels plus the usual suspects. As the day got hotter the sea watching tailed off. Spent time sea watching in between cabin time but saw very little. At 3pm we started to chum but after two hours all we pulled in was at least one Tahiti Petrel and a couple of Red footed Booby’s and the highlight being a Long Tailed Skua.

Long-tailed Skua Tahiti Petrel

As dusk approached the engines were started and we continued heading west towards Rangiroa

Saturday 28th September Basically, a repeat of the previous day though today we started to see lots more flocks of White Terns and Noddy’s.

Sunday 29th September. At first light we were about 100km from Rangiroa. An early morning sea watch produced lots of Brown and Black Noddy’s and good numbers of Sooty and White Terns and a couple of Tahiti Petrels. We arrived at the entrance to the atoll the second largest in the world just before midday and made our way into the lagoon through the narrow channel. A flock of about 50 Grey-backed Terns were on a small island at the entrance and a few Brown Booby’s were perched on the buoys. Once in the lagoon we weighed anchor and had lunch. After lunch some of us went to the reef to snorkel and dive. It was very impressive the coral was full of fish. After an hour we returned to the boat and collected our bins and cameras and headed to a small island near the reef that held a small flock of Grey back Terns.

Grey-backed Tern

An hour was spent trying to photograph them before we headed to shore and stretched our legs for a couple hours. We were all back on the Braveheart by dusk.

Monday 30th September At 3am the boat raised anchor and headed across the lagoon to the other side. It took nearly three hours which showed how large the atoll was. We arrived near the Blue Lagoon at 5am just as we were getting up and by 6am we were being transported towards a Motu. The waters were very shallow and hence the zodiacs couldn’t get that close so the last 50m saw us wadding ashore to the small Motu. Not long after we had all arrived two Blue Lorikeets flew and gave brief views. It then started to rain heavily so we sheltered waiting for the squall to pass. As the rain eased a very wet and bedraggled Tuamotu Reed Warbler put on a show and up to five Lorikeets flew in from the adjacent Motu but views were not the best as they were always high in the palms.

Blue Lorikeet Tuamotu Reed Warbler

We decided to wade across to the next Moto where again we had brief palm top views of the Lorikeets. We continued to the next Moto where we found a Tuamotu Reed Warbler in the bushes and three Bristle-thighed Curlew on the beach. Again, we waded to the next Motu, but great eye level views of the Lorikeets eluded us. It was getting very hot and so we turned back wading through the water between the Moto’s trying to avoid the large shoals of Black-tipped Reef Sharks

Black-tipped Reef Sharks Blue Lorikeet

A very conveniently located log enable us to get great Noddy shots but they were soon flushed by a party of scantily clad tourists who were eager to take their place for selfies against the stunning back drop

Brown Noddy’s

The Zodiac came and picked us up at just before midday and during lunch the Braveheart set off back towards the main town where stopped for a couple of hours and had a walk round before it was finally time to leave. Matt again expertly manoeuvred the boat through the narrow channel and as the sun set, we sailed towards Niau. It had been a good day the Blue Lagoon had certainly lived up to its billing.

Tuesday 1st October It was a bumpy night as we headed towards Niau arriving as planned at first light. Just as we were starting to be ferried ashore it started to rain very heavily and it was a very wet bunch of birders that squelched through the town before turning left on a dirt track that circumvented the lagoon. The rain eventually stopped and not long after we found a pair of Niau Kingfishers that gave incredibly good views. A number of Tuamotu Reed Warblers could be heard singing in the nearby bushes and a distant Atoll Fruit Dove heard calling. Continuing on we came across a fruiting tree which held a held a solitary Atoll Fruit Dove. We all split up and I continued along the track, but it started raining again so I spent some time sheltering. When the rain eventually stopped the Tuamotu Reed Warblers started singing and giving good views. I walked further on for another couple of Km’s and came across a second pair of Kingfishers and heard a Bristle-thigh Curlew calling as it flew over. It was now time to turn back and as I headed to the quay the best birds were a few flyover Fruit Doves and lots of singing Reed Warblers.

Niau Kingfisher Atoll Fruit Dove

On the beach there were some Wandering Tattlers and Pacific Golden Plovers. We assembled at the wharf and were transported back to the boat and we headed off towards the final island.

Wandering Tattler Pacific Golden Plover

A long spell of sea watching in the choppy seas produced plenty of Tahiti Petrels but very little else. We stopped hoping to chum but the sea was too rough, so we ploughed on coming across a large mixed flock of Terns, Booby’s and a few Tropical Shearwaters

Wednesday 2nd October We arrived at the final Island Makatea at first light and we were all on land by 7am. From the wharf it was steep walk up a road through to the plateau. As we walked along, we could see the remnants of the past mining industry with abandon plant scatted everywhere. As soon as we reached the plateau, we could hear both the Imperial Pigeon and Fruit Dove calling but they were being very elusive. It took a good hour before we manged to get views of the Fruit Dove and we failed to see the Imperial Pigeon. We then meet a local person who was the MANU representative on the island and she kindly informed us the best place for the Pigeon was on the other side of the Island viewing from the lookout point. It was a few Km away but most of us eventually made it and we were rewarded with multiple sightings of the Pigeon, Fruit- Dove and a single Long-tailed Cuckoo a new species for the trip. We all slowly drifted back to the wharf some got a lift others walked.

Polynesian Imperial Pigeon Makatea Fruit Dove

On the way back we again heard the Fruit Dove and Pigeon calling where we had heard them in the morning but this time, they were easier to see. A couple of obliging Tuamotu Reed Warblers put on a show as did a White-tailed Tropicbird. Rob and I were the last back and whilst waiting for the Zodiac

18 we checked out the beach area which held a few Wandering Tattler. That was it last Island visited a clean sweep of the endemics now for the long slog home. Due to the rough condition’s sea watching was again poor as we headed to Moorea.

Tuamotu Reed Warbler White-tailed Tropicbird

Thursday 3rd October We arrived off the Island of Moorea during the night and early morning the Braveheart entered Baie de Cook Bay where it moored. A few of us went snorkelling and although it was not as good as Rangiora it was still excellent the waters were crystal clear. At lunch time it was time for me to leave as I had a midnight flight. I said my goodbyes and headed to the ferry terminal and caught a ferry back to Tahiti and then checked into the Airport Motel before catching the late-night flight to Hong Kong via Auckland