Papua New Guinea

Paradise

A Greentours Trip Report

25 th September – 18 th October 2011

Led by Ian Green

FOR SOME OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THIS TOUR VISIT THE GREENTOURS WEBSITE ( www.greentours.co.uk ) GALLERIES

Days 1 & 2 September 25 th & 26 th to the East

An evening take-off from Heathrow meant that by the time we arrived into Singapore it was already the next afternoon. Some enjoyed the airport hotel before checking in again for the Air Niugini flight to Port Moresby which took off shortly before midnight.

th Day 3 September 27 to Walindi, West New Britain

The dawn rose as we passed over the Kolepom Peninsula in southern Irian Jaya the great flat unchanging mangrove forests broken by wide snaking rivers. As the sun rose the clouds thickened and we saw little until we neared Port Morseby, banking past Loloata Island, before passing over a mix of swampy areas and coastal savannah forest, only encountering human settlement as we passed the town itself.

Port Moresby Airport is a friendly little place, big enough to have a few international flights a day, and quite a number of domestic, but small enough to be not overly concerned with security. To get our visa we actually had to pass immigration (leaving our passport there) and then change money for the local Kina, before returning to pay for our visa. Soon we were outside meeting Jenny and team who arranged for an early check-in for us for our later flight, then it was up to the Airways Hotel for teas, coffees and cold drinks, then a little chatting and relaxing, and an excellent buffet lunch. A large bright green beetle caused brief interest and there were Rufous-banded Honeyeaters, Pacific Swallows and Willie Wagtails outside. At one we were back down to the airport and into the domestic lounge.

Our flight to New Britain was on time. Sadly clouds obscured most of both land areas we went over, though the Coral Sea was mostly clear. Landing at Hoskins small airstrip we encountered a very rural scene. Baggage was brought to an outdoor table and then we were into Walindi's coaster bus and Patrick drove us to the lodge itself. At the airport Metallic Starlings chuntered around the terminal building, A Pacific Golden Plover or two were on the runway, and our first Eclectic Parrots went over.

1 The journey passed in a sleepy haze, the roadsides lined with oil palm plantations and therefore little wildlife to see. Occasional impressive fruit bats ( Pteropus neohibernicus ) flew past. We arrived at the lovely Walindi Lodge and settled in. Dinner at seven was presaged by some local school children doing some dances to raise money for their local school.

th Day 4 September 28 Walindi – Kimbe Bay and Kulu Ridge

We were into breakfast by around five! Already there was a hint of dawn in the air and by the time we had boarded the boat for our trip out into Kimbe Bay, it was just about fully light, at five-forty. The sun came up amongst clouds surrounding the volcanoes to the east, a beautiful sight. We sped across the very calm waters, making for several small islands off to one side of the bay, in these we were going to birdwatch, and round them, snorkel. However cetacean- kind thought differently and we were duly enticed to one side by a small group of Melon- headed Whales. These were lounging around on the surface and not doing a great deal, but we could see enough to make out the white areas on the sides and the swollen heads. We left them, passing a Pacific Reef Egret and some Crested Terns, before once again being led astray, this time by a group of dolphins. These were Spinner Dolphins, and we tried to get them to play with us but they were too busy, so we moved on to our islands.

The first one, Restorf Island, looked to be just a few acres, and was raised coral rubble, topped by a luxuriant hat of trees. Here we were introduced to the pigeon of the isles, otherwise known as Island Imperial Pigeon, whose soft good looks and resonant self-effacing laughing call was to be with us the rest of the morning, the call audible even below the water when we were snorkelling! A superb Beach Kingfisher was much appreciated. Joseph pointed out a White-bellied Sea Eagle's nest and sure enough, there was the juvenile, looking impressively well..... unimpressive! Red-throated Sclater's Myzomela and drab Ashy Myzomela, New Britain endemics both, were seen. Andrew, our boatman, let us drift along the edge of the island, below the boat was clear water and a lot of fish, we could see specks of blue where Chromis inhabited the shallow reef-top.

To the west was a geysir-like spout of steam which we were told erupts from a bubbling hot spring. However we headed on towards more islands set below some striking volcanic peaks. The first of these showed little, just our first Brahminy Kites, so we headed over to Big Malumalu. Here we anchored up and spent half an hour studying the birdlife. Island Imperial Pigeons were abundant, but here we also noted the Bismarck endemic Yellow-tinted Imperial Pigeon – a rather odd name in that the bird is clearly black and white! Brief views were had by one or two of us of that great island hopper, the Nicobar Pigeon, and some Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-Doves sped past. Metallic Starlings were visiting their nests, and a Beach Kingfisher was chased by a Collared Kingfisher.

Then it was back to Restorf where we disembarked onto an idyllic little beach. We spent the next two hours covering a few hundred metres, partly because there was so much to see and partly because the terrain was a little difficult! We found two beautiful orchids. One seems to be a Dryadorchis, with typical orange-spotted white flowers, the only thing is this genus seems to be confined to mainland PNG, so more research needed on this one! Many of the trees had a nutmeg-like fruit complete with 'mace'. We started to see the occasional butterfly, a 'rustic'

2 Cupha prosope and the birdwing Ornithoptera priamus , with sightings, albeit briefly, of the brilliant green and black male and the large orange, black and white female. Pigeons were to the fore again with more brief views of Nicobar Pigeons and several people got to see Stephan's Ground Dove, a pretty little species. There was a pair of lovely Mangrove Golden Whistler too. Skinks scattered everywhere as we went.

Then it was into the water for some snorkelling. What can I say! Superb. Certainly the best place I've snorkelled in terms of fantastic corals and amazing variety of fish. The corals came in all shapes and sizes, and were exceptionally colourful too. Amongst these perched anemones and starfish. One of the boatmen showed us the marvellous Anne's Nudibranch, a delicate little thing with white, blue and orange colours. Christmas Tree Worms opened and closed on large coral, they were red, orange, blue, green, white etc. On the deeper sandy bottoms were huge sea slugs, and one came right up to near the surface to gobble something good. The fish were awesome. There were so many butterfly and angel fishes. There were Latticed, Black-lip, Threadfin and Eastern Triangular Butterflyfishes, all in some numbers, as well as boldly- marked Vagabond and delicate Chevroned Butterflyfishes. Pretty Longnose Butterflyfishes moved in pairs, and lurking by steep coral walls were groups of both Pennant and Humphead Bannerfishes, these strangely-shaped fish are always great to see. Among the large Angelfish were Regal, Emperor and Six-banded. A Spotted Porcupinefish drifted along, a really large specimen. ‘Herds’ of Pinktail Triggerfish were seen as well as groups of Tomini Bristletooths, these latter forming large mixed groups with various Parrotfishes and Foxfare Rabbitfishes. The parrotfish were really quite something with hundreds of them forming large feeding parties, notably Saddled and Chameleon Parrotfishes amongst the plentiful Bleeker’s Parrtofishes. I saw Polkadot Coral Trout and its cousin, the Chinese Footballer! By intricate coral heads were all sorts of brilliant small fish, especially Jewel Damsels and Blue-green Chromis, whilst anemones gave shelter to Orange-finned Anenomefish. There were groups of Indian and Sidespot Goatfish, lots of sergeants, Black-banded Snappers and the Paddletail and Scarlet Soldierfish, the latter lurking in the shade of the convoluted corals. Scarlet-breasted Maori-Wrasse looked more like parrotfish in size. There were many surgeonfish too, Striped and White-cheeked often forming mixed groups, and both Bluespine and Orangespine Unicornfish. A shoal of Keeled Needlefish drifted past. We clambered out of the water, bewildered by all the colourful underwater life and trying desperately to remember fish patterns! We headed back to shore, but even this was full of incident as first we spotted a couple of distan noddies, then a Black Marlin started leaping out of the water. Groups of flying fish erupted from the bow-wave and sailed improbably distance off across the ocean. Then some more Spinner Dolphins were spotted. These did want to play and we had a fantastic fifteen minutes as we sped in circles enticing the dolphins to bow-ride with us which they duly did. We could see every detail on their sleek forms as we looked down on their powerful swimming shapes from just a couple of metres above. I must say the forest-clad volcanoes inland made a perfect backdrop!

In the afternoon, several of us went up the hill behind Walindi, and had a little bird bonanza. Joseph dropped us half way up in the middle of cacao plantation and asked Joe, a local villager, to show us the Booboks! He led us off uphill at a stiff pace and ten minutes later announced we were there. The owls, a pair of lovely, and rather uncommon, New Britain Booboks. They sat side by side and peered back at us as we watched them through the 'scope. New Britain Friarbirds moved with parrots and hornbills above us. We continued to the top of the hill and

3 set up shop amongst some fallow cultivation. It was immediately apparent that there were a lot of birds! Starling were everywhere and included a new species in Long-tailed Mynas. Suddenly our first Blue-eyed Cockatoos flew in. What impressive birds! Almost as good were the abundant Eclectus Parrots, the males green and the females red, but with blue on the wing. Pure colour. Two tiny Red-flanked Lorikeets were found and Eastern Red-capped Lories flew past. Whiskered Tree Swifts looked great arcing through the sky, and the Blyth's Hornbills were simply superb. Other good birds included Dollarbird, Collared Kingfisher and a superb White-necked (Pied) Coucal. Then it was back down to Walindi for a spot of relaxing before another excellent dinner.

th Day 5 September 29 Walindi – Garu River WPA and Hanging Gardens for snorkelling

We were into breakfast by five thirty and on the road shortly after six. Our journey took us around an hour, almost for the entirety we were passing through oil palm plantation, some of these now mixed with beef production. Several Black Bitterns and Variable Dwarf Kingfishers were noted as we drove. The first bird noted after we entered Garu was a superb Pacific Baza on a roadside tree. Then it was down to the Megapode area where we spent a happy half hour wandering under the trees and amid the very tropical feeling undergrowth. The streams here, indeed all water bodies we stopped at this morning, are warm, indeed some are positively hot. This is part of the reason the megapodes favour this area, they can bury their eggs in already pre-heated soil and leave them to it in the sure knowledge that they will be well regulated temperature-wise. We saw evidence of a fire made by the locals to cook the harvested eggs. We soon started flushing Megapodes though getting a good look at any proved impossible. We found a large millipede which also scuttled away. Back by the bus we found a superb White— mantled Kingfisher.

We spent a while walking down the road as the day warmed up. Birds were calling all the time, parrots, starlings and always the somnolent call of the Violaceous Coucal, and there were many birds flying over, however it was difficult to get a good look at any. One bird that did cooperate well was a superb Variable Goshawk. And we enjoyed watching a pair of Eclectic Parrots at the nest. Other birds that appeared, usually briefly, included Eastern Red-capped Lory, Red-flanked Lorikeet, Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot, Bismarck Friarbird, Bismarck Flowerpecker, and a Pied Cuckoo-Dove. Several Red-knobbed Imperial Pigeons were seen and we could hear Bismarck's! There was plenty of insect life, even if it was rather too busy to photograph much of it. A large pale blue, black and white moth was a frequent sight. We saw several fabulous iridescent Papilio ulysses , and other swallowtails included Papilio albinus and the birdwing Ornithoptera priamus . We saw the map butterfly Cyrestis acilia and several Cruisers, including one that really wanted to land on me! A Blue-bodied carpenter-type bee had iridescent orange wings. There were plenty of dragonflies with a tiny black-winged species, red saddlebags types and along the hot rivers, at least one Gomphid . I would imagine that it must have been a species adapted to laying eggs in water of such high temperatures! Our last stop was by another river where there were a few dragonflies and butterflies, a nice pool under a low waterfall, and some very fine red bowl fungi.

We returned to Walindi to find Pierre photographing a fine male birdwing Ornithoptera priamus

4 which was hanging some way above in a tree. Pierre and Michele had been in to see the local doctor in the morning and so had come back with plenty of time to enjoy Walindi's grounds. Two males in fact had been seen of the birdwing as well as a couple of Papilio ulysses . Pierre had also taken a photograph of Papilio fuscus . Pierre and I spent some more time enjoying the butterflies also finding Hypolimnas alimena , the 'albatross' Appias celestina , the endemic swallowtail Papilio phestus , and Jamides nemophilus , a pretty 'danis' mimic.

We headed out to sea half a kilometre for the afternoon snorkel. It was a delight to hop in the boat and then five minutes later be mooring up! We could see the reef next to us just under the water. The next hour and a half proved to again be excellent snorkelling. A sand bar on one side of the reef and all round the other edge was a superb wall with large growths of spectacular coral overhanging it – the Hanging Gardens! Corals and fish were again outstanding with huge numbers of fish. All the way round were groups of Red-bellied Fusilier and once a metre long Crocodilian Longtom hovered and looked menacing, due to a passing resemblance to a barracuda! There were shows of incredible Purple Anthias hovering over coral heads, the purple-pink a shocking and vibrant colour. In some places these were numbers of golden Threadfin Anthias and when the superb little blue damsels and a shoal of Tessellated Fusilier got mixed up in this it became like a kaleidoscope. There were groups of marauding parrotfishes, a few Chameleon, a group of impressive Steepheads and everywhere there were Bleeker's Parrotfishes. There were many of the same species of butterflyfish and angelfish as yesterday, but today we also spotted Dotted, Yellow-dotted, Redfin and Spot-tailed Butterflyfishes. I should think there were around nine species of butterflyfish! Groups of Orange-spine Triggerfish and Tomini Bristletooths cruised past. The only IndoPacific Bluetang of our visit to Kimbe was deep down by one of the walls. A nice surprise was a pair of pretty One-spot Demoiselles on the top of the reef. The light here was superb and every fish that appeared in front of me was perfectly lit. I passed several stunningly marked Blackpatch Triggerfishes, a yellow Black-spotted Pufferfish, and lots of Neon Damselfish before heading back to the boat. By a lone coral mount I saw an amazing sight – a Smashing Mantis Shrimp. This is a small(ish) creature that packs quite a punch, and is beautifully marked too, this one with yellow and green 'flags'.

Back on the boat it was time to return. The threatening storm dissipated and we were left with a fine evening to enjoy Walindi before tucking into another very good evening meal.

Day 6 September 30 th Walindi to Rondon Ridge.

An early start saw us departing for the airport at around five-fifteen and getting into the tiny check-in shack at six. Formalities completed we watched Eclectus Parrots fly back and forth across the runway. There was a Pacific Golden Plover on the grass verge. We took off out over the sea banking around over a number of reefs before heading off inland. Initially the oil palms dominated but soon these gave way to virgin, or at least relatively undisturbed, forest. This carried on up over the mountainous spine of the island before we swung down over the Bismarck Sea. The mainland was less accommodating with regards to seeing any land at all!

In Port Moresby we had plenty of time until the afternoon flight to Mount Hagen. So we went for a city-tour. First to the national museum where we were told that it was closed due to an

5 air-conditioning problem however we could go in at our own risk! It proved to be a marvellous place, the artifacts were amazing, and gave us an insight into the communities here, both past and present. Then it was across to the botanic garden where we took a look at the orchid garden, rather disappointing, and the nest of a Fawn-breasted Bowerbird. The birds themselves were about to. There were some pens with cassowaries and wallabies in and this gave us an opportunity to photograph these species, something far more difficult in the wild.

Next came camera shopping at CMH, and a very fine buffet lunch at the Airways Hotel. Then down to the airport where we had already been checked in so all it took was Stephen to charm his way to the front of a queue somewhere and check the baggage in as all of us went through to the boarding gate. But then Stephen does know everyone at the airport! Once inside we found that our flight had been delayed, by just about an hour in the end. Up at Mount Hagen we were met by Rondon's staff and whisked outside to board our small bus. As dusk was gathering we left and skirted a bit of Mount Hagen before heading uphill to Rondon Ridge. It was of course after dark by the time we reached Rondon, so we couldn't see the spectacular view. We settled in as quickly as we could and reconvened for a very tasty evening meal.

Day 7 October 1 st Rondon Ridge – Polga Village & Joseph's Orchid Garden

We had another early start this morning, rising before it was light and after a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits we were on our way down Rondon's rather bumpy approach road. We were heading for our first bird of paradise! We managed one stop as the dawn mists wreathed the gardens and coffee plantations of the lower valleys. This was for Yellow-breasted Bowerbird, one sitting up nicely on a branch with a Helmeted Friarbird. The unusually marked Ornate Melidectes was also there. The road took us through the village of Polga, and it seemed everyone lived next to the road and was socialising on it or waiting for a bus, or more usually both!

We stopped by a house and Joseph immediately beckoned us in, for we could hear a bird of paradise calling from its display tree. The family’s children and their pigs, including a very large friendly one, followed us across their small fields until we were in the right place. Standing amid a large patch of sweet potato we looked up and sure enough there was a superb male Raggiana's Bird of Paradise. And then...gone! Joseph and the locals were unperturbed suggesting it would be back shortly. We were on a couple of raised beds, the lady of the house had asked that we stay on just two of the beds so as not to further damage the crops – the lodge does pay this family to look after the display site! The youngsters it seemed were just as keen as us for the bird to return, or maybe it was just that they are always so sunny and cheerful here! We saw Black-faced and White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrikes, Brown—breasted Gerygone and Glossy Swiftlet as we waited. Then there were loud calls as the bird flew back in and almost immediately started displaying – wow! It hung half upside down jerking its fabulous red tail plumes into a shivering mass. Off again. But this time to a nearby tree where he just stood calling and we could see him very well through the 'scope. Soon he was joined by a female who was exceedingly interested in this flambouyant creature. Luckily for us they both flew back into the display tree and he went into overdrive including doing the jerky upside-down press-

6 ups with red feathers bouncing everywhere. This drove her crazy and she soon approached and buzzed about him. Eventually he managed to pull himself upright enough to mate with her and then they were both off, into the sunset (or breakfast time...). We headed back to the bus, though a big photo session with the local family delayed us as we enjoyed meeting them and their children and watching the coffee shelling and the general hubbub of people on the roadside.

We spent the next hour and a half making very slow headway through the village as we stopped every few metres for birds and had our breakfasts and generally mingled with the population. This was great fun, and the very distinguished looking old men were just as happy, if not happier than the children, to pose for photographs! In between these cultural exchanges we took in a variety of birds along the road. A perched Spotted Papuan Marsh Harrier caused a little head-scratching. Not so the lovely Double-eyed Fig-Parrots who whizzed about calling sharply. There were also Long-tailed Shrikes, White-winged Fairy- Wrens, and a much-appreciated female Superb Bird of Paradise. We then moved up to the Kuli Gap. This is a low pass between hills, a scenic spot. We found it to be a very good spot for insect life. The lights on the gas station there must have brought the moths and beetles in overnight and they sheltered either on the buildings or some of the more spectacular beasts under the leaves of the bananas behind the station. There was a large rhinoceros beetle who bristled with intent at us. Another large beetle was flattened and had impressive 'pincers' on the front. There were several hawkmoths, cryptic ones, a large red—brown one, and smaller ones too, and there were all manner of other moths including a huge yellow 'silk moth'. A Superb Bird of Paradise called loudly and Jane spotted him in a tree a hundred metres or so away. We were able to watch him displaying to the calls of a Raggiana's Bird of Paradise in the distance! It started raining but lightly so we went ahead with a little walk up a steep track to a radio mast on the top of the divide. The views over the landscapes to the north were very fine. Impatiens bloomed here and there along the track and we discovered a beautiful orange rhododendron. Whilst photographing this we noticed the first of three nice orchid species. This was a spectacular large-flowered Phaium tankervilliae , the blooms looking white from afar but when the slightly pendant flowers were upturned they were a kind of brick-pink. The other orchids were tall pink Spathoglottis umbraticola and a ladies tresses type, possibly Goodyera grandis . A flock of New Guinea White-eyes passed through.

We headed straight back to the lodge for lunch, another very good dish. The rain over lunch stopped just as we were due to go out for the afternoon but unfortunately it was a false dawn and so it soon started again. Nonetheless we managed a nice walk with some great birds including lots of Sooty Honeyeaters, Yellow-browed Melidectes, and both Buff-faced and Large Scrub-Wrens. Several times we encountered Superb Birds of Paradise, one was even watched displaying as we returned to the lodge. We noted several nice plants on the way up. One had 5cm long tubular very fleshy flowers that occurred in clusters on tree branches – it seemed to be a parasite of sorts. Once in the garden Joseph proudly showed us round. He has done a superb job and there were many fine orchids in flower. There was lots of Dendrobium cuthbertsonii appearing in many colour forms - red, yellow, cream, and pink. Some orchids were incredibly tiny, others much coarser. There were delicate sprays of Oberonias and small Dendrobiums and weirdly ornamented Bulbophyllums including Bulbophyllum unitubum , Bulbophyllum trachyanthum and lovely Bulbophyllum oobulbum with claw-like yellow flowers. Strange Bulbophyllum sessile (or at least something similar) had tiny pale flowers like a little

7 three-pronged tuning fork with blue nobbles at the end hidden inside the leaves! There were many other unidentified species. There were some lovely plants of Medicalcar bifolium with red and green/yellow flowers almost like a berry! Returning we came across some new birds including Yellow-breasted Broadbill, Red-collared Myzomela and Ashy Robin.

I went out again for a brief wander before dark and saw Belding's Melidectes, Little Shrike- thrush and even better views of displaying Superb Bird of Paradise!

Day 8 October 2 nd Rondon Ridge. Cultural Day!

I rose early for a combined nightwalk and early morning birdwatch. The nightwalk was completely unsuccessful in that I saw no animals or birds at all. The early morning birdwatching fared better as I had found myself surrounded by birds of paradise. There were wonderful Black Sicklebills and Brown Sicklebills cavorting in the trees. I could hear King of Saxony Birds of Paradise displaying too. Papuan Mountain Pigeons flew back and forth. Smaller birds seen included both Yellow-browed and Belford's Melidectes, Sooty Honeyeaters, Mid-mountain Berrypicker, Black and Friendly Fantails, and a host of drab brown jobs. Scrubwrens are perhaps the epitome of the small brown job and here I had four for company, Large, Buff-faced and Papuan Scrubwrens, and Mountain Mouse-Warbler.

I think it is fair to say that most enjoyed the leisurely breakfast this morning, served at eight (or before!). Martin and Jane had already been out and had views of Superb Bird of Paradise.

After breakfast we headed down into the valley for our visit with the Melpa peoples who live in this valley. We picked up our local guide just outside Hagen and moved along the valley to one of the local villages. It is easy to forget when you see the modernity of Hagen that it was only seventy-five years ago that the outside world and the Wahgi Valley in which Mount Hagen sits, made contact with each other. The complex society that the gold prospectors found was and is a vibrant one, though the nature of the Melpa's society meant that they embraced capitalism very willingly. Traditional clothing is now rarely seen on the street but is kept for singsings and rituals and it is these that the older generation who were brought up when it was the only culture the Melpa knew, are trying to keep. We started by exploring how the Melpa of this village traditionally would have lived and to do this we needed to be invited in by a suitably attired chief. 'Andrew' looked rather different from the guy we'd chatted to as we birdwatched along the road yesterday, though his rugged and characterful face was just the same. He had on the traditional bark belt and leaves covering his backside, this known in Tok Pisin, wonderfully descriptively, as 'arse gras'. He had a head piece of lorikeet feathers and a large bamboo 'pig tally' hung from his neck, one 'tally' for every ten pigs he'd ever owned. Pigs are major sign of wealth in Melpa society. We were then met by a rather scary hunter before moving into an area where we could see inside a traditional hut. This was of course dark and smoky and it took a while to realise that there was someone lying on the floor, and a while longer to see that the wizened old man was alive! He was illustrating how the Melpa slept, palm leaf under and on top and log for a pillow. These windowless huts are less popular now and are often used as kitchens, however the older men still like to sleep in them – it is next to the fire! We then met a witch doctor who had a rather animated not to mention somewhat piqued discussion with the spirits, before we went on the see how the men would have

8 planned a Moka. This is a passing of wealth to a neighbouring clan or tribe, something the Melpa did to avoid going to war. However it was expected that the 'gift', or perhaps more properly 'investment' would be returned with considerable interest a few years later. We then brought a few artifacts, the stone axeheads (or whole axes) being popular. It was, though obviously staged, a very interesting visit and much enjoyed.

Next we moved to Polga village, just up the road, where we were treated to the mudmen. We witnessed a re-enactment of a story about a big tribe who had conquered a smaller one to get their land. The smaller tribe had gone up into the mountains and hatched a devious plan to get their land back. They had grotesque masks and covered their bodies in pale mud and came down amongst the bigger tribe looking like something that had risen from the grave. The actors played out the scene, the bare—breasted ladies who had been representing the gardening bigger tribe doing a fine job of being frightened and running off into the trees!

Then we moved over the Kuli Gap to Aza Orchid Garden where we took lunch on the lawn of the gardens. An excellent lunch it was too. We had already explored the orchids (nice examples of Dendrobium finisterrae and white sprays of Calymmanthera filiformis ) and admired the Blyth's Hornbill, Vulturine Parrot and the very entertaining Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (singsing!) when the rain started. Our hosts were to put on a singsing for us but could not get their feathers wet. So we waited in one of the huts for the rain to stop. When it did we watched the dancers/singers, clad in amazing headdresses covered in feathers, or even whole birds. The three year old had a few whole lorikeets inserted into her head-dress, her teenage sister had many more. One had a whole Raggiana's Bird of Paradise and there were also feathers from Lesser and King of Saxony Birds of Paradise. The elder of the family led the dance, teaching the teenagers and children. He looked amazing complete with pierced nose! We said our thanks and headed back to Rondon Ridge where we arrived in rain. A much appreciated tea and coffee awaited us.

Day 9 October 3 rd Rondon Ridge

We had a five thirty start this morning. So we started the uphill walk to the Bird of Paradise site in the dark. Mind you it wasn't long before enough light was filtering through the trees to see where we were going. Bird song was very evident and started with the Blue-grey Robin. It is an hour's steady walk up to the site and we decided to do the walk without stopping except for a few breathers, so that we'd have plenty of time up amongst the birds of paradise. The rat- a-tat-tat machine gun/giant woodpecker rattle of a Brown Siicklebill told us we were close. Soon we heard the loud liquid whiplash of the even larger Black Sicklebill, one of the most difficult to see birds of paradise in New Guinea. Joseph led us up the last section of path, through bamboo and tree-fern forest. Here there were large trees, these had survived the logging that had emptied most of the area forty years or so ago of its climax trees. It was beautiful forest, all surfaces seemed covered in mosses, clubmosses or liverworts with a not inconsiderable drappery of orchids. Joseph had not only constructed a number of paths through this part of the forest he had also built a platform and placed a log for seating by another favoured tree. As we placed our bags on the platform we saw our first bird of paradise for the day, a Stephanie's Astrapia. This splendid bird looks like a giant sunbird and has a long rounded tail. Sadly it flew off and we didn't see another all morning. Immediately we could

9 hear both Sicklebills and the cascading waterfall song of the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise. It was quite a noisy spot. A Brown Sicklebill posed well for a few minutes, a sizable bird, being a metre long, but it was soon eclipsed by the large black thing that flounced through the sky. This was the rare Black Sicklebill, owner of the most valuable feathers on any bird of paradise, the long tail plumes apparently much sought after by the ladies. It is a shy bird and didn't like to have us in view so getting a good look needed perseverance, most managed decent looks in the end, and Pierre even managed photos. The King of Saxony was altogether easier going and readily perched in view, though always high up. Nevertheless we had very good views of this extraordinary apparition. The twin feathers that come out of the side of the head and stretch way beyond the bird are amazing, and so too the lime green gape as the bird opens its beak wide to deliver the waterfall song. For much of the time we were up there (a good three hours), this bird was in view. The Brown Sicklebills continued to deliver their loud call and from time to time came close to us. A female was seen with a youngster, feeding it before they both flew off.

There were plenty of other birds. A fine Rufescent Imperial Pigeon was among the early arrivals and Sooty Honeyeaters, Yellow-browed and Belding's Melidectes, and the streaked Rufous-backed Honeyeater, were all seen. Two lovely Blue-capped Ifritas appeared, these with pretty shining blue crowns. There were Black Fantails and no less than four species of Scrubwren. The fabulous mossy and tree-fern understory was good for fungi with some very architectural looking species noted. There were a number of orchids found too. A ground dwelling species looked to be a type of Cryptostylis , whilst our walk back down revealed a number of orchids that we had not had time to stop and enjoy on the way up!

After a superb lunch spread, and I think we were quite ravenous, some of us returned to the orchid garden to get yet more photographs of the very many species on offer. Dendrobium subaclausum was common and we found the spidery Bulbophyllum cardiophyllum as well as the nice-smelling Coelogyne fragrans . The Superb Bird of Paradise was again seen from the corner of the garden. Later several of us walked with Joseph to another area of forest. This took us through some lovely and varied habitat, from gardens and crops to forest and luxuriant tree- side but unfortunately it was raining for most of the walk. Still we managed to see more Brown Sicklebills and more Superb Birds of Paradise as well as Varied Sitella.

Day 10 October 4 th to Karawari

I went out for an early morning night walk and did the usual long walk uphill, this time though I was rewarded in the shape of a Mountain Cuscus, a rather cute animal that nonetheless didn't hang around long enough for me to fully appreciate it.

We had another sumptuous breakfast at Rondon – tea/coffee, toast, cereal if required, juice, a dish of fruit that include pineapple, papaya, banana and tamarillo, and cooked breakfast to order! There were even freshly baked muffins. Then it was down to Mount Hagen and departure for Karawari.

It was very pleasant to drive straight into the airport, have our baggage carted away and within five minutes of walking into a little room with a kettle to make your tea etc we had met

10 the pilot (Kevin, ex-teacher, took to aviation, well perhaps forty years ago!) and had our hand baggage placed by staff into the area at the back of the cabin. Another five minutes and we were all aboard, strapped in, and ready for the off. It was a beautiful morning with fluffy clouds rising up the mountains and our route took us steadily higher over the cultivated valleys with parts of Mount Wilhelm, the highest in PNG, clearly visible behind (and above) us, and up over a ridge which we cleared with a couple of thousand feet to spare flying at twelve thousand feet. Up until then the land had been extensively farmed except on the steepest slopes but as we continued across the mountains it became virgin forest as far as the eye could see with deep gorges where huge rivers drained the mountains. There were some intriguing grassed table lands above the gorges, not high enough to be above the treeline but clearly not maintained by human hand. We dropped suddenly to the lowlands the scenery now totally spectacular with thick rainforest clothing near vertical gorge walls, impressive cascades and waterfalls visible, and some great rockfaces, the most interesting of which looked like a medieval castle tower, perfectly round – possibly a volcanic plug? Then it was over the great Sepik River lowlands, though we never saw the river itself, having to content ourselves with many smaller ones (smaller is a relative term, many of these were two hundred metres wide!) and lake and swamps. The forest was pristine and uninterrupted save for a thatched house or two along the river banks.

We landed at Karawari's green and pleasant airstrip. Twenty mostly-naked children sat watching from an old engine by the edge. We went to the hut signposted 'Gate 2 Departures' instead of the thatched hut labelled 'Gate 1 Arrivals'. A bunch of the locals, both children and adults came and sat with us there, politely quiet, but quietly inquisitive. We saw immediately that butterflies were going to be good here. We'd seen Papilio albinus , Papilio ulysses and Papilio euchenor before we'd left the airfield. Andrew was already photographing spiders, dragonflies and some rather fine looking hornets. Pied Heron and Masked Lapwing didn't bother to move from the end of the runway even when the plane landed. A short boat ride upriver and we landed, and then ferried by landcruiser, nattily hand painted with tribal designs, the half mile up to the lodge. Karawari it has to be said has a setting to compare with any lodge I have ever seen. A little like Voi Lodge in Tsavo East, it sits atop the last hill, only three hundred feet up, but below is the wide and strong Karawari River and stretching as far as the eye can see, which is to say, far, is untrammeled rainforest. Over to the left lay many more hills, all forest clad and stunningly varied in shape. Several new butterflies have been described from the largest of these in recent years. We were met with both a nice cold towel and a fresh cold lemonade. After checking in we had time to settle in and explore the ground before meeting for lunch.

It was the butterflies I concentrated on for the early afternoon. They were simply amazing. Of places I've been, only Bobiri in Ghana could hold a candle to the diversity here. I should start with the spectacular ones though. One of the very first we saw was the huge black and yellow swallowtail Papilio euchenor , though this beauty was to prove to be rather scarce. High in the trees we could see the prettily marked Papilio laglaizei (or was it the mimic, a moth, Alcidis agathryus) nectaring on flowering vines. One or two brilliant Papilio ulysses sped past however only Papilio aegeus and Papilio ambrax stayed to be photographed. There were some fine skippers, many of them remaining unidentified. Oak Blues were flushed at intervals including the magnificent Arhopala herculina , a spectacular blue the size of a Painted Lady! Taeneris are very distinctive butterflies, large white ‘browns’ with often stringly falcate wings and the most distinctive feature, one or two huge ringed eyespots. Today there were both Taeneris catops and

11 more commonly Taeneris artemis . So unlike anything in Europe! Bushbrowns were commonplace and whilst some were unobtrusive dull things others were bright ginger with lots of brilliantly-centred eyespots – half a dozen species identified from photos this lunchtime. Terinos tethys , large dull butterflies with ghostly wing tips emerged from the undergrowth, as well as two species of ‘Autumn Leaf’. Yoma algida was common but by far the most common butterfly was Parthenos aspila the ‘clipper’. The diversity of nymphalids was amazing with all sorts – Cupha prosope , Cirrochroa regina , Junonia hedonia , the strange Neptis praslini , and the ‘Map’ Cyrestis acilia .

We met at three and went down to the boats. We started by crossing the river to the village and walking into their cacao plantation where we found several nice birds as well as a 'cruiser' Parthenos aspila which took a liking to anyone wearing a hat! White-bellied Cuckoo-Shrike, Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo, Long-billed Honeyeater, Orange-fronted Fruit Dove and Streak-headed Munias were the best birds. Then it was on to the river – the rest of the afternoon trip was a thing of relaxation. We chugged up the river and then drifted back downstream, an exceptionally enjoyable way to experience the river's birdlife, the shoreside villages, and the wonderful temperature! The most striking bird group was the parrots. These flew over in increasing numbers, and from time to time we saw them perched too. First to show was a magnificent male Eclectic Parrot, as solidly green as it is possible to be though with traffic light red in flight too. Later we were to see the much smaller and extraordinarily coloured females, these brilliant pure red and deep blue! Suddenly a group of parrots hove in to view. These a dusky grey and rich red with a hint of orange – Dusky Lorys – many tens of them. We also saw the similarly coloured Rainbow Lorikeet. A sudden change – a huge white raucous bird appeared – a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo. And we saw a parrot that dwarfed even these – the amazing gigantic Palm Cockatoo, this one grey and red. Compact but brightly- coloured Double-eyed Fig-Parrots flew back and forth and then it was the turn of the fabulous Black-capped Western Lory to amaze us, so red! There were even Edward's Fig-Parrot too. Pigeons included both Zoe's and Pinon Imperial Pigeons flying past or perching on exposed snags. We watched both Brahminy and Whistling Kites circling, a Pacific Baza fly over and a Dollarbird perched high atop a tree. An idyllic couple of hours!

Day 11 October 5 th Karawari

A five thirty-rise this morning for a five-forty-five start. Tea and coffee and cookies in the lodge, then down to the boat. It was already light as we boarded the boat but with a grey cloudy sky the half-light of dawn was slow to clear. We headed upstream past the waking village, though in truth they were all up already!

The first Eclectic Parrots soon sailed across the river. Then Chris took us ashore to view a snag where Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise sits first thing and displays. No bird. We waited for a while but to no avail and eventually decided to move on. Heading upstream there were parrots and imperial pigeons flying back and forth before we landed again. This time to view a few trees often visited by birds. So it proved – the next hour was busy with many species. There was usually an Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove in view. All orange and green we thought perhaps a ripening papaya for this particular one! Parrots were numerous and a number of them gave us great views. Sitting on one tree top with the fruit-dove was a male Eclectic Parrot and a

12 Double-eyed Fig-Parrot. Soon Edward's Fig-Parrots were flying past, and some landed to give us a good look in a tree that also hosted Meyer's Friarbird and Pied Triller. Chris found us a Rufous-backed Kookaburra to have a look at and there were some marvellous views of the strange Lowland Peltops. A Black Coucal flew past and so did Dusky Lories, Western Black- capped Lories (stunning birds!) and Red-cheeked Parrot. Andrew had his work cut out keeping up with the variety of grasshoppers and crickets and there was a nice Katydid as well as several beautiful bugs. Birdwings flew about as we arrived but soon disappeared, only lots of Parthenos aspila were left. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, various Kites and a White-crowned Koel appeared as we tucked into the excellent breakfast spread brought along by the guys – tea/coffee, juice, eggs, lots of very tasty fruit, and muffins.

We headed into a tributary. A Palm Cockatoo flew over. We landed again. And this time Chris brought his machete along. It was needed as we were in swamp forest and already since Chris's last visit to this spot the rattans had grown back over the path. They are dreadfully spiny so a long machete is a handy tool! Chris soon had us to his spot. And straightaway the bird was there. The wonderful King Bird of Paradise. It really should be called the red bird of paradise! It is a most striking colour and its ornamentation pretty amazing too. Sadly though this bird was not going to play ball, and though we spent an hour there, we only ever saw it for a few seconds before it hopped out of sight. I think all got at least a glimpse, and some saw it reasonably well. The female was even harder to see. There were compensations. There was a beautiful aroid in front of us, its 50cm long spathe curved right back over in a big U-shape. Birdwings flew over a couple of time. Andrew found a superb little Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot. Eventually we decided that we'd come back on a day when the King was feeling up to being seen! So it was back to the lodge where we had lunch.

After lunch I had a wander round the forest beyond the gate. Highlights included monitor lizard and some great close-up photographic opportunities with Danis danis , a beautiful blue, black and white butterfly. I saw what may have been Danis regalis too. There were several beautiful orange, black and white Cethosia cydippe and the pretty little satyrid Hypocysta isi .

In the afternoon we headed across the water to the village and a sago extravaganza. Most of the peoples in the Sepik River region harvest sago which occurs naturally as a co-dominant in the swamp forest which covers thousands of square kilometres here. Sago is a type of palm, and it is the fibrous insides of the palm stems that makes the staple that provides the carbohydrates for these tribes. We were shown the processes of splitting the palm stems, the pounding, straining etc. And then the cooking - a large stew was being prepared to which was added a 'stock' made from the bark (it contains salt). Then just chuck in your freshly caught gobies and fresh greens, these mainly ferns of one sort or another. We didn't get to try this one, however the 'flatbreads' being prepared on skillets we did try. They were quite glutinous, but surprisingly tasty, many of us grabbed another mouthful. This had all been put on for us by villages who were in their more traditional gear, namely leaf skirts and not much else, the women bare-breasted. All were daubed to a greater or lesser extent with mud, the children enjoyed this part clearly and had joined in with a bit of face painting. Throughout the people were friendly and not at fazed by the cameras, and were very accepting of these strange foreigners. They do, after all, get around five hundred visitors a year here! One of the young lads had a pet Eupholus geoffroyi beetle. A fabulous looking weevil in sky blue and black, Pierre knew it as belong to the Cucurlionidae family, the pattern so clear it looked like it had been

13 manufactured! We borrowed it (Elvis's son, the pets owner, was rather distraught by this. but we promised to give him back!) and photographed it on the steps of one of the houses.

Then it was onto the river and downstream. The weather was threatening and it did eventually start to rain. There were many flocks of Dusky Lories, over a thousand of these flew past. And there was a good scattering of other parrots. There were Glossy-backed Manucodes and a single Jobi Manucode. A Tawny-breasted Honeyeater was a good find. There were groups of Black Ducks and we saw our first Little Black and Pied Cormorants. The undoubted highlight though was a fantastic female Northern Common Cuscus that Chris spotted. This was bright orange with a hit of brown. It was on a low branch and gave great views, its prehensile tail all coiled up when we first saw it but soon expanding as it sauntered slowly down the branch before going into hiding amid the trunk’s vines.

th Day 12 October 6 Karawari

This morning we left at six, heading upriver and then taking the Arafundy tributary all the way up to Yumas Lake. This was a beautiful journey, the ever-changing yet uniformly forest-clad riverside proved an endless source of interest. We passed a number of locals paddling their dugouts, ladies with the fire lit in the back of the canoe, and families off on fishing expeditions. We saw fish being smoked in a 'fish camp' and one or two canoes coming back heavily laden from a village upstream. After the village by the junction with the Karawari we saw only one or two more huts and even around the lake itself there were only a few distant huts visible. The tributary was much narrower than the Karawari and so when we saw birds we tended to see them pretty well. There were the usual procession of parrots and pigeons overhead. One tree had no less than five Blyth's Hornbills in it, these flying off to another tree just out of sight and from where we could hear them chortling happily to themselves! A beautiful Grey-headed Goshawk sat on the roof of a hut and a bit further along was a Variable Goshawk again perched nicely out in the open. We also saw White-bellied Sea Eagles and, making a pair of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos extremely unhappy, a perched Gurney's Eagle. An Azure Kingfisher sped from view and a Rufous-backed Kookaburra sat in a tree thick with Orange- bellied Green Pigeons and Edward's Fig-Parrots. Three Spangled Drongos sat with two Yellow- faced Mynas and three Golden Mynas, quite a combination! A Channel-billed Cuckoo, an impressively large bird, was a great find and we saw two more cuckoo species, Oriental Cuckoo and a Great Black Coucal. Glossy-backed Manucodes were our only birds of paradise. One of the fishing families held up a young (live) crocodile they had caught in their fish trap! A yellow-flowered Dillenia species was a common waterside tree and as we neared the lake the number of epiphytes suddenly shot up and we noted even small trees ('fresh-water mangroves') with large growths of ferns, orchids and even rounded balls of bright green moss. The scene was magical, for beyond the lake lay the start of the mountains, and as these were limestone (coral rag?) on the nearest the terrain was steep and spectacular. It made for great landscapes with lake, forest and sculpted mountains with clouds draping down through the valleys. It was here that the waterbirds started to appear. There were numerous Little Black Cormorants and a few Little Pied Cormorants, there were Little, Great and Intermediate Egrets and a number of the striking and rather elegant Pied Herons. Whiskered Terns were occasional and there were also the odd Great-billed Heron and Rufous Night Heron. The entrance to the lake was rather odd. It took a while to realise that we'd been in the lake for a while as we were

14 still in a tree-lined channel, the lake stretching out beyond that on either side. The channel went much of the way across the lake, but we exited it and sped off to another area, starting to look for our main target here, the orchid Dendrobium lasianthera . We found a lot of orchids out of flower before eventually coming across a loose colony of them. These were in the 'mangroves' and though we could get the boat into the side a bit we could not get close to them or high enough. So we searched on, Elvis spotting the next specimen. Again though out of reach, however we did find a superb pitcher plant at this spot, Nepenthes mirabilis . We returned later to get photos. Onwards and eventually we found a photographable specimen, again Elvis the spotter. Dendrobium lasianthera is a most stunning orchid, widely held to be the most beautiful in a country replete with stunning orchids. It is known only from this lake area (see below!) and was discovered by a Mr J Smith in 1932 and then lost to cultivation as the Second World War raged through the region. Its rediscovery could have been scripted by Rudyard Kipling, for it was Captain Neptune Blood, a man of infinite resource and sagacity, who liberated a plant as he was escaping from the Japanese! We spent a while getting photos and then it was time to hightail it back to the ranch. However we soon ground to stop when the lovely Bulbophyllum blumei was spotted. Then it really was back to the lodge for a rather late lunch!

After a break we met up again at three for our afternoon trip. This took us up-river twenty minutes or so to the village of Tangamimbit where we visited the 'man's house'. This village was peopled with the Kombrop tribe who had previously lived in the limestone caves in the mountains beyond the lake, but with the possibility of health care and trading by moving downstream they had taken the plunge in the sixties and moved here. It has to be said it was an idyllic location with the houses for the hundred or so people set on a promontory with views both up and down river, both with fine mountains in the background. It had been one of those views that had provided some memorable rainbow shots for us on the way up!

Chris led us into the men's house. We took in the walls painted with symbols and totems, the masks (to welcome those who you have captured!), the bows and arrows, the spears and spirit representations, one of whom, the building spirit, was nicely hewn from a Pandanus and came complete with a crown. There was also a trophy table complete with human skulls of those who had fallen victim to the tribe, though none looked very recent! Chris gave an intriguing insight into the function of a 'men's house' with an account based on his own life and experiences. The villages were a different tribe from Chris, but the basics would have been the same. He told how these houses are only used by the male population and are used as a meeting place, as a place to divulge tradition, and a place where you learnt to become a man. He told of the customs observed within the house and the use of the various items therein. Most intriguing was his description of the house’s role in the sexual practices of the tribe. When a man first has sex he has to tell an elder in the house and then the elder lets all hell loose on the poor lad; he has to show, in short order, that he is ready to fulfill his role as father, husband and provider by doing a set of arduous tasks straightaway! These included taking a load of logs into the forest and climbing a tall tree and placing them there, then coming down and cutting the whole thing down again! He also had to mark his penis with a sharp blade (not circumcision) and generally release blood from his being. Another interesting rite of passage he told us about was the crocodile marks on the back of initiated men where one of the reason for doing this was to release the mother’s blood from the boy, thereby concentrating the father’s blood and making the boy strong like his father. Male strength is important in another aspect of the men's house as revealed by Chris. In this tribe, unlike some of the highland ones, the men

15 sleep with their families, however, when the wife is menstruating, the man goes and sleeps in the men's house, to avoid losing his strength! We all sat spellbound as Chris talked of this to us.

Leaving, we noticed Hooded Butcherbird and two Boyer's Cuckoo-shrikes on the tree above us. Then it was on to the river. We went upstream a kilometre and then spent the rest of the afternoon drifting downstream towards the lodge. A fine Great Cuckoo-Dove flew past as did the usual list of parrots – Eclectic, Edward's-Fig, Red-cheeked, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Rainbow Lorikeets, Dusky and Western Black-capped Lories. White-bellied Sea Eagles flew about and a group of three Glossy-backed Manucodes sat together on a branch. Another tree had a nice group of Golden Mynas showing they were larger than the Orange-bellied Fruit- Dove. We watched a Whiskered Tern doing its best to deal with a small fish. The fish might have been small, but it really was a too big for the tern, and it kept having to drop it, though it proved adept at catching it again. However things took a turn for the worse when suddenly a Whistling Kite swept out of the trees, surprising the tern. The tern dropped the fish and the kite snapped it up with one leg and flew off to enjoy its thievery in a nearby tree!

Then it was back to base where we enjoyed another very good dinner. The asparagus soup was great and the bread and butter pudding just sumptuous. Never seen it served with half a tamarillo before! John, the Canadian who captains the Sepik Spirit, again joined us for dinner and kept us all entertained with stories of life amongst the villages, and of some of the goings on generally in PNG.

Day 13 October 7 th Karawari

A relaxed morning today with the whole day until three o'clock spent around the lodge. At seven we met for a bird walk up into the track beyond the Heli-pad. A flowering tree at the top of the grounds had lots of birds in. There were Orange-bellied Fruit-Doves and Yellow-faced Mynas, there were Meyer's Friarbirds and Mimic Meliphagas, and parrots – Edward's Fig- Parrots and Red-flanked Lorikeets. Along the track we saw a nice terrestrial orchid and lots of gingers. Chris spotted a pigeon in a tree. An imperial pigeon, one of the soft grey ones with green backs, and this one had a definite knob at the base of the bill. A Pacific Imperial Pigeon, but well away from its normal range which is offshore islands, the nearest being a couple of island's off the Sepik coastline. We also saw a lovely Coroneted Fruit-Dove here and had great views of Red-cheeked Parrots before returning for breakfast.

The morning was free to enjoy the lodge grounds. Sadly it was rather dull this morning so butterfly activity was somewhat muted. No birdwings showed and amongst the swallowtails there was only an occasional Papilio aegeus . Clippers (that is, Parthenos aspila ) were common and so too were various bush browns. There was a very fine female Cruiser, Vindula erota , that posed for some of us by the entrance, and a fine yellow, blue and white moth. Red-flanked Lorikeets and Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots were in the Eucalypts. There were plenty of strange bugs, beetles and assorted insect life including a large colourful carpenter type-moth that disappeared into the grass. We had a look at some of the orchids on the trees, these included the compact-headed Dendrobium smilliae , each white flower centre with dark green. I continued on into the upper forest and found a bird party that contained Grey-green Gerygone, Hooded Monarchs, Frilled Monarchs and Puff-backed Meliphaga. On the way back I followed a little

16 stream that had the tiniest demoiselles I'd ever seen. These were not even an inch long though they had the same general pattern and iridescence of our demoiselles. They danced like a pair of morris men!

After lunch we headed downriver. After motoring on past the airstrip we cut the engines and drifted on downstream. This is a great way to experience the bird life of the Sepik Basin. Pigeons and parrots passed by regularly. The numbers of Dusky Lories was impressive and we saw plenty of Edward's Fig-Parrots and Red-cheeked Parrots. Eclectus Parrots were common and we found two at a nest which gave us a great views of these most beautiful of parrots, the males all green and the females all red, both with blue on their wings. A nice surprise was a Long-tailed Buzzard that Elvis spotted which showed well. On the way back Elvis's eyes were again sharp as he picked out a Cuscus on the right bank, this probably a female Common Spotted Cuscus (though it may have been another Northern Common Cuscus). This was a large ginger cuscus and she had a baby in her pouch, a large one we thought judging by how round she was! A great end to the day!

Day 14 October 8 th Karawari

I was a little late for our morning jaunt! We were off a little before six and soon heading downstream. All by now familiar with the boat trips and hardly noting the odd parrot or imperial pigeon as they went by! We sped towards our target, me at least with little confidence that we'd succeed! However the pole sticking out the top of the forest did indeed hold our bird, a Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise. It was in rather gloomy light and so we didn't have the greatest views as he gave a weak attempt at displaying. Though most of the birds of paradise we'd seen this trip are in full regalia and fully focused on the job in hand, the Twelve-wired is at the end of his season and many of the males have lost their plumes and become a little shy. This one had lost his and with it went his mojo. So soon he was gone. No matter, just down the way was a palm with no less than four of these birds sticking out of the top, three females and the object of their fascination, a male. This one had the wires too! However all were soon off, the male disappearing, and the females across the river, where we got a good look at them in better light. Soon after we found a lone 'male' dancing by himself on a pole! I say male, the bird was in female plumage, but definitely had the moves, so I presume it was a young male? We watched this curious performance for a while, not at all distracted by the Lemon-bellied Flycatcher in the tree above us! In total we saws at least seven Twelve-wired Birds of Paradise in the morning. Those black birds of paradise, the manucodes, were also on good form with several Glossy-mantled Manucodes, include a male all puffed up and ready to go, as well as several Jobi Manucodes. We saw Collared Imperial Pigeons on a treetop with Orange-bellied Fruit-Doves. There were groups of Hooded Butcherbirds on one tree top and along the shore an Azure Kingfisher and a Yellow-bellied Gerygone. We made a brief stop by an inlet and Pierre took a look down a path where he was lucky enough to see a New Guinea Scrubfowl (Megapode) – its nest mound lay just down the path. There was a group of Frilled Monarchs. Then it was back to the lodge for an excellent breakfast spread, this time topped up by cinnamon pastries.

After breakfast we relaxed, some taking in the view from the main lodge building or from their verandahs. I went to check my trap camera which had caught nothing except Andrew! Then I

17 took a walk up through the forest by the lodge exploring the deep undergrowth. I saw many Terinos tethys in the undergrowth with various Mycalesis species including mucia , bilineata and asophis and a number of the pretty little blue, black and white Danis danis . Clippers passed me at regular intervals. A lot of screeching in the bush in front revealed a party of New Guinea Babblers which were busy searching the leaves for insect life. Further on I encountered a really good mixed flock of birds with Hooded and the lovely Frilled Monarchs in the mid-strata along with a Grey-green Gerygone or two. On the ground was a Sooty Thicket-Fantail and in the tangle of vines a pair of Rusty Pitohui. Best though was a Hook-billed Kingfisher sitting quietly on a cross branch – a good chance to photograph this elusive bird. Walking back to the lodge an explosion of noise in front of me revealed two Victoria Crowned Pigeons, turkey-sized pigeons, crashing off through the trees, and at the same time, a metre-long Monitor Lizard heading off in the other direction!

We arrived at the village of Marjamai, like Kundiman, the settlement along the river by Karawari Lodge, inhabited by the Yokoim Tribe, the language also Yokoim. Our very own Chris came from this village, and still had one wife here, with seven children and already some grandchildren! We landed in front of a house and went inside. This belonged to a relation of Chris's and was an opportunity for us to see how life went on inside the building. It was huge! Like all houses along the Sepik Basin rivers it was raised a metre and a half above the ground by a series of big uprights, these continuing through the main structure and then carved on the top to receive equally big cross beams. The inside was about ten metres by twenty metres, a large open area with no partitions. The floor was supported by many smaller beams, and was made of a particular type of local palm. It was only slightly springy. The gabled roof was huge and gave the whole space an airy feel, aided by the fact that the sides were only partially closed in. As Chris said, humidity was the main issue here and so catching any breeze was desirable. Sleeping mats, made of the same palm matting, were lined up along the walls. Termites and having a non-leeking roof were, Chris said, two of the really important issues with these houses. This one had three couples living in it. At one end one of the ladies was cooking. She had a stove made of clay and the pot was held above this and above that were cane shelves full of drying wood for the cooking. In such an inflammable building it was very important to keep those burning logs in the open sided stove! As we were leaving we spotted a little room made high up inside the roof above the main door – a children's den, the kids clambered up the sides of the house to get into it – marvellous!

We motored back up stream, taking a tributary off the Karawari, this the Konmei, and this took us to the village of the same name. Here we were welcomed by dancers who were impressively attired in grass and feathers, one of the guys sporting a natty head piece complete with the yellow crest feathers of Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. A number of the villagers had spread a load of wares out for us to consume – there were some really nice carvings here, some great drums with monitor lizards on the sides, one of which was picked up and used as the drum in the dance. There were beautiful snakes, and lots of crocodile headed men. Billum bags, sago fruit necklaces and shell necklaces with boar's tusks, and of course, penis gourds! We paid a visit to a big spirit house where the inside uprights were carved with the tribe’s totems. Outside that lovely orchid Dendrobium lasianthera was blooming on some palms. We headed back just as the rain started. It took nearly an hour to get back as the rain was very heavy, but it made for an interesting journey – certainly we were rather drier than some of the paddlers we passed!

18

Day 15 October 9 th Karawari & Ambua

I went out pre-dawn for a walk in the forest and to collect the trap camera. This had only pictures of me putting it up and taking it down – nothing in between! I found only a small tree frog.

Either side of breakfast there was much activity around the lodge. The eucalypts and the other trees by the front entrance had Red-flanked Lorikeets, Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots as well as Red-faced Parrots. There was a pair of cute little Double-eyed Fig-Parrots by the entrance gate and sitting pretty by the drive was a Sacred Kingfisher. Both male and female birdwings, Ornithoptera priamus , flew through. Fully (very!) breakfasted we went down to the boat for our last trip downriver. The airfield had its usual compliment of Pied Herons and Masked Lapwings patrolling the runway. The first Papilio euchenor since our arrival day flounced past.

Kevin was again our pilot and once incoming supplies were unloaded we were soon loaded up and in the air. Though the weather was fine there was a lot of cloud about so we were only able to see the landscape 50% of the time, however when we could, it was very impressive. We flew over the 'black lakes' and soon the land was rising as rapidly as we were. Great rivers cut silver or gold ribbons through the many-hued green-ness. In places white cliffs shone out. We cleared the highest ridge by a couple of thousand feet and then started the long gentle descent. Having passed over a huge wilderness it came as a shock to see fields and huts appearing. As the weather was staying pretty good Kevin took us all the way to Ambua and landed there, instead of dropping us in Tari. The airfield looked tiny as we were coming in but Kevin landed the PAC easily and carefully.

We were met by Joseph and Peter and our driver and soon had driven the five minutes to the lodge. We settled into our rooms. I took a quick walk down a path and came across Black- breasted Broadbill and a female Superb Bird of Paradise. Then it was to lunch.

Almost immediately we were on our way for the afternoon trip. This was to be spent on the road up to the Tari Gap. Even by the lodge the forest looked fantastic, the trees covered in mosses and ferns. We stopped and enjoyed a run of orchids. The pink Spathoglottis plicata was very common all along the road. We saw some tall yellow Calanthe flava , as well as several small Dendrobiums , one an orange form of vexillare , the other orange and yellow subaclausum . There were Lobelias, several flowering trees, and several rather fine Rhododendrons . The large red flowers with a hint of orange were Rhododendron christi and the long-tubed white one Rhododendron konuri . A surprise as we left this spot was a wader wandering around a puddle looking very happy. A Wandering Tattler, living up to its name.

A little further on and Joseph called a halt by a displaying King of Saxony Bird of Paradise. This performed admirably with full ratchet-feather waving. A wonderful sight and also with a quite magical cascading song. Amazingly Joseph went on to spot two more Birds of Paradise here. A Loria's Bird of Paradise sat stock-still, but well-posed. All black though! Rather more lively were the mother and baby Brown Sicklebills. We heard a little of the rat-a-tat-tat call, but mostly they just gave a pandanus top a good going over for insects. The baby (and it is a big baby) shivered its wings and invited feeding, successfully too. Smoky Honeyeaters, Belford's Melidectes and a Canary Flycatcher all showed well here along with a couple of stunning

19 Regent Whistlers. A little further still and we made a stop for the rest of the afternoon. So about two hours in this quite exceptional area of mossy cloudforest. For now we were up into the truly dwarfed forest zone, and every surface was covered in a green mat of moss, indeed some of the trees had almost disappeared under it. A ‘land of faery’; ferns of all shapes and sizes hung from boughs, strange orange fungi rising from the mossy floor, and orchids. There were many orchids though it took a while to get our eye in. One person who didn't need to get his eye in was Joseph who pointed out orchids regularly. There was a fabulous little Bulbophyllum , lots of Dendrobiums , mostly subaclausum , but also a little of the lovely cuthbertsonii . There were Rhododendrons too, with a pretty epiphytic red species. Birds were fantastic. A superb Ribbon- tailed Astrapia with its long white central tail feathers and shimmering green-blue head hit the wow factor high up the scale. Then two more appeared! We spent an hour with these. A flock of Plum-faced Lorikeets gave wonderful views as did a pair of large and colourful Papuan Lorikeets. A pair of Firetails was a great find as were the three Crested Berrypeckers. Other birds included Black-throated Robin, Fantail Berrypicker, and two superb Blue-capped Ifritas. Unfortunately I was the only one who had a good look at the Narrow-striped Dasyure. Great little mammal though. Then it was back to Ambua and a good sunset and then dinner

Day 16 October 10 th Ambua – Tari Gap

We awoke to rain. So breakfast was a leisurely affair and we had time afterwards to catch up on notes or watch Attenborough in Paradise, a suitable DVD as many of the birds were filmed just up the road and the camera team stayed at Ambua for a while as did Attenborough himself, twice.

The rain stopped about eight so we went down to the Helipad area with Joseph and Peter to see what was happening. It all seemed quiet as we looked down into the beautiful forested valley below. Soon though Martin had spotted a Stephanie's Astrapia in the conifers and though this didn't stay long there came a steady stream of birds thereafter. Closest were probably the two beautifully bright Yellow-billed Lorikeets. A Black Butcherbird posed well on top of one of the bungalows. Joseph pointed out various birds – first a Black Pitohui (a female, so it was brown!), then across the valley a Mountain Peltops. A tree held many Papuan Mountain Pigeons. Nearer at hand were two Orange-billed Lorikeets. A female Loria's Bird of Paradise was spotted sitting quietly below. Peter suddenly piped up that he had seen a Paradigalla (another bird of paradise) fly past and that we should go to Room 7 to try and see it! Well, we had no luck, but we had an exceptional run of birds whilst there! Across the valley a female Blue Bird of Paradise sat atop a tree and though distant the view was very clear. Then in the tree right by us a female Stephanie's Astrapia landed. As if this wasn't enough someone mentioned a bird climbing up towards the Blue Bird of Paradise – a quick check and we had Buff-tailed Sicklebill in the bag. There were in fact two of these. And as it climbed up the mossy boughs probing with its beak it went right past a female Black Sicklebill! Four species of bird of paradise in fifteen minutes and not a sign of the Paradigalla! We moved back to the helipad and contented ourselves with a little calm scanning, but Joseph was soon at it again, pulling three Papuan King Parrots out of the bag. Now this is a spectacular bird, big and brightly coloured, though our views here were distant. We walked back round to our rooms via the lower path taking a look at a few of the orchids that grew on the bottlebrush trees – mostly

20 species we were already familiar with, but there was a nice new Bulbophyllum . After a quick cup of tea (it was now mid-morning!) we headed up towards the Tari Gap. Sadly the rain started and didn't go away all morning. Some of us took to the grasslands on the top getting quite wet but enjoying a few orchids, especially the tall pale green wands of Calanthe flava and the shorter compact palest lemon coloured Phaium flavum . However close study and photography would have to wait for the afternoon.

Back down at Ambua it was warm with a hint of sunshine. So after lunch we were again on the road up to the Tari Gap and this time the weather was on our side. We stopped for Joseph to check to see if an owlet nightjar was at home and indeed it was, so most of us traipzed up the muddy path to get a look at this very peculiar and rather endearing bird. Many owlet nightjars are small even by nightjar standards and with their round faces they have a look like no other bird. This one was a Mountain Owlet Nightjar. Inside the forest we spotted a Blue-capped Ifrita and two Mountain Mouse-Warblers hopping around the mossy logs like a pair of wrens. Outside on the road the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise was again in view and we could hear two more displaying in the area. In bushes by the bus Joseph pointed out a beautiful Brehm's Tiger Parrot and two Black-bellied Cuckoo-Shrikes. We moved uphill again. We made a stop by the birds of paradise stop of the previous day but saw none! Well, not quite, Joseph saw a female Crested Bird of Paradise, but none of us got a good look at it! However, around it were a number of good species. There was a Black Monarch, a Canary Flycatcher, several Papuan Scrub-wrens, and best of all, a Lesser Melampitta, a strange black bird that used to be linked to the birds of paradise, but now no-one knows where they fit in taxonomically.

We moved up to the montane grasslands that top the pass. Here we were at nine-thousand feet, and amid a landscape that was difficult to define. It certainly had elements of the Scottish moors, though perhaps the closest would be the high altitude grasslands on the Western Ghats in Southern India, or an even closer resemblance, the hill country of central Sri Lanka. It is really more of a fern and clubmoss-land than a grassland though both were intermixed along with a lot of ericaceous plants. Tree-ferns lined the streams and rivers, and like the Sri Lankan hills, there was a mosaic of 'grassland' and forest (sholas in India). In short, a very pleasing landscape, and only needing a few sambar and bear monkeys for me to be looking forward to the evening curry! Of course the fauna and flora was every bit unique and bore little resemblance to anywhere else. A male Ribbon-tailed Astrapia came and showed off his long ivory white central tail feathers and later a Sooty Melidectes on the same branch. Tawny Grassbirds lurched from cover, their untidy tails characteristic. Orchids are a strong feature anywhere around here and there were a good number. We started with a fine orange and yellow spray of Dendrobium subaclausum on a tree fern. There was a nice Liparis orchid here and we found our first Dendrobium cuthbertsoni at this spot, these surprising us by growing on the ground amongst the moss. Indeed, we were to see many during the afternoon, so up here happy on the ground, lower down on the tree trunks! There was an amazing diversity of colour in the this orchid with pink, red, orange, pale yellow and all shades in between, and with some forms mixing two of the colours. Spathoglottis was frequent and a Bulbophyllum was found. I made a collection of clubmosses from one site, coming up with six species, and with these were a Ranunculus , a Wahlenbergia , a Sanicula (or similar) and a really very tiny Utricularia , an insectivorous plant. There was a nice red flowered Rhododendron too. Then it was time to head back downhill to the lodge where we arrived around six.

21 I went on an extended night walk tonight, all the way round the forest trail – two hours in total, though I was going very very slowly looking for signs of animal life. Nothing to be seen for a long time, then the sound of acorns hitting a pandanus. This meant an animal was feeding above. Unfortunately it proved to be a very tall oak and so finding the animal was no problem, getting a good look at it was though. Eventually I worked out that it was almost certainly a Silky Cuscus. Nearing the lodge I had a much closer sighting, just five metres from me was another Cuscus, perched across a low branch with tail coiled round. This had a clear narrow dark dorsal stripe – a Stein's Cuscus. It would have made a great photograph but it was off even as the camera was being raised!

Day 17 October 11 th Ambua

Joseph was waiting outside the lodge for us after we'd breakfasted and was beckoning us urgently (he does a lot of that!). It was a female Lawe's Parotia, and though it was being less than cooperative, most of us got at least a brief look at it. We again started the morning down at the helipad. Unlike the day before little was to be seen, occasional lorikeets flew past, the Belford's and Yellow-browed Melidectes were as ever present, and I saw a female Tit Berrypecker, Papuan Flowerpecker and female Superb Bird of Paradise down the path.

We moved off in the bus, travelling downhill a mile or so and stopping beside a remnant of woodland amidst the cultivation. There were a number of children and a few adults around already on the case for us! We pulled up next to a displaying Superb Bird of Paradise however he didn't stop long, disappearing as quickly as the Stout-billed Cuckoo-shrike did. Joseph heard Blue Bird of Paradise so we walked down the road towards it, watching a Collared Sparrowhawk giving a young Brahminy Kite the going over. The Blue Bird soon sped off, one or two of us got flight views. So we wandered back up the road and prepared to be off when there came a shout from deep in the trees. One of the local guys had the bird in view. Peter went to check, then we all traipzed along the muddy track. Sure enough there was the Blue Bird. Very good views for one or two of us again for about a second or two! Off it went. Andrew meanwhile had been sauntering about looking for bugs and photographing a superb skink (probably a Cryptoblepharus species) and possibly inadvertently had ended up next to Peter when Peter refound the Blue Bird. So Andrew got great views and of course it had again flown off by the time the rest of us arrived!

The morning was by now very sunny so Joseph suggested that we should go up towards the Tari Gap and do a little moss forest walk. This was to search for some of the very elusive ground layer birds of these deep mossy woodlands. Many of them are shy and so you can only expect to see one or two on a half hour walk as we did. We managed White-winged Robin, Rufous-naped Whistler and Regent Whistler, and one that Joseph worked very hard to try and get us to see and most of us couldn't see even though it was walking around just three metres or so from us, was Chestnut Forest Rail. Martin and Michele had brief views at least! There were one or two nice orchids along the path. Then we were back out in the open. A female Brown Sicklebill was seen, sans its tail! Then a superb view of a Ribbon-tailed Astrapia. We moved downhill and looked at the ridge where the New Guinea Harpy Eagle sometimes sits, but no luck, so we had to make do with a nice King of Saxony Bird of Paradise displaying. Then it was down to the lodge for lunch.

22 As we unloaded from the bus Elizabeth and Tricia pointed out a butterfly with a purple shimmer on its upperwings. This was Graphium weiskei , a real beauty. It only landed briefly, but it wetted our appetites for a search after lunch so I went and had a look and duly found a spot next to the front door of a little house in the woods with two Graphium weiskei mud (or something less salubrious!) puddling by the front door.

Several of the group elected to walk down to the waterfalls for the afternoon. It was pleasantly sunny and warm and so some butterflies were about deep in the ravine, notably that beautiful swallowtail again, Graphium weiskei . There were also two Jezebels, Delias subapicalis and the very fine Delias meekii , the latter seemingly hundreds of kilometres west of its known range. The white triangle on the costal side of the hindwing underside would seem to confirm that it was this species.

Pierre, Michelle and I went orchiding for the afternoon. First though we revisited the Graphium weiskei house for more photos! Then it was to a small orchid garden by the airstrip. Here one of the waiters has transplanted many local orchids onto little trees and tree ferns. So plants that were wild locally if not actually in the wild now. They did have the advantage of being all below two metres above ground level, and so many species in a small space! We spent over an hour looking at quite an exceptional diversity. There were all sorts of Dendrobiums , spectacular pink and orange bundles of Dendrobium glomeratum hung from one tree. Understated Dendrobium mayandi from another. There was tall Dendrobium prostheciglossum that we'd seen in leaf in many places. Pretty Dendrobium violaceum glowed from tree ferns along with a smaller pinker Dendrobium and yellow Dendrobium subaclausum was common and came in many forms, some epiphytic and some terrestrial. There were all sorts of Bulbophyllums , from long-beaked Bulbophyllum trachyanthum to spidery Bulbophyllum cf. cardiophyllum , Bulbophyllum ebulbe with racemes of greenish flowers to the pink-striped sepals and yellow boat-shaped lips of Bulbophyllum aff. coloratum , and many more that we could not find a name for! We saw the fantastic Bulbophyllum formosum , each tepals long and pointed, lined in purple, with an elegant long narrow lip covered in fine purple-pink spots – stunning! Perhaps even more beautiful was Bulbophyllum peltopus , long pointed white tepals with a fine purple slipper for a lip – wow! Long-beaked Bulbophyllim bigibbum and what looked like Bulbophyllum ortalis were seen too. Red Epiblastus basilis plastered one tree and a tree fern had a mass of tiny yellow and orange- red Mediocalcar decortum . There were Glossorhynchas and Cadetias shining white, Diplocaulobiums in seed and many more besides. Still not sated we headed over the road to Joseph's family's house (he lives in the lodge grounds) where we met his wife and two very young daughters, the 1 year old baby Michele meeting another Michele! Here Joseph showed us his garden which is a mere eighteen months old but shows lots of promise. He has planted it up with many trees and flowers to attract birds and butterflies and on them he has planted orchids. There was a fine display of yellow Dendrobium subaclausum var phlox as well as pretty green and red Mediocalcar bifolium . There was also a fantastic plant of hairy cream and green Dendrobium finisterrae .

We got back to the lodge at five, time enough to have views of our sixteenth bird of paradise, the black Short-tailed Paradigala, whose yellow wattles shone out even from a distance. Down at one of the waterfalls we watched the crepuscular Morpho relative Morphopsis (there are three species, all similar), a large black butterfly that only comes out in the half light when it can flash its white bars to greatest effect!

23 After dinner I went for another night walk, again covering the whole two km trail down past the waterfalls and up through the forest. Again I saw little until the end of the walk. This time first to show was an owl, the Papuan Boobok. Then there were again two cuscuses, however this time they were both in one place. They were two very cute Silky Cuscuses, cuddled up together about fifteen metres up a tree on a horizontal branch. Too far up to photograph, but a good view nonetheless.

Day 18 October 12 th Ambua

We met at six this morning for a trip to a bird of paradise tree. This was just a couple of km or so away, and then another kilometre on foot, the walk though proved a bit muddy and tricky in places! We arrived at a little farm and lined up to view the tree. Well, several fruiting trees in fact. Right away there was a superb Lawe's Parotia. This stunning little bird of paradise might be all black (with a green iridescence though, and one or two spots of colour about the head apart) but its beady blue eye and extraordinary tassel-ended head plumes make it one of the more exotic species in a family full of them. A female Stephanie's Astrapia flew in too but was soon off. Then, apart from some noisy Stout-billed Cuckoo-shrikes and a distant tree full of equally noisy Yellow-billed Lorikeets, we entered a quiet period. We were about to pack up and go when Joseph suddenly announced the arrival of a Black Sticklebill. This was an impressive male and it perched up in a tree and we watched it feeding, the blue-green sheen around the head visible. The stupendously long tail feathers hung down – the bird is 110cm long and the tail feathers account for around 80cm of that! Again we were about to depart when one of the locals announced that the Blue Bird of Paradise was round the other side of the tree so we went down through the trees into a little clearing where we had a fantastic time. Backed by the sun and looking straight into a close fruiting tree we were treated to fantastic views of this most beautiful bird of paradise. The blue back and tail plumes were brilliant and so too the little buff 'huli wig' that is the tail covets and there were those two long curved tail feathers ending in a little blue-tipped tassel. Simply gorgeous. It was joined at various times by male and female Black Sticklebills, a Brown Sticklebill, and several Stephanie's Astrapias. Five bird of paradise before breakfast. Bizarrely, a Grey Wagtail came and perched on a nearby tree! Perhaps even better was a Mountain (Yellow-billed) Kingfisher that sat in the open with the sun on it allowing great 'scope views. All the locals came and looked at this through the 'scope, none of them glanced at the 'commonly seen' birds of paradise!

Then it was back across an even more rugged short cut to the road where we met Michael and were grateful to be whisked back to breakfast. Only an hour late! Needless to say, we tucked in with gusto.

Now we were off down to valley below and our brush with the culture of the Huli people. There are around three hundred thousand Huli living in the Tari Valley and they form one of the largest single-language groups in New Guinea. They are fiercely proud of the their heritage, and just plain fierce! A recent incident between clans living along the road to Tari had raised tensions and today was the funeral of the 'payback' victim. Our journey down the road became an extraordinary glimpse into this society. There were people everywhere, far more than there would have been normally. And very many of the men were in partial or full Huli regalia, that is to say that they had paint on faces and torsos and their hair/head was adorned

24 with feathers, ferns and the like. Some were fully in traditional gear and not all of these were doing the singsing for us later! We were told not to take photos as clearly things were a little tense. Many of the men had weapons, bows and arrows, axes and machetes in the main, though there was the odd gun, some homemade! We passed the body which lay on a large platform at the back of a field. Here was an amazing sight as women painted in full bright red – on their faces and arms – danced and chanted in rhythmic fashion. It was a shame we could not stop but it would not have respected the situation. It has to be said that many of the people, those with or without weapons, waved at us in a friendly manner as we went past.

We arrived at the 'show'. A bunch of Huli wigmen greeted us. They proceeded to show us how the wigs were grown, the 'teacher' at the wig school introduced his various pupils – men of varying ages – and told us how long each had been growing his hair. One already had an impressive barnet at eight months – but he had another ten months to go until his hair could be harvested to make the traditional Huli 'everyday' wig which is then adorned with birds of paradise feathers as well as feathers of lorikeets and indeed anything that looks good. Flowers, even gaudy plastic ones, and opossum fur is added and even bits and pieces like union-jack dart flights! I say 'everyday' because the special ceremonial wig is made from two such wigs, one turned upside down on top of the other. We learnt how the hair was grown under a spell from the teacher and the Huli wigmen showed us how they sprinkled the special water on their hair thrice daily. Huli have dark hair but the hair they grow for the wigs goes paler and this apparently only happens with this water treatment. Among the various things the wigmen had for sale were necklaces made of snake vertebrae!

Returning towards the lodge we again passed the clashing clans, this time meeting a procession of the red-painted ladies coming down the street. We stopped where some of the wigmen were going to show us a singsing, but only one guy was there, saying that his compadres were all down with the happening so we should try later. We passed a roadside court in process – a circle of people by a river – but didn't know if it was anything to do with the happenings down the road.

We returned to lunch. A thunderstorm produced a heavy shower, but all was mostly clear again by the time we went out again in the afternoon. This time there were some Huli wigmen ready to do a singsing, but only the three (we think) oldest as they apologetically told us that the younger ones were down with clans. Understandably more important than putting on a show for some tourists. The older members of the cast did their best, and they did look absolutely spectacular, though they found doing all the dancing themselves a bit hard work, and worked up quite a sweat very quickly. We all agreed they could stop and rest as they explained that with the younger members of their clan they'd be a bit more lively! However the dancing to us seemed totally secondary to their improbable appearance. Faces were painted a bright yellow, the chin and shoulders red and with a little white too. Their fronts were covered by a traditional apron, their bottoms by a big bunch of leafy twigs, meant to emulate a bird of paradise 'flouncing'. It was the headdresses that were the most amazing though. One wore a ceremonial wig, the other two everyday wigs, but each had feather adornments. One had a central column out of which leapt four Ribbon-tailed Astrapia white tail feathers as well as a couple of Princess Stephanie's Astrapia tail feathers. A single twisted spatulate Black Sticklebill feather came out of each side. And a pair of King of Saxony Bird of Paradise ratchet feathers also adorned the top. Surrounding all this was a magnificent line of mixed Orange-billed and

25 Yellow-billed Lorikeet tail feathers and on the back was a mix of Josephine's Lorikeet and some kind of fruit dove. The other guys had Cassowary feathers, a tuft of Raggiana's Bird of Paradise feathers, Cuckoo-Dove tail feathers, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, and even a frogmouth's tail feather. Several of the group bought the rather fine arrows on sale here!

It was raining as we neared the lodge so all elected to stay and relax for the last hour or two of daylight. I popped down towards the helipad seeing Ashy Robin, Black-breasted Broadbill, Rufous-naped Whistler, Orange-billed Lorikeet, female Superb Bird of Paradise and a very close Princess Stephanie's Astrapia. Once down there I added Short-tailed Paradigala to the list. So I'd seen seven Bird of Paradise species during the day!

In the evening I went out for a night walk with Andrew. It was quite a good frogging session with four species of tree frog seen. The best was a stunning emerald-coloured frog, this a Litoria species, and we saw at least two other Litoria species too, one a superbly-marked cryptic species. A few crickets were found too, mostly with very log antennae, and there was a nicely marked cicada too.

Day 19 October 13 th Ambua

We met up for breakfast at six and were off by seven. It was a very fine morning and Joseph started it very well by stopping next to a superb male Stephanie's Astrapia which had a marvellous floppy tail and most people got a view of the strong turquoise and green iridescence around the head and chest that in good light makes this bird of paradise look like a giant sunbird! We moved on up the road to check for signs of the New Guinea Harpy Eagle but no luck. We could hear the King of Saxony Bird of Paradise displaying. On up the road, this time stopping in the moss forest. Several of us went in just a few paces with Joseph and waited patiently to see what we'd see! There was a steady passage of birds. Black Fantails, Papuan Scrub-Wrens, some lovely Crested Berrypeckers, male and female Fan-tailed Berrypecker, the usual Smoky Honeycreepers, White-winged Robins, a couple of Firetails, and, briefly, the skulking Lesser Ground Robin. Eventually our main quarry arrived, the Crested Bird of Paradise, now included in a newly minted family called Satinbirds. This was the female, a rather drab and reclusive creature, with a strange powder-blue eye. The male, who is stunning, would have been nice, but we were pleased to have seen this one.

We carried on up the road, stopping to photograph some nice Calanthe flava alongside the shorter Phaium flavum , an orchid that ought to be impressive as the individual flowers are quite large, but somehow it only manages to be messy! Over by the river I saw a superb Long- bearded Melidectes in the low ericaceous shrubbery. Further up we stopped for photographs of the view with tree ferns in the foreground. The tree ferns are abundant up here and are commonest along the stream banks making for a distinctive and pleasing landscape. This proved to be a good spot for flowers. There were orchids on the tree-ferns including the ubiquitous Dendrobium cuthbertsoni , and two small white epiphytic species, one a Grastidium . In the damp grassland was a gentian, two buttercups, and a pretty Epilobium (or at least, Onagraceae ) that also grew on the trees. Two unusual plants were a kind of purple 'kangaroo paw' and also purple, a fine little insectivorous bladderwort, Utricularia species, found by Pierre and Michele. Lepidoptera proved interesting with Andrew finding a superb day-flying

26 moth with black wings with strong red and yellow markings. There were also two Altiapa species. These are little Satyrids with complex markings like a cross between Speckled Wood and bamboo brown. The first was Altiapa klosso and the second was Altiapa pandora , the latter apparently only previously known from a single Papua New Guinea specimen!

Upwards and over the top of the pass we went – the scenery now outstanding. Brown Quail were seen several times and there were a couple of Alpine Pipits. Graphium weiskei flew alongside the road. We stopped to photograph a large pink passion flower and here a jezebel gave us the runaround, though I still managed a distant enough shot to prove that it was Delias luctuosa , one of the many species of montane Jezebel in PNG.

Our last stop was to take a look at a bower. This was constructed by MacGregor's Bowerbird. It was quite a structure. There was a central column decorated with lots of fine twigs. Surrounding it was a beautifully kept and flattened moss 'moat' where the bird danced around the column. No sign of the birds though – too late in the day. There were a few birds here though, Mid-Mountain Berrypecker and Mountain Drongo among them. Joseph spotted a Bulbophyllum growing on a fallen branch – it had very long thin purple tepals, the upper mostly white, all covered in fine hairs, and a short livid upturned triangular lip with shining white hairs on the underside. As Joseph said, it may well be an undescribed species!

Then it was back to the lodge for lunch. Rain came along mid-afternoon for a while so most of the group did their own thing for the afternoon. Pierre and Michele went on a walk around the forest circuit spotting some kind of small marsupial, and two new orchids, one of them a Malaxis species. I spent half and hour in one spot and an hour and a half in another spot in the forest, just letting the fauna come to me. The first spot had Large Scrub-Wrens tree-creeping up trees, our first Mottle Whistler, and quite close female Superb Bird of Paradise and Stephanie's Astrapia. The next spot proved very productive with all sorts of birds coming by. There were Papuan King Parrots near eye level, a superb male Loria's Bird of Paradise that came to within five metres. There were lots of lorikeets flying around, certainly Papuan and Yellow-billed, maybe others. A Canary Flycatcher came by, as did a pretty gold, white and black Sclater's Whistler, and a distant Blue-capped Ifrita set some kind of altitude record by going to the topmost snag of an eighty-foot tall tree. Best of all an animal appeared. This worked its way down a tree trunk investigating all the mossy tussocks on the trunk before reaching the ground 5m in front of me. It then disappeared into the brushwood. It was very closely accompanied by a pair of Black-shouldered Cuckoo-Shrikes that were clearly tuned into the various invertebrates flushed out of the moss by the marsupial. It was these birds that flew to the tree behind me when the Long-nosed Antechinus, a strange squirrel-crossed-with-a-weasel animal, was emerging from cover and continuing its hunt, apparently oblivious to my presence.

In the afternoon our attempted night drive up to the Tari Gap was thwarted again, so instead I went on a walk round the forest circuit, seeing nothing!

Day 20 October 14 th Ambua to Loloata

My early morning wanderings revealed a nice new bird, a Slaty-chinned Longbill. A damaged bridge meant we needed to start earlier this morning than we had intended. A detour, which was not long, was given an extra ninety minutes by the lodge manager and we came to realise

27 why. The journey started serenely enough, the landscape looking beautiful in the morning sun. As soon as we were off the main road though the people became a little more volatile and we picked up a police escort! It was a fascinating journey, and in truth most of the exotic looking locals waved friendlily. A good number pointed which is not a friendly gesture locally, though many of these changed to waves as they saw us waving! Feelings were clearly still running high and we again saw the body of the murdered man – apparently it would stay there until payback (compensation) was satisfied, something that was going to prove difficult by all accounts. There were roadblocks in places, apparently there were many different clans in this area and they each tried to extract payment to pass along their stretch of road, something that our police escort meant we were exempt from – but not the locals in other cars! Eventually we came to halt and the police told us that there was slippery piece of road ahead. There certainly was. We could see a landcruiser struggling up it. The other vehicle in our convoy from the lodge, an Aussie 4wd OKA, attempted the mud and soon got itself mired. There was a long period of reversing and trying again. After half an hour locals got a big chain out and literally man-handled the big vehicle up the slope. Our bus received the same treatment though it was pulled up with greater ease. Then it was off to the airport.

Safely checked-in we found that we had a bit of a wait as the plane was more than an hour late landing. The waiting lounge was one of the best I've been in though. It was outside and comprised two round houses open to the air – very nice and shadey yet airy! Hooded Manakins and Richard's Pipits were on the airfield. The plane landed and turned around in less than fifteen minutes and so we were soon in the air again, crossing over the southern highlands into a vast unpeopled region where this slopes away to the great lowlands of the Fly River which we saw (those of us who were awake!) reaching the sea in a great delta. It was a hundred minute flight and we descended over Loloata Island before landing mid-afternoon into Port Moresby. There the local guys met us and handed us over to the Loloata bus.

Then it was through the less than salubrious (that is to say poor looking) outskirts of Port Moresby and into the coastal savannah that characterises this part of New Guinea. It is the country's dry zone and the trees are well spaced with grassland in between, a very different habitat to the one we'd been used to. We got onto the Loloata ferry, captained by the island's owner Dick Knight, an Australian who has lived on (and owned) Loloata Island for thirty-four years now. Elizabeth spotted a Lesser Frigatebird flying high overhead. We were made most welcome by the resort staff and after a very late lunch we settled into our very nice rooms, these on a par with any of the lodges so far on the trip. By my balcony was a super tree frog, a huge green species, this Litoria infrafrenata , the White-lipped Tree Frog, the largest tree frog species in the World! Pierre and I spent the last hour of light up on the ridge path that runs along the island. Pied Imperial-Pigeons were perched in the trees and a Bar-shouldered Dove too. Brilliant Yellow-bellied Sunbird sang from the mangroves. There were Grey Dorcopsises everywhere. These wallabies are native to the nearby mainland and were brought over many years back by Dick and have thrived on an island where there is no hunting. A group of twenty-five frigatebirds was split roughly half and half Great Frigatebirds and Lesser Frigatebirds all soaring low over the far end of the island. The landscapes were stunning – thunderstorms and rainbows over the inland mountains, a beautiful setting sun over Lion's Head island to the west and the sinuous line of the hogsback ridge of Loloata and the islands between there and the shore – beautiful!

28 Dinner was superb, with crab, chicken and tuna Japanese-style, and was prefaced by a metre and a half long Banded Sea Krait in the garden. This beautiful snake is really quite placid and was a wondrous sight as its shiny body slithered over the lawn and paths. The dinner was finished with a bunch of local dancers and singers giving us a performance that was decidedly Tahitian in atmosphere and sound compared with the very different singsings we'd seen in the highlands, emphasising the difference between the peoples.

After dinner a wander with the torch produced some interesting sightings. There was another four Banded Sea Kraits and in the mangrove edge were young Epaulette Sharks – very beautiful fish with striking markings. By the jetty was a cuttlefish and in the sand the very long Spotted Sea Cucumber.

Day 21 October 15 th Loloata

A chance for a lie-in this morning as our first trip out, and indeed the only scheduled one of the day, was at nine-thirty! That of course didn't stop some of us heading up onto the top of the island just after dawn. It was a slightly grey morning and a light breeze was appreciated. Pied Imperial Pigeons, a striking black and white species, were a frequent sight and there were a few pretty little Orange-fronted Fruit Doves. Islands mean pigeons in this part of the world and so there was a third species, the Bar-shouldered Dove. This isn't even counting the seriously impressive but introduced (and happy to wander around in a kind of ‘I own this place’ sort of way) Victoria Crowned Pigeons, one of which was wandering around my verandah as I came out the door. Lesser Frigatebirds were very low overhead on the island ridge. A Whimbrel flew past as did two Torresian Crows and an Osprey. Other seabirds were far too far away to identify!

After a very nice breakfast we were off to Lion's Head Island. This little islet, just five acres or so, is a five minute boat ride from Loloata and has excellent snorkelling. We landed on a white sand and shell beach and the boat left us there to go back and get umbrellas for those wanting some shade when they came out of the water. All very civilized. The beach meant an easy gentle entry into the water and if the initial impression was perhaps not brilliant this was soon dispelled for after five metres or so the fish became superb, many and varied and the water visibility was also excellent. Corals were certainly not as good as Kimbe Bay, but the fish were not far behind!

In open water there were schools of Fusiliers as well as various emperors, and even a single Blue-fin Trevally. As elsewhere in this part of the world the butterflyfish were simply amazing. Here were ten species (or more!) including new ones for us such as Double-saddle Butterflyfish and extraordinarily-marked Saddled Butterflyfish whose yellow, blue and white body is topped by large black 'quarter' outlined in white and orange! Another new one was the lovely Margined Coralfish, a delicate looking species with orange and black stripes on pearly white, and a very long beak tinged yellow. There were several starfish including the Blue Sea Star and the fabulous and well-named Striking Sea Star. Christmas Tree Worms were here and there and the green Noble Feather Star were rather nice. Open sandy areas had the seriously long (over a metre) Spotted Sea Cucumber, whilst the prize for biggest must go to the Giant Sea Cucumber, almost as long, but massive in proportion. Martin and Jane saw a Ray, I crept up on a Crested

29 Tern, and several people saw a Cornetfish. A Banded Pipefish tried its best to look like a twig wafted about by the currents, the lilac tail-flag giving it away! There were rock cod, Black- banded Snappers, and beautifully patterned Spotted and Oriental Sweetlips. Banded Goatfish and Yellowstripe Goatfish, Regal Angelfish, and the simply brilliant Blue and Gold Angelfish, the name says all you need to know. Anemones were home to Clark's Anemonefish and to the the lovely little Eastern Clown Anemonefish. Parrotfishes included Bleeker's, Schlegel's and King, and the Wrasse came in all sizes, shapes, and colours, some we identified were Gaimard Wrasse, Bird Wrasse, Sunset Wrasse and many different forms of Checkerboard Wrasse. Moorish Idols drifted by, Orange-spine Unicornfish too, and a superb almost metre long Scrawled Leatherjacket escaped into deeper water. There were many Black-spotted Puffers, in various colour forms and a single superb Map Puffer with intricate line patterns radiating from its eye. There were more – Masked Rabbitfish, various blue damsels, Foursaddle Rock Cod, Pacific Sailfin Tang, Striped Triggerfish, Blue-eyed Cardinalfish, Barred Thicklip, Saddlebacl Hogfish, Anchor Tuskfish and the wonderfully-named Humpnose Bigeye Bream – I could have stayed in all day!

After a very good and leisurely lunch we had an afternoon off. That said, most of us walked up onto the island ridge later in the afternoon as a spectacular thunderstorm brewed in the Owen Stanley Range inland, almost spilling down onto the island, but not quite! Tricia and Ian found an occupied Yellow-bellied Sunbird’s nest. I went off for a snorkel mid-way down the island. There was little coral here, though the small coral heads that there were, were heavily laden in fish. Almost as soon as I put my eyes in the water a Common Lionfish appeared just 30cm away! What a creature, its ornamentation extreme. There were yet more butterflyfish, this time including Redfin and Vagabond. Those lovely Beaked Coralfish were quite common here. Monocle Bream were a frequent sight, as were stripy Blue-eyed Cardinalfish. There were bristlestars and Blue Sea Stars too. Blue-green Chromis formed large aggregations above some coral heads. Another Lionfish appeared before I got out of the water.

Day 22 October 16 th Varirata (Sogeri) and Loloata

An early start this morning though we'd moved further east lately and so dawn was close to five-thirty here. We were breakfasted (including cooked!) and off at six, and by half past we'd picked up Leonard in town. A roadside Manucode was probably a Glossy-mantled whilst Stephan's Dove and Blue-winged Kookaburras were also roadside birds. We passed Torresian Crows and Pheasant Coucals as we followed a really very beautiful river up into the hills. Then the road rose swiftly up to a plateau, the landscapes ever finer. We stopped to see Brown Goshawk and Hooded Butcherbirds.

Once inside Varirata National Park the rather openly wooded landscape changed to thicker forest with a good ground cover and with little streams making for a rich-looking habitat. Not that you'd have thought so at first for we struggled to find anything at all for an hour. The Raggiana's Birds of Paradise we could hear but they'd already moved on from the display ground (must get here earlier next year!) and though we could hear kingfishers and various other birds we couldn't see them. Andrew found some nice bugs and spiders, but the Magnificent Riflebird we could hear was proving much more difficult. Eventually Leonard got on to it and he showed us but just as our binoculars found the bird off it flew. The large

30 rounded wings and fully dark silhouette were all we got- the briefest of views. It continued calling loudly but we never got another look at it. A brief flurry of birds included male and female Black Cuckooshrikes, Slender-billed Cuckoo-Doves and a nice Hooded Butcherbird. We moved off to the end of the track and parked up. Here was a superb view over the lowlands down to Port Moresby and also off to one side we could just about see the lodge end of Loloata. As we looked Ian, Tricia and Elizabeth were probably already off to Lion's Head Island for another snorkel. Nearer at hand we could see Hooded Pitohui. This is one of the poisonous birds and it turns out that the poison if accumulated in the body from consuming a particular type of beetle, or perhaps even the beetle's faecies. Butterflies were now appearing. Our first Papilio aegeus flew through, following by slow-flying Taeneris schoenbergi , ghost-like with large white falcate wings and large eyespots. We moved down a trail where Leonard showed us a roosting Barred Owlet-Nightjar, a very cute little night bird. Then we searched for Buff- breasted Paradise Kingfisher but to no avail, only finding an old nest.

We moved down to headquarters and spent the next couple of hours in the first four hundred metres of the path from there. A small river in here held many Odonata and Lepidoptera . There was a swallowtail moth of some sort and also a beautiful moth with yellow and orange on a blue-black background. There was a superfast hawker, a red-winged Neurothemis , a brilliant Crocothemis , and two damselflies, a pretty little blue-bodied jewel, and a longer-bodied damsel with blue thorax and orange-red at the tail tip. This was a great spot for butterflies, there were Rustics, Cruisers, Danis danis , the swallowtail Graphium agamemnon , as well as a superb Papilio aegeus which posed for photographs. There was Taeneris gorgo and bushbrowns, these including Mycalesis phidon . The beautiful Cethosia cydippe was a nice find. The undoubted highlight (and one of the tour's) was a male and female birdwing. The male, brilliant in greens and yellows as well as black, was following the huge black and white female everywhere. When she alighted he would hover over her, wafting pheromones down over her supine form. She occasionally flew on, the male following. It was as Pierre and Michele had pointed out these butterflied that Leonard called that he had found the Brown-headed Paradise Kingfisher. This is a beautiful and hard-to see bird and eventually we managed to put it in the 'scope. A bird party went through with Frilled Monarch, Spot-winged Monarch, Black-faced Monarch and the tours only Graceful Honeyeater.

Back in the clearing Leonard showed us a Papuan Frogmouth. What a bird! Papuan Frogmouths are very large for a nightjar and have the most perfect cryptic plumage which allied to a wonderful ability to pose just like a branch made them virtually undetectable. However this one's roosting position was known and so the unsuspecting bird was the source of much admiration. I think of all the birds seen on the trip this was the one that drew the most amazed response of all that looked at it through the 'scope, as for all of us the branch gradually focused into a bird. I think none of us would have noticed the chick sitting next to it without prompting from Leonard. The fat little chick could hardly have been more like a branch – unbelievable! Butterflies continued to attract attention with a Yoma algina and, Hypolimnas deois and a large female Hypolimnas bolina . A Yellow-billed Cuckoo-shrike called in the trees but we couldn't get a look at it. Two Boyer's Cuckoo-Shrikes flew over and then Leonard spotted another cuckoo-shrike high atop a tree. This one a Yellow-eyed Cuckoo-Shrike – yes, it really was! It was already getting on for two and we hadn't brought any lunch with us, so, tempting though it was to stay, we decided we should head back for lunch – next time I'll bring a picnic!

31 We arrived at Loloata, the island basking in hot afternoon sunshine. A shoal of Diamondfish (named for the shape, not the lustre!) passed by the jetty as we awaited the boat. After some much needed toasted sandwiches everyone relaxed for the remaining hour or two of daylight, perhaps joining the cheese and biscuits at sundown that Dick had laid on. I went off for a snorkel along the island's side. This was quite good though I couldn't find the lionfishes of yesterday. There was the usual mix of butterflyfishes and Dascyllus . A nice bunch of anemonefishes all looked up at me. There were some different star fishes about including the Nodose Sea Star. I watched a cute little Black-saddled Toby pretending not to be there as he hung upright amongst some sea weed just a foot from my mask! The sea seemed to be a little hectic around me and it was getting dark so I came to shore and found that a big storm was fast approaching from the mountains. So fast in fact that I only just made it the hundred metres back to my room when heavy rain hit. It was a very pleasant sound from my room! It had stopped again as I walked to dinner. Maybe it was the weather but there were a lot of sea snakes about this evening! I found a pile of them under one of the stilted cabins, a large gravid female and several males half her size or less. We all came to take photos of this amazing sight – a bundle of sea snakes. One hotel guest stepped on another of the snakes and let out a surprised yelp! The snake of course took it all in its stride (as it were!) and slithered slowly and quite probably rather painfully off. Even when provoked with a large heavy boot these snakes are very placid and merely try to get out of the way.

Dinner was a superb four-course meal with a kind of seafood brioche for starter, followed by an excellent soup. The main dishes were superb. Steamed rice wrapped in strips of palm leaves and a delicious prawn stir-fry. Pudding was a chocolate spongy thing with ice-cream. All very good and as usual we were well looked after by the exceptional staff at this resort.

Returning to our rooms the snakes were still there. And yet more were about, another large female, followed by a male, was disappearing into an equipment shed! The Epaulleted Sharks were also in their usual place and I saw another Banded Sea Krait and a squid from the jetty.

Day 23 October 17 th Loloata and Departure

I was up at dawn and straight up onto the ridge. However before I'd got far up the steps I saw a dolphin close by the jetty. It was a Indo-Pacific Bottle-nosed Dolphin with the beak and high falcate fin typical of this largish dolphin. I debated whether to run and get snorkel gear and jump in but this dolphin soon moved along so no chance to get in the water with it! A couple of minutes later I watched more dolphins, only a hundred metres or so from where the Bottlenose was, but these were different. Very languid in movements with a pinkish beak and with a large rostrum on the back topped by a rather small fin. Pale grey overall in colour. These had to be Pacific Humpback Dolphins. There were about five or six of them and they stayed in the bay for an hour – though moving steadily away. A Lesser Frigatebird was very low overhead and there were the usual selection of pigeon species on the ridge.

After breakfast Andrew and I went over to Lions Head Island to snorkel. Two Greater and one Lesser Sandplover met us on the little beach. The water was fantastic this morning. Really very clear, the sunlight streaming through the water to illuminate the myriad fish. I think it probable that I will have seen close to a hundred species of fish in only just over an hour this morning.

32 There were several large schools that comprised all manner of fish, these right close to the surface so in these conditions the fish looked almost like they were flying in the air. There were at least half a dozen species of brilliantly-coloured Parrotfish in these, as well as common species like Bleeker's I identified new ones like the deep red-purple Swarthy Parrotfish and the lovely Surf Parrotfish with intricate facial markings and an orange blotch on the side of the head. There were striped Pacific Sailfin Tangs and as well as the Masked Rabbitfishes there was a similarly marked Virgate Rabbitfish, but this had incredible markings around the head when seen at close range. The same could be said of a number of the fish with the apparently black and white Barred Thicklip revealed as a complicated painter's palette at close range. Tight-knit shoals of Yellowfin Goatfish moved sluggishly, not so the many parties of fusiliers, these including the brilliant and fast Yellowback Fusilier. In deeper water I spotted the Yellowmark Angelfish and the Twin-spined Angelfish, orange in the centre and blue all around the edge. There were all the usual butterflyfishes, which is to say ten species or so, but here I added Lined and Spot-tailed Butterflyfishes to the list. Pennant Bannerfish and Moorish Idols added architectural shapes to the mix and there was a new anemonefish with a single white diagonal bar on the orange background - this the Red & Black Anemonefish. Andrew enjoyed a close encounter with a Messmate Pipefish. A spectacular place to snorkel but sadly we had to leave and get back and finish packing and have a little light lunch before departure. Dick took us across to the mainland at eleven-twenty and were soon at the airport. Check-in proceeded smoothly and then it was upstairs for a spot of shopping, or hobnobbing with old friends in the case of Pierre and Michele who met up with a friend who distributes mosquito nets to the communities in rural PNG. Now that's a job!

33 Systematic List Number 1 Marine Life

Fish are listed first, other marine life afterwards. The fish is ordered according to an alphabetical listing of the families.

Acanthuridae – Surgeonfishes Striped Surgeonfish Acanthurus lineatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata White-cheeked Surgeonfish Acanthurus nigricans Restorf, Kimbe Bay Convict Tang Acanthurus triostegus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Yellowfin Surgeonfish Acanthurus xanthopterus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Tomini Bristletooth Ctenochaetus tominiensis Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay formed part of the large fish partires. Striped body, white or orange tail. Bluespine Unicornfish Naso unicornis Restorf, Kimbe Bay Orangespine Unicornfish Naso lituratus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Indo-Pacific Bluetang Paracanthurus hepatus Just one! Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Brushtail Tang Zebrasoma scopas common in Kimbe Bay and Loloata area Pacific Sailfin Tang Zebrasoma veliferum Lion's Head Island, Loloata where

Apogonidae – Cardinalfish Blue-eyed Cardinalfish Apogon coompressus Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Balistidae – Triggerfishes Striped Triggerfish Balistapus undulatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Titan Triggerfish Balistoides viridescens Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Pinktail Triggerfish Melichthys vidua common, Kimbe Bay Blackpatch Triggerfish Rhinecanthus verrucosus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Loloata Flagtail Triggerfish Sufflamen chrysopterus Loloata

Belonidae – Longtoms Keeled Needlefish Platybelone platyura a shoal at Restorf, Kimbe Bay Crocodilian Longtom Tylosurus crocodilus 1 large one Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

Caesionidae – Fusliers Scissortail Fusilier Caesio caerulaurea nice little school of this shiny fish Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Also Lion's Head Island, Loloata Red-bellied Fusilier Caesio cuning Restorf, Kimbe Bay, Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Yellowback Fusilier Caesio teres Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata. Bluestreak Fusilier Caesio tiles Lion's Head Island, Loloata Tesselated Fusilier Pterocaesia tessellata Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

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Carangidae – Trevallies Blue-fin Trevally Caranx melampygus one at Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Chaetodontidae – Butterflyfish Threadfin Butterflyfish Chaetodon auriga Restorf, Kimbe Bay Eastern Triangular Butterflyfish Chaetodon baronessa Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Citron Butterflyfish Chaetodon citrinellus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Saddled Butterflyfish Chaetodon ephippium Lion's Head Island, Loloata Blacklip Butterflyfish Chaetodon kleinii Restorf, Kimbe Bay Lined Butterflyfish Chaetodon lineolatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Redfin Butterflfish Chaetodon lunulatus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Spot-tail Butterflyfish Chaetodon ocellicaudus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Latticed Butterflyfish Chaetodon rafflesi Restorf, Kimbe Bay.Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Yellow-dotted Butterflyfish Chaetodon selene Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Dotted Butterflyfish Chaetodon semeion Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Chevroned Butterflyfish Chaetodon trifascialis Restorf, Kimbe Bay Double-saddle Butterflyfish Chaetodon ulietensis Lion's Head Island, Loloata Teardrop Butterflyfish Chaetodon unimaculatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Vagabond Butterflyfish Chaetodon vagabundus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Margined Coralfish Chelmon marginalis a pair at the south end of Lion's Head Island, Loloata Long-beaked Coralfish Chelmon rostratus several Loloata Longnose Butterflyfish Forcipiger flaqvissimus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Pennant Bannerfish Henichos chrysostomus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Humphead Bannerfish Henichos varius Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

Dasyatididae - Rays Blue-spotted Fantail Ray Taeinura lymna one at night from jetty at Loloata

Diodontidae – Porcupinefish Spotted Porcupinefish Diodon hystrix Restorf, Kimbe Bay

Exocoetidae – Flying Fish Flying Fish spp near Restorf, Kimbe Bay - small species with yellowish wings?

Gobiidae – Porcupinefish Mudskipper Periophthalmus sp Loloata mangroves

Haemulidae – Sweetlips Diagonal-banded Sweetlips Plectorhinchus lineatus a few of these large fish at deeper levels, Lion's Head Island, Loloata

35 Oriental Sweetlips Plectorhinchus orientalis one at south end of Lion's Head Island, Loloata Hemiscyllidae – Epaulette Sharks Epaulette Shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum Loloata mangroves

Holocentridae – Squirrelfish & Soldierfish Scarlet Soldierfish Myripristis pralinia Restorf, Kimbe Bay Spotfin Squirrelfish Neosiphon sammara Loloata Sabre Squirrelfish Sargocentron spiniferum Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Violet Squirrelfish Sargocentron violaceum Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

Istiophoridae – Marlins Black Marlin Makaira indica one jumping next to dolphin school in the bay

Labridae – Tuskfishes and Wrasse Spotted Chisel-toothed Wrasse Anampses caeruleopunctatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Saddleback Hogfish Bodianus bilunulatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Scarlet-breasted Maori Wrasse Cheilinus fasciatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Humphead Wrasse Cheilinus undulatus several LP at Restorf, Kimbe Bay Anchor Tuskfish Choerodon anchorago Lion's Head Island, Loloata Darkstripe Tuskfish Choerodon zosterophorus Loloata Gaimard Wrasse Coris gaimard Lion's Head Island, Loloata Bird Wrasse Gomphosus varius quite frequent on Lion's Head Island, Loloata Pastel-green Wrasse Halichoeres chloropteris Lion's Head Island, Loloata Checkerboard Wrasse Halichoeres hortulatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Green Wrasse Halichoeres solorensis Restorf, Kimbe Bay Barred Thicklip Hemigymnus fasciatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Blue-streak Cleaner Wrasse Labroides dimidiatus widespread Fourline Wrasse Stethojulis trilineata Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Sunset Wrasse Thalassoma lutescens Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Lethrinidae – Breams & Emperors Humpnose Bigeye Bream Monotaxis grandoculis juveniles on Loloata, adults seen Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Lutjanidae – Snappers Paddletail Lutjanus gibbous Restorf, Kimbe Bay Onespot Seaperch Lutjanus monostigma Restorf, Kimbe Bay Black-banded Snapper Lutjanus semicinctus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Pale Pinjalo Pinjalo pinjalo Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

Monocanthidae – Leatherjackets Scribbled Leatherjacket Aluterus scripta one of this large fish seen on Lion's Head Island, Loloata

36

Monodactylidae - Diamondfish Diamondfish Monodactylus argenteus by the mainland jetty for Loloata Muglidae – Mullets Fringelip Mullet Crenimugil crenilabis a shoal performing at Hanging Gardens,

Mullidae – Goatfish Yellowfin Goatfish Mulloidichthhys vanicolensis a school at Lion's Head Island, Loloata Dash-dot Goatfish Parupeneus barberinus Loloata Two-barred Goatfish Parupeneus bifasciatus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Indian Goatfish Parupeneus indicus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Banded Goatfish Parupeneus multifasciatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Sidespot Goatfish Parupeneus pleurostigma Restorf, Kimbe Bay

Nemipteridae – Whiptails/Monocle Breams Bridled Monocle-Bream Scolopsis bilineatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Monocle Bream Scolopsis monogramma Lion's Head Island, Loloata Whitestripe Monocle Bream Scolopsis ???? Loloata Striped Whiptail Pentapodus vitta Loloata

Pinguipedidae – Sandperch/Grubfish Latticed Sandperch Parapercis clathrata 1 at Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

Pomacanthidae – Angelfish Pearl-scaled Angelfish Centropyge vroliki Lion's Head Island, Loloata Blue & Gold Angelfish Centropyge bicolor stunning. Brilliant blue and yellow. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Two-spined Angelfish Centropyge bispinosus seen deep down off Lion's Head Island, Loloata. Orange centre, blue surround Regal Angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Emperor Angelfish Pomacanthus imperator Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Six-banded Angelfish Pomacanthus sexstriatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Yellowmark Angelfish Pomacanthus xanthometopon Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Pomacentridae – Damsels & Sergeants Blacktail Sergeant Abudefduf lorenzi Restorf, Kimbe Bay Indo-Pacific Sergeant Abudefduf vaigiensis Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Spiny-tailed Puller Acanthochromis polyacantha Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Golden Damsel Amblyglyphidodon aureus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Staghorn Damsel Amblyglyphidodon curacao widespread Ternate Damsel Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Orange-finned Anemonefish Amphiprion chrysopterus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Clark's Anemonefish Amphiprion clarkii Lion's Head Island, Loloata Red & Black Anemonefish Amphiprion melanopus Lion's Head Island, Loloata

37 Eastern Clown Anemonefish Amphiprion percula Lion's Head Island, Loloata Blue-green Chromis Chromis viridis Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Sapphire Damsel Chrysiptera cynea Common Kimbe Bay South Seas Devil Chrysiptera taupou Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Onespot Demoiselle Chrysiptera unimaculata a pair on the Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Humbug Dascyllus Dascyllus aruanus Loloata Reticulated Dascyllus Dascyllus reticulatus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay, also Loloata Monarch Damsel Dischistodius pseudochrysopoecilia Loloata Jewel Damsel Plectroglyphidodon lacrymatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Neon Damsel Pomacentrus coelestis Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Philippine Demoiselle Pomacentrus philippinus Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Scaridae – Parrotfish Bleeker's Parrotfish Chlorurus bleekeri common at Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Steephead Parrotfish Chlorurus microrhinus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Chameleon Parrotfish Scarus chameleon Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Saddled Parrotfish Scarus dimidiatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay King Parrotfish Scarus flavipectoralis Lion's Head Island, Loloata Swarthy Parrotfish Scarus niger Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay and Lion's Head Island, Loloata Surf Parrotfish Scarus rivulatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Schlegel's Parrotfish Scarus schlegeli Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Scorpaenidae – Lionfish Common Lionfish Pterois volitans two on Loloata

Serranidae – Rockcods Peacock Rock Cod Cephalopholis argus probably this species at Lion's Head Island, Loloata Blue-spotted Rock Cod Cephalopholis cyanostigma Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Speckled-Fin Rock Cod Epinephelus ongus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Foursaddle Rock Cod Epinephelus spilotoceps Lion's Head Island, Loloata Polkadot Coral Trout Plectropomus areolatus Restorf, Kimbe Bay Chinese Footballer Plectropomus laevis Restorf, Kimbe Bay Threadfin Anthias Pseudanthias huchtii golden. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Purple Anthias Pseudanthias tuka wow! Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

Siganidae – Rabbitfsih Masked Rabbitfish Siganus puellus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Vermiculated Rabbitfish Siganus vermiculatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata and Loloata Virgate Rabbitfish Siganus virgatus Lion's Head Island, Loloata Foxface Rabbitfish Siganus vulpinus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

38 Sygnathidae – Pipefish Pipefish sp Corythoichthys sp several Lion's Head Island, Loloata

Tetraodontidae – Pufferfish Map Puffer Arothron mappa one at Lion's Head Island, Loloata Black-spotted Puffer Arothron nigropunctatus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay Black-saddled Toby Canthigaster valentini Loloata

Tripterygiidae Neon Threefin Helcogramma striata Restorf, Kimbe Bay

Zanclidae – Moorish Idol Moorish Idol Zanclus cornutus Restorf, Kimbe Bay. Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay. Common Loloata

Assorted Other Marine Life

Graeff's Sea Cucumber Bohadschia graeffei Kimbe Bay Giant Sea Cucumber Thelonota anax very large – 30cm plus. Kimbe Bay and Lion's Head Island, Loloata Spotted Sea Cucumber Synapta maculata very long and thin, more than a metre. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Striking Sea Star Euretaster insignus large and broad. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Nodose Sea Star Protooreaster nodosus Loloata Blue Sea Star Linckia laevigata Kimbe Bay. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Cushion Star Culcita novaguinea Kimbe Bay

Cuttlefish sp Sepia sp one at night from jetty at Loloata

Noble Feather Star Comanthina nobilis green. Lion's Head Island, Loloata Beautiful Feather Star Himerometra robustipinna Loloata Anne's Nudibranch Chromodoris 1 of this superb yellow, white and black sea slug at Restorf, Kimbe Bay Christmas Tree Worm Spirobranchus giganteus some great colonies at both sites we visited in Kimbe Bay – all colours! Less common Lion's Head Island, Loloata Smashing Mantis Shrimp Odontodactylus scyllarus Hanging Gardens, Kimbe Bay

39 Systematic List Number 2 Butterflies

The nomenclature and taxonomy is taken from Michael Parsons’ ‘The Butterflies of Papua New Guinea’ (1999 Academic Press). Some species were only indentified post tour from photographs and these are annotated as ‘photographed at’ in the comments section below.

Hesperidae Tagiades japetus probably this species. Karawari and Varirata Hasora hurama Karawari Hasora sp a distinctive looking species photographed above Rondon Ridge doesn’t appear to be in Parsons! Notocrypta sp photographed at Karawari Telicota kaimana ?probably this species photographed near Ambua Cephrenes trichopepla pretty little skipper, photographed at Karawari

Papilionidae Atrophaneura polydurus Walindi Troides oblongomaculatus Karawari – only seen the once! Ornithoptera priamus two males and a female a Walindi resort, and females noted on Restoff Island in Kimbe Bay and at Garu WMA. Karawari where several males and females seen. A pair displaying at Varirata was a tour highlight Ornithoptera goliath one huge female at the airfield, Tari. Graphium agamemnon one at Varirata Graphium macfarlanei 1 at Garu WMA Graphium sarpedon The Bluebottle. Karawari Graphium weiskei several visible in and around Ambua lodge. Papilio aegeus Walindi. Polga, near Mount Hagen. Karawari, where common.Varirata where also common. Papilio euchenor Karawari and Varirata – one or two at each Papilio ambrax photographed at Karawari Papilio phestus 1 at Walindi – a New Britain endemic Papilio fuscus Pierre found 1 at Walindi Papilio laglaizei Karawari and also a few at Loloata. All seen on the wing only, and generally high up so difficult to bes ure whether all or some were this species or the day-flying uraniid moth Alcidis agathrysus of which this swallowtail is a remarkable mimic Papilio ulysses quite common on New Britain. Karawari. Valley below Ambua.

Pieridae Apias celestina subspecies delicata is a Bismark Archipelago endemic. Walindi Eurema sp seen throughout, rarely settling though! Catopsilia pomona Lemon Emigrant. Karawari Delias meeki several noted along the circuit trail at Ambua A few hundred kms west of given range. Ambua Delias subpicalis photographed on a bank by the hydro station. Delias luctuosa one at over 3000m on the Tari Gap

Lycaenidae Curetis barsine one by the generator track at Karawari Arhopala thamyras photographed at Karawari

40 Arhopala herculina one in forest by Karawari lodge Hypolycaena periphorbas Bismark endemic photographed at Walindi Hypochlorosis ancharia photographed at Karawari Anthene paraffinis a photograph of one showing the three white tufts on the hindwing costa was taken at Walindi Jamides nemophilus one photographed on orchids in the garden at Walindi Nacaduba species several photographs of Nacaduba species still to be identified! Nacaduba cyanea danis mimic. Photographed at Karawari Danis danis Karawari and Varirata, frequent at both. Inhabits the undergrowth. Striking butterfly. We may also have seen Danis regalis at Kariwari, very difficult to separate from Danis danis . Luthrodes cleotas this distinctive species with a broad red band across the hindwing was seen at Walindi Udara sibatanii ?probably this species photographed at Rondon Ridge

Nymphalidae Libythea geoffroy Geoffroy's Beak. Likes the boats at Karawari! Parantica sp one or more species at Karawari Danaus plexippus Monarch. Karawari Euploea core Photographed at Walindi. Not know from the Walindi, there is a curious gap across much of Indonesia and PNG between Asian and Melanesian populations Euploea lacon a little-known species endemic to the Bismarks and photographed at Walindi Euploea phaenareta Karawari. Unusual yellow and blue form Morphopsis species by the waterfalls at Ambua. Crepuscular Taeneris catops Karawari Taenaris gorgo several seen at Varirata Taenaris artemis very variable species noted at Karawari Taeneris schoenbergi beautifully shaped 'owl' with strongly falcate upperwings. Noted in the viewpoint carpark at Varirata Mycalesis shiva Walindi where common Mycalesis durga I’ve photographs of what looks like this species from Karawari though it is very similar to Mycalesis shiva Mycalesis asophis Karawari Mycalesis bilineata Karawari Mycalesis mehadeva Karawari Mycalesis mucia white inner halves to the underwsides of both wings. Karawari Mycalesis duponchelii unusual-looking bushbrown with red-orange base to hindwing – Karawari Mycalesis phidon Varirata & Karawari Mycalesis elia Karawari Mycalesis discolobus Ambua Orsotriaena medus Karawari Hypocysta isis Karawari Altiapa klossi Tari Gap at over 3000m. One photographed on bracken. Altiapa pandora Tari Gap at over 3000m. Several along a stream lined with tree ferns. Previously known from a single specimen in PNG! Cyrestis acilia Karawari Cyrestis adaemon Garu WMA Lexias aeropa Walindi and Karawari

41 Parthenos aspila Karawari where abundant Neptis praslini Karawari. most Pantoporia & Neptis species encountered at various localities were not identified Doleschallia noorna Karawari Doleschallia bisaltide Karawari Hypolimnas bolina Walindi, Karawari. Loloata, and Varirata Hypolimnas alimena Karawari. A photograph of what may be this species was taken at Walindi, though it doesn't look correct for any Hypolimnas species in Parsons! Hypolimnas deois one photographed at Varirata Yoma algina reasonably frequent at Karawari. Also at Varirata Junonia hedonia Karawari Junonia villida Karawari Cethosia cydippe Karawari and Varirata Vindula arsinoe a Cruiser. Garu WMA, Karawari, and Varirata Terinos tethys Karawari Cirrochroa regina Karawari Phalanta alcippe Small Leopard. Karawari Cupha prosope scattered throughout the tour, commonest in the lowlands Argyeus hyperbius Indian Fritillary. Rondon Ridge

42 Systematic List Number 3 Mammals

The nomenclature and taxonomy is taken from Tim Flannery’s ‘Mammals of New Guinea’ (1995 Reed Books).

Long-nosed Antechinus Antechinus naso one watched at close range in daylight for a couple of minutes at Ambua (IG only) Narrow-striped Dasyure Phascolosorex lorentzii one seen briefly at close range in daylight in the moss forest on the Tari Gap (IG only) Grey Dorcopsis Dorcopsis luctuosa the introduced population on Loloata are plentiful and easy to see Mountain Cuscus Phalanger carmelitae 1 seen briefly at night above Rondon Ridge (IG only) Northern Common Cuscus Phalanger orientalis 1 spotted by Chris and seen well by all on a boat trip downriver quite twenty minutes from Karawari Lodge – daylight sighting Silky Cuscus Phalanger sericeus A total of three of these gorgeous animals seen on nightwalks at Ambua, two of them cuddled up on a branch 15m up (IG only!) Stein’s Cuscus Phalanger vestitus incredible close-up but brief views on a night walk at Ambua (IG only) Common Spotted Cuscus Spilocuscus maculatus probably this species seen in daylight on a boat ride fifteen minutes downriver of Karawari Lodge – spotted by Elvis. A female with young, totally ginger in colour, but the head shape favours this species – could have been another Northern Common Cuscus though! Great Bare-backed Fruitbat Dobsonia magna one seen well at night at Rondon Ridge Greater Flying-fox Pteropus neohibernicus common at Walindi and generally on West New Britain, also frequent at Karawari, especially around the lodge at night. Huge! Melon-headed Whale Peponocephala electra c.10 in a pod around the boat in Kimbe Bay Spinner Dolphin Stenella longirostris c.20 in two pods around the boat in Kimbe Bay. One pod bow-rode and we saw one or two ‘spinning’ out of the water! Indo-Pacific Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops aduncus 1 off the jetty at Loloata (IG only) Pacific Humpback Dolphin Sousa chinensis 5+ between Loloata and the mainland for twenty minutes one morning (IG only). Often included in Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, some authorities split the eastern population as Pacific Humpack Dolphin

43 Systematic List Number 4 Birds

The nomenclature and taxonomy is taken from the ‘Birds of New Guinea’ (1986 Princeton University Press) in places updated with Phil Gregory’s ‘Birds of New Guinea and Associated Islands – A Checklist (2008). The number of days a species was seen is indicated as 5/21 – so five days out of the 21 in the field (two of which were very much partially in the field!)

Dwarf Cassowary Casuarius bennetti footprints noted in the Garu WMA, West New Britain Melanesian Scrubfowl Megapodius eremita c.6 Garu WMA, West New Britain New Guinea Scrubfowl Megapodius affinis 1 (Pierre only) Karawari Brown Quail Coturnix ypsilophora 1 below Rondon Ridge, c.8 on the Tari Gap. 2/21 Pacific Black Duck Anas superciliosa Karawari. 6/10 Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana a total of 5 at Karawari. 3/21 Pied Heron Ardea picata scattered at Karawari. 6/21 Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia Karawari. 6/21 Great Egret Egretta alba Karawari. 5/21 Little Egret Egretta garzetta Karawari. 3/21 Pacific Reef-Egret Egretta sacra 1 at Walindi Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis scattered. 3/21 Nankeen Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus scattered throughout. 4/21 Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis 5 Garu WMA, West New Britain Lesser Frigatebird Fregata ariel frequent around Loloata. 4/21. A frigatebird seen off Walindi was probably this species? Great Frigatebird Fregata minor c.10 in a flock of Lessers, low over Loloata Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris local at Karawari. 3/21 Little Pied Cormorant Phalacrocorax melanoleucos scattered at Karawari. 4/21 Australian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae a few at Karawari. 2/21 Osprey Pandion haliaetus 2 at Walindi and 1 at Loloata Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata singles Garu WMA, West New Britain and at Karawari. 2/21 Long-tailed Honey-Buzzard Henicopernis longicauda 1 at Karawari Black Kite Milvus migrans scattered throughout. 7/21 Whistling Kite Haliastur sphenurus common at Karawari. 6/21 Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus widespread. 13/21 White-bellied Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster Walindi and also not uncommon at Karawari. 6/21 Papuan Marsh Harrier Circus spilothorax 1 Wahgi Valley Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus 1 at Varirata Variable Goshawk Accipiter hiogaster scattered records. 4/21 Grey-headed Goshawk Accipiter poliocephalus an adult at Karawari Black-mantled Goshawk Accipiter melanochlamys 1 above Ambua Lodge (IG only) Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus 1 near Tari New Britain Sparrowhawk Accipiter brachyurus 2 of this rare hawk in the Garu WMA, West New Britain (IG only?) Chestnut-shouldered Hawk Erythrotriorchis buergersi 1 on the Tari Gap Gurney’s Eagle Aquila gurneyi 1 at Karawari Papuan Little Eagle Aquila morphnoides scattered at Karawari. 3/21

44 Chestnut Forest Rail Rallina rubra 1-2 seen by some of the party on the Tari Gap Black-backed Swamphen Porphyrio (porphyria) melanotus Port Moresby Airport Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles scattered at Karawari. 3/21 Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva 3 seen at Kimbe Airport, West New Britain. 2/21 Lesser Sand-Plover Charadrius mongolus 1 on Lion Head Island Greater Sand-Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 1 Loloata, and 2 Lion Head Island. 2/21 Little Curlew Numenius minutus c.25 flying past offshore of Walindi Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus singles daily on Loloata Common Sandpiper Tringa hypoleucos scattered. 8/21 Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes singles twice at Walindi Wandering Tattler Tringa incana 1 on a pond on the Tari Gap each time we went up there! Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida scattered at Karawari. 4/21 Common Tern Sterna hirundo several in Kimbe Bay Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii ?2 probables in Kimbe Bay Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana several in Kimbe Bay Crested Tern Sterna bergii noted on most coasts. 6/21 Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis single twice on Loloata Noddy sp Anous sp 2 distant individuals unassigned. Kimbe Bay Feral Pigeon Columba livia towns. 3/21 Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia amboinensis scattered throughout the lowlands. 5/21 Black-billed Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia nigrirostris scattered in the highlands. 4/21 Mackinlay’s Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia mackinlayi 3 in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Great Cuckoo-Dove Reinwardtoena reinwardtii 1 Karawari & 1 Ambua Pied Cuckoo-Dove Reinwardtoena browni 1 in the Garu WMA, West New Britain Stephan's Dove Chalcophaps stephani 2 Kimbe Bay and 2 Varirata Bar-shouldered Dove Geopelia humeralis 1 Port Moresby, several on Loloata. 5/21 Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica 4 on islands in Kimbe Bay – unfortunately flight views only! Wompoo Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus magnificus 1 seen, many heard, Karawari Pink-spotted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus perlatus 1 Varirata Orange-fronted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus aurantiifrons 1 rather out of range at Karawari and common on Loloata. 5/21 Coroneted Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus coronulatus 1 at Karawari Orange-bellied Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus iozonu common at Karawari. 6/21 Knob-billed Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus insolitus 4+ West New Britain Pacific Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pacifica 1 at Karawari seen very well and would appear to be a new record for there Red-knobbed Imperial-Pigeon Ducula rubricera several above Walindi, West New Britain Island Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pristrinaria several Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Rufescent Imperial-Pigeon Ducula chalconata 2 at Rondon Ridge Pinon Imperial-Pigeon Ducula pinon common at Karawari. 6/21 Collared Imperial-Pigeon Ducula mullerii uncommon at Karawari. 3/21 Zoe Imperial-Pigeon Ducula zoeae common at Karawari. 6/21

45 Pied Imperial-Pigeon Ducula bicolor Loloata where frequent. Also 1 in Port Morseby. I’m uncertain whether this taxon may actually be Torresian Imperial Pigeon Ducula spilorrhoa . 5/21 Yellow-tinted Imperial-Pigeon Ducula subflavescens 2 Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Papuan Mountain-Pigeon Gymnophaps albertisii Rondon Ridge and Tari Gap. 2/21 Victoria Crowned-Pigeon Goura victoria 2 (IG only) at Karawari Lodge – spectacular! Also a tame population on Loloata Dusky Lory Pseudeos fuscata abundant at Karawari.Also noted Ambua. 8/21 Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus locally abundant at Karawari. 4/21 Goldie’s Lorikeet Psitteuteles goldiei c.10 on the Tari Gap Eastern Black-capped Lory Lorius hypoinochroa scattered on West New Britain. 2/21 Western Black-capped Lory Lorius lory abundant at Karawari. 5/21 Red-flanked Lorikeet Charmosyna placentas scattered on West New Britain and at Karawari Lodge. 4/21 Papuan Lorikeet Charmosyna papou several in the Ambua area, especially on the Tari Gap. 4/21 Plum-faced Lorikeet Oreopsittacus arfaki 2 above Rondon Ridge, 3 on the Tari Gap. 2/21 Yellow-billed Lorikeet Neopsittacus musschenbroekii noted Rondon Ridge and quite common around Ambua. 5/21 Orange-billed Lorikeet Neopsittacus pullicauda pairs twice at Ambua. 2/21 Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus a total of five of these huge parrots seen at Karawari. 4/21 Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita frequent at Karawari. Also 1 Varirata. 7/21 Buff-faced Pygmy-Parrot Micropsitta pusio 2 at Walindi, several at Karawari Lodge. 5/21 Double-eyed Fig-Parrot Cyclopsitta diophthalma Rondon Ridge and also several at Karawari. 3/21 Edwards's Fig-Parrot Psittaculirostris edwardsii common at Karawari. 6/21 Brehm’s Tiger-Parrot Psittacella brehmii 1 on the Tari Gap Red-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi abundant at Karawari 1 at Varirata. 6/21 Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus frequent on West New Britain and abundant at Karawari. 10/21 Papuan King-Parrot Alisterus chloropterus a total of 4 in the Ambua area. 2/21 Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandia 1 at Karawari Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus singles near Mt Hagen and at Karawari. 2/10 Malay Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx minutillus or White-eared Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx meyeri . 3+ at Karawari Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx ruficollis 1 at Karawari Oriental Cuckoo Cuculus saturatus 1 at Karawari Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopacea 1 at Varirata White-crowned Koel Caliechthrus leucolophus 1, maybe more, Karawari Violaceous Coucal Centropus violaceus heard frequently on West New Britain White-necked (Pied) Coucal Centropus ateralbus 1 above Walindi, West New Britain Greater Black Coucal Centropus menbeki several at Karawari. 3/21 Pheasant Coucal Centropus phasianinus 4+ en route to Varirata

46 Southern Boobook Ninox boobook 1 at Ambua New Britain Boobook Ninox odiosa 2 above Walindi, West New Britain Papuan Frogmouth Podargus papuensis 1 plus a baby – superb! Varirata Barred Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles bennettii 2 in Varirata – superb views. Mountain Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles albertisi 1 above Ambua Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus Karawari (Martin & Jane) Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta widespread. 12/21 Mountain Swiftlet Aerodramus hirundinacea Rondon Ridge and Ambua areas. 7/21 Uniform Swiftlet Aerodramus vanikorensis Karawari and Walindi. 3/21 Moustached Tree-Swift Hemiprocne mystacea several at Walindi, also a pair at Karawari. 3/21 Brown-headed Paradise-Kingfisher Tanysiptera danae 2 at Varirata – stunning! Hook-billed Kingfisher Melidora macrorrhina 1 at Karawari at close range (IG only) Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Dacelo gaudichaud frequent at Karawari. 5/21 Blue-winged Kookaburra Dacelo leachi 2 between Loloata and Varirata Collared Kingfisher Todiramphus chloris 2 Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Beach Kingfisher Todiramphus saurophaga 2 Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus 1 at Karawari White-mantled Kingfisher Todiramphus albonotata 2 Garu WMA, West New Britain Mountain Kingfisher Syma megarhyncha superb views of one near Ambua Variable Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx lepidus c.4 in oil palm plantations near Walindi, also a brief glimpse of one at Varirata. 2/21 Azure Kingfisher Alcedo azurea a total of 3 at Karawari. 2/21 Rainbow Bee-eater Merops ornatus 1 above Walindi Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis scattered, commonest at Karawari. 9/21 Blyth’s Hornbill Aceros plicatus daily at Karawari, also several behind Walindi, West New Britain. 7/21 Macgregor's Bowerbird Amblyornis macgregoriae not seen but heard at Rondon Ridge where the spectacular bowers were seen by some Archbold’s Bowerbird Amblyornis papuensis bower seen just over the Tari Gap Fawn-breasted Bowerbird Chlamydera cerviniventris c. Port Moresby Botanical Garden Yellow-breasted Bowerbird Chlamydera lauterbachi quite common in and around Rondon Ridge. 2/21 Orange-crowned Fairy-Wren Clytomyias insignis 2 ar Rondon Ridge and 2 at Ambua White-shouldered Fairy-Wren Malurus alboscapulatus several at Rondon Ridge. 2/21 Ashy Myzomela Myzomela cineracea Islands in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Red-collared Myzomela Myzomela rosenbergii highlands. 5/21 Red-headed Myzomela Myzomela erythrocephala common around Rondon Ridge. 3/21 Sclater’s Myzomela Myzomela sclateri Islands in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Graceful Honeyeater Meliphaga gracilis 1 at Varirata Mimic Honeyeater Meliphaga analoga locally common at Karawari. Many of these honeyeatears are difficult to identify and many sightings were left unconfirmed! 4/21 Puff-backed Honeyeater Meliphaga aruensis Karawari – probably on two dates Yellow-gaped Honeyeater Meliphaga flavirictus several at Karawari. 2/21 Yellow-tinted Honeyeater Lichenostomus flavescens Port Morseby Marbled Honeyeater Pycnopygius cinereus noted above Ambua Plain Honeyeater Pycnopygius ixoides Karawari

47 Tawny-breasted Honeyeater Xanthotis flaviventer singles twice at Karawari Lodge – a mimic of Brown Oriole! Helmeted Friarbird Philemon buceroides widespread. 10/21 Meyer's Friarbird Philemon meyeri local at Karawari Lodge. 4/21 New Britain Friarbird Philemon cockerelli several on West New Britain. 2/21 Grey-streaked Honeyeater Ptiloprora perstriata scattered at and above Ambua. 2/21 Rufous-backed Honeyeater Ptiloprora guisei Rondon Ridhe & Ambua. 3/21 Belford's Melidectes Melidectes belfordi common above Rondon Ridge, at Ambua and on the Tari Gap. 7/21 Ornate Melidectes Melidectes torquatus common in the valleys near Mt Hagen Yellow-browed Melidectes Melidectes rufocrissalis common in the highlands. 8/21 Long-bearded Honeyeater Melidectes princeps singles twice on the Tari Gap (IG only) Long-billed Honeyeater Melilestes megarhynchus scattered at Karawari. 3/21 Rufous-banded Honeyeater Conopophila albogularis noted in Port Moresby, also one on Loloata. 3/21 Smoky Honeyeater Melipotes fumigatus common in the highlands. 8/21 Mountain Mouse-Warbler Crateroscelis robusta 1 at Rondon Ridge and several above Ambua. 3/21 Brown-breasted Gerygone Gerygone ruficollis Wahgi Valley Fairy Gerygone Gerygone palpebrosa 1 at Varirata Green-backed Gerygone Gerygone chloronotus Karawari Mountain (Grey) Gerygone Gerygone cinerea 2 above Ambua Yellow-bellied Gerygone Gerygone chrysogaster Karawari Buff-faced Scrubwren Sericornis perspicillatus scattered in the highlands. 3/21 Large Scrubwren Sericornis nouhuysi scattered in the highlands. 3/21 Papuan Scrubwren Sericornis papuensis common in the highlands. 6/21 Papuan Thornbill Acanthiza murina a flock on the Tari Gap (IG only) New Guinea Babbler Pomatostomus isidorei a flock at Karawari (IG only) Crested Bird-of-paradise Cnemophilus macgregorii a female only on the Tari Gap Loria's Bird-of-paradise Cnemophilus loriae a female below the Tari Gap and a male at Ambua Fan-tailed Berrypecker Melanocharis versteri scattered in the highlands. 4/21 Mid-Mountain Berrypecker Melanocharis longicauda aka Lemon-breasted Berrypicker. scattered in the highlands. 4/21 Slaty-chinned Longbill Toxorhamphus poliopterus 1 at Ambua (IG only) Tit Berrypecker Oreocharis arfaki a female at Ambua Black-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus nigripectus scattered in the highlands. 5/21 Yellow-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus flaviventer Varirata Black Butcherbird Cracticus quoyi 1 at Karawari and a pair at Ambua. 6/21 Hooded Butcherbird Cracticus cassicus scattered at Karawari, also noted Varirata. 4/21 Lowland Peltops Peltops blainvillii scattered at Karawari. 3/21 Mountain Peltops Peltops montanus scattered at Ambua. 3/21 Great Woodswallow Artamus maximus common in the highlands, also south coast. 6/21 White-breasted Wood-Swallow Artamus leucorhynchus Loloata and nearby mainland. 4/21 Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike Coracina novaehollandiae Wahgi Valley and at Varirata. 2/21 Large-billed Cuckoo-shrike Coracina caeruleogrisea Ambua. 2/21 Barred Cuckoo-shrike Coracina lineata 1 at Varirata Boyer’s Cuckoo-shrike Coracina boyeri 2 at Karawari and noted at Varirata. 2/21

48 White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Coracina papuensis noted most days at Karawari Lodge, also Wahgi Valley. 6/21 Cicadabird Coracina tenuirostris 1 at Karawari Black-shouldered Cicadabird Coracina incerta 2 at Ambua Papuan Black Cuckoo-shrike Coracina melas a pair of Varirata Black-bellied Cuckoo-shrike Coracina montana 2 on the Tari Gap Black-browed Triller Lalage atrovirens Karawari. 4/21 Varied Sitella Daphoenositta chrysoptera A group at Rondon Ridge Rufous-naped Whistler Aleadryas rufinucha several at Ambua and Tari. 3/21 Mangrove Golden Whistler Pachycephala melanura islands in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Regent Whistler Pachycephala schlegelii several Tari Gap and Ambua. 3/21 Sclater's Whistler Pachycephala soror 1 Rondon Ridge and several Tari Gap. 3/21 Mottled Whistler Rhagologus leucostigma below the Tari Gap Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach noted in cultivated parts of the mountains. 4/21 Brown Oriole Oriolus szalayi couple of times at Karawari Lodge. 2/21 Little Shrike-Thrush Colluricincla megarhyncha 1 at Rondon Ridge (IG only) Black Pitohui Pitohui nigrescens a piar at Ambua. 2/21 Hooded Pitohui Pitohui dichrous Noted in the Wahgi Valley and at Varirata. 2/21 Rusty Pitohui Pitohui ferrugineus 2 at Karawari Lodge (IG only) Mountain Drongo Chaetorhynchus papuensis Varirata Spangled Drongo Dicrurus hottentotus local at Karawari, noted below Ambua. 3/21 Frilled Monarch Arses telescophthalmus scattered at Karawari, also Varirata. 3/21 Black Monarch Monarcha axillaris scattered on the Tari Gap. 3/21 Black-faced Monarch Monarcha melanopsis Varirata Hooded Monarch Monarcha manadensis several at Karawari. 2/21 Island Monarch Monarcha cinerascens Islands in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain Spot-winged Monarch Monarcha guttulus 1 in Varirata Shining Flycatcher Myiagra alecto Karawari. 2/21. Also Myiagra species seen at Walindi, but didn’t confirm which one! Black Fantail Rhipidura atra highlands. 5/21 Dimorphic Fantail Rhipidura brachyrhyncha scattered in the highlands. 4/21 Friendly Fantail Rhipidura albolimbata frequent in the highlands. 8/21 Rufous-backed Fantail Rhipidura rufidorsa singles twice at Karawari (IG only) White-bellied Thicket-Fantail Rhipidura leucothorax Karawari Sooty Thicket-Fantail Rhipidura threnothorax 1 Karawari (IG only) Willie Wagtail Rhipidura leucophrys widespread. 17/21 Bismark Crow Corvus insularis scattered on New Britain. 4/21 Grey Crow Corvus tristis 1 along the Karawari River Torresian Crow Corvus orru a few on Loloata. 2/21 Lesser Melampitta Melampitta lugubris 1 seen very well on the Tari Gap Blue-capped Ifrita Ifrita kowaldi scattered in the highlands – stunning little bird! 5/21 Glossy-mantled Manucode Manucodia atra frequent at Karawari, possibly one on mainland close by Loloata. 5/21 Jobi Manucode Manucodia jobiensis a few at Karawari. 2/21 Short-tailed Paradigalla Paradigalla brevicauda singles twice at Ambua. 2/21

49 Princess Stephanie's Astrapia Astrapia stephaniae a male above Rondon Ridge and several, mainly females at Ambua and on the Tari Gap, one superb male there too – the male is an incredible sight! 6/21 Ribbon-tailed Astrapia Astrapia mayeri fantastic bird. Several males seen, some with impressive white tail plumes, between Ambua and the Tari Gap, and on the Tari Gap itself. 3/21 Lawe’s Parotia Parotia lawesii a female by the lodge at Ambua. A male seen well for a minute or so in the valley below Ambua. 2/21 Blue Bird-of-paradise Paradisaea rudolphi a female seen posed in the distance at Ambua and really good views of a male in the valley below Ambua, some had brief views of another in the valley too. 3/21 King Bird-of-paradise Cicinnurus regius rather poor views of a pair at Karawari Superb Bird-of-paradise Lophorina superba seen on most days at both Rondon Ridge and Ambua. Some brilliant views of the males in display. 7/21 Raggiana Bird-of-paradise Paradisaea raggiana A male displaying upside-down in a tree top in the Wahgi Valley – wow! The female came in and we saw them mate. Brief views also at Varirata. 2/21 King-of-Saxony Bird-of-paradise Pteridophora alberti Incredible display. Two males seen above Rondon Ridge. Several seen between Ambua and the Tari Gap, all displaying. A tour highlight! 4/21 Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise Seleucidis melanoleuca only brief views of a female until the last morning at Karawari when we saw at least two males, and several females. One bird in female plumage, but presumably a young male gave us quite display of pole-dancing! 2/21 Eastern Riflebird Ptilornis intercedens brief and rather poor views of a male in Varirata Buff-tailed Sicklebill Epimachus albertisi aka Black-billed Sicklebill. Two seen distantly but well at Ambua – a rare sighting! Black Sicklebill Epimachus fastuosus This extraordinary bird was a real tour highlight whether for its size, improbably large and long tail or loud liquid voice. A male seen above Rondon Ridge, a female seen at Ambua and a female and a male in the valley below Ambua. 3/21 Brown Sicklebill Epimachus meyeri The staccato machine-gun call of this bird is almost as unbelievable as its long spikey tail. Four males deafened us at close range. Females were seen at Ambua as well as another male! 3/21

50 Ashy Robin Poecilodryas albiscapularis Rondon Ridge Black-throated Robin Poecilodryas albonotata 1 on the Tari Gap Blue-grey Robin Peneothello cyanus heard Rondon Ridge and seen frequently Ambua. 3/21 White-winged Robin Peneothello sigillatus Ambua area. 2/21 Canary Flycatcher Microeca papuana scattered in the Ambua area. 4/21 Lemon-bellied Flycatcher Microeca flavigaster 1 at Karawari Lesser Ground Robin Amalocichla incerta very skulking! 1 on the Tari Gap Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica widespread. 16/21 Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis Tari Gap. 3/21 Island Leaf-Warbler Phylloscopus poliocephalus highlands. 5/21 New Guinea White-eye Zosterops novaeguineae Rondon Ridge Metallic or Shining Starling Aplonis metallica common West New Britain and at Karawari. 11/21 Singing Starling Aplonis cantoroides Karawari Yellow-faced Myna Mino dumontii frequent at Karawari. 4/21 Golden Myna Mino anais scattered at Karawari. 3/21 Melanesian Mynah Mino kreffti aka Long-tailed Mynah. Garu WMA, West New Britain Island Thrush Turdus poliocephalus Tari Gap. 2/21 Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata highlands. 9/21 Red-capped Flowerpecker Dicaeum geelvinkianum scattered throughout. 7/21 Red-banded Flowerpecker Dicaeum eximium aka Bismark Flowerpecker. Garu WMA, West New Britain Black Sunbird Nectarinia aspasia common at Karawari, also noted Walindi, West New Britain. 7/21 Yellow-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis common on Loloata Island, also Walindi, West New Britain, and noted Karawari. 7/21 House Sparrow Passer domesticus Port Morseby Mountain Firetail Oreostruthus fuliginosus pairs noted twice on the Tari Gap. 2/21 Papuan Parrot-Finch Erythrura papuana 1 on the Tari Gap Streak-headed Munnia Lonchura tristissima small flock at Karawari Hooded Munia Lonchura spectabilis common in the highlands. 8/21 Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinerea 1 with the four species of bird of paradise in the same tree! Alpine Pipit Anthus gutturalis several seen on the Tari Gap Australian Pipit Anthus australis formerly (or still!) part of Richard’s Pipit. Two at Tari Airstrip

51 Systematic List Number 5 Orchids

The following is merely a selection of what was seen. More than a hundred species were seen. I have not yet identified many of the species noted! Epiphytic unless otherwise stated.

Arundinaria graminifolia introduced species seen on the Kuli Gap – very nice all the same! Bulbophyllim bigibbum or Bulbophyllum arfakianum – purple spotted claw like flower, Ambua and Rondon Bulbophyllum blumei extraordinary flower, with two curved purple green-edged sepals and upper sepal purple with white hairy edge. Black Lakes, Karawari Bulbophyllum cardiophyllum very spidery white flowers in groups. Lots at Rondon Orchid Garden Bulbophyllum aff coloratum something similar to this at Ambua. Pink-striped sepals and a boat shaped lip coloured/dotted with yellow Bulbophyllum ebulbe racemes of triangular greenish or creamy flowers - Ambua Bulbophyllum formosum flowers rather like the opened seed capsule of a Gomphus, white, heavily pink-spotted. Orchid Garden at Ambua Bulbophyllum oobulbum like a yellow crabs claw! Rondon Ridge Bulbophyllum ortalis possibly this species Ambua Bulbophyllum peltopus very long sepals, white, lined purple pink. Tiny deep purple slipper of a lip. Very fine species. Orchid garden at Ambua Bulbophyllum aff sessile strange three-pronged white flower with bluish tips set deep in the leaves. Ambua Bulbophyllum streptosepalum extraordinarily long labellum lobes! Orchid Garden at Rondon Bulbophyllum trachyanthum long pointed tepals, reminiscent of a hornbills beak. Scattered throughout in the highlands – not 100% sure we didn’t see Bulbophyllum tricanaliferum too ar Rondon Bulbophyllum unitubum like trachyanthum but with long slender upper tepal and long ultimately downcurved lower tepals. Rondon Ridge Cadetia chionantha small-ish compact white flowers – probably other Cadetia species seen too Calanthe flava the common tall yellow-green flowered terrestrial orchid on the Tari Gap and on roadsides generally above Ambua Calymmanthera filiformis long racemes of pale spidery flowers in bud in Ambua orchid garden Coelogyne fragrans large white, yellow and chocolate flowers – strongly and pleasantly scented. Various localtities Cryptostylis sp terrestrial with stripy purple/white flowers with lip held above the spidery sepals. Leaf litter amongst the Bird of Paradise lek above Rondon Ridge Dendrobium apertum small red flowers – Ambua Dendrobium bairdianum or similar! Terrestrial species along the trail at the back of Karawari Lodge Dendrobium calicul-mentem Orchid Garden at Ambua Dendrobium chordiforme mid-size elegant white flowers with spreading sepals. Ambua Dendrobium chrysoglossum Orchid Garden at Ambua

52 Dendrobium cuthbertsonii stunning deep red, orange, cream or even mixed colour flowers rising directly from small textured basal leaves. Very common in the highlands, both as an epiphyte, commonly on tree ferns, and in the higher areas e.g. the Tari Gap, growing on mossy soil Dendrobium cyrtosepalum small spidery white flowers. Orchid Garden at Rondon Dendrobium finisterrae large hairy yellow and green flowers, etched with deep orange-brown lines. Orchid Gardens at Ambua and Rondon Dendrobium glomeratum bunches of pink with deepest crimson centred flowers. Orchid Garden at Ambua Dendrobium hellwigianum (purple-red flowers) Orchid Garden at Ambua Dendrobium lasianthera quite simply the best! Sprays of deep or/and pale pink flowers with the upper petals vertical and deep plum and spiraled. Swamp Forest on Yimbas Lake and at one or two other spots in the Karawari area Dendrobium mayandi Orchid Garden at Ambua Dendrobium petiolatum vivid pink blooms with orange lip in a tight bundle. Ambua Orchid Garden Dendrobium prostheciglossum tall terrestrial species frequent in the highlands but only seen in flower at Ambua. Dendrobium pseudoglomeratum Congested mass of pink, red-centred flowers. Orchid Garden at Rondon and Ambua Dendrobium smilliae compact white heads with green centres to each flower. Karawari Dendrobium subaclausum orange and red var. phlox , and the yellow form pandanicola . Orchid Garden at Ambua and Rondon. A very common species Dendrobium vexillaris several colour forms of this variable species present – yellow, red, pink and even blue! Rondon and Ambua Dendrobium violaceum (violet flowers!). Orchid Garden at Ambua Diplocaulobium aratriferum or at least very close to this. Superb spoider white single blooms with lip shading through yellow to red at base. By entrance to Rondon Ridge Diplocaulobium chrysotropis Orchid Garden at Ambua Dryadorchis sp white orange-spotted epiphyte on Restorf Island in Kimbe Bay West New Britain. Interestingly there appear to be only five Dryadorchis species and all occur only on PNG mainland and all bar one are highland species, yet this appears certain to be this genus! Epiblastus basilis Ambua and Rondon. Tight groups of very red medium-sized flowers Glossorhyncha amblicaulis fine inch across white flowers held flat. Orchid Garden at Ambua Glossorhyncha papuana small white flowers. On ground outside Orchid Garden at Rondon, but probably normally epiphytic Glossorhyncha tortuosa tiny white flowered species. Orchid Garden at Ambua Goodyera grandis probably this species seen on the Kuli Gap Grastidium sp seen on the Tari Gap, small white flowered Liparis coelogynoides ?maybe this species on the Tari Gap Malaxis sp a green-flowered species on the Tari Gap Mediocalcar bifolium red berry like flowers (small) with green petals at end. Ambua Mediocalcar decortum tiny orange-red and yellow flowers en mass – Rondon Ridge

53 Mediocalcar montanum red berry like flowers (small) with white petals at end – rather like a muscari in shape. Orchid Garden at Rondon and Ambua Mediocalcar versteegii large than decortum but with similar orange and red flowers Oberonia encaps raceme of tiny white flowers. Orchid Garden at Ambua Phaium flavum rather undistinguished terrestrial orchid with quite large pale yellow-green flowers. Tari Gap Phaium tankervilliae a few on the Kuli Gap – spectacular flowers Spathoglottis plicata Pink terrestrial orchid with yellow on lip. Orchid Garden at Ambua Spathoglottis portus finschii Kuli Gap. Pale pink flowers with a narrow ultimately widening lip with yellow only inside the base Spathoglottis umbraticola possibly this recently described species. Lip with much yellow, rhomboid. Highlands generally. Mst of my Spathoglottis pictures seem closest to this one Spathoglottis rivularis common pink terrestrial orchid. Roadsides in the highlands

54