Down with the Blues at Kumul (Papua New Guinea): June 2010

A steep hike was needed to get us up a slope where pretty soon our quarry announced his presence loudly. The bold beeping call sound reminiscent of a reverse signal on a truck indicating a male Blue Bird-of-Paradise was perched up somewhere, advertising his considerable presence to surrounding females. Soon after a conspicuous streamered silhouette was picked out on a high dead limb: a magnificent male Blue Bird-of-Paradise, one of the undisputed treasures of Papua New Guinea. Almost all birds-of-paradise are spectacular but this one with its bold white spectacles and fancy "dangly bits" is just that little bit more special. Having said all that a pigeon beat it into first place when the bird of the trip votes came in at the end! (more of that later though)....

Papua New Guinea Trip 1: June 2010 (Kumul Continued)

There are just too many garden and bird table birds at Kumul Lodge (in the highlands of Enga province) to mention in one post so here's another (with another to follow). As well as the marquee birds-of-paradise, White-winged Robins flitted on and off the legs of the table, pouncing on insects on the ground from their lofty perches (bottom photo); Rufous-naped Whistler, a strange terrestrial species that bounced regularly along the verge of the flowerbeds (top photo); and a flashy, noisy honeyeater, the Belford's Melidectes came in and gorged on the bird table fruit whenever they got a look in from the tiger-parrots and birds-of-paradise that have considerably more muscle!

Papua New Guinea Trip 1: June 2010

Near the start of my first of 2 PNG tours this year we visited the now legendary Kumul Lodge in Enga province in the bird-of-paradise (BOP) packed highlands. On arrival at the lodge we feasted on the many birds in the garden and on their amazing fruit-filled bird table, that attracted immature male Ribbon-tailed Astrapias, top photo, and female Brown Sicklebills (both dramatic BOPs), middle photo. While watching the frenetic action we noticed a movement under the table where the normally shy Chestnut Forest-Rail (this one a polka-dotted female), bottom photo, was found feeding unconcernedly! Plenty of other avian morsels were on offer, although we could not resist a foray into the forest to pick up a flame-orange Crested Bird-of-Paradise (now renamed Crested Satinbird and classified within that new, 2-bird, family) that was seen at very close range: a truly shocking black and orange bird with a gleaming blue eye! A magical day that only Kumul, and indeed Papua New Guinea, can provide. Breathtaking.

Quail Hunt...AUSTRALIA 9 July 2010

Having just finished a tour in Papua New Guinea (posts to follow in coming days), I had a welcome day off today (one of only 3 I have had since the end of March). So what better to do than go birding. So I went off after one of the few possible lifers in the "Brisbane" area: Black-breasted Buttonquail just a 3 hour drive away at Inskip Point. I set off with an ex-pat Stuart Pickering one of my old birding mates from London (who now lives in this fantastic birding country). I left with the feeling the site would offer buttonquail or bust, however was surprised when we also bumped into other interesting birds at the site. It started with a delightful family of Variegated Fairywrens that played around us for a while (top photo). Then I went on the prowl for the buttonquail, and found a Noisy Pitta lurking colorfully beneath a palm, a wonderful and most unexpected find. Minutes later I was watching and listening to the bizarre Eastern Whipbird, that posesses one of the most recognisable sounds of the east. Then a short time later my first of 3 male Black-breasted Buttonquails walked slowly but purposefully by-lifebird! An interval for a pair of beefy Beach Thick-Knees loafing on the beach followed (bottom photo). Later Stuart put me onto another couple of male buttonquails busy making "soup bowls" on the edge of the parking lot, by rolling their bodies to kick up prey, and in the process making these distinctive depressions that betray their existence in the area.

Sichuan China BALANG SHAN (May 2010)

One of the most spectacular settings on Earth to bird (in my very humble opinion) is the mountain of Balang Shan, in the Wolong Panda Reserve in Sichuan. My group though had trouble believing this as the 4600m high giant was cloaked in thick fog/cloud, leaving the scenery unseen for a number of days. However, once the cloud cleared gasps went up and we pulled in quite the haul of celebrity birds: a pair of Chinese Monals graced in an alpine meadow, a clean White Eared Pheasant fed quietly on the slopes below, glowing Purple Grandalas worked the upper slopes, and Svertsov's Tit-Warblers displayed their undeniable cuteness to all on the shrubby hillsides on the far side of the pass (see photo), just a short drive down from where a male Himalayan Rubythroat showed off his best feature while singing from the mountain shrubbery, with snow-dusted slopes behind. On top of all of that, Lammergeiers haunted the skies above, Verreaux's Monal-Partridge scuttled across the road, AND a bundle of rosefinch species kicked off an amazing tour for these pink finches, some 11 species of which were tallied by the end!

Sichuan, China EMEI SHAN (May 2010)

Next stop on our tour of China's well-named "heavenly kingdom" (i.e. Sichuan) was one of the holiest sites in all of China: EMEI SHAN. While Buddhist pilgrims headed to "Crouching Tiger Temple" we checked out Chinese Hwamei, flashy Fork-tailed Sunbirds, fiery Flame-breasted Flowerpeckers, gigantic Great Barbets, and this super Slaty-backed Forktail (photo).

Sichuan, China: CHENGDU (May 2010)

Now I am free from Chinese censorship, I am back in the real world (of Facebook and blogging-that is real is it not?!)...So I can update some highlights from my recent China tour.

We began in "the biggest city no one has ever heard" of, CHENGDU. With perhaps as many as 11 million people in it, that is quite an achievement! We ventured first into the Panda Breeding Center, our only real chance at seeing Giant Pandas, that were of course crunching on fresh sticks of bamboo (bottom photo). Birds in the grounds included the extravagant Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, "subdued" Oriental Greenfinch, odd Rufous-faced Warbler, and a mixed flock of very cute Vinous-throated and Ashy-throated Parrotbills. That included these sweet juvenile Vinous-throateds (top photo).

An afternoon trip to the former home of a famous Tang Dynasty poet, Du Fu's Thatched Cottage, brought us crowds of amorous lovers around the lakeside, some interesting signs (middle photo), and a hulking Chinese Grosbeak.