PORT MORESBY AREA BIRDING

We arrived in Port Morseby after a very scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef. Now would our Guide/Driver turn up – after all I had paid him all the money in advance.

Having to queue awhile to get a local SIM card and starting to worry as we could not find Leonard – but he did turn up before we had finished our phone stuff – WIN

Tried a few ATMs panic wouldn’t work arghh, eventually found one (non Aussie as they wouldn’t accept my card)

Road works everywhere in Port Moresby. Absolute mess of construction and industry. As a result not very attractive but we still had a pleasant hour wandering around the Parliament House grounds.

We stayed at Sanctuary Resort. Quite a new place a bit out of town but pretty (loads of plants). It has a massive bird cage (best one ever except the one in Hong Kong) and some Birds of Paradise. Great staff, very friendly and helpful.

Driving around the city it is amazing to see all the little local market gardens. All where very neat and tidy and very healthy looking, which the roads were not and needed lots of TLC.

Varirata National Park, Brown River area and The PAU University were great for birds.

Amazing views on the drive up and down and out from the lookout. We would love to have stayed in the National park and wander around for a few days. As there are lots of walking trails (but nowhere to stay so not possible).

We were so lucky in the National Park as we got there just after 6am and went to a Bird of Paradise site . There were quite a few birds there and they started to display after a short while when a female turned up – amazing, such incredible birds. Not the best photography ever, low light, fast movement and lack of experience, but we are learning slowly.

Had a quick look at War museum lots of stuff there but building being renovated, presume like everything else in Port Moresby for APEC conference.

Went to the Marina a gated complex on the waterfront, had a pleasant evening and good Indian meal.

BIRD & WILDLIFE LISTS:

Varirata National Park, Brown River and PM – Three day trips, one in each area

Birds:
Australian Figbird
Australian White Ibis
Azure Kingfisher
Bar Shouldered Dove
Barking Owl

Barred Owlet Nightjar
Black Backed Butcherbird
Black Berrypecker
Black Butcherbird
Black Capped Lory
Black Cicadabird
Black Faced Cuckooshrike
Blue Winged Kookaburra
Blyth’s Hornbill
Brahminy Kite
Brown Cuckoo Dove
Brown Headed Paradise Kingfisher
Brown Oriole
Brush Cuckoo
Comb Crested Jacana
Common Kingfisher
Common Paradise Kingfisher
Crinkle Collard Manucode
Dollarbird
Dusky Moorhen
Eclectus parrot
Eastern Grey Egret
Elegant Meliphaga
Fawn Breasted Bowerbird

Forest Kingfisher
Glossy Manucode
Golden Headed Cisticola
Great Egret
Green Backed Gerygone
Green Pygmy Goose
Grey Headed Mannikin
Grey Teal
Growling Riflebird
Hardhead
Helmeted Friarbird
Hooded Butcherbird
House Sparrow
Intermediate Egret
Large Fig Parrot
Little Black Cormorant
Little Cormorant
Little Pied Cormorant
Magnificent Riflebird
Masked Lapwing
Metallic Starling
Nankeen Night Heron
Olive Backed Kingfisher
Olive Backed Sunbird
Orange Bellied Fruit Dove
Orange Breasted Fig Parrot
Orange Footed Scrubfowl
Oriental Dollarbird
Pacific Baza
Pacific Black Duck
Pacific Swallow
Papuan Frogmouth

Papuan Mountain Pigeon
Peaceful Dove
Pheasant Coucal
Pied Heron
Pink Spotted Fruit Dove
Plumed Whistling Duck
Purple Swamphen
Raggiana Bird Of Paradise
Rainbow Bee-eater
Rainbow Lorikeet
Rajah Shelduck
Red Capped Flowerpecker
Red Cheeked Parrot

Red Bellied Pitta
Rufous Banded Honeyeater
Rufous Bellied Kookaburra
Sacred Kingfisher
Shining Flycatcher
Southern Variable Pitohui
Spangled Drongo
Spot Winged Monarch
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo
Tawny Breasted Honeyeater
Torresian Crow
Torresian Imperial Pigeon
Variable Goshawk
Variable Pitohui
Varied Triller
Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Wandering Whistling Duck

Whistling Kite
White Bellied Cuckooshrike
White Breasted Woodswallow
White Shouldered Fairywren
Variable Goshawk
Willie Wagtail
Yellow Bellied Gerygone
Yellow Billed Kingfisher
Yellow Eyed Starling
Yellow Faced Myna
Yellow Tinted Honeyeater
Zoe’s Imperial Pigeon