Papua
New Guinea Island Boat Tour
17 Day Tour
8
birdwatchers minimum / 10 maximum
Walindi
(New Britain Island) - Wasu on the Huon Peninsula, Manus,
Tong, Mussau, Tench, New Hanover, New Ireland and Djaul
Island - Rabaul
This
itinerary is prepared by Brian Coates, who is the main
guide on this tour.
Please click here for more
information about your guides.
THE
ISLANDS OF THE BISMARCK ARCHIPELAGO & NEW GUINEA'S
HUON PENINSULA
In
addition to our usual PNG Bird Tour, Kirrama Wildlife
Tours is offering a boat tour that will visit key islands
of the Bismarck Archipelago and the mountains of New
Guinea's Huon Peninsula. This tour is designed to observe
birds that are endemic to those remote locations.
Our
accommodation for this tour will be on the comfortable,
air-conditioned MV FeBrina, except for two nights at
Walindi Plantation Resort on New Britain and one night
in a village guest-house on New Ireland. During the
tour we expect to list more than 200 bird species.
The
Bismarck Archipelago is a semi-circular chain of islands
lying northeast of New Guinea, some large, others tiny.
These islands are of volcanic and oceanic crust origin
and have never been connected to the New Guinea mainland.
The birds that have colonized these islands are typically
strong-flying species, mainly of Australo-Papuan ancestry
although some are of Oriental origin. Using the islands
as stepping-stones, they arrived directly from New Guinea
and indirectly via the Solomon Islands, and also directly
and indirectly from Asia. Due to their long isolation
many of these birds are now well differentiated from
their parent stock and many have completed speciation.
These include several raptor species, various pigeons
and parrots, a cockatoo, two coucals, three boobooks,
several kingfishers, Superb Pitta, Mussau Triller, various
fantails and monarch flycatchers, New Ireland Drongo,
three friarbirds, five Myzomela honeyeaters, a flowerpecker,
a white-eye, three mannikins, Atoll Starling and a wood-swallow.
While at sea we will be looking out for Heinroth's Shearwater
and Beck's Petrel - two rare and little-known seabirds
that are endemic to Northern Melanesia.
Set
amid pristine tropical waters, the Bismarck islands
are fascinating and delightful places to visit. They
enjoy a warm and pleasant climate, have prolific and
luxuriant vegetation, and are inhabited by friendly
people.
The
magnificent mountains of the Huon Peninsula are also
an island - an ecological island - where certain upland
species have evolved in isolation from their nearest
relatives on New Guinea's central ranges. These mountains
are off the beaten track and are seldom visited by birders.
The avifauna here includes three splendid endemic species
of birds of paradise, one endemic bowerbird and two
endemic montane honeyeaters, plus numerous special New
Guinea birds, some of which (e.g. Spotted Berrypecker)
are difficult to find elsewhere.
ITINERARY
Day
1
7th
October, 2011
Our
tour begins on Friday 7th of October, the day we fly
from Port Moresby to Hoskins on the island of New Britain.
Here we will stay for two nights at Walindi Plantation
Resort while looking for birds in forested and coastal
areas. In the afternoon, time permitting, we shall visit
nearby Kilu Ridge to look for forest birds.
Day
2
8thOctober,
2011
Today
we visit the Kulu River area for birding in forested
and partly cleared habitats. New Britain is the largest
island in the Bismarck Archipelago and here can be found
many species that are endemic to: (i) New Britain, (ii)
the Bismarck Archipelago, and (iii) the islands of Northern
Melanesia. Birds we will be looking for include Melanesian
Scrubfowl, New Britain Buzzard, Pied Cuckoo-dove, Red-knobbed
Fruit-dove, Red-knobbed and Finsch's Imperial-pigeons,
Blue-eyed Cockatoo, Eastern Black-capped Lory, Red-flanked
and Red-chinned Lorikeets, Song and Eclectus Parrots,
Buff-faced Pygmy-parrot, Bismarck Hanging-parrot, Violaceous
and Pied Coucals, White-rumped Swiftlet, Black-headed
Paradise-kingfisher, White-mantled and Bismarck Kingfishers,
Blyth's Hornbill, Bismarck Pied Monarch, Lesser Shining
Flycatcher, New Britain Friarbird, Ashy and New Britain
Red-headed Myzomela Honeyeaters, Bismarck Flowerpecker,
Buff-bellied Mannikin, 'Melanesian' (Yellow-faced) Myna
and White-backed Wood-swallow.
Day
3
9th
October, 2011
In
the morning we visit the Pokili Wildlife Management
Area for more forest birding. In the afternoon, following
lunch, we embark the MV FeBrina, our very comfortable
air-conditioned accommodation for the remainder of the
tour, except for one night on New Ireland. We then depart
for Wasu on New Guinea's Huon Peninsula. En route we
will visit a small island to look for some small-island
species, including Island Imperial-pigeon, Island Monarch
and Scarlet-bibbed Myzomela Honeyeater. We will also
make observations of seabirds. Little is known of the
occurrence and seasonal distribution of seabirds in
the Bismarck Sea and all observations made during our
tour will be of interest. One of the species we are
hoping to see is the rare Heinroth's Shearwater.
Day
4
10th October, 2011
Our
arrival at Wasu is expected to be late afternoon, having
spent part of the day crossing the Vitiaz Strait, between
New Britain and New Guinea.
Day
5, 11 October, 2011
This
morning we travel by motor vehicle up into the mountains
of the Huon Peninsula. Birds to be found here are localized
endemic species such as Huon Wattled Honeyeater, Spangled
Honeyeater, Huon Astrapia, Wahnes' Parotia, Emperor
Bird of Paradise and Huon Bowerbird. Other special New
Guinea birds that occur here include Black-mantled Goshawk,
Rufescent Imperial-pigeon, Papuan Lorikeet, Pesquet's
(Vulturine) Parrot, Blue-capped Ifrita, Mid-mountain,
Spotted and Tit Berrypeckers, Red-collared Myzomela
Honeyeater, Cinnamon-browed Melidectes Honeyeater, Mountain
Peltops, Crinkle-collared Manucode, and Superb and Magnificent
Birds of Paradise.
Day
6, 12 October, 2011
This
morning will again be spent birding in the Wasu hinterland,
prior to our early afternoon departure for Manus Island.
Day
7, 13 October, 2011
All
of this day through to the following morning will be
spent cruising in a northerly direction across the Bismarck
Sea. Seabirds to look out for include the very rare
and local Beck's Petrel, Tahiti Petrel, Heinroth's and
Streaked Shearwaters, and Grey-backed Tern. An allowance
is included in the itinerary for stopping occasionally
during daytime cruising to observe seabirds.
Day
8, 14 October, 2011
We
expect to arrive Manus Island around 5:00am. Here we
will spend the day looking for Admiralty Islands endemics
such as the splendid Superb Pitta, Manus Cuckoo-shrike
(recently split from the smaller White-bellied), Admiralty
Pied Monarch, the noisy (and relatively handsome!) Manus
Friarbird, and Manus Boobook. Other special birds here
include Meek's Pygmy-parrot, Claret-breasted Fruit-dove
and Black-headed White-eye.
Day
9, 15 October, 2011
Following
early morning birding, we depart Manus for Tong Island,
arriving there early afternoon. Our reason for visiting
Tong is to observe the Admiralty Rufous Fantail; formerly
found on Manus this species is now known to exist only
on three small outer islands. Other birds found on Tong
include Mackinlay's Cuckoo-dove, Yellow-bibbed Fruit-dove,
Island Monarch and Bismarck Black Honeyeater. We depart
Tong approx. 4:30pm for an overnight cruise to Mussau
Island.
Day
10, 16 October, 2011
Our
arrival at Palakau, Mussau Island is expected to be
around 7:30am. Most of this day will be spent birding
on Mussau, the main island of the St Matthias Group.
Mussau is host to several distinctive endemic bird species
such as Mussau Triller, Mussau Rufous Fantail and Mussau
Pied Monarch, as well as a number of other well-differentiated
forms including a distinctive white/buffy-capped form
of Collared Kingfisher, and isolated forms of Scaly
Zoothera Thrush, Lesser Shining Flycatcher and Blue-faced
Parrot-finch. Departure from Mussau will be approx.
11:00pm for an overnight cruise to Tench Island.
Day
11, 17 October, 2011
We
expect to arrive at Tench Island around 6:00am. This
tiny wooded island presents a remarkable sight: birds
are everywhere as tens of thousands of terns depart
in all directions for feeding grounds, many also mill
about above the trees, and flocks of Nicobar Pigeons
fly over. The most abundant bird here is the Black Noddy,
which nests colonially in trees all over the island.
Also present and breeding are Brown Noddy and the lovely
White Tern. Tench is one of only a few places where
Atoll Starling can be found. Other birds here include
White-tailed Tropicbird, Pacific Imperial-pigeon, Yellow-bibbed
Fruit-dove, Beach Kingfisher, Island Monarch and Bismarck
Black Myzomela Honeyeater. We depart Tench in the early
afternoon for Taskul, New Hanover Island, allowing time
to look for seabirds along the way. Arrival at our destination
is expected to be late evening.
Day
12, 18 October, 2011
Our
reason for visiting New Hanover Island is to observe
the 'New Hanover Mannikin' (usually considered to be
a distinctive race of Hunstein's Mannikin of northern
New Ireland). After locating the mannikin we depart
for Kavieng, New Ireland, arriving there around early
afternoon. This should allow sufficient time for afternoon
birding in the Kavieng area. Special birds to be found
here include Hunstein's Mannikin and Green Pygmy-parrot.
Day 13, 21 October. In the morning, starting early,
we drive to central New Ireland for birding on the Lelet
Plateau uplands. Endemic New Ireland birds found in
this area are White-naped Lory, the streamer-tailed
New Ireland Drongo, New Ireland Friarbird, New Ireland
Myzomela Honeyeater and New Ireland Mannikin. Other
special birds here, shared with New Britain or other
Bismarck islands, include Pied Cuckoo-dove, Red-knobbed,
Finsch's and Black Imperial-pigeons, Red-knobbed Fruit-dove,
Red-chinned Lorikeet, Bismarck Hanging-parrot, Violaceous
and Pied Coucals, Bismarck Rufous Fantail, the yet-to-be-described
'Bismarck Flycatcher' (Microeca sp.), Bismarck Flowerpecker,
Black-headed White-eye and White-backed Wood-swallow.
Our accommodation for the night is at the Dalom village
Guest House where we also hope to find New Ireland Boobook.
Day
14, 20 October, 2011
This
morning will again be spent birding on the Lelet Plateau
uplands. In the afternoon we drive back to Kavieng and
then resume our accommodation aboard the MV FeBrina.
Day
15, 21 October, 2011
In
the early hours of the morning the MV FeBrina will depart
Kavieng for Djaul Island, arriving there around 7:00am.
Djaul is a smallish island just off the west coast of
New Ireland. It has never been connected to the mainland
and is host to well-differentiated races of Bismarck
Pied Monarch (' Djaul Pied Monarch'), Golden Monarch,
Lesser Shining Flycatcher and Bismarck Flowerpecker.
Following our search for these birds we depart Djaul
in the afternoon and begin our cruise south towards
waters off Cape Lambert on north coast of New Britain's
Gazelle Peninsula.
Day
16, 22 October, 2011
In
the early morning we arrive at waters off Cape Lambert.
Here we hope to find Beck's Petrel. If our search for
the petrel is successful we shall proceed to Watom Island
for birding and then to Rabaul for the night. Birds
found on Watom include Mackinlay's Cuckoo-dove, Yellow-bibbed
Fruit-dove, Island Imperial-pigeon, Island Monarch and
Scarlet-bibbed Honeyeater.
Alternatively, if our search for Beck's Petrel off Cape
Lambert is unsuccessful, we may proceed to waters in
southern St George's Channel off southwest New Ireland
to look for the petrel there. Our departure from these
southern waters would be no later than 6:00pm, for the
overnight cruise to Rabaul.
Day
17, 23 October, 2011
We
transfer from the MV FeBrina to Rabaul airport at approx.
5:00am for our flight back to Port Moresby.
Additional
extensions
At
the end of the tour, a 2-3 days extension could be added
for birding (and also sightseeing) on the Gazelle Peninsula,
inland from Rabaul. Birds found here include New Britain
Buzzard, Pied Cuckoo-dove, Finsch's and Black Imperial-pigeons,
Rufous-faced Thicket-warbler and Bismarck Rufous Fantail.
It
is also possible to visit for 2-3 days Fergusson Island
(off the southeastern tip of New Guinea) to observe
Goldie's Bird of Paradise and Curl-crested Manucode.
