WEST PAPUA 6th – 20th October 2014

Waigeo, Arfaks and Northern Lowlands

Male Western Parotia above its court in the Arfak Mountains. Photo by Nick Cobb.

The Crew Nick Cobb, Simon Fogg, Lou and Paul Macklam, Nick Wall and Nigel Wheatley (all from England, all aged 50+).

Further Information Nigel Wheatley nigelwheatley@btinternet.com / www.wheretowatchbirdsandotherwildlifeintheworld.co.uk/

Why West Papua? Because of the birds-of-paradise, especially Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise, Red Bird-of-paradise, Magnificent Bird-of-paradise and Western Parotia, all of which can be seen displaying, as well as Long-tailed Paradigalla, Arfak Astrapia, and Black, Black-billed and Pale-billed Sicklebills. Having visited Papua New Guinea in 2008 we were also very keen to see Western and Victoria Crowned Pigeons, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Blue-black Kingfisher, Vogelkop Bowerbird and other West Papuan endemics such as White-striped Forest Rail, Salvadori’s Fig Parrot, Arfak (Western Smoky) Honeyeater, Vogelkop Melidectes and Brown-headed Crow.

Climate and Timing We were amazed by the weather; one afternoon of rain in 15 days! Having asked for the tour to be timed to coincide with the best time for displaying birds-of-paradise, especially Wilson’s, we were surprised to be told that October was the best time, since this was later than the traditional period for tours to New Guinea which is between July and September. We assumed it must be because October is the start of the rainy season but during at least the last five years September and October have been, on the whole, the driest months of the year in West Papua and these are the optimum times for displaying birds-of-paradise and bowerbirds.

It was very hot and humid on the island of Waigeo and in the northern lowlands near Sentani, and cooler in the Arfak Mountains where the rain fell on just one afternoon.

The Results We saw just 200 species in 15 days, about 60 new ones each. In 17 days in Papua New Guinea we saw nearer 300 species. Birding is tough there and even tougher in West Papua, arguably tougher than anywhere else on Earth, because most birds have been hunted for tens of thousands of years and are very shy, and many species densities are very low, so without a local guide, preferably a Papuan, and playing bird calls and songs, very few birds are likely to be seen, and without a ‘scope very few birds are likely to be seen well. It is very important to carry a ‘scope and tripod everywhere if you wish to see many birds well. There is plenty of time ‘standing about looking at nowt’ (nothing!) but with patience and persistence it is possible to see some great birds and some of the very best birds are also the easiest to see, thanks to the palm-fringed hides/screens overlooking their display courts and bowers; they are Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise (Waigeo), Magnificent Bird-of-paradise (Arfaks), Western Parotia (Arfaks) and Vogelkop Bowerbird (Arfaks).

Visas and Surat Jalans Visas can be obtained on arrival in Indonesia for about GB£23, payable with a visa card. Visitors also need Surat Jalans, travelling permits issued by the police. In our case these were sorted out by our ground agents, Papua Expeditions, for which they needed four passport photos per person.

Health and Safety Immunisations are recommended for Cholera, Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, Rabies, Tetanus and Typhoid. In addition, the malaria risk is high so it is necessary to take antimalarial tablets. Five of us took Doxycycline, one Malarone. In the event of contracting cerebral malaria (the fatal P. falciparum strain) the first thing to do is to take Malarone. Mosquitoes also transmit Dengue Fever for which there is no vaccine. It is wise to avoid being bitten as much as is possible, even wearing gloves if necessary in the northern lowlands, and investing in a good mosquito net, preferably the box type which allow for space around the body at night. Chiggers are common and affected most members of our crew to varying degrees. Leeches were less numerous but present in small numbers in the northern lowlands. There would probably be a lot more in wetter conditions. It is important to be fully aware that all land in West Papua is considered to be owned by the indigenous Papuans and before entering any areas and making ‘use’ of them, even for non-invasive activities like birding, it is critically important to secure permission from all stakeholders involved, as part of which a ‘usage fee’ will normally have to be paid. Failure to secure such prior permission may have very serious consequences, because native Papuans generally resent unsolicited trespassing by outsiders, exercise strong control over land and resources, and readily impose huge fines to any trespassers. Remember also that many tribesmen in West Papua still consider the use of (potentially lethal) force to be an entirely acceptable way to solve simple problems. We felt very safe throughout the tour and found the people we met to be very friendly, although we only had time to venture beyond the campsites, guesthouse, leased land and hotels on one occasion, to the shopping district next to the Travellers Hotel in Sentani.

Getting There and Around We got there and around on Garuda Indonesia, a very modern and efficient airline these days. On the way out our check-in bags went all the way from Gatwick to Sorong which we reached via Amsterdam, Jakarta and two internal flights via Ujung Pandang on Sulawesi, and the same happened on the way back, from Jayapura to Gatwick via Biak, Ujung Pandang, Jakarta and Amsterdam. A local guide or guides is/are essential. They speak the language, they are familiar with who owns what land and where it is safe to bird, they can organise transport, porters and cooks much cheaper and faster than it would take an individual/group to do so, and they know where the male birds-of-paradise display and the display courts/trees of these species are the only places they are likely to be seen. We chose Papua Expeditions www.papuaexpeditions.com as our ground agents/local guides. They have been operating since 2005 and had mostly glowing reviews from European birders. We made first contact with them in August 2012 after which all queries and transactions were promptly and expertly dealt with by Like (pronounced Leeka) Wijaya who runs the company with her husband Iwein Mauro. The company promotes community-based birding on land leased from local landowners. Iwein, born in 1975 and from Belgium, first visited West Papua in 2000 and has probably spent more time birding there than anyone else of comparable age in the world. He speaks English, Dutch, French and Indonesian and worked tirelessly with his Papuan guide the brilliant bird-finder Maurits to track down the birds we wished to see; no easy task in West Papua! Like, born in 1984 in Raja Ampat, also speaks English, Dutch and Indonesian. She worked tirelessly in the background, ensuring a super smooth trip, from keeping the local landowners happy, organising transportation in the form of a boat, cars and 4WDs, to conjuring up tasty meals in the field, again no easy tasks in West Papua! We thoroughly recommend them.

Accommodation and Food The Waigeo campsite has gravel beds about 10 cm off the ground. Tarpaulins are raised above these and mats placed upon them ready for visitors to set up their own beds on them, using their own sleeping mats and mosquito nets. The Muaib campsite in the northern lowlands has wooden platforms about a metre off the ground. These too are covered with tarpaulins and visitors set up their own beds on them, using their own sleeping mats and mosquito nets. Field showers are composed of a tub of water with a scoop and field toilets involve squatting over a pit. The ‘guesthouse’ in the Arfaks has no electricity or running water and is best viewed as a campsite with beds (with mattresses!) and a roof. The hotels were way more luxurious than we needed. Like is a great cook and often served up more than we could eat. Breakfasts included such things as banana fritters, and pancakes with palm sugar and honey. Other meals usually involved rice or spaghetti with vegetables and sometimes chicken or tinned beef or tuna, plus sweet puddings and fresh fruit with coffee and tea as requested. The food seemed to be best in the Arfaks where sweet ‘n’ sour fish, potato and pumpkin soup, and a chicken, papaya and potato dish went down particularly well in the cool evenings. Alas, beer is not allowed in the field and was available only in the hotels in Sorong and Sentani, and not in Manokwari, much to our astonishment and disappointment!

Orobiai River Jungle Camp, Waigeo. Photo by Nigel Wheatley.

Orobiai River Jungle Camp, Waigeo. Photo by Nigel Wheatley.

Setting up Muaib Jungle Camp, Northern Lowlands. Photo by Nigel Wheatley.

Equipment The long and very thorough list of equipment required which was sent to us by Papua Expeditions includes a rucksack (which porters can carry), rubber/wellington boots, mosquito net, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, changes of clothes and an umbrella. It is therefore a challenge not only to fit it all in but to keep the weight below the airline limits, in our case 20 Kg and 7 Kg, although these did not appear to be an issue on internal flights.

Costs The tour price for 15 days in the field was GB£2745 each for a crew of six. This did not include international nor internal flights as well as some meals in relatively expensive hotels in Sorong, Manokwari and Sentani (read the small print) which came to GB£1352 each for the flights and about GB£100 for meals and beer, so the Grand Total

each was GB£4197, pretty good when compared to international tour company prices, and which included exclusive use of the camps and forest on Waigeo, in the Arfaks and in the northern lowlands.

Itinerary Saturday 4th October 2014 Garuda Indonesian’s Flight GA89 from London Gatwick to Jakarta, departed more or less on time at 13:10. Sunday 5th October Arrived at Jakarta in Java more or less on time at 11:40. A long wait then until Garuda Indonesian’s Flight GA650 to Ujung Pandang (Makassar), Sulawesi, departing at 21:00. Fortunately Garuda have a free lounge with free food and drink! Monday 6th October Arrived at Ujung Pandang more or less on time at 00:30. Then boarded Garuda Indonesian’s Flight GA698 to Sorong, West Papua, departing at 03:15 and arriving at 06:30 where we met Iwein and Like. A great and exciting culture shock in very hot and dusty and chaotic Sorong where there are millions of mopeds and little yellow buses called bemos but we soon dumped our stuff and were in the field in virtually no time; in secondary forest along the Sorong-Manokwari road in the Sorong Lowlands watching a gorgeous Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher. In the afternoon and evening we scanned the forested horizon for the restricted-range Black Lory but saw none. It was good to ‘scope a Hook-billed Kingfisher though! Night in more than adequate Meridien Hotel in Sorong. Tuesday 7th October After breakfast we boarded a very narrow and cramped fast motor launch in Sorong harbour. It was our transport across the choppy

Dampier Strait to Waigeo island. Unfortunately it was too bumpy and windy to sit up top on the roof so seawatching had to be conducted through the tiny windows at sea-level at what seemed like a hundred-miles-an-hour, but we still managed to eke out a Bulwer’s Petrel and several Wedge-tailed Shearwaters. We reached the forested limestone island 154 years after Alfred Russell Wallace did in 1860 (about 30 k from where we landed apparently) and waded across a shallow, gravelly river to ‘the most beautiful campsite in the world’, in primary forest leased by Papua Expeditions. We saw a Western Crowned Pigeon on the hike up to the Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise display court where, from a palm frond-fronted hide with a seat, we watched a brilliant full-plumaged male calling and preening, doing some ‘gardening’ (keeping his court free of fallen leaves and other debris) and briefly displaying, on and off, for a few hours, a few hours we had long dreamed of! It was better than any dreams though; far, far better. It is 30 minutes to an hour from the campsite to the court, up a fairly steep trail over crumbly limestone terrain. Night in camp.

Male Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise at its court on Waigeo. Photos by Nick Cobb.

Wednesday 8th October Hiked up to the ridge in the dark ready for the dawn display of the Red Birds-of-paradise and they called and displayed on and off for an hour. The display tree is very high so a ‘scope is recommended; great views were obtained through the ‘scope of four full-plumaged males, occasionally displaying. We then saw a Waigeo Cuscus and another, ‘scoped, Western Crowned Pigeon. We saw very little during a tough few hours birding in the late afternoon apart from a blue-eyed Brown-headed Crows, one of six of these scarce birds. Night in camp.

Waigeo Cuscus, Waigeo. Photo by Nick Cobb.

Thursday 9th October On the walk up in the dark to the Wilson’s court Maurits, the Papuan guide, somehow spotted a Common Paradise Kingfisher several paces off the trail; a dazzling blue and white phantom in the torch light. Four more hours of Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise followed and Nick and Nige returned for two more hours in the afternoon it was so good, seeing it or another in a fruiting tree on the way up. Night in camp. Friday 10th October A Papuan Boobook gave us the runaround on a pre-dawn nightbird walk but we saw a Marbled Frogmouth. Then, unfortunately and all too soon, it was time to leave Waigeo, so we packed up camp and sped back to the mainland across the choppy Dampier Strait. We drank a Bintang beer or two with our lunch in the Meridien Hotel to celebrate finally seeing Wilson’s and woke up in the middle of the afternoon about forty minutes out of Sorong when the 4WDs stopped abruptly at a beach. A few minutes later we were watching

three impressive Beach Kingfishers. Then we tried for Black Lory again, without success again. Night at Meridien Hotel, Sorong. We did not see or hear Pheasant Pigeon on Waigeo. To see Bruijn’s Brush-Turkey it is normally necessary to organise a mini-expedition to higher elevations on the island. Despite more than 15 ornithological expeditions and reconnaissance visits actively searching for this bird, it managed to remain entirely unknown in the living world during the more than 120 years that elapsed between its formal description from trade skins in 1880 and its ultimate field discovery by Iwein in May 2002. Wai Atoll We were unable to visit Wai atoll in the Dampier Strait, as is normally the case with Papua Expeditions, because a scuba diving company bought exclusive access and management rights over the entire island shortly before our tour, although the customary landowners from whom the company leases the island were being challenged as the rightful owners of the island by another group of neighbouring landowners, hence it was in Papua Expedition’s (and our) best interests to stay away, especially considering that the challenging group of landowners previously burnt down another dive resort on the island in November 2000. We therefore missed several small-island specialists, as well as Great-billed Heron and Beach Kingfisher. However, we salvaged the kingfisher (and, later, the heron!). Saturday 11th October 156 years before us, in 1858, Alfred Russell Wallace sailed into Dorey Harbour, a small village on the north coast of the island of New Guinea. Now it is a big town known as Manokwari and we reached it by air from Sorong, departing more or less on time at 07:10 and arriving at about 08:00. Wallace was unable to travel far inland but after an hour or so on a flat road and a couple of hours ascending a very rough track we were reached the community guesthouse near the village of Kwau, near Mokwam, at 1580 m (5184 ft) in the Arfak Mountains. There was time for four hours birding in the forest, four very frustrating hours seeing very little, notably Vogelkop Bowerbird (there is a hide overlooking a bower five minutes flat walk from the guesthouse, but the bird was not tending the bower during our visit and proved difficult to see, although we all managed to see one, at varying times, during our stay) and Spotted Jewel Babbler, a pair of which have a territory around the aforementioned bower, so a spotlighted Striped Possum was bird-of-the-day! Night in guesthouse with no running water and no electricity, just a cooking room, an

eating room and three bedrooms with two to three single beds with recently added mattresses. Sunday 12th October Up well before dawn for a 30 minute hike up in the dark to a Western Parotia display court in the Arfak Mountains where we spent five hours in the palm frond-fronted hide with a seat watching a male on and off. We were stunned by the iridescent forehead shield which glowed incredibly brightly even though there was so little light for it to reflect, and even more amazed when a female appeared and eventually perched on a branch which the male had earlier cleaned with lichen, and which was the trigger for the male to go immediately into display mode, and he ‘danced’ a full circle under the female, legs taut, ‘tutu’ out and head and wires waving at a thousand-miles-an-hour. For once the word breathtaking was appropriate, and the display left us all absolutely stunned. The hides are good places to see other very shy forest birds and from this one we saw a Wattled Brush Turkey walk across the court, as well as Blue-grey and Green-backed Robins, but there was no sign of less regular visitors such as ground doves and Spotted Jewel Babblers. Vogelkop Melidectes and Arfak (Western Smoky) Honeyeater were seen in the guesthouse grounds before an afternoon birding session which was very disappointing. While protective measures are generally in place on the village lands of Kwau and these are broadly adhered to by Kwau villagers, unwanted trespassing and hunting with air-rifles by individuals from neighbouring villages regularly occur here apparently. As a consequence, sightings of the normally confiding Long-tailed Paradigalla are erratic and unreliable in the easily accessible area of the guesthouse, and we never saw any.

Male Western Parotia displaying at its court in the Arfak Mountains. Photo by Nick Cobb.

Monday 13th October We were up early for an hour-long, steep downhill hike in the dark to two display courts of Magnificent Bird-of-paradise at 1300 m (4265 ft). One court has a hide for photographers, where the full-plumaged male did not show very well, and the other also has a hide, where the full-plumaged male was on view for much of the four hours some of us were in there. Chestnut-backed Jewel Babbler is occasionally seen from these hides but all we saw was a White-faced Robin. On the way back uphill to the guesthouse we saw a pair of White-striped Forest Rails and Pygmy Drongo, a strange bird which some taxonomists think should be in a different family to drongos, along with the Silktail of Fiji). Then Iwein found a roosting Feline Owlet Nightjar, an extraordinary creature just a few paces away at head-height. We could not find Long-tailed Paradigalla nor Chestnut-backed Jewel Babbler before the first and only rain of the whole trip started to fall but we were glad to make it back to the guesthouse before it came down in torrents until near dark.

The incredible Feline Owlet Nightjar in the Arfak Mountains. Photo by Nick Cobb.

Male Magnificent Bird-of-paradise above its court in the Arfak Mountains. Photo by Paul Macklam.

Tuesday 14th October A long, steep hike up to a ridge at 2000 m (6562 ft) and back down, lasting 12 hours, through fairytale ferny then elfin forest, but we failed to find Black (guides only) and Black-billed Sicklebills, Spotted Jewel Babbler (glimpsed) and Cinnamon-browed Melidectes. We did see the hardest bird to see in the forest though, Arfak Astrapia, albeit a female, as well as Vogelkop Bowerbird, Smoky Robin, Rufous-sided Honeyeater and Papuan Treecreeper.

What we think is a male Tithonus Birdwing, endemic to the Arfaks, which paid a brief visit to the guesthouse garden. Photo by Nick Cobb.

Wednesday 15th October Back to the parotia court where the extraordinary creature danced again and a Wattled Brush Turkey popped in. Back at the guesthouse we packed up then the 4WDs turned up and took us down to the village of Maibri where we spent the afternoon trying to see Masked Bowerbird but no bird came to the bower. We stayed until dusk when, we were reliably informed, some bowerbirds perch high up in the trackside trees, but none did so. Night in the Aston Hotel in Manokwari, a rather lavish 4-star establishment with no beer!

Thursday 16th October A lie-in, until 06:30, then off to Manokwari Airport where the departure lounge overlooks the runway and to our delight three shorebirds at the distant end of the runway were flushed our way by a Sriwijaya plane and turned out to be Oriental Plovers, a great bonus after yesterday’s dipping. Garuda Indonesian’s Flight GA698 from Manokwari to Jayapura departed more or less on time at 08:40 and arrived at Sentani, near Jayapura, at about 10:00. It was too hot to go birding until late afternoon when a few hours in the grasslands by Lake Sentani were enough to see Grand and Hooded Munias, as well as Fawn-breasted Bowerbird and White-shouldered Fairywren. Night in the 4-star Travellers Hotel in Sentani, a façade of failure, serving up tasteless cold food to us at different times. Fortunately we could laugh it off with a beer. Friday 17th October A very early two hour drive to Nimbokrang then an 8 k walk to Muaib Jungle Camp in the primary forest of the Northern Lowlands. The walk was flat through good forest, good enough for our first Blue-black Kingfisher. Camp was then set up in time for a couple of hours by the riverside where we saw Papuan Nightjar. Night in camp. Saturday 18th October In the morning we enjoyed the best birding session of the trip so far, at least as far as species diversity was concerned. Having seen as few as six species in one morning in the Arfaks we saw 21 species in just over four daylight hours this morning including a splendid Pale-billed Sicklebill, Jobi Manucode, another cracking Blue-black Kingfisher and a pair of Emperor Fairywrens, the male of which was astonishing. We were disappointed however to discover that the Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise at its display stump was a moulting rather than full adult male, and King Birds-of-paradise were not even attending their display trees. In the afternoon we walked a long way to the Lesser Bird-of-paradise display tree and they failed to show too. It was a good job we had seen the three of them in Papua New Guinea! We

did ‘scope a perched-up Victoria Crowned Pigeon on the way back to camp though, our final and the best crowned pigeon of the three thanks to its star-spangled crest. Night in camp. Sunday 19th October In five hours birding during the morning we hardly saw a bird, mainly the usual fleeting glimpses, although one was of a Rufous-collared Monarch. We set off again when it had cooled down a bit at 15:00 in search, mainly, of cassowary. We saw fresh footprints, fresh droppings and then heard one ‘roar’ pretty close, and dared to think that we might actually see it, but we didn’t. Cassowaries appear to be present in good numbers at Muaib – someone said there was always one within a couple of hundred metres of us – and Iwein made it sound like they are seen occasionally by visitors, usually when a palm-screen is erected overlooking the birds’ favourite fruit which has fallen from a tree. ‘All’ we saw was a female King Bird-of-paradise, a Palm Cockatoo, a Great-billed Heron and a Great Spotted Cuscus. Night in camp. Monday 20th October We didn’t even hear a cassowary on our final morning stroll; a Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, with lots of Orange-bellieds, was the highlight. Lou was by now very ill with an assumed stomach-bug and she set off for Nimbokrang early with Paul. The rest of us left at 11:00 and covered the 8 k in a little over three hot and humid hours, the trudge interrupted by no less than nine Victoria Crowned Pigeons and our last but always stunning Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, a bird which would make the top ten on most birding trips but not one to West Papua where it was decided over hot dinners delivered more or less at the same time (we made sure to ask this time!) in the Travellers Hotel, Sentani, washed down with Bintang International, that the top ten birds were Wilson’s, Western Parotia, Feline Owlet Nightjar, Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Western Crowned Pigeon, Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher, Blue-black Kingfisher, Magnificent Bird-of-paradise, Emperor Fairywren and Common Paradise Kingfisher.

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra by Nick Cobb. We saw a lot of these magnificent creatures but the species still didn’t make the top ten birds of the trip!

Despite the much-appreciated incredibly dry conditions we were shattered by the end of the trip, by the heat and humidity as much as anything. Somehow Lou made it out of the jungle but the next day was ordered off our flight to Jakarta when we reached the island of Biak, and together with Paul made it home two days after the rest of us. Not the ideal end to what was, on the whole, a fantastic trip. Tuesday 21st October Garuda Indonesian’s Flight GA 651 from Jayapura to Jakarta, departed at about 09:00 and arrived in Jakarta (via Biak and Ujung Pandang) at about 14:40. On Wednesday 22nd October After ten hours in Garuda Indonesia’s lounge where food and drink are free Garuda Indonesian’s Flight GA88 from Jakarta to Gatwick departed an hour later than the scheduled 00:40 and arrived an hour late, at 13:00 instead of 12:00 midday.

The List A total of 200 species were seen (with a further four definitely heard although we did not note down every species Iwein and Maurits heard in our presence which would probably be at least ten more). Muaib (Jungle Camp) is in a large area of lowland forest in the Northern Lowlands about ten k from Nimbokrang via the start of the old logging track known as Jalan Korea. Papua Expeditions hold a written agreement signed by all customary landowners and land users to deploy ecotourism activities there. In close collaboration with them, as well as village authorities, Papua Expeditions has built and maintains a basic campsite for its exclusive use, and has pushed for an approximately 25 square kilometer core zone around it where the use of snares and traps for hunting is forbidden, a first protective measure for an area of forest already under high pressure from companies trying to buy the land in order to convert it to palm-oil production, as has already been the case in many areas of the Northern Lowlands . The presence of large-bodied animals such as Northern Cassowary, Victoria Crowned Pigeon and Great Spotted Cuscus in the immediate vicinity of the camp during our visit are a reason for cautious optimism that at least at Muaib the local Papuans are embracing ecotourism.

Northern Cassowary heard only Casuarius unappendiculatus At Muaib we saw fresh droppings, fresh footprints and even heard a bird quite close … but not close enough. Radjah Shelduck Tadorna radjah Two birds along the river on Waigeo. Wattled Brush-Turkey Aepypodius arfakianus An adult on the parotia court twice and a very young bird on the Mag Bop courts in the Arfak mountains. Red-billed Brush-Turkey heard only Talegalla cuvieri Heard along the Sorong to Manokwari road. New Guinea Megapode heard only Megapodius (freycinet) affinis Heard at Muaib. Brown Quail Coturnix australis A small covey on the road near Lake Sentani.

Bulwer’s Petrel Bulweria bulwerii A couple seen on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas A couple of birds seen on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus The all dark shearwaters seen between Sorong and Waigeo were thought to be this species. (Eastern) Cattle Egret Bubulcus [ibis] coromandus A few. Great-billed Heron Ardea sumatrana One briefly, leaping out of a riverside tree at Muaib. Great (White) Egret Ardea alba Masses around Lake Sentani. Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia Small numbers at Lake Sentani. Little Egret Egretta garzetta Small numbers. Pacific Reef Heron Egretta sacra A few on Waigeo. Lesser Frigatebird Fregata aerial A few on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Little Pied Cormorant Microcarbo melanoleucos A few on Waigeo.

(Eastern) Osprey Pandion haliaetus cristatus A few around Waigeo and Lake Sentani. Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata First seen on Waigeo then throughout the tour. Long-tailed (Honey-)Buzzard Henicopernis longicauda Great views of a perched bird along the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Variable Goshawk Accipiter biogaster Seen regularly throughout the tour. Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus Seen around Waigeo and Lake Sentani. The Waigeo bird gave excellent views around the camp, even catching fish from our bathing/swimming spot. White-striped Forest Rail Rallicula leucospila We all got pretty good views of this smart-looking bird (reminiscent of a large flufftail) which comes marked with stripes (male) or spots (females). Buff-banded Rail Gallirallus philippensis One shot across the road at Lake Sentani. Dusky Moorhen Gallinula tenebrosa A few at Lake Sentani. Pacific Golden Plover Pluvalis fulva 50+ on the airfield at Manokwari.

Oriental Plover Charadrias veredus The bonus bird of the trip (for some of us)! We were scanning from the terminal at Manokwari airport and Nigel noticed three odd-looking shorebirds at the end of the runway in the far distance. A flippant comment by Simon something along the lines of ‘the next plane will flush them and they will land in front of us’ actually came true and one of the birds even walked down a taxiway toward us. Whimbrel Numensis phaeopus Recorded on Waigeo and at Manokwari. Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa bevripes A small number on Waigeo. Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos A small number on Waigeo. Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus At least ten were seen on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii A few on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Common Tern Sterna hirundo A few on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Whiskered Tern Childonias hybrida 30+ feeding on the marsh by the hotel/airport in Sorong and a few on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucoptera At least one on the crossings between Sorong and Waigeo. Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis An introduced species in West Papua, recorded around Lake Sentani.

Great Cuckoo-Dove Reinwardtoena reinwardii One over the camp on Waigeo. Western Crowned Pigeon Goura cristata Great views of these massive pigeons were obtained on Waigeo.

Crowned pigeons usually fly up to high perches when disturbed on the forest floor and sometimes it is possible to see where they land and ‘scope ‘em! Such was the case with this Western Crowned Pigeon on Waigeo. Photo by Nick Cobb.

Victoria Crowned Pigeon Goura cristata Seen a couple of times at Muaib. We came across a flock of seven (after two on the trail) on our walk out, a very rare event according to Iwein. This species is usually restricted to primary and old re-growth forests and seeing them in such close proximity to the old logging road in generally heavily degraded secondary forest suggested that there must have been a temporary lack of suitable fruits elsewhere.

Wompoo Fruit Dove Ptilinopus magnificus Heard in a few places and one bird allowed itself to be scoped on the walk into Muaib camp. Pink-spotted Fruit Dove Ptilinopus perlatus A single bird high in a fruiting tree at Muaib. Ornate Fruit Dove Ptilinopus ornatus Seen very well from below on the ridge trail in the Arfak mountains. Superb Fruit Dove Ptilinopus superba Seen at Muaib. Coronated Fruit Dove Ptilinopus coronulatus Scope view of a bird in the tree tops on our walk into Muaib camp. Beautiful Fruit Dove Ptilinopus pulchellus Seen at Muaib. White-bibbed (Mountain) Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rivoli A bird with a confusing array of names. One was scoped in the large fruiting tree next to the road in the Arfak mountains. Also seen along the ridge trail. Orange-bellied Fruit Dove Ptilinopus iozonus The common Fruit Dove around Muaib, but getting decent views was another matter! Purple-tailed Imperial Pigeon Ducula rufigaster A nice scoped view of one perched in the open at Muaib. Rufescent Imperial Pigeon Ducula chalconata One of these smart birds was scoped on the ridge trail in the Arfaks.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon Ducula pinon Seen around camps at Waigeo and Muaib, and on the second Lory foray near Sorong. Zoe’s Imperial Pigeon Ducula zoeae Seen at Muaib. Papuan Mountain Pigeon Ducula albertisii Seen regularly in the Arfaks. Greater Black Coucal Centropus menbeki A couple of these were seen around Muaib camp. Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae Two birds flew over when we were looking for waterbirds at Lake Sentani. Fan-tailed Cuckoo Cacomantis flabelifornis One near the guesthouse in the Arfaks. Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus Seen at Lake Sentani. Papuan Boobok Ninox theomacha One of these was tracked down in the trees around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Another gave the whole crew the runaround on Waigeo where it was seen in flight but not perched. Papuan Hawk-Owl Uroglaux dimorpha A pair seen by two of the crew at Muaib. Marbled Frogmouth Podargus ocellatus Really good views of a couple of roosting birds on Waigeo.

Papuan Nightjar Eurostopodus papuensis Seen at dusk by the river on our first evening at Muaib camp. Feline Owlet-Nightjar Aegotheles insignes Outstanding views of a roosting bird in the Arfak Mountains. Wallace’s Owlet Nightjar Aegotheles wallacii Heard by all and seen by a lucky few on Waigeo. Moustached Treeswift Hemiprocne mystacea Seen poorly at dusk by the river on our first evening at Muaib camp. Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta A few picked out when we were bothering to look at swiftlets. Uniform Swiftlet Aerodramus vanikorensis The common swiftlet. Papuan Spine-tailed Swift Mearnsia novoguineae Great views of birds zooming past us as we failed in our attempt to see Black Lory near Sorong. Hook-billed Kingfisher Melidora macrorhino Brilliant scoped views of this creature of the night on the first Black Lory foray. It’s not often this bird gets seen so well and fails to be ‘bird of the day’ but we had seen Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher earlier! Common Paradise Kingfisher Tanysiptera galatea Seen on Waigeo where Maurits somehow found a bird in the dark without the use of a torch! Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher Tanysiptera nympha Excellent views of this truly beautiful bird were obtained along the Sorong to Manokwari road.

Rufous-bellied Kookaburra Dacelo gaudichaud We saw lots of these. Anywhere else it would be in the trip top ten but not in West Papua! Blue-black Kingfisher Todiramphus nigracyanea First seen on our walk in to Muaib camp. Excellent scope views were obtained the next day of this cracking bird. Beach Kingfisher Todiramphus saurophaga Three of these stunning birds were seen in remnant mangrove habitat to the north of Sorong. Sacred Kingfisher Todiramphus sanctus One seen when leaving Waigeo. Yellow-billed Kingfisher Syma torotoro Seen around Sorong, on Waigeo and at Muaib. Variable Dwarf Kingfisher Ceyx lepidus solitaries Seen by a few close to the Waigeo camp. The rest caught up with this bird with multiple sightings at Muaib. This race is split by some authorities as Papuan Dwarf Kingfisher. Azure Kingfisher Ceyx (Alcedo) azureus Regular along the rivers at Muaib. Blue-tailed Bee-eater Merops philippinus Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Blyth’s Hornbill Rhyticeros plicatus This magnificent bird was a constant feature of the trip and the sight and sound of them winging their way loudly over the forest will long stay in the memory.

Palm Cockatoo Probosciger aterrimus Three distant birds high up in trees on a Waigeo ridge and a much closer individual which swung upside down in a tree-top to view us near Muaib camp. Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita Seen regularly on Waigeo and at Muaib. Pesquet’s Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus Poor views of three around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains at dusk. Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot Micropsitta pusio These brilliant little birds were seen on a couple of occasions a Muaib and scope views were much appreciated! Coconut (Rainbow) Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus haematodus Seen poorly on Waigeo and at Muaib. This race is split by from Rainbow Lorikeet of Australia by some taxonomists but not by ‘Clements’. Black-capped Lory Lorius lory Seen poorly on Waigeo and at Muaib. Pygmy Lorikeet Charmosyna wilhelminae Seen in the fruiting tree at the start of the loop trail in the Arfaks. Fairy Lorikeet Charmosyna pulchella Seen in the same flowering tree with the above species. Also known as Little Red Lory/Lorikeet. Modest Tiger Parrot Psittacella modesta Several birds seen along the ridge trail in the Arfaks.

Red-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi The common parrot around Muaib camp, but usually seen flying over. Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus The common parrot of the trip; seen in good numbers throughout the trip, virtually all in flight. Salvadori’s Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris salvadorii Another attractive little parrot that was seen at Muaib. Good job we had a scope with us though. Papuan Pitta Erythropitta macklotii This is one of the many splits from Red-bellied Pitta. Heard along the Sorong to Manokwari road and seen briefly by a few on Waigeo. White-eared Catbird Ailuroedus buccoides Heard by all of us but Nigel managed to see one in flight only in the Muaib jungle camp area. Vogelkop Bowerbird Amblyornis inornata A bird was close to but not attending its bower near to the guesthouse in the Arfaks. We also saw birds on the loop trail, in the big fruiting tree and on the ridge trail. Fawn-breasted Bowerbird Chlamydera cerviniventris Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Papuan Treecreeper Cormobates placens A bird responded to tape and gave brilliant views on the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Emperor Fairywren Malurus cyanocephalus A pair in the same area as the catbirds at Muaib; the male a stunner!

White-shouldered Fairywren Malurus alboscapulatus Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Ruby-throated Myzomela Myzomela eques Seen at the Wilson’s Bop court on Waigeo. Red Myzomela Myzomela cruentata This stunner was seen in fruiting and flowering trees around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Mountain (Fairy) Myzomela Myzomela adolphinae Another species that was seen in fruiting and flowering trees around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Red-collared Myzomela Myzomela rosenbergii Another species that was seen in fruiting and flowering trees around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Rufous-sided Honeyeater Ptiloprora erythropleura Seen along the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Marbled Honeyeater Pycnopygius cinereus Seen ‘down the hill’ in the Arfak mountains. Streak-headed Honeyeater Pycnopygius stictocephalus One at Muaib. Tawny-breasted Honeyeater Xanthotis flaviventer Seen on Waigeo. Meyer’s Friarbird Philemon meyeri Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani and also around Muaib.

New Guinea (Helmeted) FriarbirdPhilemon buceroides novaeguineae The common friarbird, whose calls were a common sound of the trip. Long-billed Honeyeater Meliestes megarhynchus Also seen ‘down the hill’ in the Arfak mountains. Arfak (Western Smoky) Honeyeater Melipotes gymnops Seen around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Vogelkop Melidectes Melidectes leucostephes Seen around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Mimic Honeyeater Meliphaga analoga Seen on the walk into Muaib. Puff-backed Honeyeater Meliphaga aruensis Seen around Sorong and at Muaib. Rusty Mouse-warbler Crateroscelis murina Seen around the Mag Bop courts in the Arfaks and at Muaib. Mountain Mouse-warbler Crateroscelis robusta Seen well along the ridge trail in the Arfak mountains. Perplexing Scrubwren Sericornis virgatus Seen on a number of occasions in the Arfak mountains. Vogelkop Scrubwren Sericornis rufescens Seen on a number of occasions in the Arfak mountains. We watched a bird nest building on the ridge trail. Grey-green Scrubwren Sericornis arfakianus Seen around the guesthouse in the Arfaks.

Yellow-bellied Gerygone Gerygone chrysogaster Seen on Waigeo. Mountain (Ashy) Gerygone Gerygone cinera A smart looking bird of the Arfak mountains. Has a touch of Lesser Whitethroat about it. Green-backed Gerygone Gerygone chloronota Seen and heard around the camp on Waigeo. Fairy Gerygone Gerygone palpebrosa One on Waigeo for two of the crew revisiting the Wilson’s. Goldenface Pachycare flavogrisea Seen a few times in the Arfaks, but never particularly well. New Guinea (Papuan) Babbler Garritornis (Pomatostomus) isidorei A small group of these were seen regularly around the Muaib camp. Mid-mountain Berrypecker Melanocharis longicauda Seen around the guesthouse, loop trail and on the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Yellow-bellied Longbill Toxoramphus novaeguinae Seen along the Sorong to Manokwari road on our first morning. Tit Berrypecker Oreocharis arfaki Seen around the loop trail in the Arfaks. Spotted Jewel-babbler Ptilorrha leucosticte We don’t do very well with jewel-babblers! We glimpsed just one of the three – Chestnut-backed - in Papua New Guinea and the same happened here with this species along the ridge trail in the Arfaks. According to Iwein, pairs of all three species are highly territorial and

call frequently … when the weather is wet … and not when it is dry as it was when we were present! Yellow-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus flaviventer The lowland version which we saw around Muaib camp. Black-breasted Boatbill Machaerirhynchus nigripectus The highland version, seen in the Arfak mountains. Lowland Peltops Peltops blainvillii Nice scope views of a bird perched in camp site trees on Waigeo. Black Butcherbird heard only Cracticus quoyi Heard at Muaib. Hooded Butcherbird Cracticus cassicus Seen on Waigeo and at Muaib. Boyer’s Cuckooshrike Coracina boyeri Seen distantly at a couple of lowland sites. Black Cicadabird (Cuckooshrike) Edolisoma (Coracina) melan One on Waigeo and two at Muaib. Black-bellied Cicadabird Edolisoma montanum Seen around the guesthouse in the Arfak mountains. Black-browed Triller Lalage atrovirens Seen around Sorong and at Muaib. Mottled Whistler Rhagologus leucostigma Seen along the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Rufous-naped Whistler Aleadryas rufinucha Also seen along the ridge trail in the Arfaks.

Black Pitohui Pitohui nigrescens Seen around on the loop trail and near the guesthouse in the Arfaks. Grey Whistler Pachycephala simplex Seen along the Sorong to Manokwari road on our first morning and on Waigeo. Sclater’s Whistler Pachycephala soror A highland whistler; pretty common in the Arfaks. Regent Whistler Pachycephala schlegelii This stunner gave excellent views along the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Rusty Pitohui Pitohui ferrugineous Seen on Waigeo and at Muaib. Little Shrikethrush Colluricincla megarhyncha Showed very well on Waigeo. Northern Variable Pitohui Pitohui kirhocephalus The jobiensis subspecies was seen on the way in to Muaib. Brown Oriole Oriolus szalayi One seen sitting in a tree-top on Waigeo was as a prime candidate for ‘Heap of the trip’. Pygmy Drongo Chaetorhynchus papuensis An odd looking drongo which we saw in the Arfak mountains. Some taxonomists think this bird should be in a family with the Silktail Lamprolia victoriae of Fiji. Spangled Drongo Dicurus hottentottus brevirostris Seen and mainly heard at a number of sites.

Willie Wagtail Rhipdura leucophrys Seen at a number of sites in the lowlands. Northern Fantail Rhipdura rufiventris One on the walk in to Muaib. Sooty Thicket Fantail Rhipdura threnothorax Seen around Muaib camp. White-bellied Thicket Fantail Rhipdura leucothorax A turbo-charged species which was seen on our walk into Muaib camp. Black Fantail Rhipdura atra Seen in the Arfak mountains. Friendly Fantail Rhipdura albolimbate Seen in the Arfak mountains. Dimorphic Fantail Rhipdura brachyrrhyncha Seen in the Arfak mountains. Black Monarch(-Fantail) Monarcha axillaris Seen in the Arfak mountains. Spot-winged Monarch Monarcha guttulus Seen on Waigeo. Hooded Monarch Monarcha manadensis Seen around Muaib camp. Golden Monarch Carterornis chrysomela Seen on Waigeo and around the guesthouse in the Arfak Mountains.

Ochre (Rufous)-collared Monarch Arses insularis This cracker was seen at Muaib. Frilled Monarch Arses telescophthalmus A pair on Waigeo for Nick and Nigel. Shining Flycatcher Myiagra alecto Seen at a few locations in lowland habitat. Brown-headed Crow Corvus fuscicapillus We saw this scarce species on Waigeo and at Muaib. Glossy-mantled Manucode Manucodia ater Seen near Sorong, on Waigeo and at Lake Sentani. Jobi Manucode Manucodia jobiensis Seen at Muaib. Trumpet Manucode Phonygammus keraudenii The manucode of the highlands, seen in the Arfaks. Arfak Astrapia Astrapia nigra We were very fortunate to see a female on the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Like Long-tailed Paradigalla this species is now extremely difficult to see near roads and tracks in the once reliable places in the Arfaks due to hunting, and to stand a good chance of seeing both in the future it may be necessary to venture well off the beaten track, even on mini-expeditions, into the remoter, uninhabited regions of the mountains. Western Parotia Parotia sefilata We saw a stunning male displaying at its court in the Arfaks. There was at least one female visiting there and we saw another along the ridge trail.

Superb Bird-of-paradise Lophorina superba A few juvenile males, and females, seen in the Arfaks. One day someone will find a display ‘court’ for this species, we will return, hopefully see the incredible thing, and then be able to hang up our bins! Iwein has never seen the so-called high-intensity display performed on fallen logs and it is in fact still not known with certainty whether or not the population on the Bird’s Head Peninsula do indeed perform this display. Pale-billed Sicklebill Drepanornis albertsi Scope views of this odd-looking creature were obtained at Muaib. Magnificent Bird-of-paradise Diphyllodes magnificus Stunning males were seen at their courts in the Arfaks. Wilson’s Bird-of-paradise Diphyllodes respublica Great views, down to a couple of metres, of a full adult male at its court for hours on Waigeo. Maurits, Nick and Nige saw the same or another male associating with a small flock of birds on the way to the hide one afternoon. King Bird-of-paradise Cicinnurus regius Single females were seen along the Sorong-Manokwari road and at Muaib where the males were not attending the display trees. Twelve-wired Bird-of-paradise Seleucidis melanoleucus A moulting male at its display stump at Muaib. Lesser Bird-of-paradise Paradisaea minor Seen poorly by the river at Muaib on the first evening and briefly near the display tree there but the display tree is a long walk from camp through swampy forest and we did not stay in the area as long as we were advised to because we wanted to search for Victoria Crowned Pigeon before it got dark. (We all saw the bird-of-paradise displaying in Papua New Guinea).

Red Bird-of-paradise Paradisaea rubra Seen in the display trees on the ridge about an hour’s uphill hike from the camp on Waigeo; not like in the best photos or tv footage unfortunately because the very vocal, excitable and mobile males were high overhead but through the ‘scope some great views were obtained, a few times of males tipping over to display.

Black-sided Robin Poecilodryas hypoleuca A very smart-looking Robin, seen regularly on Waigeo. Smoky Robin Peneothello cryptoleuca Seen very well on the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Blue-grey Robin Peneothello cyanus Seen very well in the Arfaks. White-faced Robin Tregellasia leucops Another smart robin which showed very well in the Arfaks. Green-backed Robin Pachycephalopsis superciliaris Seen well in the Arfaks, even around the guesthouse. Canary Flyrobin Microeca papuana Seen well along the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Olive Flyrobin Microeca flavovirescens Seen on Waigeo. Lesser Ground Robin Amalocichla incerta One seen on the loop trail and another bird on the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Sooty-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus aurigaster An introduced species seen around Lake Sentani.

Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica Recorded around Sorong and Lake Sentani. Pacific Swallow Hirundo tahitica Recorded around Sorong and Lake Sentani. Tree Martin Petrochelidon nigricans Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Island Leaf Warbler Phylloscopus maforensis Seen around the guesthouse in the Arfaks. Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Capped White-eye Zosterops fucicapilla Seen in the Arfaks. Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica A couple of flocks seen in flight only around Sorong. Yellow-faced Myna Mino dumontii Seen around Sorong, on Waigeo and around Muaib. Pied Bushchat Saxicola caprata Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Olive-crowned Flowerpecker Dicaeum pectoral Watched from the balcony of the Arfak guesthouse feeding on small berries. Red-capped Flowerpecker Dicaeum geelvinkianum Seen on Waigeo and around Muaib.

Black Sunbird Leptocoma sericea Seen in the lowlands round Sorong and on Waigeo. Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis Seen in the lowlands around Sorong. Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus About the only species seen in towns. Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton A couple of males seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Grand Munia Lonchura grandis Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. Hooded Munia Lonchura spectabilis Seen in the open country around Lake Sentani. (Eastern) Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis About 20 foraging on the short grass at Manokwari airport. Grey Wagtail Motacilla cinera Seen along the river on Waigeo.

Mammals Waigeo Cuscus Spilocuscus papuensis Two sightings of this rare mammal on Waigeo, one for a long time near the ‘Red Bird’ display trees. Great Spotted Cuscus Spilocuscus maculatus A prolonged view of this rare mammal at Muaib. Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata A strikingly marked mammal spotlighted by the guesthouse in the Arfaks. Narrow-striped Dasyure Phascolosorex dorsalis A small, dark mammal which looked like an elephant-shrew seen by the guesthouse and on the ridge trail in the Arfaks. Flying Fox sp. 10+ flew over the river near Muaib at dusk. Butterflies and Moths Quite a lot of stunning butterflies were seen but very few moths were attracted to camp lamps, presumably because they were not very bright and not on for long. Paradise Birdwing Ornithoptera paradise A few females in the Sorong lowlands. Tithonus Birdwing Ornithoptera tithonus A male (briefly) and a female of what was presumably this species, which is endemic to the Arfaks, in the garden of the guesthouse in the Arfaks.

Cocytia(us) durvillii Cocytia(us) durvillii Two of this brilliant diurnal, clearwing moth were seen at Muaib.

The brilliant Cocytia(us) durvillii at Muaib. Photo by Nick Cobb.