The Deskbound Birder: Australia, Fiji and New Caledonia

Monday 21 December 2015

Australia, Fiji and New Caledonia - 22nd November (Day 12)

Today was much of a repeat of yesterday in birding and weather terms. We were up at 04:00 and out by 05:00 and drove the three hours to the Monasuva Dam area. En-route the back car stopped for an (Eastern) Barn Owl, we turned around and soon after we did so flushed another from a roadsign and I had brief views, by the time we got to the back car their bird had flown. We continued our journey up the mountain and as we did the rain started. We arrived at 900m at around 07:30 in heavy rain. The morning was spent trying to get views of Long-legged Thicketbird heading into the forest to a territory that Villi had shown us, it was wet, muddy and unsuccessful but for a bird coming in and calling but giving not even brief glimpses. e also birded the dam entrance gate where the highlights were a female Lesser Shrikethrush on a nest less than 1m from the ground, a male Golden Whistler, Polynesian Triller and a male Orange Dove. We headed back to the thicketbird site had lunch of cheese, onion and lettuce sandwich and went back in for the Thicketbird just as the weather ceased, we got into position at the foot of the cliff which by now was dripping like a waterfall and waited, we played the tape, had a response but nothing – we got soaked and got covered in mud, not the most enjoyable way to spend a morning. Back to the car very wet. We headed down the hill to Manuel’s House and back to the same spot we saw the Pink-billed Parrotfinch yesterday, after a few minutes a pair flew in with moss in their bills and proceeded to construct a nest located at approximately 10m above the ground on a fairly exposed branch, the nest consisted of a part constructed ball woven almost entirely of moss. Other birds we saw included Fiji Goshawk, Fiji Woodswallow, Giant Honeyeater, Lesser Shrikebill and female Golden Dove. After a short while it began to rain and so we headed for the cars and headed back to the hotel arriving at around 17:00 for much needed showers and beer.