The Deskbound Birder: Australia, Fiji and New Caledonia

Sunday, 13 December 2015

Australia, Fiji and New Caledonia - 18th November (Day 8)

After the fun of the single toilet shared between six blokes in the early morning our guide Vili Masibalavu arrived at 06:00 and we did a short walk around the woodland, Colo-i-suva Forest Park and scrub close to the hotel on Viti Levu. It was fairly birdy and there were new species to be had, Fiji Woodswallow, Masked Shining-parrot, Giant Honeyeater, Fiji Parrot Finch and Pacific Robin were all new for the trip while Collared Lory and Barking Pigeon gave good views. We were back at the hotel for 09:30 for a superb breakfast of hash browns, baked beans, scrambled eggs and a fruit platter before transferring to the airport for a 12:30 flight southwards to the island of Kadavu.

Masked Shining-parrot - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Barking Pigeon - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Masked Shining-parrot eating pine cone - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Fiji Bush-warbler of race badiceps - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Fiji Woodswallow - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Red-vented Bulbul a species introduced from India - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

The introduced Jungle Myna - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Masked Shining-parrot - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Collared Lory - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

Fiji Parrotfinch, a recently fledged juvenile - Colo-i-suva Forest Park, Viti Levu

We landed on Kadavu at 13:10 transferred to our accommodation Biana Bure, a small comfortable house overlooking a harbour to the south of the airfield. Kadavu is located 100km to the south of Vita Levu and is the fourth largest island in Fiji being approximately 65km north to south. The group is made up of four islands, Ono, Galoa' Yaukuve and the largest Kadavu. Kadavu supports the worlds fourth largest barrier reef to the north-east of the island, the Great Astrolabe Reef.

Map of Kadavu from the Lonely Planet guide

After a lunch of toasted tuna sandwiches we headed out to the nearby jetty seeing Black-naped Tern and Wandering Tattler but little else in the heat of the day. After a little relax time we headed north-east up the Namara Road at 15:30 and birded the forest at around 10Km from the accommodation, it was very hot still but we quickly connected with Fiji Bush-warbler, Metallic Pigeon, Maroon Shining-parrot, Fiji Goshawk, Kandavu Fantail, Lesser Shrikebill, Polynesian Starling, Polynesian Triller, Kadavu Honeyeater, Fiji Parrotfinch, Whistling Dove and Many-coloured Fruit-dove. After beer and some star-gazing we headed to bed for 23:30.