After the infamous, 'night of mud', the next morning we walked back to the stakeout spot by the mangroves where we again watched the sky and trees for birds. This time we had another Lifer, Uniform Swiftlet. Everyone got good views of the swiftlet, but no photos that I know of (although someone in the group might have). I was just very happy to see it and know that is what it was. How do you identify a Uniform Swiftlet? Mostly because Richard said, “Uniform Swiftlet!” But also because it’s the only swiftlet seen on Boigu Island. In bird identification sometimes it is location, location, location. And then we went into the mangrove jungle.
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| Boigu Island Richard's stakeout spot, I got 3 Lifers there and two a short walk from there. |
There were a couple of spots down a ‘trail’ into the mangroves where Richard had previously found Red-capped Flowerpeckers. They are a tiny, flighty little bird that will come in, but then does not hang around. We slogged, waded and walked deeper into this mangrove jungle. We came to a clearing-like area where we left some of our stuff as we continued on following the sort-of trail into this jungle. Eventually we stopped and soon most of the group had seen the Flowerpecker. Joy. Sweaty, bug-spray smelling, joy.
A few of the group had not seen the flitting Flowerpecker well enough and Richard took them deeper into the jungle to another spot. The rest of us followed (as best we could) the trail back. I was grateful when I saw our stuff in that clearing. I hung my bins over Richard’s scope and walked well away from the optics to apply more mozzie spray (it can destroy the coating on optic lenses). We made our way back to the our stools at our birding stakeout and then, I realised I had left my binoculars hanging on Richard’s scope in the mangrove-mozzie jungle.
I knew I had done it and I knew they were safe. But I bought those bins in 2010, reconditioned for 1600 US dollars. If I had to replace them they would cost over three-thousand Australia dollars. I am not, at this point in my life, able to absorb that sort of financial hit. I knew they were fine, but my anxiety, which is basically a brain-bush-fire waiting for even a small gust of wind, was firing up.
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| My bins at the corner of the table just above my scope later that day. We kept our optics and cameras on the top deck so that they would not fog-up after being in a/c in our cabins, |
My new friend Mal, a few years my junior, just said, I’ll be right back and walked off quickly. I followed behind him in disbelief asking if he was really walking back for my bins. He knew I was anxious about them and off he went. It only took him a few minutes (he is also a much faster walker than I am, I have gotten pretty slow). And sooner than I expected, he was back with my bins. Mal a new real life friend, that was heroic and massively appreciated.
On a side note here, Mel was on the Torres Strait trip because he had read and enjoyed both of my books and was a member of my FB Group “An Australian Birding Year and More Australian Birding Tales- The Books”.
When Richard had an opening on this trip, he asked me to post about it on my social media. Mel read the post in the group and booked-in for this trip. He is a great guy and birder and we all enjoyed his company. And what a very nice thing for him to do going back for my bins.
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| Mal, James and me later at the Horn Island Airport |
Back to Tropic Paradise and more food. In the arvo, some of the group took boat rides along the coast of the island and I took a nap. I do get up early, and too often, too early. They had a fine time and so did I (they did not see any new birds). The following morning, Thursday 7 March began with thunder and pouring rain. It had rained a lot at times but this was torrential. We were ready to go at 5:30am but Richard decided we would wait (we would have been drenched). Then it was time to go to ‘the’ island. We sometimes called it Randy Island. Dauan Island.
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| Our captain Tash, driving the Zodiac away from Dauan Island |
I have written the tale of ‘Randy’ the mega of all megas, in the first blog entry of the trip, “The Tale of the Papuan (Blyth’s) Hornbill.” Click that link and have a read if you like.
We left Dauan Island with the highest of Lifer High echoing through us all. The Papuan Hornbill was the Lifer of a lifetime for me (and others too I am sure). It was the biggest thrill of my birding life. I am writing these words in later March but I can honestly tap-into that Hornbill Lifer Hight right now here in my study thousands of kilometres from Dauan Island and days after I first saw ‘Randy’. The song “Blinded by the Light” will now always be special to me after Manfred Mann sang us down the road as we walked back on that phenomenal evening. Then we rode the boats back to the Tropic Paradise for another wondrous meal prepared by our lovely chef, KB. Lifer High is one of the birding gifts that keeps on giving.
After spending some time with Randy again the following morning, we chugged over to Saibai Island which was just next door so-to-speak. Captain Tash tucked Tropic Paradise into the sheltered waters of a river where we anchored for the night.
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| Dauan Island mountains behind Saibai Island |
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| One more shot of 'Randy' the Papuan Hornbill in flight |
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| That land across the horizon is PNG. |
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| Tropic Paradise in her spot on Gurney's Corner in Saibai |
The following morning we birded Saibai. We took the zodiac to the town quay and walked in light rain to a soggy cemetery. There we spread out along a line at the edge and waited and watched (birding). No, it was not the most scenic area, but hopes were high for birds and Hornbill high still reverberated through us. We had lovely views of another perched Orange-fronted Fruit-dove. We also birded the tip which was as visually dismal as one might imagine a wet tip (I did not take any photos). But such places can be excellent birding spots, although we did not see any new birds, we of course had hope.
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Stakeout at the cemetery, James is down there with his umbrella. I was grateful that I had my Blunt umbrella and used it several times on this trip. Here are a few more photos on Saibai Island.      We departed the soggy town on Saibai and went back aboard Tropic Paradise. That afternoon with the tide high, we were able to take our little boats up a small river and get a few more brief views of Red-capped Flowerpeckers. James even got a photo. |
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| Watching for Gurney's Eagle on what is called Gurney's corner. The eagle did not show. |
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| This was on Saibai but not sure when (photo Carol Suter) |
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| James' recording shot of the Red-capped Flowerpecker down the little river. |
Leaving later that night, we steamed south through gratefully calm waters. I slept well and longish, with the low hum of the boat’s engines combining with my white noise app (I live with tinnitus and have used white-noise at night to sleep for years). The next day we packed our things and left to begin our travels home. We were all flying to Cairns on the Horn Island 5:20pm flight.
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| Photos are in reverse order, but you get the idea. Getting to Horn Island and flying to Cairns. |
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| Horn Island airport. It is pretty small |
I want to include a quick and deeply heartfelt thank you and so much love to my dear, dear friend Janet Mead. Not only did she collect James and me at the airport, then give us lodging in their beautiful little home for the night, she had chicken and rice soup waiting for us when we got there. I love her and David (he was away guiding a tour). Then she took us to the airport first thing the following morning.
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| Melbourne |
By that evening I was here in my study where I relive these memories by assembling words into tales of my life. Thank God for memories. I am so grateful for these experiences and the words with which to preserve them.
And I bought a new big, laminated, Hema Map of Queensland that goes all the way up to the edge of PNG. It's on the centre door of my closet. I am running out of wall space in the study.
Sending love as I do ❤️
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