New Caledonia Nov 22—26, 2007
Posted by David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop loves his vocation and cannot imagine anything better than exploring wild and beautiful places in Asia and the Pacific in the company of friends and clients. H...Related Trips
This was the day many of us had been most looking forward to on our voyage around the Southwest Pacific. We were off to see the Kagu—inarguably the most enigmatic bird of these extraordinary islands. This wonderful, flightless creature is confined to the Grand Terre island of New Caledonia, and until very recently was virtually impossible to see in the wild. Consequently, we were all a little nervous about our prospects; little did we know what a treat was in store for us!
Happily, the Kagu has literally been pulled back from the brink of extinction through the efforts of a conservation legend, Yves Letocart, and now Jean-Marc. From a low count of only 60 birds (when I first started leading bird tours in New Caledonia), the population of this ethereal, soft-gray, flightless forest inhabitant, with its bright red bill and legs and its peculiar floppy crest, has now approached the figure of 2,000 individuals on the island and ca. 800 at Rivierre Bleu Parc Provincial. A longish drive from Noumea saw us arriving in the park soon after dawn, and here we met Jean-Marc, who accompanied us on our visit. Thanks to some great spotting by Susan, we met with almost instant success and we soon had a pair of these wonderfully confiding birds feeding within just a couple of feet of us! Everyone succeeded in obtaining fabulous photos as the birds cavorted all around us, seemingly oblivious to our presence.
In the Rivierre Bleu's attractive lowland rainforest with its distinctive New Caledonian flora we soon found a number of other highly sought after endemics. Of particular note were: a pair of beautiful New Caledonian Kakarikis (Red-fronted Parakeet); a Cloven-feathered Fruit-Dove—one of the most beautiful members of its family; dazzling New Caledonian Myzomelas and New Caledonian Cuckoo-shrikes; and confiding Yellow-bellied Robins, all contributing to a thrilling morning's birding. It was a very happy busload of tired birders who arrived back at the hotel late that afternoon.
Our final morning on this whistle-stop visit to New Caledonia saw us make a long drive north to a little-known area referred to as La Farino. Thanks to a sterling effort by our coach driver, we managed to drive our 56-seater monster to the top of the range where we enjoyed a fine view out over good-looking hill forest soon to be declared a protected reserve. Nothing could really compete with the previous day; however, fine views of the endangered Horned Parakeet, White-throated Pigeon, Striated Starlings, and Red-throated Parrot-finch, plus a delicious and sumptuous lunch, rounded off a memorable tour.
Thanks to you all for making this trip such a great success. It was truly a trip I shall never forget.