14 Nov 14 - I'm Not Going To Apologies For More Tuamotu Sandpiper Photos

Back in Nov 14, I had the opportunity to visit the British Overseas Territory of Pitcairn & Henderson Islands on a small expedition ship, the Braveheart. This was followed by visits to the uninhabited islands of Tenararo & Morane in French Polynesia. I never finished sorting the photos from that trip & will do that over the next few Blog Posts.

Braveheart: Off Henderson Island (7 Nov 14)

This was our first landing on Morane, although I have already published a Blog featuring some of the many Red-tailed Tropicbirds that were breeding on Morane. Morane is a typical coral atoll. It was just over two miles across in diameter, with a large central lagoon. It was a very hot day with the low bushes providing very little shade & a lot of reflected sunlight from the coral beach. We had previously landed on the neighbouring Tenararo Island. Tenararo had been inhabited in the past & some tall Coconut plantations had provided a bit of shade. Morane didn't have any Coconut plantations as it had never been inhabited.

Morane: Some parts of the island were an open, raised coral beach

Morane: Other parts of the island were more vegetated

Morane: On the inside of the island & maybe a hundred metres from the outer beach I can see the three fishing buoys, a plastic bottle & another piece of rubbish that had been washed up on the beach. The nearest inhabited island is several days sailing from Morane

Morane: Chris Collins was leading the trip

Morane: The remains of a Sea Urchin on the beach

Morane: My cabin mate Kim trying to find some shade in the heat of the early afternoon

Morane: The inner lagoon looked very inviting for a swim. However, the Braveheart crew told us to keep out of the water. The tide occasionally broke over the beach at the far side of the lagoon & on these high tides, Black-tipped Reef Sharks & other large predators got into the lagoon. As they couldn't easily escape, the crew thought they would be more likely to attack anything they took as food. I've snorkelled & dived in open water with Black-tipped Reef Sharks & not had problems with them, but I wasn't going into water on the inner lagoon to see if they really were calm when hungry

Black-tipped Reef Shark: There were a number swimming up & down inside the lagoon

Sea Cucumber sp: A popular Chinese delicacy

We had already enjoyed some excellent views of Tuamotu Sandpipers on Tenararo. The visit to Morane gave us a final opportunity for some more Tuamotu Sandpiper photos. We found good numbers of this great Wader on the atoll. Some of the group were lucky to find a nest: unfortunately, I wasn't with them at the time.

Tuamotu Sandpiper: They are easily my most favourite Wader

Tuamotu Sandpiper

Tuamotu Sandpiper

Tuamotu Sandpiper: The final two photos are been uncropped (except to tweek it to my normal ratio of 1.2 x 1)

Tuamotu Sandpiper: They did not respect the fact that my 400mm lens had a minimum focus of 3.5 metres & were keen to come closer at times

There were also a few of the larger Bristle-thighed Curlews on the beach. Another superb Wader which was fairly approachable, although they didn't walk right up to you like the Tuamotu Sandpipers preferred to do.

Bristle-thighed Curlew: The bristles are very obvious on this individual

Bristle-thighed Curlew: They have a central crown stripe like a Whimbrel, but are long-billed, longer-bodied & clearly paler than Whimbrels

There were good numbers of breeding Seabirds on the island.

Murphy's Petrel: There were small numbers flying just off the beach

Great Frigatebird: Juvenile

Great Frigatebird: Juvenile. Some of the individuals were quite well developed

Great Frigatebird: Juvenile. Whereas, some were still quite young

Great Frigatebird: Juvenile

Masked Booby: Adult

Masked Booby: Adult with egg

Masked Booby: Juvenile

Masked Booby: Juvenile

Red-footed Booby: Adult

Red-footed Booby: Adult with a fairly young chick

Common Noddy: Adult: It's interesting how the forehead colour changes with the head angle

Common Noddy: Adult: The same individual

Common Noddy: Juvenile

Common Noddy: Adult

There were good numbers of Strawberry Hermit Crabs on the beach & under the bushes. They must be one of the most photogenic Hermit Crabs.

Strawberry Hermit Crab

There was also a small Gecko under the bushes where a few of us stopped for some lunch. There are only a handful of Geckos found across French Polynesia & the only one that fits is Mourning Gecko.

Mourning Gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris): They have an extensive range including the Seychelles, the Chagos islands, the Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, New Guinea, the Bismark & Solomons Islands, Australia & many of the Pacific islands from Fiji, Vanuatu & New Caledonia to Micronesia, the Cook Islands & French Polynesia

Mourning Gecko: (Lepidodactylus lugubris): They are perfectly camouflaged for the bushes on the island

Finally, in the late afternoon we had to catch one of the jet boat runs back to the Braveheart. A chance for a hot drink & some proper shade.

Ozzy Geoff Jones in the Braveheart lounge: It was just large enough to squeeze Chris & the twelve punters on the trip around the tables at meal times

12 Nov 14 - An Amazing Curlew

One of the many highlights of the Pitcairn trip was seeing Bristle-thighed Curlews well. I had seen one before on a trip to Hawaii in 2002, but it wasn't particularly close views. Earlier in the Pitcairn trip, we had seen a few, but again none were great views. But while the others were seeing the first Polynesian Ground Doves, I found a couple of approachable Bristle-thighed Curlews on the beach.

Bristle-thighed Curlew: Initially, they weren't very approachable

Bristle-thighed Curlew: But they quickly settled down & allowed me to get close, providing I moved up slowly

Bristle-thighed Curlew: Note, the Whimbrel-like crown stripe

Bristle-thighed Curlew: Note, the wear of the pale patches in the wing feathers

Bristle-thighed Curlew: I was starting to get used to the Canon SX60 camera, but was very impressed by this early photo

Bristle-thighed Curlew: The all important bristles

Bristle-thighed Curlew: Finally, I got too close and they moved another 20 metres along the beach & I left them in peace

What I find amazing is how these Bristle-thighed Curlews find these remote islands. They breed in Western Alaska, but Winter in Hawaii, Micronesia & French Polynesia. Having flown over the islands as we travelled between Tahiti & Mangareva, there is a lot of sea with very few small islands. By the Autumn, when the Bristle-thighed Curlews start flying South, then do the 1st Winter Curlews migrate with experienced adults or do they travel independently of the adults. So how do they migrate & manage to find their islands?

7 Nov 14 - More Henderson Island Endemics

Having seen the first of the four landbird endemics on Henderson Island, the Henderson Island Reed Warbler, than there were still three more endemics to see.

Henderson Island Reed Warbler: Another individual that appeared whilst photographing the White Terns

Several times during the day, We heard the short, high calls of the Stephen's Lorikeets, as they flew over the Coconut fringed edge of the island. But seeing them was a different matter. I did get some brief views & this was followed by a good flight view from the beach, of an individual further along the beach. But it flew into the trees before I could grab the camera. Despite hearing them several more times, I failed to get any more views. A real shame as it looked a great looking Lorikeet.

Stephen's Lorikeet: With no photos, I'm going to have to fall back on a photo I took of a painting in the Pitcairn museum

Another species We heard several times calling as it flew around was Bristle-thighed Curlew. Finally, I managed to get some flight shots as one flew over calling. Later we had one perched up on the edge of the island's plateau. The whole of the island is basically a coral reef which has been pushed up about 20-30 metres above sea level with a narrow coastal strip which includes a couple of beaches. I guess it wasn't too happy to have to share its beach with a bunch of Birders. This is another of the amazing Curlew species. This one breeds in West Alaska & winters in Hawaii, Micronesia & Polynesia. How the species first worked out the islands were there, is even more fascinating than how the current generation find the islands as they migrate South. 

Bristle-thighed Curlew: They winter in small numbers on a number of small islands in the Pacific

Bristle-thighed Curlew: Have a listen to Dan Lane's recording of Bristle-thighed Curlew's excellent calls on Xeno-Canto as the call is great

Bristle-thighed Curlew: Sitting on the edge of the raised coral plateau

Throughout our visit, there were a number of Seabird species flying along the beach edge or heading into nesting sites on the island.

Murphy's Petrel: This is a regional breeding endemic species which breeds on the French Polynesian Tuamotu & Austral Islands and the British Pitcairn Island group (Henderson, Oeno & Ducie Islands)

Murphy's Petrel: Giving an nice underwing view

Murphy's Petrel: Showing the pale face patch of this species 

Murphy's Petrel: We found this individual as it was moving to the beach to take off

Murphy's Petrel: A close up of the same individual

Murphy's Petrel: Another view of the typical tubenose bill

Murphy's Petrel: Later in the afternoon, I bumped into this pair of Murphy's Petrels

Red-tailed Tropicbird: This is the melanorhynchos subspecies which occurs in the West, Central & South Pacific which is replaced by the roseotinctus subspecies in the South West Pacific. Two other subspecies occur in the Indian Ocean

Great Frigatebird: Female. No surprise they were here

Great Frigatebird: Juvenile

Lesser Frigatebird: Adult male showing its diagnostic white underwing patches. This is the nominate ariel subspecies which was less commonly seen on the trip, although perhaps a few were overlooked amongst the much commoner Great Frigatebirds

White-capped Noddy

Grey Noddy: This used to be treated as Blue-grey Noddy, but Clements splits this former species into 2 Pacific species. The Grey Noddies around Pitcairn & Henderson Islands are part of the skottsbergii subspecies which also occurs on Easter Island & Sala y Gomez Island. Two subspecies are found around Lord Howe, Norfolk, Kermadec Islands & Tonga and the Chilean Desaventurados Islands, respectively 

Finally, after a lot of searching, Chris & some of the others in the group located a Henderson Island Fruit-dove. Fortunately, it stayed put which allowed Chris to find myself & the rest of the group. Another of the single Island endemics seen.

Henderson Island Fruit-dove: Time for a preen for the wet looking individual

Henderson Island Fruit-dove: It finally fell asleep to the motordrive lullaby

Being a very remote island, then there are few species of Insects there. I only saw one species of Butterfly on Pitcairn & Henderson Island: the Blue Moon Butterfly. This has a large world range from Madagascar to South & South East Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands as far as French Polynesia & the Pitcairn group.

Blue Moon Butterfly: Male. It's a shame the hind wings are very worn as when fresh the males have a large blue moon in the middle of the hind wing. The females are brown with off small white spots & squares along the trailing edge of the wings

We left the island after a fantastic day ashore, despite the intermittent rain, but slightly disappointed that we hadn't seen the Henderson Island Crake. With the anticipated arrival of another expedition ship for the following day & a poor weather forecast, we knew we wouldn't be considering going ashore the following day. So the plan was for a day of chumming at sea. We had time in the schedule for another attempt to land on Henderson Island, but the forecast wasn't encouraging.