3 Nov 22 - Indonesia - Banda Sea Cruise Day 8 - Birding On Damar

We had a pre-dawn landing in the Muslim village on Damar to allow us to walk through the village & meet our guides at the far end of the long village at first light. It was about a two & a half miles of walking along a steadily ascending track until we reached the better forest around 300m. This was our site for the main target species: Damar Flycatcher. This is a single island endemic species. We saw a few birds along the walk in the early morning light, but we didn't linger for too long as everybody was keen to push on to look for the Damar Flycatcher, before it got too hot.

The rising track passed through a lot of secondary edge

Little Bronze-cuckoo in the early morning light: This is the rufomerus subspecies that occurs on the Romang, Kisar, Leti, Moa, Sermata and Damar Islands in the Lesser Sundas

Northern Fantail: This is the hoedti subspecies of Northern Fantail that occurs on the Romang, Leti, Moa, Sermata and Damar Islands in the Lesser Sundas. It has been proposed to be split as a monotypic species, Banda Sea Fantail, by the Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago due to pronounced vocal & plumage differences within the Northern Fantail complex. Currently, Clements & IOC haven't split the Northern Fantail complex

The forest looked better by the time we reached an elevation of around 300m. Fairly soon we were watching our first Damar Flycatchers. The males were very active & didn't stay for long in any perch. It was another endemic species with a very limited range for the trip.

Finally, the forest improved

Damar Flycatcher: Male. We saw three Damar Flycatchers in the morning

Damar Flycatcher: Male

Damar Flycatcher: Female

Damar Flycatcher: Female

We also saw a few other forest species on Damar.

Yellow-throated Golden Whistler: This is the dammeriana subspecies which is another potential future split that has been proposed by The Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago field guide, from the Yellow-throated Golden Whistler complex. Currently, Clements and IOC treat it as a subspecies of Yellow-throated Golden Whistler. There is further work required in this group before the taxonomy becomes finalised

Spectacled Monarch: This is the trivirgatus subspecies that occurs in the Lesser Sundas. Other subspecies occur in the Moluccas & Australia

It was time to slowly wander back to the village.

These locals raced past us on the track down the hill carrying heavy-looking sacks of nuts

We took the walk down the hill at a more leisurely pace

As we reached the edge of the village, a damp grassy patch held a Wood Sandpiper & four Eastern Yellow Wagtails.

Wood Sandpiper: Wood Sandpipers breed across Eurasia & winter from South Africa to South Asia & Australia

Eastern Yellow Wagtail: Wilbur confirmed this is the tschutschensis subspecies

Spider sp.: There is a small brown Spider just behind the large Spider's head & I'm assuming this is a male as many species of Spiders have very large females and very small males. The males take their lives into the hands when trying to mate & too often become the next meal for the female

I hadn't expected to see paintings of Father Christmas on a police station wall

We returned to the Lady Denok for lunch. I skipped the early afternoon PADI diving & snorkelling session in favour of catching up with lost sleep. I wanted to be awake for the seawatching in the late afternoon when we left Damar & headed for Leti Island. In hindsight, this was probably a bad decision, as it was a quiet crossing with a Wilson's Storm-petrel, some Brown & Red-footed Boobies and a reasonable numbers of Common Noddies.

Some of the local kids getting used to a local fishing canoe

Brown Boobies

Common Noddy

Raja, our birding Mr Fixit, seawatching

One of the inter-island ferries

We finished the evening with some stunning sunsets.

This was one of the best sunsets I saw in Indonesia

The sunset looking forward

The sunset continued to impress us

18 Apr 18 - Atlantic Odyssey - Day Twenty: More St Helenan Seabirds

The first day at St Helena was one of the busiest days of the Atlantic Odyssey & it left me with the best part of 2000 photos to process (the greatest number of photos I have ever taken in a single day). So, it is no wonder that it has taken me so long to sort all the photos & why it has taken six Blog Posts for the day. The previous Posts covered our arrival at St Helena, my first Whale Shark which greeted our arrival, Jamestown which included so many photos that it had to be split over two parts, Jamestown part 1 & Jamestown part 2. Finally, there was the afternoon boat trip out to look for the St Helenan population of Band-rumped Storm-petrels. This final Post covers the other Birds seen on the boat trip.

Red-billed Tropicbird: This is the mesonauta subspecies which occurs in the subtropical & tropical Pacific, as well as, the Caribbean & East Atlantic

Red-billed Tropicbird: I couldn't resist another photo

Masked Booby: There were a few Masked Boobies flying around during the day. This is the nominate dactylatra subspecies which occurs in the Caribbean & SW Atlantic

Common Noddy: This is also known as Brown Noddy. There were good numbers of Common Noddies flying around & on Egg Island. This is the nominate stolidus subspecies which occurs in the Caribbean & South Atlantic islands, as well as, around the Gulf of Guinea to Cameroon

White-capped Noddy: This is also known as Black Noddy. They were also common around St Helena. This is the atlanticus subspecies which occurs in St Helena & on adjacent South Atlantic islands and the Gulf of Guinea. In good light, they are blacker with a more extensive white & more contrasting crown & are noticeably longer billed

The Noddy nest ledges looked stunning

I wonder how old this rope is

White Tern: Proving that some individuals can nest sensibly like other Terns, rather than trying to balance an egg on a notch in a branch as some were in the trees in Jamestown

White Tern: This is the nominate alba subspecies which occurs on St Helena & Ascension Island, as well as, Fernando de Noronha & Trindade Island

 

Four-winged Flying Fish: As we were returning to Jamestown, we disturbed a few Flying Fish including this Four-winged Flying Fish

The boat trip back to the Plancius gave us the chances to see some of this historical defences a bit closer than during our arrival into Jamestown Bay on the Plancius.

I presume this is one of the Napoleonic era defences

A closer view of the Napoleonic defence we saw from the Plancius as we arrived

The rocky cliffs were full of interesting patterns caused by the various volcanic eruptions

More volcanic patterns

High Knoll Fort: The fort towers over Jamestown on the highest ground & was built to protect the ladder batteries against a rear attack

Two Elswick Mark VII Six Inch Guns on Ladder Hill: I hadn't noticed these guns when I walked up Ladder Hill & the legs were a bit too stiff to want to walk up the following day to have a closer look

One of the Elwick Six Inch Guns: They were ordered to help guard the island in 1902 when there were Boer prisoners held on St Helena. By the time the guns had arrived, the Boer War was over & the prisoners had been sent back to South Africa. They were used once in World War II when a submarine surfaced close to St Helena

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