Another early start but this time we boarded a boat for a
two day trip downriver to Kwatu Lodge taking with us an overnight bag.
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| Boat to Kwatu |
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| Other river traffic |
The
weather was sunny and the birding relaxing as we slowly motored along the main Fly River highway before turning off into a tributary.
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| Saltwater Crocodile, only a small one compared to the beasts in northern Australia |
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| Pinon's Imperial Pigeon |
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| Palm Cockatoo |
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| Palm Cockatoos |
Pigeons and Parrots were
plentiful including Pinon's, Collared and Zoe’s Imperial Pigeons and the impressive Palm
Cockatoos, along with the colour-opposed Sulphur-crested cousins, Double-eyed
Fig-Parrots and Yellowish-streaked Lory. Other new birds included a new BoP –
Trumpet Manucode, and both Black-billed and Ivory-billed Coucals. Raptors such as White-bellied Sea-Eagle and Brahminy Kite were regularly seen over the river.
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| White-bellied Sea-Eagle |
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| Disembarking at a very muddy quay at Kwatu |
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| Lunch at Kwatu Lodge |
We arrived at camp for a late lunch and then headed out into
the forest on some very muddy trails, hearing but failing to see three species
of kingfisher although we did see a Cassowary's footprint so we knew they were about.
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| Cassowary footprint |
Back in the boat, we added our last BoP, a female Twelve-wired.
More impressive was a Southern Crowned Pigeon which sat up high in the trees
and three Grey Crows flew over. We stayed out until dark, getting a Papuan
Nightjar over the river and hordes of Flying Foxes heading out to feed.
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| The rather rustic Kwatu Lodge |
Kwatu Lodge is very basic but with six
twin-bedded rooms all with mattresses and mosquito nets, two outside loos and a
bush shower room it is perfectly adequate. The chef made us a reasonable dinner
and after the log we retired to bed early as there was no electricity to keep
us up.
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