July 4 – Day 8: Lei River & Hospital

After a leisurely breakfast we visited some different sites today. On our way to the Lei river we chanced upon one of our targets in town, a family party of Torrent Flycatchers. Around the grounds of a hospital we had some Singing Starlings and the first House Sparrows of the trip (!). It was quite a busy site with Rainbow Bee-eaters, Great Woodswallow, Brush Cuckoo and Mountain Myzomela all seen.

Driving along and checking other sites we encountered several raptors: Brown Goshawk, Pygmy Eagle and Brown Falcon. A Papuan Grassbird kept us waiting but eventually showed well. Back at the lodge a Mountain Mouse Warbler walked under the feeding area while the Belford's Melidectes continued to squabble over the plentiful fruit, often chasing the BoPs away.

Belford's Melidectes

Brown Sicklebill

The commonest bird at the feeders was Common Smoky Honeyeater. They have either a yellow or red face patch. We though this was either due to breeding condition or individual colour morphs but I watched one bird's colour change from yellow to red at it was being hassled by a Melidectes and a few birds showed a bit of both colours.

Common Smoky Honeyeater

Common Smoky Honeyeater

Friendly Fantail in the lodge grounds

In the afternoon we went to what looked like someone’s garden with benches, fruiting trees and a view over a clearing in the forest. It proved an ideal location, straightaway we saw Loria’s Satinbird, not as stunning as yesterday’s Crested but still a good bird to connect with. 

The afternoon birding site

There were lots of birds visiting, probably more than we’d seen at any other site, including Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo, Tit Berrypecker, Fan-tailed Berrypecker, King of Saxony BoP, an enormously-tailed Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia, Black Cicadbird and Ashy Robin of the Black-capped race.

Back at the lodge we tried for some night birds before dinner. We walked along a damp trail and stopped at a small clearing where New Guinea Woodcock can sometimes be seen. We heard it call very close behind us and then a bit later a long way down the hillside so our luck was out this time. It was a similar story with Papuan Boobook and Mountain Owlet-Nightjar which were also heard-only.