Birding in paradise and penguins on the ice
- Matt
- Mar 30
- 18 min read
Back in 2023 I got a phone call from my mate Sav who is co-owner of Wrybill Birding Tours wondering if I would be keen on guiding in Papua New Guinea aka PNG. He had been contacted by American birding company PIB who were looking for a guide.
In July 2024 I arrived at Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby, PNG. I was met by Leo who hails from Essex in the UK via Goa in India. Leo had been guiding in PNG for over 10 years and knew the country and its birds very well. I was in good hands. I was to shadow Leo for a three-week tour and then do a 10-day tour without Leo.
My previous experience of PNG had only been travelling through PNG waters on a ship heading from New Zealand through the pacific to Japan. So I had a couple of sought-after seabirds already on my PNG list, including the super rare Beck’s Petrel and Heinroth’s Shearwater.
But first the three-week tour. The clients were all mates or fellow guides. Sav Saville and Brent Stephenson (guides and co-owners of Wrybill Birding tours NZ); Dave Howes (Wrybill guide); John Kingdom, a retired surgeon (always good to have a doctor on the team!); and Richard Fenner made up the New Zealand contingent. From the USA was guide Mandy Talpas, founder and owner of Hawaii Bird Tours. From the UK, Dr Andy Clements OBE and former Chief Executive of the British Trust for Ornithology; and Rick Goater a retired ecologist from Scotland. A formidable team.
We hit the ground running from our base in Port Moresby and headed to Varirta National Park. Highlights were of course our first Bird of Paradise (BOP), the Raggiana Bird-of-Paradise, the national bird of PNG with its outrageous red fluffy tail – it doesn’t look real. Very appropriate our first BOP was this bird because it would have been what we would have all seen in books when we were younger, maybe daring to dream we would one day see these exotic birds. Other highlights in Varirta were the Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Zoe’s Imperial Pigeon, Boyer’s Cuckooshrike, Chestnut-bellied Fantail & Spot-winged Monarch.
We also birded the University grounds, with open fields and lakes - a very different habitat to the thick forest of Varirta. Egrets and herons aplenty plus Great, Little, Cattle and Plumed Egrets. Pied and Nankeen Night herons were joined by Australian Ibis. We found what we thought to be PNG’s only Comb-crested Jacana that fed on the lake fringes with Dusky Moorhens. An Australian Darter was seen amongst Little Black Shags. But it wasn’t all waterbirds: Grey-headed Munia fed in a large flock in the long grass, Rainbow Bee-eaters and White-breasted Woodswallows hawked over the fields, a couple of cryptic looking Papuan Frogmouths were found trying to blend in with trees they sat in, and the common Torresian Imperial Pigeons.
After a couple of days birding close to Port Moresby we headed north flying up to Mount Hagen at the base of the Highlands and drove up to the world famous Kumel Lodge, our base for the next few nights. We stopped en route at Magic Mountain and found the stunning Collared Myzomela and our first Belford’s Melidectes. The star bird of this stop was a male King-of-Saxony Bird-of-Paradise, one of the true mega BOP with his outrageous head plumes (that he can move independently, an amazing sight) and his call that resembles an old fashioned football rattle!
Once we arrived at Kumel Lodge it seemed the birds and the birding hit the overdrive button with more BOP: Brown Sicklebill and Ribbon-tailed Astrapia, wonderful looking birds – the feeding table also brought in Brehm’s Tiger Parrot, the fantastic looking Stella’s Lorikeet, Belford’s Melidectes, Smokey Honeyeater, and the overlooked Island Thrush (looking for all intents and purposes like a female Blackbird). Around the grounds we found White-winged Robin, Friendly Fantail, Rufous-naped Bellbird, the more plain looking Large Scrubwren, and Mountain Mouse Warbler.
Even though the grounds and surrounding forest were epic, we explored the local area. Blue Bird-of-Paradise, Lesser Bird-of-Paradise, Superb Bird-of Paradise, and the Magnificent Bird-of-Paradise were all found. Plus Yellow- and Orange-billed Lorikeets, Papuan Grassbird, White-shouldered Fairywren, Brown-breasted Greygone, Elfin Myzomela, Torrent-lark and Torrent Flyrobin, Fan-tailed Berrypecker, Regent and Brown-backed Whistler, Loria’s Satinbird and Lesser Melampitta. During an evening search we found a Archbold’s Nightjar.
After an incredibly productive few days birding, we headed to Komonge Lodge for three nights which was still in the Highlands but a drier climate. Our routine was get up early, try and find Owls and Owlet-nightjars, breakfast, bird the quiet forest roads, lunch, bird the forest roads, evening meal and beer, out for some more night birds, sleep. And then repeat for the next three days. The birding was great. Highlights were: a showy BOP in the shape of a Princess Stephanie’s Astrapia, Papuan Tree Creeper, Wattled Ploughbill, Papuan and Black Sittellas climbing the trees, the colourful Papuan King Parrot, Blue-capped Ifrita, and Blue-grey Robin to name a few. The early starts paid off with view of Mountain Owlet-Nightjar and Papuan Boobook, and (heard) a Feline Owlet-Nightjar.
After another few days of successful and fun birding, we headed south to Mount Hagen to climb Rondon Ridge. The steep climb rewarded us with Black Fantail, Black Sicklebill, Mottled Berryhunter, Plum-face Lorikeet, Garnet Robin, Orange-crowned Fairywren, another Wattled Ploughbill plus large flocks of Papuan Mountain Pigeon.
We flew north to Kiunga Airport and a drive Tabubil. This location gave us a huge number of new birds, in particular the sought-after Pesquet’s Parrot aka the Dracula parrot and cute looking Wallace’s Fairy Wren.
I missed a morning’s birding due to an upset stomach – some of us got sick on this part of the trip but I managed some afternoon birding. Rested and ready for our 6am start the next day aboard two dug out boats, we would spend a night and day birding along the Fly River. Birds came thick and fast starting with a Forest Bittern flying over us, a Black Bittern and the completely stunning Flame Bowerbird.
At our very basic camp we added plenty of new birds to the list: Papuan and Eastern Hooded Pitta, Yellow-eyed Starling, a few more BOPs: the tiny King Bird of Paradise, Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise, the huge Sclater’s Crowned Pigeon, the brightly coloured Golden Myna, only heard a Wallace’s Owlet Nightjar but got great looks at Marbled Frogmouth.
We headed back to Kiunga and the following morning squeezed in a bit more local birding before heading back to the Airport for the flight to Port Moresby.
Our final morning's birding at Varirta we watched another display of the Raggiana Bird of Paradise and saw a Barred Owlet Nightjar. At the end of our tour we had seen an amazing 300+ species of bird. Farewells were said as the team flew home via Australia to New Zealand, the UK, and the USA.
I stayed in PNG for another 10 days with a group of five clients, four Americans and one Brit. Highlights were yet again many: a stunning display by Lesser bird of Paradise was one of those but one that sticks was when our local guide in Varirta said he knew where to find a Papauan Harpy aka New Guinea Eagle. This shy, often unseen bird was a mega highlight. We watched an adult sitting with a chick, looking down from a high cliff as Grey Crows and Blyth’s Hornbills flew around.
Despite the shorter tour we still saw plenty of birds. After a month birding around Papua New Guinea I caught my flight to Sydney, Christchurch, Invercargill, and home to Stewart Island in August.
September’s highlight was a Dusky Woodswallow! This came via a random post on a Facebook page by an island resident, about a bird he had seen on his way to work. Dave, one of the Wrybill guides, alerted me to the sighting as I’m not on Facebook.
With little confidence, a day later in the pouring cold rain I went looking for the bird. Within an hour I had re-located the bird flying around above the Four-square supermarket. Looking pretty wet and in poor condition I didn’t think it would last the night. Amazingly, it survived for another six weeks, enduring rain, cold winds, thunder and lighting, and even a snow flurry! This little bird from Australia became a local celebrity. Seen by visiting twitchers and tourists alike, the bird was faithful to hawking insects above the supermarket.
Personally, it was awesome to get this monkey off my back. Almost 10 years to the day since New Zealand’s first Dusky Woodswallow was spotted at Stewart Island by two visiting Japanese birders – when I happened to be guiding off island!
In October, Stewart Island was treated to an incredible Aurora Australis that lit up the sky.
Wrybill tours started again in November. I led week one of Sav’s three-week birding tour of New Zealand, which was also a training tour for new Wrybill guide, Mat Poot. I farewelled the team at Auckland Airport which included Mandy Talpas, founder and owner of Hawaii Bird Tours https://hawaiibirdtours.com and seven of her birding mates. I had met Mandy earlier in the year during the July/August PNG birding trip.
A week later I was back in Auckland to start my own 21-day Wrybill Birding tour, this time with two Canadian birders. A pretty successful tour seeing 154 species. Great looks at Okarito Kiwi, Orange-fronted Parakeet, Fairy Terns plus a bit of a wader-fest in the Hawkes Bay, with Sharp-tailed and Curlew Sandpipers, Red Necked Stint, and Black-fronted Dotterel. Along the Milford Road, great looks at the vagrant Black-tailed Native Hen, my second record of this rare bird in New Zealand.
I had a couple of weeks at home in which time I found a Pied Stilt on Horseshoe beach, while walking Nonu - he seemed less interested in me getting an island tick.
On 19th December I left Stewart Island on the 8am ferry to Bluff and re-joined the
Heritage Adventurer voyage with Heritage Expeditions to the Subantarctic islands over the Christmas period: New Zealand’s Snares, Enderby Island in the Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, and Australia’s Macquarie Island.
At the Snares it became very obvious that putting a Zodiac in the water was out the question. Five-plus metre swells and waves crashed against the rocky shoreline. So we cut our losses, accepted defeat against the weather and headed south to the Auckland Islands.
At Hardwick and Carnley Harbour in the Auckland Islands for great looks at Yellow-eyed Penguins, Auckland Shag and the flightless Auckland Island Teal. Then to the southernmost of “the subs” - Macquarie Island. It’s like stepping into a BBC David Attenborough documentary. We spent two wonderful days and nights at this Australian outpost with its in-your-face wildlife. King Penguins, the world’s population of Royal Penguins, Southern Rockhopper Penguins, Gentoo Penguins, Macquarie Shag, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Brown Skuas, and Light Mantled Sooty Albatross. It’s not just birds - huge Southern Elephant Seals and the Orca that hunt along the shoreline.
One evening we watched Orca hunting the weaners (Elephant Seal pups) which encouraged albatross and petrels into the area searching for leftovers from the kill.
Heading north towards New Zealand Subantarctic Islands for a stop at Campbell Island, a firm favourite of mine with its rugged mountains and sheltered harbour. I spent most of the day driving a zodiac; doing drop offs for hill hikers, a zodiac cruise, and shuttles for the stunning boardwalk hike – as well as giving zodiac driving lessons to Mat Poot. Yes, the same Mat Poot that was the trainee Wrybill guide in November. Some days I did feel like I was Gandalf to his Frodo or Dumbledore to his Harry Potter … or maybe just an old guide passing skills onto a new guide. I’m glad to say he is now signed off and free to drive zodiacs.
From Campbell Island that evening we sailed north to Enderby Island, back in the Auckland Islands. Arguably New Zealand’s jewel in the crown of the Subantarctic Islands. The next day was gloriously sunny and I led the long walk around Enderby, seeing some great wildlife along the way. Yellow-eyed Penguins, Auckland Shags and Auckland Island teal, Sub-Antarctic Snipe, Light Mantled Sooty Albatross, Southern Royal Albatross, Red crowned Parakeet, Tomtit, Auckland Island Pipit to name but a few.
North once again and back to the Snares for a second attempt to get zodiacs in the water – thankfully the seas were much calmer than earlier in the trip - it’s not often that you get a second bite at the cherry to visit the wonderful Snares Island.
For the last zodiac cruise of the trip, Mat Poot my protégé zodiac driver was driving solo and I was just shadowing. We had Ulva Goodwillie with us on the zodiac too. This trip was her first voyage to the Subantarctic Islands which was a retirement gift to herself. I have known Ulva for well over 15 years and have worked with her for much of that time as her lead guide at Ulva’s Guided Walks on Stewart Island. It felt like things were coming full circle. Ulva was the person that gave me the first real opportunity to guide, so it was great to witness her reaction to a place that I've seen several times and she was seeing for the first time.
After breakfast on the ship we disembarked at Bluff on New Zealand’s mainland, and Ulva and myself caught the morning ferry back to Oban, Stewart Island.
I spent the month of January at home on Stewart Island guiding for Beaks & Feathers kiwi spotting in the evenings and for Ulva’s Guided Walks at Ulva Island during the day.
Free time was spent walking Nonu our dog or drinking coffee at the local café. All too quickly the month came and went and on 3rd February I was departing Stewart Island on the 8am ferry heading to Bluff to re-join Heritage Expeditions for a month-long voyage to the Ross Sea in Antarctica.
We sailed that evening, south past my home. First stop the next morning was another visit to the Snares Islands. I don’t know how many times I have visited this incredible place but I will never get bored of it. A great couple of zodiac cruises seeing the Snares-crested Penguins, Snares Fernbird, Snares Tomtit, Antarctic Terns, Southern Brown Skuas and Buller’s Albatross plus at least two Fiordland Crested Penguins going through their catastrophic moult. To be fair looking a bit sorry about the whole thing.
The following morning we arrived at Enderby Island. A bit of drizzly rain didn’t dampen things too much. I buddied up with Robyn one of the other guides on a zodiac cruise around the southern end of Enderby. We decided to take our zodiacs across to Rose Island where we found plenty of NZ Sealions and Yellow-eyed Penguins on the shoreline. I cruised into a small bay and came face to face with a Gentoo Penguin. It dawned on me that IT’S A GENTOO! A New Zealand tick for me. The bird was on a small rocky beach looking like it was about to go into moult. I grabbed a few images of this vagrant bird and after the cruise, I was back on Zodiac shuttle service between the Island and the ship. I got word that the King Penguin which had been found a week earlier on the first Ross Sea trip, had been re-found. It was still moulting, but out of view from the beach.
After an hour or so the twitchy itch started, I asked Cheli the Expedition Leader if I could get a little time ashore to see the bird. I had hour an ashore, plenty of time to photograph the bird. There can’t be many (if any) birders from New Zealand that have seen a Gentoo and King Penguin in New Zealand on the same day within a few hours of each other! Both birds almost certainly from Macquarie Island. I have subsequently completed two UBR (Unusual Bird Report) on both birds.
It was a bit of a penguin day really, along with the two vagrant penguins we saw the resident Southern Rockhopper and Yellow-eyed Penguin and also found a moulting Snares Crested Penguin. A five Penguin species day - not too shabby!
I gave my lecture on how to ID southern seabirds during our day at sea and the following morning we arrived at Macquarie Island. First stop was near the permanent base at Buckles Bay for a morning ashore. Great looks at Gentoo Penguins, Southern Elephant Seals and a few King Penguin. I also found a Song Thrush singing in amongst the tussock grass. We climbed Razorback Hill to get a great view of the Australian base which studies not only the incredible wildlife but is also a very important weather station.
That afternoon we zodiac cruised the amazing Lusitania Bay King Penguin colony. The following day was spent at Sandy Bay which is possibly one of the most amazing places I have had the fortune to visit. Black-browed and Grey headed Albatross flew around the bay, often joined by the overlooked Antarctic Prion. Even a person who has no interest in wildlife cannot help but be blown away by the abundant spectacle of thousands of King and Royal Penguins, Northern and Southern Giant Petrels, Southern Brown Skuas, the odd Gentoo Penguin, heaps of snorting farting Elephant Seals … and for the Australian birding lister, the only place in Aussie you can see a Redpoll!
It was soon time to leave the green slopes and rocky shores of the Subantarctic Islands and head south to the white continent. The day after spotting our first iceberg of the trip we made a stop at the Balleny Islands at the entrance to the Ross Sea. These were new islands for me and held the chance of a lifer.
We were greeted by Orca and Humpback whales. We dropped the zodiacs into the snowy bleak landscape with its black looking cold rocks and cruised the base of Sturge island. We saw plenty of Adelie Penguins and the occasional Wilson Storm Petrel flicking through. Nearer the shoreline I picked out my first Chinstrap Penguin and grabbed a few snowy record shots of my thirteenth penguin species. We also saw our first Weddell seals.
The next day at Cape Adare we waited for the wind to abate. It never did but I spotted our first Emperor Penguin moulting in amongst the Adelie Penguins. We had great looks at Antarctic Petrels and South Polar Skuas enjoying the powerful wind.
At this stage I should state that I feel very privileged and lucky to visit this incredible place. Arguably the worlds remotest, untouched place on our fragile planet.
We spent the next 10 days exploring and with 24-hour daylight there was not much stopping. You have to grab the opportunities to visit places when the time arrives. Our next stop was at the Ross Ice shelf. This wall of ice is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica with an area of roughly 500,809 square kilometres - about the same size as France. Its several hundred meters thick and more than 600 kilometres across.
Landing at Cape Bird and Colbeck we found a Royal Penguin moulting which we think is the southernmost record for a Royal Penguin after looking through the records. We did an ice landing at Drygalski Ice tongue at David Glacier which gave the best looks at Emperor Penguins sitting on the ice edge allowing some photo opportunities. Also spectacular ice zodiac cruises with Orca.
Other great wildlife encountered: Snow petrels, Crabeater seals, Leopard Seals plus great whale sightings including Antarctic Minke Whale, Blue, Sei and Fin Whales.
Historic huts are always a highlight. Captain Scott’s Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans is arguably one of the best huts to visit - it’s like they have just left. Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod hut at Cape Royd is another incredible place to witness.
We also visited the Discovery hut, Scott’s original hut, which is less spectacular to look around than the previous two. It doesn’t help that it sits alongside the American Antarctic research station of McMurdo which has to be the ugliest place and station in Antarctica. It looks like some remote mining town that’s had its day.
Around the corner from McMurdo is Scott base, the New Zealand base. This is old but at least tries to blend in with the environment and is less of an eyesore than its big neighbour. Here we saw the least visited and most up to date hut, Sir Edmund Hillary’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition hut which was established in 1956-57. Departing the Ross Sea our last hut was Borchgrevinks hut at Cape Adare, the first building on the continent, built in 1899 by Norwegian explorer Carsten Brochgrevink.
We headed north for three days at sea to reach Campbell Island back into the Subantarctic Islands with magical looks at Southern Royal Albatross with a very young chick, the flightless Campbell Island Teal and Campbell Island Shag. And the grumpy New Zealand Sealions. We were meant to spend a second day at Campbell Island but our weather window closed. Very strong winds screamed through Perseverance Harbour so we cut our losses and headed north. It was a great afternoon to be at the back of the vessel watching the seabirds enjoying the blustery conditions!
A day and half later we arrived at Carnley Harbour, back at the Auckland Islands. We had two awesome zodiac cruises around Carnley and further north at Musgrave inlet. Great looks at Southern Rockhopper Penguins, Light-mantled Sooty Albatross with chicks and the awesome sea caves. With the sun shining it was a fitting ending to a magic trip.
Our final day at sea was cruising back towards Bluff. The next morning after breakfast and immigration we departed the vessel which had been our base for the last month.
I had two nights at home before I flew north to Auckland and on 4th March I started a 14-day birding tour of New Zealand for Wrybill Birding Tours, leading an Australian based company. The clients gelled really well - 6 Australians, 1 Californian and 1 Fin who lives in Costa Rica.
Highlights were North Island Brown Kiwi on our first night, a magic pelagic out of Marsden where we saw up to 11 New Zealand Storm Petrels and at least 30 Grey Ternlet’s / Noddy. A great day on Tiri. A day trip always feels like a trolly dash with only 4 hours to try and see everything but Takahe, North Island Kokako, Saddleback, Stichbird, Whitehead, Red-crowned Parakeet, Fernbird, Brown Teal, and Spotless Crake were all seen.
Next stop Miranda. What a morning! Huge flocks of Bar-tailed Godwits and a South Island Pied Oystercatcher landing in front of the hide on the rising tide. They were joined by Red Knots, a few Pacific Golden Plover, a lone tiny Red-necked Stint and few Sharp-tailed Sandpipers.
The following morning, we added Blue Duck to our list. This rare endemic river duck can be tricky to find, so we were happy finding 7 different birds. That afternoon we visited a forest for Kaka and Yellow-crowned Parakeet.
The following day was a travel day, leaving the North Island and catching the ferry to South Island with a quick stop en-route at a sewage ponds to add Black-fronted Dotterel to the trip list.
Our first morning on the South Island was on a boat for mega King Shag, then onto Bluemine Island eventually finding Orange-fronted Parakeet, along with South Island Saddleback and Weka.
The next two nights were spent at Kaikoura. Plenty of seabirds were added to our list:
Wandering Albatross x5
Northern Royal Albatross x2
Southern Royal Albatross x1
White-capped Albatross x10
Salvin’s Albatross x2
Southern Giant Petrel x1
Northern Giant Petrel x10
Cape Petrel x22
White-chinned Petrel x9
Westland Petrel x8
Buller’s Shearwater x4
Hutton’s Shearwater x4
White-fronted Tern x27
Black-fronted Tern x3
Australasian Gannet x2
Plus of course gulls and shags, New Zealand Fur Seals and Dusky Dolphins.
Before dinner that evening, we found a Little Owl sitting on a garden post, which was a bonus. The next morning we headed inland, stopping for some waders and wildfowl north of Christchurch. We arrived into the Southern Alps at Arthurs Pass and after a bit of searching found our main target for the day - the local Kea put on a good show. The world’s only alpine parrot is always a must see for a visiting birder to New Zealand. We also saw South Island Robin and Rifleman in a nearby forest.
We spent the night in the mountains and the next morning headed further south for our target bird for the day - the mega rare Black Stilt. With only around 200 birds left in the wild it is a true megastar of the bird world. Like the Kea, after a bit of a runaround we found five birds on a small lake, two in particular showed very well.
Happy with our sighting we moved down the road to eat lunch, adding Great-crested Grebe to our growing trip list. We tried a site for Baillon’s Crake sometimes known as Marsh Crake, and were rewarded with two showy birds plus another, even more showy, Black Stilt. A celebratory curry was demolished that evening, washed down with a couple of beers.
The next day we were back at the coast finding Otago Shags and the world’s rarest penguin. We were super lucky to see at least 6 Yellow-eyed Penguins on a private reserve.
Our next destination was my home of Rakiura/ Stewart Island. We drove the Catlins route adding New Zealand Sea Lion, Hectors Dolphin and New Zealand Falcon to the list. A bit of a sloppy ferry ride from Bluff to Oban, with plenty of Fairy Prions plus a few Buller’s Albatross seen. That evening we went kiwi spotting and witnessed a chick and sub-adult.
Our final full day of birding was spent at Ulva Island. We needed a couple of species - Brown Creeper and Yellowhead – and had great sightings of both. The bonus bird of the day was the roosting Morepork. Always a treat to find a hiding owl. We also had views at Kaka, Red-crowned parakeet, South Island Robin, Saddleback. Weka, NZ Pigeon, Bellbirds,Tui, NZ Fantails and Tomtits. Proof that Ulva Island is still one the best places in New Zealand to find some of the rare endemic forest birds!
Our final evening was spent eating a fine meal at the South Seas Hotel overlooking Halfmoon bay. We departed Stewart Island on the 8am ferry the next morning, heading north to Bluff and added our final new bird of the trip to the list – the Common Diving Petrel became 135th species of the tour. A very respectable haul of birds in a short space of time.
I dropped the clients at Invercargill airport to make their way home. A 6-7 hour drive lay ahead for me as the hire van needed to be returned to Christchurch. The following morning I flew from Christchurch back to Invercargill, and back home to Stewart Island by mid-afternoon.
The next morning the alarm went off. I turned it off and rolled over. I had been working for 6 weeks straight.
If you have got this far in reading this, well done and thanks!!
What’s next? Well, I have my 15th year of bird call counts to conduct for SIRCET, counting native and endemic forest birds during the month of April.
At the end of April I’m due to fly to Japan and South Korea, guiding for Heritage Expeditions on a voyage for 7 weeks. And then it will be winter!
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