Birds and Mudmen

Today we went to see the Mud Men in the Waghi Valley.        

On the way we stopped off to see the Raggiana Bird of Paradise, Black-billed Cuckoo-dove, Black Kite, Variable Goshawk, Glossy Swiftlets, Black-headed Whistler and Mountain Myzomela.   as we waited for the Mud men to get ready for their display we found Great Wood-swallow, Ornate Melidictes, Friarbird,

A traditional home

Yellow-breasted Bowerbird, Singing Starling, Long-tailed Cuckoo-shrike and Scrub White-eared Meliphaga.

The display of a traditional history tale was short, but entertaining, at the end of the display they took off their masks - the smallest child needed help as it was too heavy for him to lift off.   After the Mud Men, Women and Children had finished we had the opportunity to try on one of the masks ourselves,  John and Keith decided to give it a go.   They were very heavy but steeped in tradition and in some cases a bit frightening, with boar tusks attached to the more senior masks.

There were traditional gifts to buy including bags, mud men statues and jewellery.

The Mudmen

After we had exhausted our stay we went to a local orchid garden which unfortunately also had caged cassiowary, cockatoo, and a tree kangaroo.   Very sad to see.   Black-shouldered Kite, Upland Grassbird, Brahminy Kite, Superb Bird of Paradise, Black Fantail, Willie Wagtail and White-shouldered Fairy-wren.

The orchids were great, and after a good look around, and plenty of photographs we were on our way back to,the lodge for lunch.

Our afternoon walk was somewhat delayed due to a thunder storm, so we sat on the veranda and took tea.   We eventually made it out along the muddy paths behind the lodge, through the owners garden to see Superb BOP displaying.   In the nearby forest we found Brown-breasted Gerygone, Blue-grey Robin and Black-breasted Boatbill.

Orchid

We also tried for Jewel-babbler and Wattled Ploughbill but to no avail.