To the top of the Ridge

Up at 4.30am for a quick tea, couple of biscuits and then off up the hill at 5 am.   It was pitch black and we carried torches.   As the sun started to creep up the first birds we heard were Blue-grey Robin, followed by Lesser Ground Robin, Diamorphic Fantail, and Mountain Owlet-Nightjar.   These birds teased us
for the main part of our journey, calling out their tropical dawn chorus, but staying well out of view.

MacGregors Bowerbird - Bower

Initially our walk took us through woodland and then as the track steepened we came out onto a very slippery stone track with some steps cut into it.   Most of us had taken up the offer of a stick to help support and steady us on the trek.
We walked for about two hours then Paul, our guide, heard Brown Sicklebill and shot off ahead,  asking us to follow quickly - easier said than done given the muddy conditions.   We stopped first for Stephanie's Astrapia, and amazing bird
with long tail streamers and a bright blue throat.     Finally we got to the right area and had great views of at least two Brown Sicklebills, a Black could also be heard and although we only saw it in flight to start with, after a patient wait of some 40 minutes, we had brilliant views of this rather secretive bird.   King of Saxony quickly followed and we spent some considerable time watching these birds as they flew around us.   Friendly Fantail, Common Smoky

Rondon Ridge Lodge Gardens

Honeyeater and Papuan Lorikeet were also in this area.

As our guide had carried a cardboard box containing our breakfast, we decided to eat around 8.00 am and perched on some logs enjoying our picnic of hard boiled eggs, pineapple, papaya, orange, passion fruit, a fish cake and banana bread muffin.

We decided that we should go off in search of some smaller birds, and we took a short circular track which gleaned nothing but frustration as the clouds rolled in and the light made it impossible to find anything, let alone identify it.

Eventually we decided it was time to wend our way back towards the lodge, birding as we went.   Rufous-backed Honeyeater, Black Fantail, great views of Buff-faced Scrubwren, Regent Whistler, Red-collared Myzomela, Island Leaf-warbler, Grey-streaked Honeyeater, Nuguini White-eye, and Glossy Swiftlet
were our reward.   We also heard Superb Bird of Paradise displaying and had a quick glimpse of it flying away, and a Tiger-parrot was also calling.

Yellow-browed Meledictes in the mist

As we neared the lodge a final call from Rufous-throated Bronze-Cuckoo rang out, and a female Pied Bushchat welcomed us back home.

Muddied to the nines, we changed and had lunch, then a couple of hours R&R before our afternoon jaunt.

Unfortunately the rain fell rather generously on us in the afternoon and although we spent a couple of hours in and around the lodge grounds we only managed to see a few birds, including Fan-tailed Berrypecker, Black-throated Robin and Superb Bird of Paradise.   We also heard Wattled Ploughbill and MacGregor's Bowerbird.