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| Barking Imperial-Pigeon |
I enjoyed a 19-day cruise aboard the Oceania vessel, Riviera, in the company of Glenn Scherf to wind up 2025 in style. We rounded that up with a few days in Tahiti to welcome in the New Year. Itinerary as follows:
December 10: Depart Sydney. December 11 and December 12 – At sea.
December 13: Noumea, New Caledonia.
December 14: At sea. Plans to visit Mystery Island in Vanuatu were cancelled due to weather. This destination, like others on the tour, required disembarking on the ship's tender boats, which can be tricky in rough weather.
December 15: At sea.
December 16: Lautoka, Fiji
December 17: Suva, Fiji. December 18: At sea.
December 19: Nuku'alofa, Tonga.
December 20: Vava'u (Neiafu), Tonga.
December 21: Pago Pago, Western Samoa. Cross International Date Line.
December 22; Apea, Samoa. December 22: At sea.
December 23: Rarotonga, Cook Islands. December 24: At sea.
December 25: Bora Bora, French Polynesia.
December 26: Huahine, French Polynesia.
December 27: Moorea, French Polynesia.
December 28: Papeete, Tahiti. December 29: End of cruise, disembark.
December 29, 2025 – January 2, 2026: Papeete, Tahiti. I had previously visited New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.
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| Sydney Harbour |
The cruise kicked off on a glorious summer afternoon on Sydney Harbour with the Harbour Bridge and Opera House looming large. Our cabin on the lowest accommodation level – Level 7 – had a large verandah that was suitable for seabird-watching. However, that is always a major challenge on cruise ships. Birds are distant, even when quite close to the ship, with photography being particularly challenging.
Still, the first couple of days at sea had some offerings. On 11/12, good numbers of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters and Sooty Terns were seen about 150km east of the NSW Central Coast (31.21739S, 154.90768E). In this vicinity were at least 3 Kermadec Petrels and 15-20 Grey-faced Petrels.
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| Grey-faced Petrel |
About 300km east of Yamba (29.85366S, 156.71312E), a couple of Tahiti Petrels showed along with at least 3 Streaked Shearwaters, a few Flesh-footed Shearwaters among the continuing Wedge-tailed flocks, and a single Masked Booby.
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| Masked Booby |
On 12/9 at 26.821417S, 160.648483E, a White-necked Petrel appeared along with the first of many White-tailed Tropicbirds seen on the cruise, both at sea and during shore visits.
White-necked Petrel
As Nouma approached on 13/12, seabirds included quite a few Bridled Terns and couple of Black-naped Terns. Grey-eared Honeyeater was abundant during a stroll around the city. At sea on 14/12, a Collared Petrel was spotted at 18.854651S, 175.298247E. The first Red-footed Booby flew over soon after. On 15/12, nothing much was about other than many more Red-footed Bobbies and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters.
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| Red-footed Booby |
We had a day stop on 16/12 in the west Fiji port of Lautoka. A wander around town turned up Red-headed Parrotfinch and Fiji Woodswallow.
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| Fiji Woodswallow |
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| Red-headed Parrotfinch |
On 17/12 we had a day stop in the Fiji capital of Suva. I had lined up local birding legend Vili Masibalavu for a 6-hour guided tour of the Namosi- Naidina Rive region in the hills west of Suva. His services are highly recommended (email vmasibalavu@gmail.com). Here were three possible lifers I had not seen on previous visits to the main Fiji Island of Viti Levu.
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| With Vili Masibalavu |
The first of these was hard work. We visited several territories of Long-legged Thicketbird. Finally a couple of birds were heard. The birds initially failed to reveal themselves but eventually a thicketbirtd bird flew at head height across the track close to us, allowing good if brief views. It had been raining heavily so the muddy tracks were challenging.
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| Golden Dove |
Other birds in the area included Fiji Bush-Warbler, Fiji Shrikebill and Black-faced Shrikebill - a difficult target I had seen for the first time recently on Taveuni. Also present were Versicoloured Flycatcher, Pacific Imperial-Pigeon, Barking Imperial-Pigeon, Duetting Giant-Honeyeater, Polynesian Wattled Honeyeater, Fiji Streaked Fantail and a single female Golden Dove.
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| Chestnut-throated Flycatcher |
On our way out of the Namosi area, a Shy (Tongan) Ground-Dove flew across the road, again showing well but briefly. This was another target down but there was unsurprisingly no sign of the third – the elusive Pink-billed Parrotfinch. We stopped at Colo-I-Suva where birds included Collared Lory, Masked Shining-Parrot, Collared Lory, Chestnut-throated Flycatcher, Polynesian Triller, Orange-breasted Myzomela and Fiji Island Thrush.
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| Grey-faced Petrel |
