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| Solomons Frogmouth |
The enigmatic Solomons Frogmouth, endemic to
Solomon Islands, is a creature I have long been interested in. It was
first described in 1901 but was long regarded as a subspecies of the
Marbled Frogmouth (Podargus ocellatus) of New Guinea and north-east
Australia. It was not until genetic analysis of a specimen collected
in 1998 that scientists realised this was a very different beast,
giving the bird its own genus, Rigidipenna, in 2007. It diverged from
other frogmouths 30 million years ago; the Smithsonian Institution
noted the revelation had “profound biogeographical implications”.
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| Approaching Santa Isabel from the air |
The unlikely go-to hotspot for the bird these days
are rainforest gullies around the small subsistence village of
Tiratonga, perched in the hills of Santa Isabel Island. It's not easy
to get there. After a
few days on Guadalcanal , our group flew to Fera Island, the
gateway to Santa Isabel. We transferred by boat to the main island
and stayed overnight in Ghasiali Resort. The next morning we were
driven a few kilometres to the island's small capital, Buala.
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| Porter lends a hand with a suitcase |
There we were met by porters who carried our
luggage up the steep track to Tiratonga. Our food for the planned
three-day stay was sent up earlier. It took 70 minutes to hike the
2.6 kilometre trail, reaching the village at 570m above sea level –
a steep climb on a sometimes slippery slope, but not too difficult.
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| The climb up to Tiratonga |
The village has turned a large house into an accommodation centre -
rooms, comfortable beds, a wide verandah from which to enjoy the
splendid view of the surrounding hills. The food was plentiful and
delicious. The bathroom was downstairs and a tad on the basic side -
the shower a cold water tap with flimsy cover. Still, there were
birds to be seen.
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| Tiratonga lodgings |
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| Lunch time at the lodgings |
Tracking frogmouths is quite a community event. On
our first evening we hiked to a gully near the village edge, with a
dozen young men in tow. Many were adept an imitating the bird's
peculiar whistling calls. We had a couple of distant replies but
nothing more.
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| Tiratonga Village |
The next morning we hiked from the village up a
steep and muddy trail, having close encounters with good numbers of
White-billed Crow, which was surprisingly scarce on Guadalcanal. Our
main goal was to see another north Solomons endemic – the
Black-faced Pitta.
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| White-billed Crow |
We heard a bird calling for 5-7 minutes soon after
arriving at the gully where most recent sightings have been made.
Despite plenty of effort, then and during three subsequent visits,
the pitta was not seen or even heard again. Local guides had
differing views about how to find it, but no plan worked. Other sites
which have yielded pittas in times past were checked without success.
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| Rainforest above the village |
The guides did, however, track down another key
target – a West Solomons Owl at its daytime roost, close to the
pitta gully. The bird was flighty and difficult to nail down, but
eventually we had good views through thick foliage.
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| West Solomons Owl |
Other north Solomon endemics around the village
and surrounding forest included good numbers of Yellow-throated
White-eye and heard-only Red-naped Myzomela and North Solomons
Dwarf-Kingfisher.
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| Yellow-throated White-eye |
Birds seen regularly from the guesthouse verandah
perched in the open included Long-tailed Myna and Claret-breasted
Fruit-Dove.
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| Claret-breasted Fruit-Dove |
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| Long-tailed Myna |
A pair of Woodford's Rail of the distinctive race
immaculata - possibly a separate species - were tracked down in
scrubby regrowth on the village edge, with satisfactory photographs
managed of this cryptic species.
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| Woodford's Rail |
The generally uncommon Ultramarine Kingfisher
often showed itself around village huts.
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| Ultramarine Kingfisher |
The villagers showed us a juvenile Northern Common
Cuscus they had captured. Its mother had been made a meal of earlier.
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| Northern Common Cuscus |
Plentiful garden vegetables in the village are supplemented by
seafood caught or traded for on the coast, and game hunted with large
slingshots and bow-and-arrow; guns are prohibited. The scarcity of
large birds like large pigeons and hornbills in the area reflected
hunting pressure.
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| Villager with slingshot |
Also destined for the pot was a captured Solomon
Islands Skink (Corucia zebrata) we were shown. This spectacular and
rarely photographed animal is the largest skink in the world.
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| Solomon Islands Skink |
The villagers were keen to explore further
opportunities to promote ecotourism in a bid to improve their local
economy and living standards. Conditions there are basic. There is no
medical clinic and the school operates part-time, largely with the
help of volunteers. Visitors to Tiratonga are invited to bring books
suitable for small children as much-wanted gifts.
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| Meeting with the community |
The community attended a meeting with our group.
We explained why some people were prepared to put effort and money
into finding special birds like the Solomons Frogmouth. We told them
we were very happy with how welcoming and enthusiastic they had been.
Some people had concerns. Birds like Papuan Eclectus can ravage fruit
crops, while Woodford's Rail digs up garden beds. Could they still be
controlled if birders came more often? We explained that the birds
sought by visitors are not the ones damaging gardens.
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| Villagers at the meeting |
On our second evening we opted to try a different
site for the frogmouth, this one downhill along the track we had
ascended to reach the village. I had a bad fall here in the dark,
smashing a good proportion of my body along with my camera flash! The
villagers were quick to tend the wounds after I returned to the
guesthouse, though the absence of antiseptic of any kind was a
reminder to bring a medical kit, which on this occasion I had
forgotten. The others heard more distant frogmouth calls at the
second site but nothing more.
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| Wounded in the course of duty |
At 1.30am the next morning, we were woken by an
excited group of villagers. They had found a Solomons Frogmouth close
by. Evidently they had been looking for it all night, following the
failure of our earlier attempts.
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| Solomons Frogmouth - above and below |
We found the bird after about 10
minutes, getting good views of it on an open perch, though the loss
of the camera flash meant the images here are not what I had hoped
for. My injuries ended plans to look for Fearful Owl on our last
night, but to see the frogmouth was enormously satisfying. Trip report here.
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