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New Caledonia suggestions - February 2017 (1 Viewer)

I will have the chance of a short (4 or 5 days) layover in New Caledonia in February 2017 - my first visit.

I would welcome advice on how best to manage the limited time I have to maximise birding options. Priorities would be to focus on endemic landbirds with kagu as the obvious #1 target.

Advice on whether self-guided with a hire car is feasible - this is my preference - but I would welcome any recommendations for a guide.

Thanks in advance.

Richard White
 
Hi Rich

I spent about 10 days in New Caledonia about 5 years ago - its easy to do by yourself, car hire is simple, getting around is simple, you only really need to go to 2 sites for all the endemic landbirds - Parc Riveire Bleue, try & camp a couple of nights & Parc des Grand Fougeres near Farino. The Grassbird & Crow Honeyeater aren't easy but with time you should bump in to both of them
 
Agree with Dave's post above (except for the bit about Crow Honeyeater, 'cos we missed it! ;)). Mount Khogis is also a good site nearer to Noumea if for any reason you can't make it to the sites mentioned.

If you've time to read an interactive trip report on BF from a few years ago, here's a link to one post with some site gen for one of the places mentioned by Dave.http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=1539319&postcount=625

for more you can scroll up to post #588 for when we hit New Caledonia, and scroll down for a few more posts before we went on to Lifou. Sorry, but no time right now to condense the useful bits.

Good luck :t:

EDIT: here's the post with our site gen for Riviere Bleu: http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p=1538577&postcount=607
 
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Feb-March is wet season and that may well be a limitation, so check what is happening at Riviere Bleue with the roads. Crow Honeyeater can be seen around the Grand Kaori there and along the road either direction from it, be careful with NC Crow which can give you a fright being a similar size and in the forest. Grassbird possible along the approach road to Farino Parc des Grandes Fougeres, especially in the heathy forest at the section about a km before the park entrance. Mt Koghis has been odd with access blocked off for much of it due to some local land issues, and I don't bother with it these days. If you'd like a trip report let me know, I was there briefly in October
 
I have been 5 times in New Caledonia.
For Cagu Parc Reviere Blue is very good e.g. near Grand Kouri area.
Craw Honey Eater, is at Point St. Germain. Go back in direction of entrance to next turn.
Accipiter haplochrous and New Caledonian Craw is also possible in Parc Riviere Blue.
At Grand Kouri round walk also Imperial Pigeaon ( Ducula goliath ).
Herons like Nyctocorax caledonicus are good at coast e.g. north east of Parc Riviere Blue at Gite St Gabriel.
Imperial Pigeon is also there.
New Caledonian Warbler and New Caledonian Night Heron is also wild in the zoo ( Monday zoo is closed ).

In Farino is flowered Amborella trichopoda.
Amborellaceae is the first flower plant family in the world.
One plant is the whole family today and is endemic like about 2.700 other plants.
 
Back from a successful trip - all bar the thicketbird and did not go to Loyalty Islands. I rented a car and camped. Five full days of birding, mainly Park Riviere Bleu with stop at Mount Koghi and Parc des Grands Fougeres.

Please feel free to send me a personal message if you have any questions.
 
Back from a successful trip - all bar the thicketbird and did not go to Loyalty Islands. I rented a car and camped. Five full days of birding, mainly Park Riviere Bleu with stop at Mount Koghi and Parc des Grands Fougeres.

Please feel free to send me a personal message if you have any questions.

well done :t:
 
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