20 Apr 2015

Santa Isabel Visit

We had a stimulating day exploring what is a new location for us in Dart Sound on the north-western tip of Santa Isabel Island. The Sound provided some excellent birding as we explored by Zodiac.

Approaching Kupikoko Village

As evening approached we were welcomed ashore by what appeared to be the entire population of the tiny village of Kupikoko. Our birding expert Chris Collins proved to be an unexpected hit when he entertained the villagers by playing some endemic bird calls on his ipod. Armed with this the local guides led us into the dense rainforest and began searching for our target species. Within half an hour we were excited to have good views of the rarely seen Solomon Island Megapode. After our excursion Chris donated his bird guide to the locals so they can keep an eye out for more endemic birds in the future. 

The evening was capped off by another Zodiac cruise which was accompanied by a spectacular rain squall complete with double rainbow.