Solomon Islands (non-birding) Trip Report (June-July 2025)

[naturespotter]

I'm very thankful to have visited the extraordinary Solomon Islands for several weeks from the end of June to late July. While the trip was not a birding trip, the people around me were lovingly supportive of my interests and helped me see birds, not to mention there were many birds just flitting around.

Guadalcanal:
The place I was staying at, not too far from the traffic-filled roads of seatbelt-less Honiara, had flocks of perhaps hundreds of Cardinal Lories that would fly around the area and sit on the large trees, which may be African Tulip Trees. I saw Long-Tailed Mynas, the loud Solomons Corellas, the dinosaur-sounding Buff-Headed Coucal, at least one Blyth's Hornbill which I thought was an eagle at first, the mighty Sanford's Sea Eagle, a goshawk which may be a Pied, another hawk which may be a Pacific Baza, Yellow-Bibbed Lories, some kingfishers (not Ultramarine or Dwarf), Coconut Lorikeets, some different starlings, the fruit dove which is Superb, the grand Imperial Pigeons which are Red-Knobbed, Willie Wagtails, and White-Bellied Cuckooshrike, Sahul Sunbird, Midget Flowerpecker, Moustached Treeswift, an unidentified swift, and some chickens.

Rennell:
Earth's last paradise? Beautiful Rennell Island has experienced the calamities of mining and logging, a devastating oil spill and the grounding of a barge, which I had the privilege or snorkeling next to. The village of Te Sauma in Kangava Bay with its different shades of blue, was where I stayed for about a week, and I was able to see Osprey, the Rennell subsp of Cardinal Myzomela, Rennell Starlings, one Rennell Shrikebill, Bare-eyed White-eyes, Uniform and Glossy Swiftlets, chookish dwarf White Ibises, Pacific and possibly Sacred Kingfishers, Spot-breasted Cuckoo-Doves, Moustached Treeswifts, many Silver-Capped Fruit Doves which apparently taste good, and Rennell Gerygones. On the way to Lake Tengano and in some other places I was able to see the Brown Goshawk. In Lake Tengano there were hundreds of Great and Rennell Little Pied Coromorants, and a few Great Egrets. I saw a few Rennell Aussie Dabchicks, Barred Cuckooshrike, Singing Starling (I think), hundreds of Frigatebirds, Red-Footed Boobies, one Brown Booby on two different occasions, and Rennell-White Eye, Rennell Whistler, and Rennell Fantail all at the same spot and at the exact same time. Before leaving Rennell we stayed in Tigoa, known as TNT to the locals. There, thanks to the loving people around me, I was able to see Finsch's Pygmy Parrot, which they found for me. Finally on the airport I twitched a group of birders (Ornis Birding Tours?), who probably didn't need my quick advice while being drenched in the rain.

[Neil Fitzgerald]

That sounds epic for a non-birding trip.