Orange Chap

Beez Neez now Chy Whella
Big Bear and Pepe Millard
Mon 6 Jul 2015 22:57
Orange Dove of Fiji and Others
 
 
 
 
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Our driver stopped for petrol and he pointed to a tree in the gardens of a hotel. Fruit bats.
 
 
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Off I bimbled to said hotel and asked at reception if I may be allowed a closer look. I couldn’t walk to the tree that had been pointed out to me as it would have meant walking by chalets and guests. Fijians are lovely people and these two ladies very much didn’t want to disappoint me, so they had a porter show me to another tree behind the swimming pool and I helped myself to the Batman lookalikes. I thanked them profusely on the way out. Vinaka. A good start to the fauna of Taveuni.
 
 
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This chap showed me the way back to our driver.
 
 
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The rain began to fall as we left the sealed road, we were treated to a small rainbow.
 
 
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For an hour we bumped along an unmade road.
 
 
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By the time we reached the conservation park it was raining heavily. The man who would give us an excellent commentary was off for the day, his wife welcomed us with nary a word of English. She pointed to the price, pointed to some very ancient umbrellas and off we went. The whole place looked like a ‘one careful owner’ including the goat. Not long after we got going our hostess stopped and whistled at a tree. There high in the branches was an orange chap. The mosquitos were ruthless despite us all having sprayed ourselves and bird watching under a brolly is no fun at all. Everywhere we looked there was mess.
 
 
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Dog kennel............
 
 
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We followed on, now soaked through. More mess, a jaunty ex-toilet and a ‘spare wheel’. We were beginning to lose the will. Just then more whistling at a tree and a many-coloured dove was pointed out. Enough was now enough. Muddy feet, wet clothes and leaky brollies. Maj made a dash for the car as soon as it came into view. I followed moments later and the boys just after me. All in the car our guide ran over with a tray of juice, very odd, there we were having to drink as not to offend. What a hideous place. Even if the weather had been dry and sunny, the rubbish and mess would have not looked any cuter.
 
 
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Orange fruit dove – was he worth the mossie bites ???. Ok, yes he was, but only just.
 
 
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The many-coloured fruit dove. As originally named as the orange dove above.
 
 
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Our driver spotted this chap sitting up in a tree just as we had gone over a bridge. Quick as a flash he pulled over and out I jumped. The Kula is the national bird of Fiji.
 
 
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On the way to the waterfalls in the now pouring rain I spotted this Fijian Goshawk and asked our driver to stop, which he did. What a handsome chap.
 
 
 
 
 
ALL IN ALL JUST AS WELL WE SAW MR ORANGE
                     STUNNING AND UNUSUAL BIRDS