Here is the picture of Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys) that I saw while I was guiding visitors on a 3-day tour in Manokwari. The bird has got black upperparts and white underparts. The birds like to seat on the branches of trees or shrubs that extend over a river. At first, I thought it was feeding on small fresh water fish. But the article in Wikipedia says that the bird eats insects. I often see the bird when I travel along the coastal area of Manokwari, Numfor island and Waigeo island of Raja Ampat.
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| Willie Wagtail |
Birding in Raja Ampat
Recently when I visited Waisai town of Raja Ampat, I saw some Willie Wagtails when I was standing at a cape near the harbor of the regency. Some male birds were chasing a female bird for mating. Therefore, I conclude that the mating season of Willie Wagtail is in October. In addition to Willie Wagtail, I also saw Beach Kingfisher, Coconut Lorikeet, Moustached Treeswift and Singing Starling. It was a short birding experience but I really enjoyed it very much.
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| Willie Wagtail in Waisai town of Raja Ampat |
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| Coconut Lorikeet |
For the Coconut Lorikeet, it was feeding on the nectar of flowers of a tree in front of me. I heard his sound and immediately aimed my camera at him. He was walking down a branch and looked at me. It was only a fleeting moment but I got a few nice shots of him. Seconds later, he flew away.
