Just recently I was on a beautiful assignment: documenting the birds of Momi Bay for the Marriott Resort. The assignment also included the design of a coffee table book according to the Marriott Brand Guidelines which will be distributed to some of the guests at the Five-Star Resort.
As an avid birder myself I thoroughly enjoyed the days at the resort looking for birds throughout the entire area. Cannot wait to see the finished book!
Early mornings and late evenings are the best times to observe birds
If you would like to observe birds, usually the early morning and afternoon are the best times as bird activity peaks. Many birds rest during the hot midday sun and p[erch on branches in the shade, and while you can still be lucky and observe them, it is harder to find them in the first place. So I grabbed my Nikon D850 and the 200-500mm Nikon lens and started systematically strolling through the resort grounds and the nearby area, as Momi Bay is a much larger area than just the resort ground themselves.
Aerial view of Momi Bay located on the south-western side of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island. In the foreground is the Marriorr Resort.
As in many places here in Fiji, the most common birds to be seen are usually Common and Jungle Minors as well as Red-vented Bulbuls, all three invasive species that were introduced to Fiji by humans and have since spread far and wide through the island chain. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the Myna as one of the “100 most invasive species in the world”. As os often, when humans deliberately or by accident introduce new animal species to areas where the native species are not used to the intruders it has wide-ranging implications. The invasive species, in this case, birds, often outcompete local birds for space and food.
Two common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) enjoying a cow’s back as a resting place.
A Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) at Momi Bay, Fiji.
A Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) builds a nest on a palm tree.
A seemingly disoriented juvenile Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) on a stone path at the Marriott Resort in Momi Bay, Fiji.
Birds of Momi Bay
For those looking for birds on or near the resort, there are a number of other local and invasive species (including some endemics) that can be fairly easily observed here: the Orange-breasted Myzomela, lots and lots of Fiji Parrotfinches foraging on the grasslands, invasive Red Avadavats, Wetsern-Wattled Honeyeaters, Vanikoro Flycatchers, the migratory Pacific Golden Plovers, the agile Pacific Swallows, Spotted Doves and Reef Herons. I was particularly happy about finding and photographing the Silvereye and Polynesian Trillers, which I hadn’t seen here before during birding sessions.
A male Fiji Parrotfinch (Erythrura pealii) at Momi Bay feedings on grass seeds in a meadow at the Marriott Resort in Fiji.
A female Fiji Parrotfinch (Erythrura pealii) foraging on a meadow at the Marriott Resort in Momi Bay on Viti Levu in Fiji.
A male Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) at Momi Bay foraging.
A female Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava) at Momi Bay, Fiji.
A Fiji Woodswallow (Artamus mentalis) perches on a branch at Momi Bay, Fiji.
A rather shy Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva).
A Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) foraging on thr grasslands of the resort.
A male Vanikoro Flycatcher (Myiagra vanikorensis) looking at my camera.
A Western Wattled Honeyeater (Foulehaio procerior).
Two Vanikoro Flycatchers (Myiagra vanikorensis) in a garden at Momi Bay.
Two Pacific Swallows (Hirundo tahitica) flying over the lagoon of the Marriott Resort in Momi Bay.
The incredibly agile Pacific Swallows (Hirundo tahitica) are easy to find at the Marriott Resort in Momi Bay.
A Reef Heron (Egretta sacra) foraging in the shallow waters surrounding the lagoon at the Marriott Resort in Momi Bay.
Coffee table book coming soon!
Over the few last years, I have literally spent hundreds of working hours in Adobe Indesign working on my long-term project – a coffee table book on Fiji’s Shark Reef Marine Reserve. For this assignment, all the work I put into learning the program was very helpful, and I think the resulting coffee table book is absolutely stunning. I am looking forward to seeing it printed and in the rooms! Currently, the book is being reviewed and the last technicalities sorted out before we will have the latest book printed and finally a larger batch. There are quite a few more species in the book than I posted here, so make sure to check out the book yourself if you are reading this before a stay at the Marriott in Momi Bay. For those interested in bird life in Fiji, head over to my blog post showing photos of all the different species I have managed to photograph in FIji thus far!
A beautiful Silverye (Zosterops lateralis).
A Polyensian Triller (Lalage maculosa) in a tree near the resort grounds.
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