Heidi's Fascinations

A group of scientists from Conservation International and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences made a bunch of fascinating new discoveries in an extremely remote and pristine forest in Papua New Guinea.

...even two local indigenous groups, the Kwerba and Papasena people, customary landowners of the forest who accompanied the scientists, were astonished at the area's isolation. BBC

A summary of the team's main discoveries (mostly from BBC article):

1. Two long-beaked echidnas, primitive egg-laying mammals, even allowed scientists to pick them up and bring them back to their camp to be studied.
I'm not sure I would know how to pick this guy up!

2. A new species of honeyeater, the first new bird species discovered on the island of New Guinea since 1939
Nice color!

3. The formerly unknown breeding grounds of a "lost" bird of paradise - the six-wired bird of paradise (Parotia berlepschi)and the male bird performed a courtship dance for a female, shaking the long feathers on his head, flicking his wings and white flank plumes, and whistling his sweet two-note song for the female-plumaged bird
Sexy beast

4. First photographs of the golden-fronted bowerbird displaying at its bower.
That's some nest you've got there

5. A new large mammal for Indonesia, the golden-mantled tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus pulcherrimus) thought to have been hunted to near extinction
The look on this man's face is utter joy. Makes me smile just looking at this photo.

Close-up

6. More than 20 new species of frogs, including a tiny frog just over 1/2 inch long
I'm not sure this is the teeny tiny frog, but it's cute nonetheless.

7. A series of previously undescribed plant species, including five new species of palms
New palm

Pretty new rhodie

8. A remarkable white-flowered rhododendron with flower about 15cm across
Giant new rhodie

9. Four new butterfly species.
sorry no pics

Articles:
Vancouver Sun
BBC
Conservation International