Sulawesi and Halmahera - Birdtour Asia Reports/Birdtour Asia Sulawesi Oct 2015.pdf · Located just east of Wallace’s line the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera cover
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Transcript
Sulawesi and Halmahera 10th October – 30th October 2015
Leader: Mike Nelson
Participants: Dylan Edwards, Simon Fogg, Roger Holmberg,
Bo Jerkman, Lennart Lander, Wendy Newnham and Bob Tallyn
Located just east of Wallace’s line the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera cover some of Asia’s most exciting birding with a blend of Asian and Australasian birds and where endemics and regional specialties abound. Though both islands are relatively close to each other they have a widely different avifauna. We recorded 276 species, a few of which were heard only and though incredibly dry conditions and rampant burning made things very difficult we still managed good views of many of our target species. Sulawesi provided some great memories with prolonged views of Scaly Kingfisher, Diabolical Nightjar with a chick, a pair of Red-legged Crakes feeding out in the open along a muddy path, brightly lit Purple-bearded Bee-eater and perched Hylocitrea singing away.
Halmahera showed us some special birds with great views of Ivory-breasted Pitta, lekking Standardwing, a pair of Purple Dollarbirds in flight and several brightly coloured Chattering Lory to name a few.
Our first morning was spent in an area of limestone karst where our main target was the localized Black-ringed White-eye. After hearing several Sulawesi Babblers the song of our target reached us and soon we were looking at the white-eye right over our heads. A perched Sulawesi Crested Myna landed right above us as well. Some roadside birding gave us looks at Piping Crow, Yellow-billed Malkoha and Pygmy Hanging Parrot. Brown-throated, Black and Olive-backed Sunbird were all picked up on several orange blooms in the trees around us. This also attracted the endemic Yellow-sided and Grey-flanked Flowerpeckers. We also found the distinctive black-headed capucinus race of Green-backed Kingfisher, now split by Birdlife International as ‘Black-headed Kingfisher’ along the road perched up for us to get a good look at. A small group of noisy Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbills of the local sanfordi subspecies put on a good show flying around next to the road as well. From here we headed back to Makassar for our flight up to Palu where we met our cars and drove to Lore Lindu National park.
Hylocitrea and Purple-bearded Bee-eater, Lore Lindu
The first morning we spent along the road and were greeted by a fantastic Blue-fronted Flycatcher during breakfast singing quietly at eye-level. Several noisy flocks provided us with some flurries of birds and we picked up Sulawesi Leaf Warbler, Black-fronted, Mountain and Streak-headed White-eye along with Citrine Canary Flycatcher and Sulawesi Cicadabird. A Pygmy Cuckooshrike perched above us for some scope views of its bright red eye. A cackling Spot-tailed Goshawk showed well landing above us and making sallies back and forth through the forest. Rusty-breasted Cuckoo and Little Bronze Cuckoo also showed well with Brown Cuckoo-Dove and Red-eared Fruit Dove. At a small lake we picked up Sunda Teal and Pacific Black Duck as well as an Oriental Darter. Sulawesi Thrush and Sulawesi Drongo also put in appearances, the thrush quite close and showing really well as it foraged through the understory. Raptors showed well once the heat of the day began to create some thermals with Sulawesi Honeybuzzard, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle and Black Eagle all circling above us. Also a perched Oriental Hobby sat while we observed it from all angles.
Our second day was spent up the famous Anaso Track. Climbing up through the darkness we emerged into some open habitat at daybreak to the sounds of Golden-mantled Racquet-tails circling overhead with several Fiery-browed Mynas shooting past. A noisy group of Cerulean Cuckooshrike showed well above us in the canopy. Skulking Chestnut-backed Bush Warbler was eventually seen by everyone as it hopped in and out of the undergrowth. We also found a nice pair of roosting Diabolical Nightjars perched atop a rock.
Near the top of our climb, while taking a break, a trio of Hylocitrea showed up and we were quickly onto them with a female bird lingering on in the scope. Sitting for nearly twenty minutes we watched as it sat in full view and began to sing its whistled, single note song. Of particular note to Roger as it was his last family, we were all relieved to get such prolonged views of a major target.
On the way back down we stopped to check on the nightjars and they had moved from the rock to the shade of some ferns. We also found another bird farther down with a well camouflaged chick. We also stopped by a landslide to take in some Purple-bearded Bee-eaters showing particularly well in the afternoon sunlight.
Day three was spent in the valley where we found Sulawesi Swiftlet, circling Purple Needletail, Rufous-bellied and Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle, the latter perched and scoped. A group of Ivory-backed Woodswallow circled over a patch of forest and though a bit distant their white backs shone when they circled in the light. In the afternoon we found a Small Sparrowhawk near a nest for some nice looks before it circled round and settled in to brood.
We got in some early morning birding before we made our way back to Palu via an area of open secondary vegetation where we got great looks at Savanna Nightjar, Red-backed Buttonquail, Blue-tailed Bee-eater and White-shouldered Triller. We also stopped for a small group of Pale-headed Munias in a rice field.
Purple-winged Roller and Maleo
From here we flew to Makassar and onto Manado then drove west to Kotamobagu for four nights. The next morning we began at Tambun in the early morning light with Green-backed Kingfishers and Great Eared Nightjars singing in the predawn twilight. Once we’d had breakfast we headed down to the breeding grounds of the Maleo and waited but after a short while they were called back to the forest so we headed off and had a pair in the trees above us, flicking their tails and bobbing their heads they moved slowly through the canopy then flew noisily to another perch. While eyeing these in the scope a Green-backed Kingfisher flew up to a close perch and we got great looks at that, then the heavy knocking and rattle of a pair of Ashy Woodpeckers announced their presence right above us. A scoped Black-naped Fruit Dove added a splash of colour to the proceedings while a noisy Pale-blue Monarch chimed in above us.
A walk through the local forest also yielded White-necked Myna, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Sulawesi Triller and Yellow-billed Malkoha. Along the road outside the park we got to compare both White-breasted and Ivory-backed Woodswallow as several circled together over the forest edge and rice paddies adjoining. The afternoon was spent along the roadside and as is was quiet we checked another spot near a river where we had Red-legged Crake, Sulawesi Pitta, Knobbed Hornbill and Finch-billed Myna.
We returned to the roadside the next day but as it was very quiet we headed to another part of Duamoga Bone park and crossed a river into some forest. Here we got great looks at several Pied Cuckooshrike, Great-billed Parrot, Black-billed Koel, Common Emerald Dove, Oberholser’s Fruit Dove and Hair-crested Drongo. In an open area through the forest we found many Yellow-breasted Racquet-tails feeding on bananas, Black Kite, Knobbed Hornbills and a nice pair of Purple-winged Roller.
In the afternoon we returned via a marshy area where from an overlook we were able to look down on the main part of the marsh but with the drought much of it had dried out. We still managed looks at White-browed Crake, Yellow Bittern, Common and Dusky Moorhen, Sacred Kingfisher and Common Kingfisher. In the grasses along the edge we managed to spook up three Blue-breasted Quail which flew past some of us at eye-level for some nice flight views.
A return to Dumoga Bone and the forest for another shot at Lilac Kingfisher was successful and we all managed some great views. We also found a Speckled Boobook on day roost which we all managed to manoeuvre around and get great looks at. We spent the afternoon on a muddy trail where we again found a Red-bellied Pitta (or Sulawesi Pitta depending on your taxonomy!) as well as Elegant Pitta but there was a noticeable decline in activity so we waited till dusk when we heard several Sulawesi Scops Owls calling. We managed to track one down to a close bush for some superb views at eye-level. An early departure the next morning saw us setting off up Gunung Ambang where once at the right altitude we managed some nice views of Matinan Flycatcher along with Sulawesi Leaf Warbler, Black-crowned White-eye and a nice Red-bellied Pitta that bobbed along the path in front of us on the way down. Along the way we stopped at some rice paddies and enjoyed great looks at several Greater Painted Snipe in flight and a silent hepatic morph Oriental/Himalayan Cuckoo put on a good show.
Red-bellied Pitta and Matinan Flycatcher
A short trip to Gunung Mahawu the next morning gave us nice looks at a Red-backed Thrush first thing along with a couple of Isabelline Bush-hens. White-bellied Imperial Pigeons, Brown Cuckoo-Dove and Superb Fruit Dove were seen along with Barred Rail walking the road. From here we made our way to the airport in Manado for our flight to Ternate. Our flight though had to turn back because of the smoke from forest fires far away in Kalimantan so we waited in Manado till the afternoon and eventually got to Ternate but as it was dark we couldn’t cross so we stayed in Ternate overnight. The next morning we went to Danau Tolire, a caldera lake on the island and did some birding around there which turned out to be quite productive with Halmahera Swiftlet, Little Grebe, Torresian Crow, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Shining Flycatcher, Arctic Warbler and Blue-capped Fruit Dove. We then took the boat across to Halmahera and drove to the eastern peninsula. In the afternoon we birded a forest patch along the road where we picked up our first Moustached Treeswifts. Spectacled and Cinnamon-bellied Imperial Pigeon showed well along with a Scarlet-breasted and Grey-headed Fruit Dove. Violet-necked Lory and Red-flanked Lorikeets flew around us on a regular basis while the single note call of Paradise-Crow gave away their location. At one point a female Wallace’s Standardwing popped up for us all to see. A noisy group of five Goliath Coucal frolicked around in the trees next to the road and once it got dark we managed some nice views of Halmahera Boobook. The next morning we returned to the highlands but to a different area. At dawn a pair of Cream-throated White-eye showed high in a tree above us along with a pair of Halmahera and Moluccan Cuckooshrikes. Halmahera Oriole called close by and was tracked down as was a Halmahera Leaf Warbler. The long, mechanical call of a Moluccan Monarch let us know a pair was close by which we soon found. White-streaked Friarbird, Slaty Monarch and Blyth’s Hornbill all showed well before we returned for lunch. After lunch we headed south across the island to our next destination. The long drive was broken up by some ocean side birding where we picked up a nice pair of Beach Kingfishers sitting in some mangroves.
We then spent the next three days at the lovely Weda Resort, with some of the best food of the trip, exploring the forest and secondary habitat that surrounds this wonderful beachside resort. Our first day beginning at the lek of the Wallace’s Standardwing where we watched as several males strutted their stuff for the ladies. From here we birded along the road with nice looks at several noisy Long-billed Crows. A nearby creek provided us with Azure Kingfisher after a bit of clambering around along the creek bed. A nice Sombre Kingfisher showed well on the wires farther down the road while a singing Drab Whistler failed to show but the consolation of its much brighter cousin in the form of a Black-chinned (Golden) Whistler was ample replacement. The afternoon in a more open area provided great looks at White Cockatoo, Blyth’s Hornbill and Rufous-bellied Triller while forest edge here gave us good looks at Common Paradise Kingfisher and as it got dusk we tracked down a wonderful Ivory-breasted Pitta that perched up over the trail in front of us for a few minutes before continuing through the forest. The next day we tracked down some of the less colourful but no less desired endemics first with Dusky Megapode then Drab Whistler which showed well shaking its whole body in song. Here a Halmahera Flowerpecker flashed his bright red chest and the black and white palate of White-naped Monarch showed well. In a grassy area we tracked down Gray’s Grasshopper Warbler but the cacophony of noise from a pair of Rufous-tailed Bush Hen was all we got out of them. From here we did some night birding for Moluccan Owlet-Nightjar and Moluccan Scops Owl both of which showed well, firstly a pair of noisy Owlet-Nightjars and while watching these the growl of a scops owl quickly sent the Owlet-Nightjars scurrying into the forest shrieking all the way. We soon found the scops owl which was the same one we’d found last trip with a bad eye. Our third day was some clean up with Spotted Whistling Duck our only new addition.
Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher and Sulawesi Nightjar, Tangkoko
Before we knew it our time here was over and we headed back to Ternate with a quick stop for a pair of Purple Dollarbirds which were thankfully there and showed well sallying out to hawk for insects. The morning light showing their purple colour really well. From here we continued to our ferry over to Ternate and our flight to Sulawesi, this time without a hitch. From Manado we drove to Tangkoko. That afternoon was spent at an overlook where we scoped Silvery-tipped and Grey-headed Imperial Pigeons. Our targets done here we drove to some palm groves where we picked up a noisy, screaming family of Sulawesi Masked Owls before dinner and a drive back to the lodge. The next morning we headed into the park to find several of our targets. First up were several Tabon Scrubfowls rooting around in the understory. Our next find came in the form of two roosting Ochre-bellied Boobooks that showed really well through the scope. Though the park was very quiet, there were still a few noisy birds around with Spot-tailed Goshawk, Sulawesi Babbler, Green-backed and Lilac Kingfisher, Hair-crested Drongo and a large group of Sulawesi Crested Macaques. Joining the mammal list were Spectral Tarsier and Bear Cuscus. Our best find here was a day roosting Sulawesi Nightjar that allowed us some superb views of its cryptic plumage amidst the leaf litter. Checking along a small creek we found a Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher that perched up nicely for us. Having got our targets at Tangkoko we decided to head back up into the highlands the next morning where we were targeting only one bird, Scaly Kingfisher. After some prolonged searching we located one and over the course
of about thirty minutes we all obtained scope views and managed some great photos and really took in this lovely kingfisher. A really nice end to the tour. Bird-of-the-tour:
For information regarding our tours to Sulawesi and Halmahera or elsewhere in Indonesia please click here. Alternatively please contact us via e-mail or phone +44 1332 516254 regarding organising a custom tour . More photos from the tour
Black-headed Kingfisher and Green-backed Kingfisher
Savanna Nightjar and Blue-fronted Flycatcher
Bottom: Speckled Boobook and Sulawesi Scops Owl
Oriental/Himalayan Cuckoo and Lilac Kingfisher
Cinnamon-bellied Imperial Pigeon and Sulawesi Myzomela
Golden Whistler and Azure Kingfisher
Slaty Monarch and Blyth’s Hornbill
Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker and Moluccan Cuckooshrike
For information regarding our tours to Sulawesi and Halmahera or elsewhere in Indonesia please click here. Alternatively please contact us via e-mail or phone +44 1332 516254 regarding organising a custom tour .