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Transcript
The Lesser Sundas Sumba, Rote, Timor, Flores & Komodo
11th – 29th September 2016
Leader: Mike Nelson
Participants: Dara Croxson, Simon Fogg, Bill Grossi,
Brian Hunter, Dale Manor, Mike Rodegerdts, Graham Tebb
Though the numbers are never high on this tour the ratio of endemics is perhaps the highest in Asia, and with an abundant number of upcoming splits across the islands there will soon be even more! Of these we encountered 80, a tidy number considering our overall total of 246 species, giving credence to the importance of birding this area. We began with a clean-up on Sumba picking up two endemic boobooks and a buttonquail plus a bevy of doves including fantastic, long looks at Red-naped Fruit Dove. From here we moved to Rote for some splits and undescribed species including Rote Leaf Warbler, Myzomela, Boobook and Fantail and continued the fantastic doves theme - Timor Black Pigeon, Black-backed Fruit Dove and Rose-crowned Fruit Dove. Several days on Timor gave us many more endemics with a particularly “Timor theme” including Timor Sparrow, Timor Stubail, Timor Boobook, Timor Nightjar, Timor Bushchat, Timor Thicketbird and Black-banded Flycatcher (well they can’t all be named Timor…). Though wet and cloudy on the few days we had up in the mountains we still managed most of our targets with some great views of Jonquil Parrot and flybys of Iris Lorikeet plus more wonderful pigeons! Flores was a challenge with heavy rain and fog on most days but despite this we had some wonderful sunny patches
where we did manage many of our targets. with the wonderful chorus of Bare-throated Whistlers a particular highlight. A final morning on Komodo gave us very different weather with hot sunny conditions, plus great looks at all our targets there including the famous Komodo Dragon.
We began the tour with a flight to Sumba from sunny Bali and on arrival tracked down our first endemic in the grasses surrounding Waingapu in the form of a stealthy Sumba Buttonquail. Several were found during some running around in the heat before we made our way up into one of the small remaining forest patches to bird for the afternoon with Spotted Harrier greeting us on arrival. A very distant but scoped Red-naped Fruit Dove gave good views while a group of four Wallacean Cuckooshrikes bounded around in the canopy. The local race of Tenggara Swiftlet remains undescribed, and were on constant show above the forest. Noisy Helmeted Friarbirds called and were seen moving through the forest around us. The new Supertramp Fantail and Tenggara Whistler were also located, only recently split from Arafura Fantail and Golden Whistler respectively. At dusk we tracked down a singing Chestnut-backed Thrush before darkness took over and we began to hear Little Sumba Boobook. This little guy stuck to the canopy but we eventually found a nice window to see it through. His larger cousin in Greater Sumba Boobook also took some tracking down but we all managed some looks bar one of us before it flew off, (don’t panic, we caught up with it again later to get everyone on it that time).
Greater Sumba Boobook and Little Sumba Boobook
Two days here were spent along the roadside through some lovely forest. Most of our targets were accessible on several occasions and we enjoyed good looks at Elegant Pitta, Sumba Green Pigeon, Brown Goshawk, Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher, Red-cheeked and Eclectus Parrot, Sumba Flowerpecker, Tenggara Paradise Flycatcher (split from Asian and restricted to the Lesser Sundas), Pale-shouldered Cicadabird, Sumba Myzomela, Wallacean Monarch (split from Spectacled), Apricot-breasted Sunbird, Ashy-bellied White-eye and Wallace’s Heleia to name a few. We also managed to track down all three of the Sumba brown-plumaged flycatchers with Sumba Brown, Sumba Jungle and Sumba Flycatchers all seen in a short period of time. Further better views of Chestnut-backed Thrush were also obtained. A lovely pair of Marigold Lorikeets landed close by at one stage showing incredibly well – this being an increasingly difficult species to locate as it spirals towards local extinction, soon joined by three Sumba Green Pigeons right behind us.
On our first morning after we’d done well along the road we paused at an overlook and tried for Red-naped Fruit Dove to get some better looks when we heard one singing close by. Just as it was found a Brown Goshawk whipped through the canopy quickly shutting it up and we thought we’d missed out chance. Trying again we were suddenly greeted with some amazing views as one flew in and landed in a very open tree and proceeded to begin calling, flashing its brilliant fuchsia/red nape as it bowed to hoot its deep call. So engrossed with this display we all failed to realize that sitting below it was a Sumba Hornbill quietly digesting many of the fruits in the same tree. It wasn’t discovered till one of us crouched low to get a picture of the fruit dove and found it for prolonged views.
Another night birding session gave us great looks at flying and perched Mees’s Nightjar and further looks at Greater Sumba Boobook plus the endemic sumbae subspecies of Barn Owl.
On our second morning we went to a different overlook where smoky air rose from the valley below us and as the sun rose we began to pick of birds with Green Imperial Pigeon perching prominently, more Red-naped Fruit Doves, Red-cheeked Parrot, Indonesian Honeyeater, Sunda Zebra Finch and Sumba Spangled Drongos adding to the chorus. We also found a very responsive and colorful Broad-billed Monarch that showed incredibly well singing and flashing its flat crest. Our main target here though was still not showing when from the neighboring hillside came the call of “cockatoo”. We quickly made our way over to find the endemic Orange-crested Cockatoo perched
down the valley from us. We all enjoyed some scope views for a while before it flew out across the valley below us joined by another. Its quirky flight took it in jerky motions across our line of sight till the pair landed to our left. They soon got bored of that and flew up the valley towards us making a racket as they came closer. They perched out well again high in a tree for all to see. Thinking we’d done really well they again took flight directly to the line of trees in front of us and in a burst of noise and flash of white they flew right over us for some amazing views. On the way back we flushed several Brown Quail and a nice pair of Blue-breasted Quail.
Orange-crested Cockatoo and Broad-billed Monarch
Later, we birded an area of tall pines and roadside trees where we found the as-yet-undescribed Eucalypt Cuckoo-Dove with its distinct call, found only here to Alor on current knowledge. This was joined as well by many colorful Black-naped Oriole, Marigold Lorikeet and vocal Sumba Myzomelas. Further roadside birding got us views of Pale-shouldered Cicadabird, Sumba Green Pigeon and Supertramp Fantail. Our final morning was spent near coastal wetlands where we picked up very close Spotted Harrier cruising above us, Wandering Whistling Duck, White-browed Crake, Purple Swamphen; Pacific Golden, Javan, Lesser Sand and Little Ringed Plovers, Cinnamon and Yellow Bitterns, Leuser’s Triller, Tree Martin, Australian Reed Warbler and Tenggara Flowerpecker (a split from the Thick-billed Flowerpecker complex). We also spooked up a Savanna Nightjar which showed really well. On the walk out we flushed up another one this time with two brown winged chicks that flew poorly across the open plane in front of us heading towards the brush. From Sumba we made our way to Rote, via two flights, and its four endemics, two splits, two undescribed – this was our ninth Lesser Sunda tour to include this island, while other companies continue to play catch-up! Our first afternoon was spent in a new track of forest we wanted to explore where we had one main target, the newly described Rote Boobook. Having been seen by relatively few western birders this is a real highlight of the island. As darkness approached we got into positon where we thought we’d have our best chance and at first dark there was nothing. Not a single peep. Frustrated we moved up the road a little bit only to have one call from where we’d just left from. Quickly retracing our steps we found a good tree for the bird and watched as it glided right past us into a thicker tree where it was partially obscured but still visible, typical. Moving farther down the road the bird again flew over us and into some very thick foliage but continued to call. We moved once more this time to our original spot with a lovely open tree and before long there it sat, wings drooped croaking at us in the torch beam. Though it led us on a merry dance we got crippling views of the bird, described as recently as 1997, it has long been considered part of the ‘Southern Boobook’ complex. A full day here on Rote gave us fantastic views of the other three endemics with Rote Fantail showing up very quickly and particularly open and noisy. A bit farther down the road the crimson-headed Rote Myzomela (still undescribed but vocally distinct from its Sumba relative) beamed in the morning light as it sang from close by. Another stunner was the beautifully patterned Orange-sided Thrush that we all got some wonderful views of. Though not richly colored the Fawn-breasted Whistler lived up to its name in plumage and voice. Delving deeper into a forest patch we scooped up the vocally distinct Rote Leaf Warbler with its honking bicolored bill and sweet voice bounding around above us. Through a small window we picked out a Pink-headed Imperial Pigeon before returning to the road. A stop by a small lake gave us good looks at Australian Pelican, Royal Spoonbill, Timor Warbling-flycatcher, Red-chested Flowerpecker, Jonquil Parrot (not seen by all, yet), Timor Spangled Drongo – a difficult bird in west Timor - and several shorebirds like Curlew Sandpiper, Pied Stilt, Common Greenshank and Red-capped Plover. For those hardcore seawatchers some time along the beach during the lunch break netted Bridled, Gull-billed and Great Crested Terns, a distant Brown Booby, Wilson’s Storm Petrels, Bar-tailed Godwit and an afar Pomarine Skua
were picked out over the open ocean as well as Pacific Reef Heron, Pacific Golden Plovers and Eurasian Whimbrels. Several circling Lesser Frigatebirds added to the seabird tally. The afternoon session was very productive in a new forest patch where we tracked down a lovely charcoal grey Black Cuckoo Dove, Timor Stubtail, Timor Figbird, Timor Gerygone and a pair of Black-backed Fruit Doves whose bright, white, Ivory Gull-like heads shone in the green canopy.
Black Cuckoo Dove and Rote Leaf Warbler
After our success on Rote we continued on to Timor where we began the afternoon in the open areas of some agricultural fields and almost immediately we were on to our main target as several Timor Sparrows were feeding in some freshly laid hey. Scanning through the Barred Doves were also several Brown Quail, Paddyfield Pipits and a Sacred Kingfisher watched the proceedings and scattered through the egrets were a couple of White-faced Herons. In the edge habitat where there is a small grove of trees we flushed up a Red-backed Buttonquail that decided to use the gnarled roots of a tree to hide in which didn’t really camouflage it very well, to our benefit and we were able to get some fantastic, unobstructed views. We also had plenty of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Olive-headed Lorikeets and a nice Black-faced Woodswallow perched out for us. In some of the flooded saltpans we tracked down a nice Buff-banded Rail that decided to take flight, oddly, and flew right past us for some nice flight views. Our first full day on Timor headed up into the foothills with a stop along the way in a good forest patch where we picked up Timor Warbling-flycatcher, Timor Fantail, Timor Meliphaga, Timor Heleia, Timor Friarbird, Timor Myzomela and Yellow-eared Honeyeater. A couple of targets here showed well with Black-banded Flycatcher – perhaps Timor’s most striking endemic gem - showing fairly quickly and very well with a pair darting around in the open canopy above us but not quite as showy was a noisy pair of Timor Thicketbirds that eventually showed for everyone but usually only briefly in between bouts of song given from some thick cover. The afternoon session was spent in the foothills where we found an airborne Short-toed Snake Eagle but it was the night time we were really here for and once dark the distant calls of Timor Boobook began to echo around us but it was the “tock…tock…tock” calls of Timor Nightjar we were eagerly seeking out when one flew past us we got it in the torchlight as it circled around the clearing we were standing in. Languidly circling round on bouncing wings it made several passes before we turned our attention to the now very close and vocal Timor Boobooks, one of which flew through the clearing and landed in a huge open tree behind us. Several screaming Barn Owls were just too far away to lure in so we decided to pack it up and head home for the evening after such a brilliant days birding. We spent the next two days on Mount Mutis dodging the rain and clouds but between the showers we managed to get quite a haul - Timor Cuckoo-Dove, Metallic Pigeon, Black Cuckoo-Dove, a brief Timor Imperial Pigeon sadly only seen by one of us, fine views of Jonquil Parrot, Timor Leaf Warbler, Sunda Bush Warbler, Sunda Cuckoo, the vocally distinct race of Pygmy Cupwing, Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher, Yellow-eared Honeyeater, Timor Warbling-flycatcher yet again, Timor Oriole, Tenggara Whistler, Island and Chestnut-backed Thrushes and Timor Flowerpecker, a split from the Blood-breasted complex. At breakfast a raucous group of brightly coloured Iris Lorikeets flew past and though one was scoped briefly later on it was silhouetted so it was nice to see the greens and multi-coloured heads set off against all the gum trees as we tucked into some wonderful pancakes. The much sought after Mount Mutis Parrotfinch, an undescribed species known only from this mountain that we discovered on our 2012 tour were hard to come by and we only found one pair that gave us the runaround with unsatisfactory views had by a few and the last mornings attempt only netted us some Tricolored Parrotfinches – which is also a good bird in itself!
A brief afternoon sojourn around the rice fields again gave us some fantastic views of Five-coloured Munia which we’d missed last time. This time they showed up in droves with a nice flock sitting out for us to all enjoy. Eastern Yellow Wagtails and Black-tailed Godwits, freshly arrived, were also found out on the very dry paddies. Leaving Timor and Gunung Mutis we were hoping to leave the rain there and as we flew over Flores the lush mountain forests looked very inviting but the unseasonal rain here would hamper our efforts over the coming days in the foothills and mountains. It began swimmingly with the tough Flores Shortwing seen well with a nice pair showing well in some thick undergrowth. Loads of Scaly-crowned Honeyeaters were seen here along with Mountain White-eye but it remained quiet for the remainder of the morning. The afternoon and following morning were spent in a coastal forest patch where we managed great views of Flores Spangled Drongo, Thick-billed Heleia, Elegant Pitta, several views of White-rumped Kingfisher, a nice perched Peregrine Falcon, Sunda White-eye, Flame-breasted Sunbird and a flypast Flores Green Pigeon sadly only seen by one of us. Several vocal Flores Crows eventually showed well with their characteristic duck like quacks and funny honks they made quite an amusing chorus in the forest. Sadly, the patiently waited for Flores Hawk-Eagle didn’t show and the few remaining Chestnut-capped Thrushes only called a few times and never showed. A pair of Bonelli’s Eagles circled distantly in the late morning heat just before we left. We returned to the foothills spending a couple of days along the roadside birding through some lovely patches of forest and things began well with a particularly showy Russet-capped Tesia singing away followed by a nice mixed flock containing Trumpeting Fantail, Pale-shouldered Cicadabird, Flores Minivet, Sunda White-eye, Cinereous Tit, Golden-bellied Gerygone, Rufous-chested Flycatcher and Flores Spangled Drongo. The local lake held several Pacific Black Ducks and Little Grebes but the gathering clouds looked ominous so we made our way back to our vehicles just as the heavens opened up. Thankfully it passed after a while just before dusk so we made our way into position for our next target, Flores Scops Owl. This notoriously difficult owl was only recently rediscovered after a long absence and its rail like vocalizations only discovered by us in 2004. As a few fishermen made their way up the ever growing gloomy trail we waited in the growing darkness till a distant call came back to us from a pair of owls deeper in the forest. As we waited they came closer and moved above us offering partial glimpses from time to time through the canopy but we weren’t all able to get onto the birds before they moved off deeper into the forest.
Thick-billed Heleia and Crested Heleia
Not fully satisfied with the views we’d had we rose early the next morning to try again and though we heard Flores Scops Owls close by they refused to show. We then spent the remainder of the morning walking the road that cut through the forest. The dawn chorus rose with the light and we began to pick up some of the many targets we were looking for with Eyebrowed Heleia, Flores Leaf Warbler, Flores Warbling-flycatcher, Black-fronted Flowerpecker and further views of Black-backed Fruit Dove. The most vocal and unashamed songster in the bunch though is the Bare-throated Whistler and we had very close views of this fantastic forest chorister belting out a brilliant mix of its own song and some uncanny imitations with a particular favorite being Sunda Brush Cuckoo. As the heat of the day began to rise we were close to the bottom of the road when a raptor showed behind us in flight and we quickly turned to view a Flores Hawk-Eagle pass between two thickly forested slopes. A welcome relief as we’d missed this huge, Critically Endangered species the day before. The next morning we tried for the Flores Scops Owl again but the heavy rains the previous afternoon and evening kept most things quiet. We then headed back along the road greeted this time by some lovely views of White-rumped Kingfisher perched conveniently next to the road. We also picked up Sunda Woodpecker, Crested Heleia and Yellow-breasted Warbler along with many of the birds we’d seen the day before. Again with the heat of the day rising we cast an eye skywards and again picked up another Flores Hawk-Eagle this time flying across the
valley in front of us and doing some circles over the distant ridge for some distant bins views but very nice scope views. As we watched it circle it suddenly tucked its wings and stooped into the forest below at a rate of knots never to be seen again. Unfortunately, the whole of the afternoon was a complete wash-out – so much for the dry season! The next morning, we moved to a lowland forest site to find some new birds and began with some very vocal but not showy Chestnut-capped Thrushes. Deciding to try and find some more cooperative birds we continued on bumping into our main target here, Flores Monarch which bounced around in the understory close by popping up now and again for us to see. We tried another patch of forest where we found another monarch purely by accident while chasing around a Chestnut-capped Thrush and after some persistent work the thrush showed particularly well for everyone. A pair of Crested Heleia also displayed well for us next to the road and a richly rufous Parzudaki’s Cuckoo-Dove did a nice fly past. That afternoon we spent some time tracking down a Wallace’s Hanging Parrot that flew in and circled around, flashing his red rump almost landing on two occasions before reverting to type and disappearing into the thickly leaved canopy close by. Flores Spangled Drongo, Wallacean Cuckooshrike, Blue-tailed Bee-eaters, Ornate Sunbird (part of the three-way split of Olive-backed), Golden-rumped and Black-fronted Flowerpeckers kept us entertained during the waiting game and the calls and brief flight of the Hanging Parrot into a new spot kept us on our toes and we managed to get onto the bird only briefly before it dropped out of sight again. As it was getting close to dusk we moved to a lower spot where we found a nice Moluccan Scops Owl after it got dark. The next morning a speedboat took us across to Komodo Island where we were greeted by Sunda Jungle Crows, Green Imperial Pigeons and, most importantly, several Yellow-crested Cockatoos – here at its final stronghold in Indonesia (though they are noticeably declining even here unfortunately). Once we’d had the briefing we began to make our way into the forest picking up Barred Dove and Spotted Dove in the open areas and just as we cleared the buildings we were greeted with a riot of colors with a lovely male Green Junglefowl presenting itself broadside in front of us. Having bin filling views of this eyecandy we headed along one of the forest trails picking up Wallace’s Heleia and Yellow-bellied White-eye, several more Yellow-crested Cockatoo, a nice perched Varied Goshawk, Green Imperial Pigeons, Flores Spangled Drongo, Wallacean Cuckooshrike and a nice pair of Orange-footed Scrubfowl. We found another lovely male Green Junglefowl on the way back but the real star of the show was a huge Komodo Dragon that greeted us along the main trail out sunning itself in the early morning light. Rusa Deer, the dragon’s main prey, were plentiful. The boat ride there and back also gave us some good water birds with White-tailed Sea Eagle, Pacific Reed Heron, Great-billed Heron, Black-naped Tern, Red-necked Phalarope and a Bulwer’s Petrel. The next morning was spent on shorebirds and seawatching which netted us a nice Terek Sandpiper along with Javan Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Little Pied Cormorant, Great Crested, Lesser Crested, Gull-billed, Whiskered and Roseate Tern, Whimbrel, a colorful Stork-billed Kingfisher and we even flushed a Savanna Nightjar off the nest, so well camouflaged was it that after we returned a while later it was still very difficult to find even though we knew where it was. Though we’d had some struggles with rain in several places we’d managed to get many of our targets and finishing off with some nice sunny weather was a welcome sight. We amassed 246 species with only a few heard only. Our last treat was at lunch when while tucking into some tasty grub a Barn Owl flew past hotly pursued by several Sunda Jungle Crows. It landed nearby and continued to get harried by the crows but we got some great views before it fled the scene only to cross our paths again a few minutes later still being chased by the crows. Bird-of-the-tour:
1. Red-naped Fruit Dove 2. Orange-banded Thrush 3. Green Junglefowl 4. Chestnut-capped Thrush 5. Chestnut-backed Thrush
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Barn Owl on Sumba and Flores
Marigold Lorikeet and Spotted Harrier
Sumba Myzomela and Rote Myzomela
Rote Fantail and Rote Boobook
Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher and Red-backed Buttonquail
For information regarding our tours to Indonesia please click here. Alternatively please contact us via e-mail or phone +44 1332 516254 regarding organising a custom tour to Indonesia.