Sulawesi Birding Trip from 21st August
till 13 Sep 2004, including Lore Lindu, Dumoga Bone
and Gunung Ambang. (Heinrich's Nightjar and Geomalia)
The participants: 1. Ian Merrill, Martin
Kennewell, Max Jensen, and Mikael Bauer. (2. Han Remaut
and Veronique)
On the first day to Lore Lindu we stopped en route
for the Munias in flocks, Blue-backed Bee-eater, Yellow-bellied
White-eyed, and Olive-backed Sunbird, include Common
and Green Sandpipers, then continued to Wuasa. Check-in
and overnight in a lodge in Wuasa.
On the first morning we went to Anaso by 4wd car.
On the way to Anaso we saw a bird fly and land on
the ground just several meters in front of our car.
We stopped and watched the bird from the car for few
minutes with a pair of bins 10 X 42. The light of
the car was on and we saw the eyes of the bird, which
looked between red and orange in the spotlight from
our car. The body was dark, long tail, and pale rusty
on the neck. It was still dark but we identified it
as Heinrich's Nightjar. The elevation was about 1800
m.
Two days later Ian Merrill and Martin Kennewll arrived
from Manado. I picked them up at the airport then
joint with two others in Lore Lindu. The next early
morning we all again visited Rorekatimbu Mt. When
we just arrived on top of Anaso, we again saw a pair
of Heinrich's Nightjar flying around us and getting
inside the forest slopes of Mt. Rore Katimbu. We did
not investigate them but kept walking. When we were
walking, a Great Shortwing was calling continuously.
We came close to a bank and stood there then I played
the tape. The bird responded the tape. We got ready
with our own binoculars. I played the tape again he
was coming till several meters from us but it was
difficult to see clearly. I played the tape once more
and he was coming, but again difficult to see. He
was running very fast like a mouse, jumping from branch
to branch in low branches, from branch to ground,
ground to branch, and so forth then escaped. It was
very dark in the forest understorey. The bird looked
dark blue over the body. Look this sign on the last
paragraph. *But on another trip I have seen this bird
bright blue over the body in full sun shine, with
a red patch beside the eyes. It was appearing from
the vegetation and standing several seconds on the
track less than 3 meters in front of me then flew
away to the forest. At the time I was sitting and
watching Geomalia.*
For several more days we explored Lore Lindu, saw
many endemic birds, include six Mountain Serins fly,
Purple-bearden Bee-eater in the nest, Malia in flocks,
Yellow-flanked Whistler, Snowy-browed Flycatcher,
Pasific Black duck, Purple-winged Roller and many
others, and one morning when we were walking we were
surprised by a pair of Heinrich's Nightjar flying
from the ground (we nearly stepped on them) to several
meters in front of us. One flew to the vegetation
and the other one flew and landed on the track just
about ten meters from us. One of us took out his camera
and the other one took out his handycam. We took pictures
and videos. We did not feel satisfied taking pictures
at four meters: we softly got closer until less then
one meter. I can say that the video was never off
till we reached that close to the bird. To have good
pictures and videos, one of us played his hand above
the bird. The bird stood, opened its eyes and mouth
and its wings readying himself as if going to fly.
We have very good pictures and videos for this action
and also descriptions. It was barred on the belly,
barred under the greater covert wings, with black
legs, black eyes, long tail, and pale rusty on the
neck.
Several days later we visited Wuasa forest and enjoyed
many endemic birds in this forest. They were Mangrove
Blue Flycatcher, Blue-fronted Flycatcher, Greater
Hanging Parrot, Ashy and Pigmy Woodpeckers, and many
other endemic birds I could not mention one by one.
When we were enjoying watching Uniform Swiftlet, a
Sulawesi Hawk-cuckoo never stopped calling till 7.00
am. We investigated it to the place but it was difficult
to see. I played the tape several times he only responded
from the big tree. We couldn't see the bird so we
walked to other clearing area. When we were enjoying
Red-knobbed Hornbill suddenly about 10 Sulawesi Crested
Myna flew with calls chup chup, chup chup, chup chup
and landing in a big tree. We watched them with a
big telescope belonging to Martin Kennewell. We also
watched Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon in a flock. (
In the next trip two weeks later when I visited this
location with other birders we saw also all these
birds plus Barred Honey-buzzard landing, Purple-beares
Bee-eater, Small Sparrowhawk landing, and two Sulawesi
Trillers landing.) After lunch we came back again
to Anaso track to investigate Geomalia. We waited
for more than two hours but we failed it. The next
morning we tried again but unfortunately we failed
until we left to Palu. On the way to Palu we stoped
at Dongi Dongi and took videos for the White-necked
Myne and tens of Grossbeak Straling as well as Purple-winged
Roller and Red-backed Buttonquail not far from Palu.
After this birding trip ended we continued to Dumoga
Bone and Gunung Ambang in north Sulawesi, an excellent
place for Maleo, Lesser Hanging Parrot, Green-imperial
Pigeon, and Matinan Flycatcher. Many endemic birds
can be seen here include Isabelline Bush-hen, Sulawesi
Masked Owl, and Speckled Boobook. we took pictures
of the Maleo and Speckled Boobook, as well as Hundreds
of Grosbeak Starling at their nest. (Ian Merrill and
Martin Kennewell used a service from Safari Tours
and Travel.) LOOK AT DUMOGA BONE REPORT.
GEOMALIA
On the 8th till 13th September 2004 I had another
birding trip. The participants were Han Remaut and
his partner Veronique.
We visited Wuasa forest, Kalimpa'a lake , and Anaso.
In Wuasa forest we saw all the birds mentioned above
and also Rufous-throated Flycatcher, Purple-beared
Bee-eater, Sulawesi Cicadabird, Black Sunbird, Small
Sparrow-hawk landing, and Grey-headed Imperial Pigeon
in flocks. On the 11th Sept 2004 we visited Anaso
again. When we had just arrived in Anaso a pair of
Heinrich's Nightjar flew again. We came closer to
take any pictures but we lost them. When they flew
above of my body, I held up my hand and one nearly
landed on it, then flew away.
Several minutes later when we were taking pictures
of Indonesian Cuckoo, I saw a small bird fly, landing
and made calls in a small tree. I watched it and I
was surprised to see it looked like a Sulawesi Flycatcher.
The bird made very soft calls continuously, we recorded
and took pictures. The colour was grey from the throat
until to the vent, there was looking streak on the
breast and there is no snow/white on the brow. We
assumed that it should be a Sulawesi Flycatcher, but
after we investigated for several minutes and suddenly
a male Little Pied Flycatcher landing beside it and
made calls similar to the other one. So, we realized
that it was a female Little Pied Flycatcher. The bird
we saw was different to the pictures in the guide
book.
When we were walking down we were surprised by a
bird that was hoping on the track. We stopped and
watched from about 20 meters - I used a pair of bins
10 X 42. We were sitting on the ground and enjoying
the bird. The bird was hopping in a thrush-like manner,
hopping for three until five times then stopping,
looking to the left and right, then hopping again.
Sometimes it looked for something on the ground by
its bill then hopped again to the vegetation and came
back again to the track and so forth. The bird looked
maroon on the breast, long tail, dark eyes, dark shine
metallic on the back but if the bird got sun shine
the back was changing and looked bright and dark green.
It was difficult to describe. Han Remaut came closer
softly took pictures. We enjoyed this bird about one
hour thirty minutes. The bird was Geomalia. It was
about 9.30 am when we started watching it. (**When
I was sitting and enjoying this bird, a Great Shortwing
appeared from the vegetation to the track just less
than 3 meters from me. He was standing on the ground
for few seconds then flew away). Just several seconds
after the Great Shortwing flew a Snowy-browed Flycatcher
landed just a few steps away beside me.*
