We spent the day birding along the road and around Lake
Tambing and found the birding a little slow today as we made numerous attempts
either side of lunch for Great Shortwing. Our first attempt gave some of the
group a decent view as it appeared behind some ferns and onto an area of mossy
forest floor. A Chestnut-backed Bush-warbler was almost constantly on view and
produced numerous close views which were quite misleading at times! Then a
group of Malias appeared and showed well, followed by a superb Ashy Woodpecker
as well. As some of the group kept on trying various site for the shortwing the
rest of us birded from the road and had a Black Eagle, David spotted a Small Sparrowhawk, and we also had Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove, Superb Fruit-dove and Rusty-breasted Cuckoo amongst
others. A nice roadside flock also held Sulawesi Leaf-warbler, Cerulean
Cuckooshrike and our first Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker.
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| Spotted Kestrel |
As we returned to the
lake area after lunch at the hotel, we had a Spotted Kestrel perched on a dead
tree giving really nice views. There was also Black-billed Koel, Snowy-browed
and Little Pied Flycatchers amongst others. But most of the afternoon session
was again spent on finding Great Shortwing and when a random bit of tape
playing got a response we were lucky to find a trail leading inside the forest.
After quite some time and a huge dose of patience we enjoyed repeated views of
an individual that circled us as if by magic but would cross the path in front
of us a few times allowing everyone to get onto it. As we waited for the light
to drop we enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and then spent ages trying to find at
least two calling Sulawesi Scops-owls that never came in quite far enough to be
seen in the dense roadside forest.
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