Timor

Great start to the day with Linchi Swiftlet, Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker and Sunda Woodpecker around the hotel gardens – a nice way to get the ball rolling. So here we are on the tropical paradise island of Bali (love saying that!) and not for us the palm-fringed beaches, oh no. It’s the local sewage ponds that hold more allure as we find Small Blue Kingfisher to be very common, with maybe a dozen or more individuals present. What a little beauty this bird is. 

Small Blue Kingfisher

We also have lots of egrets including Pacific Reef, Little Pied Cormorant, a flock of Sunda Teal, Zebra Dove, Pink-necked Green-pigeon, White-breasted Woodswallow, White-bellied Sea-eagle, flocks of Little Terns, Collared and Sacred Kingfishers, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Pied Fantail, Olive-backed Sunbird, White-shouldered Triller and Golden-bellied Gerygone. 

Sacred Kingfisher

A quick stop en-route to the airport gives us several Great Crested Terns out in the bay.

Little Pied Cormorant

 Our already delayed flight to Timor eventually leaves around 1.30pm and an hour and a half later we arrive at our destination– greeted by several Australian Pratincoles along the runway. A ridiculously lengthy baggage reclaim delays us even more until we finally board our lovely bright blue and red bus for the hour long drive to Bipolo forest. So it is already late in the day by the time we arrive but pretty quickly we start picking up our first endemics with Black-chested Myzomela, Fawn-breasted Whistler, Timor Blue Flycatcher, Pale-shouldered Cuckooshrike (Cicadabird), whilst a nice Northern Fantail was also appreciated. After a cup of coffee, conveniently supplied by our ground crew, we follow a trail away from the noisy main road and enter the forest in darkness. After a little while of playing the call, I eventually get a response from a Timor (or Streaked) Boobook which eventually gives very nice views – although once again I fail to et a decent owl photo. But a point of note, if you are an avid Clements list follower then this is just a Southern Boobook and not a lifer – but if you are IOC orientated then you are quids in. Not rocket science as to which authority you follow is it…..

Timor or Streaked Boobook

Anyway, we drive an hour back to Kupang and another fine hotel and evening meal, and now watching Mr Murray in the Wimbledon final. But just around 5 hours sleep before we get up…..