Tangkoko - 18th September

After a leisurely and rather late breakfast we drove to Tangkoko and stopped at the viewpoint where we spent most of the morning. The view from here is quite splendid and enabled us to scan the canopy along the valley and we quickly picked up a couple of Ornate Lorikeets, followed by both Large and Small Sulawesi Hanging-parrots. A Black-naped Fruit-dove was picked up and we also found a White-necked Myna. All the time we were surrounded by the pale-rumped Sulawesi and more common Glossy Swiftlets. A steady passage of Chinese Goshawks was taking place and we had eye-level views of them flying through the valley, along with a Sulawesi Goshawk and Sulawesi Honey-buzzard, and eventually a Sulawesi Hawk-eagle was found. Leaving here we drove just down the road to our lodge where we spent a leisurely lunchtime before heading into the forest.

Red-backed Thrush

 What an afternoon session it turned out to be with at least 8 Green-backed Kingfishers seen, and as we walked up the track into the dry forest we found a wonderful Red-backed Thrush feeding in the leaf litter. 

Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher

Lower down a couple of Lilac-cheeked Kingfishers showed very well and we spent some time observing them. But after all of our hard work with owls over the previous nights it was a stunningly huge relief to finally see a pair of Sulawesi Scops-owls at their day roost, and an Ochre-bellied Boobook was also seen at its roost. 

Sulawesi Scops-owls

We ended the day hearing Sulawesi Nightjar before returning to our lodge.

Dumoga Bone

We went back into the wonderful forest of Dumoga Bone this morning with the intention of catching up with Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill which has been a rather tricky species to find this year. After last night’s brief silhouetted flight views it was a real pleasure to get a pair perched up in the scope this morning. We also eventually found a Maroon-chinned Fruit-dove in a large fruiting tree, in company with numerous Grey-cheeked Green-pigeons and Green Imperial-pigeons. There was also Sulawesi Serpent-eagle, the endemic Bay Coucal, Yellow-billed Malkoha, and some superfast Purple Needletails zooming down to the river to drink. On return to the lodge a Spotted Harrier was seen flying overhead.

Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill

After lunch we drove towards Minado and took a side road where we parked up in a small village and waited til dusk when a Minahassa Masked Owl flew over calling.

Tambun - Dumoga Bone 16th September

After yesterday's excitement with Scaly Kingfisher and Matinan Flycatcher being seen at Gunang Ambang we had an exciting day in front of us as we headed to the famous Maleo site at Tambun, arriving as the sun’s rays began to light the hillside above us and enjoyed several Great Eared Nightjars hawking for insects above us. After last year’s protracted 2 day search I wasn’t sure what to expect, but having walked maybe 30 yards into the reserve and seeing a pair of Maleos in the tree above us certainly wasn’t high on the list of possibilities! 

Maleo

Maleo

Totally unbelievable and then to be able to watch one for the next 20 minutes really took the biscuit. That left us a couple of hours of nice, general birding when we could enjoy our first White-necked Myna and Green-backed Kingfisher to the full. Other birds here were all common things such as Grosbeak Myna, Hair-crested Drongo, Slender-billed Cuckoo-dove, although the local race of Imperial Green-pigeon was rather nice and a flyby Stephan’s Dove was also new.......

Green-backed Kingfisher

We left here and drove to Dumoga Bone passing rice fields full of egrets and stopping to look at Barred Rail, Black Eagle,  Little Pied Cormorant, Oriental Hobby, Large Sulawesi Hanging-parrot, Purple Needletail, Slender-billed Crow etc

Little Pied Cormorant

Upon arrival at Dumoga Bone National Park we crossed the river on a bamboo raft and followed the trails for a couple of hours, and despite the heat managed to pull out Pied Cuckooshrike and Sulawesi Triller from a flock of Grosbeak Mynas, Black-naped Oriole and other common birds. A Bay Coucal proved too fleeting a glimpse to make it onto our lists though and we also saw a Crimson Sunbird in the same bush as a family of Yellow-sided Flowerpeckers.

Pied Cuckooshrike

Speckled Boobook

 After an excellent lunch and siesta we paid our respects to the roosting Speckled Bobook in the nearby abandoned house, scoped a cracking pair of Knobbed Hornbills from the car park and returned across the river. Unfortunately the heavens opened and we got soaked again, but did see a pair of Sunda Teal on the river, Silver-tipped Imperial-pigeon, Blue-backed Parrot and a brief Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbill. The rain eased at dusk and as we made our way back to the river a Sulawesi Masked Owl began calling and we had a couple of flybys from this little beauty and heard several Sulawesi Scops-owls which didn’t cooperate with us at all. In fact this latter species was becoming something of an ongoing saga and we were thinking that we would dip on it this year.........

Karaenta Forest to Kota Mobagu

A short drive saw us reach Karaenta Forest at first light and it wasn’t long before the object of this twitch to the south of Sulawesi was found - a bit crazy really to come all this way but it was worthwhile (i think) to get the extremely localised endemic Black-ringed White-eye.

Black-ringed White-eye

Black-ringed White-eye

It was really nice to get the target bird so quickly and have prolonged and close views which was much appreciated by everyone. Leaving here we called into the Makassar Fish Ponds where we spent an enjoyable couple of hours scanning the area for waders. Pride of place went to a Broad-billed Sandpiper and Grey-tailed Tattler, but there was also 20+ Long-toed Stints and lots of Red-necked Stints, White-headed Stilts, both Greater and Lesser Sandplovers, and a few Terek Sandpipers. Unfortunately there weren't any Javan Plovers around though and I must admit I felt a bit gutted. Several Clamorous Reed-warblers and flocks of Whiskered Terns provided a distraction before we left and drove to an area for Javan Sparrow and then a mad dash to the airport for an early afternoon flight to Manado and then a 5 hour drive to Kota Mobagu where we would be staying for the next 3 nights. 

As we were on this long drive I was thinking that you don't really read between the lines about these tours - you read previous trip reports and compare other tour companies results but can't possibly imagine the blood, sweat, tears, chigger bites and 5 hours a night sleep required to get around this big island and get the endemics......... But the next few days would make it all worthwhile, so read on!

Lore Lindu to Makassar 13th September

Another early start saw us back at the lake at first light in search of the last couple of endemics we still needed for this area. Almost immediately we were enjoying close views of several Sulawesi Babblers creeping around the vines of some trees beside the path on the way down to the lake. A quick scan of the lakeside vegetation revealed Small Sparrowhawk, Streak-headed Dark-eye, Black-fronted and Mountain White-eyes and Short-tailed Starling. We then spent the next few hours along the road, trying to find some flocks with anything new in them, and managed to get better views of Ashy Woodpecker and Sulawesi Leaf-warbler than we’d had before. There were more Superb Fruit-doves, Fiery-browed Starlings, Cerulean Cuckooshrike, Piping Crow and others but time passed all too soon and we had to leave and head back down into the heat of the lowlands and a lunch stop in Palu before taking the late afternoon flight to Makassar.

Note the blue skies

This is the place all birders stay when visiting Lore Lindu

This was our base whilst at Lore Lindu - note blue skies!