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!

Lore Lindu 12th September

Following a very early breakfast we drove 45 minutes to the start of the famous Anaso Track and began our ascent in search of some very special birds. The beginning of the walk was undertaken in the dark but as the day dawned clear yet again, the forest came alive with birdsong. There was nothing new however, until we spotted a Red-eared Fruit-dove feeding on some berries at the top of a tree and followed this with brief views of Spot-tailed Goshawk perched beside the trail. But it’s about 3km to the Diabolical Nightjar site from the road and we didn’t waste any time in walking up to the small plateau area, and sure enough we had crippling views of this much-wanted endemic in the morning sunshine. 

Diabolical Nightjar

It’s uphill all the way to the top of the mountain and another 3km or so, but we took our time and found a number of goodies such as Small Sparrowhawk, flyover Golden-mantled Racquet-tails, Sulawesi Myzomela, Greater Sulawesi Honeyeater and Sulawesi Leaf-warbler. Pride of place went to a pair of Purple-bearded Bee-eaters perched over the trail and we watched them in perfect light as they hawked for insects right in front of us. As we approached our lunch stop we made a couple of attempts at the always tricky Maroon-backed Whistler which gave several very brief views allowing some of the group to get onto it. A flyover White-bellied Sea Eagle was a surprise as we checked out the highest area for the endemic Mountain Serin, a number of which were seen flying over at various stages today. 

Yellow-vented Whistler

A couple of Grey-headed Imperial-pigeons were seen here as well, including one sat on a nest and a few Streak-headed Dark-eyes were also found. However the undoubted highlight of the day happened after lunch and on our return to the same spot after our excursion to the top of the mountain. Firstly, a small flock was seen beside the path and scanning through this finally revealed our one and only Hylocitrea of the trip, after much searching and sweating over this bird it was a total relief! 

Hylocitrea

As we enjoyed repeated views of this bird, Royke said the local guide accompanying us had seen a Geomalia close by inside the forest. So after all the waiting and watching along the trail we had already done for this species we were not too hopeful of seeing it to say the least. Yet you just never know in birding and amazingly most of us who attempted the walk over fallen trees and tree roots were rewarded with varying degrees of views. Amazing! So on that note we headed back down to our waiting vehicles, seeing another Purple-bearded Bee-eater, and a much needed cup of coffee and a cracking slice of cake!

Purple-bearded Bee-eater

 Other endemics seen today included Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Great Shortwing, Cerulean Cuckooshrike, Sulawesi Cicadabird, Malia, Blue-fronted Flycatcher, Rusty-bellied Fantail, Fiery-browed Myna, Fiery-browed Myna and Sulawesi Drongo. 

Fiery-browed Starling (Myna)

Scenery from the top of the Anaso Track

More scenery

Coming back down the Anaso Track

Lore Lindu 11th September

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. 

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.