Our adventurous birding this time (25 October – 02 November 2016) is more like a country road, across the “African van Java” of Baluran then Waterbirds-paradise of Serangan (Bali) to the Home for Trio endemics Lesser Sunda (Rinjani Scops Owl, Elegant Pitta & Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher) at Kerandangan Nature Recreation Park, Lombok.
With six people in the car we drove starting at night from Malang. During on the car we spent the time to sleep, save our energy. Our first destination was Kerandangan NRP, but we firstly stayed for take a rest at Baluran NP in day-one morning. While sun rising we heard several Large-tailed Nightjars behind the trees at north direction to Bekol savannah. Then Javan Kingfisher sing at perch on top canopy, while the pairs of Scarlet-headed Flowerpeckers flew from one branch to other. Slowly the first sun for Java is getting warm and high. After a welcome rest in Baluran, we continued to drive to Gilimanuk and directly we got a ferry across Bali. We still able to seen Striated Swallow and Pacific Swift fly around the harbor. Below the bridge which connected ferry with port are the nest for that birds. While the ferry start to across Bali strait, we move to the roof looking for migratory raptor. But we are not lucky because may the birds has move into Bali last week. Luckily we still able to see Greater Crested Tern and Little Tern, fly across the strait and occasionally flopped to the sea.
Arrived in Bali at noon then we continue to Serangan while waiting night come for cross to Lombok, mark time to birding in waterbirds-paradise. We scoped from the roadside which upper then the mangrove switch to the south into tidal area, a bay layered by sand-flat where the birds remain. We seen many species such as Sacred Kingfisher, Cormorants; Little Pied & Little Black, Egrets; Great, Intermediate & Little, Plovers; Javan, Little Ringed, Lesser Sand, Greater Sand & Grey, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Whimbrel, Eurasian and Far Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Beach Stone-curlew, Red-necked Stint and many more.
Before the dusk we transferred to a different area and finally scored with a good performance from couples Sunda Teal and Cerulean Kingfisher fly away in front of us. Closing for the day then at night we continue the journey drive into Padang bay port for crossing to Lombok. The next morning we arrived at Lembar Port, welcomed by beautiful scenery of a beach covered with thin mist with hills and top of Mt. Rinjani for the background, quiet waves like a carpet, and slowly the sun rising then burns the horizon and morning skies. Kerandangan Nature Recreation Park, a lowland forest surrounded by hills and crossed with river flow from hills at the east to the west. Finally we arrived at noon, then tried our luck to Elegant Pitta around the campground. Sadly we only heard the song from many directions, it was hard to find this bird because the green upper-part and yellowish lower-part blending into the lush. We hung around until dark and after some patient waiting we enjoyed superb views of a Rinjani Scops Owl right overhead. It is easy to recognize by the song and the way it flies above us until perched ten meters from the ground.
In the morning we split into two groups, first went to Nipah hill for migratory raptors. the rest group birding in the area for Elegant Pitta and other birds. Nipah hill was like a short peninsula extending to the west, like a west-end Lombok Island. Large open area so we can scoped 360 degrees and wait until the Raptor passes by. Coming from the Bali head to the east, right in front of us.
With several minutes after arrived we seen the raptor such as Oriental-honey Buzzard, Chinese Sparrowhawk and Japanese Sparrowhawk flashed on the side of us, sometimes they fly above us closely or below with sea for the background. Before we finished a single Western Osprey fly and glided to the east to end the birding. While in Krandangan, we also attended the “7th Pertemuan Pengamat Burung Indonesia (7th Annual Gathering Indonesian Birder)” with about 70 birders from Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara. We discussed our activities last year. The main focus of discussion was about the progress of the Indonesian Bird Atlas in which citizen science is the motor movement.
At the Kerandangan trail head to the waterfall, we seen various resident birds such as Wallacean Drongo are being brood in the treetops near the river, a pair Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, and Black-naped Monarch. At night around the camp we also found Red-legged Crake perched behind the bushes. Next we return to the Serangan, completing the list of waterbirds and residents. It starts early in the day at the west form of mangrove areas with stagnant water tidal we seen Sunda Teal in a group of about almost hundreds and at the sand-flat we seen such as White-tailed Tropicbird, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher among the shorebirds and terns. In the afternoon we finished birding and went back across Java. The next day we arrived at Baluran NP, during the day we headed to Evergreen for Red Junglefowl, Javan-banded Pitta and Oriental-dwarf Kingfisher. On the roadside Batangan-Bekol near the bridge Curah-Uling a pair of Red Junglefowl located on the forest floor. Foraging by scavenging foliage. Occasionally crowing behind thick Evergreen trees. A single Oriental-dwarf Kingfisher flies around the dry river then perches on the Lianas. We missed the Javan Banded Pitta.
In the early afternoon we continued toward Savana Bekol, a dry grassland with trees interluding. We waited for a group of Javan Deer and Water Buffalo as they were attractive to the group of Black-winged Starling. This bird follows by riding on the back to a group of Javan Deer, occasionally dropping to the ground. In the surroundings a single male Green Peafowl pecking from the ground. Females Green Peafowl are away across the savannah. On the last day we went back again to Evergreen for the Javan Banded Pitta in the morning when the birds were still actively singing as well as more chances to see it. From behind the trees these birds appear on the forest floor. Before we returned, from a distance of about 300 meters headed to the Batangan we saw the adult Javan Leopard follow the roadside. We have not had time to approach, because it disturbed by visitors coming from the direction of Batangan. Javan Leopard ends our birding trip that is fairly strenuous but still delightful. Participants: Swiss Winasis BP., Ahmad Yanuar, Arif Budiawan, Nurdin Setio Budi, Imam Taufiqqurahman, Waskito Kukuh W.
Systematic List:
- Sunda Teal | Anas gibberifrons
- Orange-footed Scrubfowl | Megapodius reinwardt
- Green Junglefowl | Gallus varius
- Red Junglefowl | Gallus gallus
- Green Peafowl | Pavo muticus
- Australasian Grebe | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae
- White-tailed Tropicbird | Phaethon lepturus lepturus
- Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax
- Striated Heron | Butorides striata
- Javan Pond Heron | Ardeola speciosa
- Eastern Cattle Egret | Bubulcus coromandus
- Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea
- Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea
- Great Egret | Ardea alba
- Intermediate Egret | Egretta intermedia
- Little Egret | Egretta garzetta
- Pacific Reef Heron | Egretta sacra
- Little Pied Cormorant | Microcarbo melanoleucos
- Little Black Cormorant | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
- Western Osprey | Pandion haliaetus
- Crested Honey Buzzard | Pernis ptilorhynchus
- Crested Serpent Eagle | Spilornis cheela
- Chinese Sparrowhawk | Accipiter soloensis
- Japanese Sparrowhawk | Accipiter gularis
- Red-legged Crake | Rallina fasciata
- White-breasted Waterhen | Amaurornis phoenicurus
- Barred Buttonquail | Turnix suscitator
- Beach Stone-curlew | Esacus magnirostris
- White-headed Stilt | Himantopus leucocephalus
- Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva
- Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola
- Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius
- Javan Plover | Charadrius javanicus
- Lesser Sand Plover | Charadrius mongolus
- Greater Sand Plover | Charadrius leschenaultii
- Oriental Plover | Charadrius veredus
- Asian Dowitcher | Limnodromus semipalmatus
- Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa
- Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica
- Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus
- Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata
- Far Eastern Curlew | Numenius madagascariensis
- Common Redshank | Tringa totanus
- Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia
- Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes
- Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos
- Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres
- Great Knot | Calidris tenuirostris
- Red-necked Stint | Calidris ruficollis
- Long-toed Stint | Calidris subminuta
- Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Calidris acuminata
- Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea
- Gull-billed Tern | Gelochelidon nilotica
- Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii
- Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis
- Little Tern | Sternula albifrons
- Common Tern | Sterna hirundo
- Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida
- White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus
- Island Collared Dove | Streptopelia bitorquata
- Spotted Dove | Spilopelia chinensis
- Common Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps indica
- Zebra Dove | Geopelia striata
- Pink-necked Green Pigeon | Treron vernans
- Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon | Treron griseicauda
- Rusty-breasted Cuckoo | Cacomantis sepulcralis
- Sunda Scops Owl | Otus lempiji | Heard Only
- Rinjani Scops Owl | Otus jolandae
- Spotted Wood Owl | Strix seloputo | Heard Only
- Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus | Heard Only
- Savanna Nightjar | Caprimulgus affinis
- Grey-rumped Treeswift | Hemiprocne longipennis
- Cave Swiftlet | Collocalia linchi
- Pacific Swift | Apus pacificus
- Javan Kingfisher | Halcyon cyanoventris
- Collared Kingfisher | Todiramphus chloris
- Sacred Kingfisher | Todiramphus sanctus
- Cerulean Kingfisher | Alcedo coerulescens
- Blue-eared Kingfisher | Alcedo meninting
- Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher | Ceyx erithaca
- Blue-tailed Bee-eater | Merops philippinus
- Oriental Pied Hornbill | Anthracoceros albirostris
- Flame-fronted Barbet | Psilopogon armillaris
- Yellow-eared Barbet | Psilopogon australis
- Freckle-breasted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos analis
- Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot | Loriculus pusillus
- Javan Banded Pitta | Hydrornis guajanus
- Elegant Pitta | Pitta elegans | Heard Only
- Indonesian Honeyeater | Lichmera limbata
- Golden-bellied Gerygone | Gerygone sulphurea
- White-breasted Woodswallow | Artamus leucorynchus
- Common Iora | Aegithina tiphia
- Long-tailed Shrike | Lanius schach
- Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus
- Ashy Drongo | Dicrurus leucophaeus
- Wallacean Drongo | Dicrurus densus
- Malaysian Pied Fantail | Rhipidura javanica
- Black-naped Monarch | Hypothymis azurea
- Racket-tailed Treepie | Crypsirina temia
- Slender-billed Crow | Corvus enca
- Sooty-headed Bulbul | Pycnonotus aurigaster
- Yellow-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus goiavier
- Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica
- Pacific Swallow | Hirundo tahitica
- Striated Swallow | Cecropis striolata
- Common Tailorbird | Orthotomus sutorius | Heard Only
- Ashy Tailorbird | Orthotomus ruficeps | Heard Only
- Horsfield’s Babbler | Malacocincla sepiaria | Heard Only
- Oriental White-eye | Zosterops palpebrosus
- Javan Myna | Acridotheres javanicus
- Black-winged Starling | Acridotheres melanopterus
- Rufous-chested Flycatcher | Ficedula dumetoria
- Blue-cheeked Flowerpecker | Dicaeum maugei
- Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum trochileum
- Brown-throated Sunbird | Anthreptes malacensis
- Olive-backed Sunbird | Cinnyris jugularis
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus
- Javan Munia | Lonchura leucogastroides
- Scaly-breasted Munia | Lonchura punctulata
- Paddyfield Pipit | Anthus rufulus
Mammals
1. Water Buffalo | Bubalus bubalis
2. Timor Deer | Rusa timorensis
3. Javan Leopard | Panthera pardus melas