Anda mungkin familiar dengan burung kutilang, perkutut atau murai, tapi pernahkan anda mendengar burung tepus gelagah (Timalia pileata) Seperti namanya burung ini sering dijumpai pada rerumputan tinggi. Tentu akan sulit menemukannya di pekarangan rumah anda, kecuali rumah anda berada di tengah sawah. Dewasa ini tepus gelagah cukup sukar ditemui, berdasarkan laporan perjumpaan di Burungnesia, hanya ada sekitar 31 cheklist, miris! Anda mungkin sudah menduga alasannya. Burung ini akan lebih mudah dijumpai di pasar burung, ketimbang di pekarangan anda (kalau betul rumah anda di tengah sawah), kita patut mencurigai lengketnya pulut dan jaring para tukang pikat, karena dari sanalah kisah kepunahan lokal banyak burung dimulai. Atau jangan-jangan anda salah satu dari mereka. Jika iya saya tak yakin anda akan membaca kelanjutan tulisan ini.

Sekitar sepekan lalu, tim Birdpacker mendapatkan informasi keberadaan tepus gelagah dari seorang fotografer Wildlife, yang akrab disapa dengan Djihadi Nopoto. “Lokasinya tak jauh dari rumah, saya biasa ke sana jalan kaki, Pak Nasis” begitu tutur beliau kepada Pak Bos, sekaligus sambutan setibanya kami di rumah beliau. Tempat tersebut memakan waktu sekitar satu setengah jam perjalanan darat dari markas Birdpacker.

Bersama Abah Djihadi, kami tancap gas menuju persembunyian si tepus, kami tak ingin narasi ini panjang-panjang, jadi sebut saja kebun tebu, untuk mewakili hunian burung itu. Feeling kami cukup bagus kala itu, cuaca mendukung dan kicauan merdu burung-burung mengiringi langkah kami. Berselang setengah jam, belum ada tanda-tanda kehadiran burung yang jadi target. Untungnya komandan Swiss melakukan ritual pemanggilan andalannya, serangkaian mantra yang digelontorkan ternyata membuahkan hasil !.

“Cukrik… krikk, tulikuk… tulikluk” seolah tanpa aba-aba, pandangan kami tertuju ke sumber suara. “Nah disana Pak” salah seorang dari kami menyahut. Kami sepakat untuk mengendap-endap dan menggerebek si target. Pucuk dicinta tepus pun tiba, kabar baiknya sepasang burung tepus tengah berseliweran di antara kami. Rentetan jepretan shutter yang tanpa ampun dari abah, seolah menggambarkan kebahagiaan kami yang tak terbendung.  Tepus gelagah bukan burung murahan alias jaim, sehingga barang tentu bukan foto burung yang kami dapat melainkan tunggak kayu bekas pijakan kakinya. Sungguh burung yang lincah!

Waktu menunjukkan pukul 12.20 WIB. Setelah jepretan foto dirasa cukup, Revan content creator kami, memberi kode dengan perutnya yang nyaring, “lapar, Pak?” tanya si bos. Wajar saja, mungkin itu imbas karena perut belum terisi suatu apapun hingga lewat jam makan siang, karena kami harus berangkat pagi-pagi buta. Abah seolah tau dengan gelagat kami yang lapar, “ada warung pecel wenak tepi jalan, hayuk kesana, mas!” usul beliau. kami mengiyakan usul abah tanpa banyak tanya. Warung pecel kami datang!

Jika kalian mengira perjalanan kami berakhir di warung pecel, anda keliru. Bapak-bapak (eh bukan, om-om deh), dengan dua motor gedenya menemui kami di warung sebelah jalan raya itu, sesaat sebelum nasi di piring kami habis. Om Ryan mengundang kami untuk pengamatan ke lereng Gunung Semeru. Om Ryan dan rekannya, om Dedi baru saja dipindah tugaskan di Taman Nasional Bromo Tengger Semeru,  Sehingga sudah semestinya melakukan eksplorasi daerah tersebut untuk mengetahui batas-batas wilayah kerjanya. kisah pun berlanjut…

Dari Turen Kami menempuh setidaknya dua setengah jam untuk sampai lokasi, berbeda dari statement Google map yang bilang kalau cuma 1,2 jam. Durasi itu mungkin tak memperhitungkan curamnya jalan yang kami lewati, belum lagi jalan makadam, hingga ungkapan ‘jalan’ kurang sesuai untuk menggambarkan kondisinya. Apalagi untuk mobil pribadi milik abah, kebetulan beliau berbaik hati dan mempersilahkan kami untuk nebeng di mobilnya.  Kami bercerita banyak selama di Mobil, Abah yang mendominasi obrolan dengan melempar belasan, atau mungkin puluhan pertanyaan pada kami terkait dunia  perkunaman (istilah perburungan di Malang). Oki, verifikator Burungnesia yang baru, tertidur dengan pulasnya selama perjalanan, seakan tak menggubris goncangan demi gonjangan akibat jalur yang rusak. “Remek, emang nih anak!” umpat si bos geram.

Setibanya di lokasi pukul 14.21 WIB, kami disambut dengan kabut tebal nan dingin menambah kesan tingginya tempat kami berdiri. Tak berselang lama, hujan pun tiba. Kami berteduh di sebuah kantin, anda mungkin heran kenapa ada kantin di lereng Semeru di ketinggian 1.400 mdpl? Mepet hutan lagi? Candi Jawar adalah nama lokasi tersebut. Bangunan peribadatan dari beberapa agama ada disana. Gazebo, kabin dan kantin dimana kami ngopi untuk menunggu hujan reda. Dua atau tiga seruputan kopi berlalu, tak terasa setiap gelas dari kami sudah mendekati habis, hujan memberi kami kesempatan untuk birding. Burung berkicau dari balik pepohonan, seolah mengiringi hujan yang mereda. Beberapa jenis burung teramati dari balik binokuler, sikatan ninon, opior jawa, hingga sikep madu asia, berhasil kami tambahkan dalam catatan. Setelah mondar-mandir mengitari area candi. Suasana mulai sepi, malam pun datang. pengamatan hari itu diakhiri dengan beristirahat di kabin yang disediakan oleh pengelola. Sungguh beruntung, apalagi jika kalian kurang persiapan.

Pagi sekali pengamatan pun dimulai, pengamatan berlangsung khidmat, apalagi sokongan makanan dari kantin yang menambah semangat. Burung yang berhasil kita amati cukup banyak. Hutan yang masih asri, meskipun sebagian lokasinya sudah menjadi ladang garapan adalah habitat yang ideal untuk semua kalangan burung (kecuali burung pantai, tentu saja). Kelimpahan burung disini terbukti dari deretan foto dan catatan yang dihasilkan. Beberapa burung yang tercatat diantaranya adalah :

• Bentet kelabu
• Bondol Jawa
• Brinji gunung
• Bubut besar
• Burung madu gunung
• Burung madu ornate
• Cabai gunung
• Cabai jawa
• Caladi ulam
• Cekakak jawa
• Cekakak sungai
• Ceret jawa
• Cici padi
• Cinenen jawa
• Cinenen pisang
• Cingcoang coklat
• Cipoh kacat
• Ciung batu siul
• Elang hitam
• Kepudang sungu gunung
• Kutilang
• Madu kelapa
• Opior jawa
• Pentis pelangi
• Perenjak padi,
• Perenjak rawa
• Perkutut
• Sepah kecil
• Sikatan ninon
• Sikep madu asia
• Takur tohtor
• Tekukur biasa
• Uncal buau
• Walet linchi
• Wiwik sp.

Tak terasa sudah setengah hari berlalu, Pak Hermawan, sopir pribadi abah mengusulkan untuk turun, sebelum hujan mendahului. Kami tak bisa membayangkan jalan yang sulit tadi, ditempuh dalam kondisi hujan. kami sepakat untuk mengakhiri sesi pengamatan dengan totalan pada si empunya kantin Candi Jawar. Sekaligus berterima kasih atas fasilitas yang disuguhkan. Lokasinya sangat recommended, apalagi untuk pengamatan bareng keluarga, juga tetap ingat sang maha kuasa. Kami cukupkan kisah kali ini, jangan lupa nantikan edisi harian Birdpacker selanjutnya,

Adios Amigos !

_{scribe by : Oki Rahmatirta and Swiss Winasis | @Birdpacker}

_{photo by : Swiss Winasis | @Birdpacker}

Luckily, our short visit to Baluran National Park at the end of last May managed to find Black-winged Kite’s nest. In Indonesia, records of nesting of this bird are very rare. Without waiting for a long time, we set up blind hiding. With this blind hiding, we hope to be able to observe the kite’s nesting behavior without disturbing it.

Like other small eagles, Black-winged Kite nests are placed on trees that are not too high. About 7 meters from the ground. Placed on the Acacia nilotica tree, where almost the entire trunk of the tree is filled with thorns and densely thorny small branches. It seems that no predator can reach the nest position with the tree conditions like that.

Both parents look have great communication each other in guarding the nest and caring for the chicks. The female males take turns entering the nest to feed, dispose of pellets and/or monitor the condition of the chicks. Both of them are often seen perched away from the nest tree to monitor from a distance while distracting intruders, including us. As the name suggests, the main food that is brought into the nest is mice. We haven’t encountered any prey other than rats during our observations.

During 24, 30, 31 December 2022 and 01 January 2023 we have clients from Vietnam who want to birding in Jogja and Banyuwangi.

Yogyakarta or Jogja

Our first birding tour was in Yogyakarta or simply called Jogja.

We went to Gunung Merapi National Park to kick off the tour. Due to the activity of Merapi volcano we visited

Turgo hills, one of the prime birding locations around the national park that is still in the safe zone.

Start at around 6.00 AM in the parking area. The weather was shower rain and cloudy but we encountered some brilliant birds such as: Blood-breasted Flowerpecker, Freckle-breasted Woodpecker, Olive-backed Tailorbird, Scarlet Minivet, Yellow-breasted Hanging Parrot fly over us, including two rare birds are Sangkar White-eye and Javan Leafbird.

Then we moved to the lower section of the hills, where we could see lava lane and Merapi volcano. Even though the weather is cloudy, the views of the volcano are so clear. Our clients enjoyed it!

Here we found Sooty-headed Bulbul, Crested Serpent-eagle, Ashy Drongo, Orange-spotted Bulbul and spectacular views of an endemic Black-banded Barbet.

Our plan was just birding around the lower section. We attempted to hike some but the birding was slow and quiet. After discussion we decided to move to the next location.

We arrived in Jatimulyo village at around 11.00 AM, and soon we transferred to the hide/blind of Oriental-dwarf Kingfisher. The kingfisher came in just a few minutes and in very close distance. After enjoying the kingfisher we had our lunch in Kopi Sulingan.

Our lunch is Javanese traditional food called “Nasi Tumpeng”, the clients are so happy with that. Following the lunch we serve local bird-friendly coffee from the village. Enjoyed our coffee while Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Little Spiderhunter, Olive-backed/Ornate Sunbird, and the brilliant endemic Javan Sunbird came to the garden.

After that we continued afternoon birding around the village. We went to another bird-hide. Same as the previous hide, we did not wait longer to see Horsfield’s Babbler, Rufous-browed Babbler and the critically endangered endemic Javan Blue-flycatcher.

We were lucky with the afternoon weather, continued our walk around the village and packed several birds into our list including: Oriental Honey-buzzard, Black-naped Monarch, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Ruby-throated Bulbul.

Banyuwangi

We had 3 days in Banyuwangi, East Java on 30, 31 December 2022 and 01 January 2023.

On the first day our client planned to hike Ijen crater to see Blue Fire and the views up the volcano. We started in the morning at 01.40 AM and shortly we arrived at the blue fire spot at 04.50 AM.

Enjoy the views then we start climbing down the volcano while birding. We packed several special birds such as Sunda Grasshopper Warbler, Aberrant Bush Warbler, Orange-spotted Bulbul, Javan Grey-throated White-eye, Mountain White-eye, Olive-backed Tailorbird, Mugimaki Flycatcher, and Crescent-chested Babbler.

We moved to a grassland area and added Striated Grassbird into our list. At lunch time we got an open view of Javan Kingfisher.

After lunch, we transferred our clients to the hotel for rest.

On the second day, we visited Alas Purwo National Park at the southern-east of the island. Start birding at 06.00 AM while enjoying morning coffee. We just saw a Yellow-throated Hanging-parrot fly over us. Soon we moved to Sadengan grassland. Around the parking area we saw Green Peafowl, Slender-billed Crow, Red-billed Malkoha.

There are plenty of Banteng (Bos javanicus) grazing in the grassland and several birds such as Lesser Adjutant, Asian Woollyneck, Javan Myna, Collared Kingfisher and Cattle Egret.

Then we walked to a birding track. Lots of fallen tree branches and twigs, possibly there was a storm the previous day. Birding was slow, added Ruby-throated Bulbul, Mangrove Whistler and Great Slaty Woodpecker to the list.

Move to Pancur beach for lunch in a food stall. We got Green Imperial Pigeon and clear views of Wreathed Hornbill foraging in palm trees near the stall. We took about 45 minutes to enjoy and photograph the hornbill.

We went back to the grassland then it rained. After the rains stop we want to try to get better views and some photographs of the woodpecker in the birding trek. We stopped for a while when Javan Broadbill responded to our playback.

We failed to photograph the woodpecker but at least one of our clients saw it clearly. Continue our drive to the hotel for rest.

Our last day in Banyuwangi was so challenging. Birding in Baluran National Park when so many tourists came to celebrate a new year in grassland like savannah Bekol and Bama beach.

Luckily, our guide had some birding locations where other tourists did not enter the area.

We spent the morning started at 05.30 AM and packed several birds to the list such as: Javan Cuckooshrike, Green Junglefowl, Short-tailed Starling, Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker, Ruddy Cuckoo-dove, Chestnut-headed Bee-eater, Collared Kingfisher, Red-breasted Parakeet, Black-naped Monarch, Long-tailed Shrike before the crowds come.

Then we had an early lunch in a food stall near the Bama beach.

After lunch we did not enter the birding trek due the crowds. Decided to take a nap in the ranger office and wait for the afternoon section.

There is a small swamp outside the national park around paddy fields and fish ponds. We went there for our last afternoon birding.

Our target was Cerulean Kingfisher, but after trying to find one we failed to get one. From here we listed Javan Pond-heron, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Scaly-breasted Munia, and Common Moorhen on the nest.

When we drove back to the hotel in Banyuwangi, we stopped for a while to photograph the Rock Pigeon race in the paddy fields.

Transferred our clients to their hotel in Banyuwangi and the birding tours ended.

During the 4 days birding tours in Jogja and Banyuwangi we collected 84 birds including other wildlife, here is the list in below:

• Green Peafowl
• Green Junglefowl
• Rock Dove
• Eastern Spotted Dove
• Ruddy Cuckoo-dove
• Zebra Dove
• Green Imperial-pigeon
• Grey-rumped Treeswift
• Cave Swiftlet
• Red-billed Malkoha
• Common Moorhen
• Lesser Adjutant
• Asian Woollyneck
• Javan Pond-heron
• Cattle Egret
• Purple Heron
• Oriental Honey-buzzard
• Crested Serpent-eagle
• Oriental Pied Hornbill
• Wreathed Hornbill
• Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
• Oriental Dwarf-kingfisher
• Javan Kingfisher
• Collared Kingfisher
• Black-banded Barbet
• Great Slaty Woodpecker
• Freckle-breasted Woodpecker
• Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
• Yellow-throated Hanging-parrot
• Red-breasted Parakeet
• Javan Broadbill
• Mangrove Whistler
• Small Minivet
• Scarlet Minivet
• Javan Cuckooshrike
• Pied Triller
• White-breasted Woodswallow
• Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike
• Common Iora
• Sunda Pied Fantail
• Black Drongo
• Ashy Drongo
• Black-naped Monarch
• Long-tailed Shrike
• Slender-billed Crow
• Cinereous Tit
• Zitting Cisticola
• Yellow-bellied Prinia
• Common Tailorbird
• Olive-backed Tailorbird
• Sunda Grasshopper-warbler
• Striated Grassbird
• Red-rumped Swallow
• Pacific Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Ruby-throated Bulbul
• Sooty-headed Bulbul
• Orange-spotted Bulbul
• Yellow-vented Bulbul
• Cream-vented Bulbul
• Arctic Warbler
• Aberrant Bush-warbler
• Javan Grey-throated White-eye
• Mountain White-eye
• Sangkar White-eye
• Crescent-chested Babbler
• Rufous-browed Babbler
• Horsfield’s Babbler
• Javan Myna
• Short-tailed Starling
• Asian Brown Flycatcher
• Mugimaki Flycatcher
• Javan / Hill Blue-flycatcher
• Javan Leafbird
• Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker
• Blood-breasted Flowerpecker
• Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
• Little Spiderhunter
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Olive-backed Sunbird
• Javan Sunbird
• Javan Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Other wildlife:

• Banteng
• Timor Deer
• Long-tailed Macaque
• Javan Leaf Monkey

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