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.
A total of 5 species of birds in Raden Soerjo Greater Park Forestry successfully photographed by our guest named Muhid on 22 July 2017 in just about 1.5 hours. In one day we had to change location 3 times. The first is the apple plantation area in Batu. There we entered into birdhide starting at 05.30 am to photograph Javan Kingfisher Halcyon cyanoventris.
Our birdhide lies parallel to the tree with a distance of 8 meters, very enough for the 500mm lens to get full frame images. It did not take long for a Javan Kingfisher Halcyon cyanoventris to land at the top of an apple tree in front of us. Quickly our guests photographed the bird and got a picture of Javan Kingfisher’s front body. About 5 minutes later, the bird flies from the apple tree.
A total of 5 species of birds in Raden Soerjo Greater Park Forestry successfully photographed by our guest named Muhid on 22 July 2017 in just about 1.5 hours. In one day we had to change location 3 times. The first is the apple plantation area in Batu. There we entered into birdhide starting at 05.30 am to photograph Javan Kingfisher Halcyon cyanoventris.
Our birdhide lies parallel to the tree with a distance of 8 meters, very enough for the 500mm lens to get full frame images. It did not take long for a Javan Kingfisher Halcyon cyanoventris to land at the top of an apple tree in front of us. Quickly our guests photographed the bird and got a picture of Javan Kingfisher’s front body. About 5 minutes later, the bird flies from the apple tree.
In August 2018 HBW.com updated their content, one of them is the Black-winged Myna (Acridotheres melanopterus).
Splitted into three species such as the earlier nominate race, Grey-backed Myna (A. tricolor), and Grey-rumped Myna (A. tertius).
Three of them placed as Critically Endangered by IUCN-redlist, the most problems of declining population is massive hunting and poaching in their wild habitat.
We have good news of Grey-backed Myna this month by encountering their successful breeding in one of the remaining safe areas.
For two days at the end of the rainy season, we get good and clear weather.
This endemic to the eastern part of Java island is known to be nested in February and June in east Java island and there is no more information about the breeding period (hbw.com).
The birds that we encountered used a hole in a dead palm tree, around Baluran NP, East Java on March 15-16, 2019. Height of the nest is about 10 meters away from ground level.
The nest hole is not circular, instead it tends to be rectangular with dimensions of around 8 x 17 cm. Inside the nest hole we saw 2 young birds, those who are ready to fledgling can be seen from their complete feathers.
We observed quite far from the nest.
Adults are always close to the nest and look for meals for their chicks no more than a 500-meter radius from the nest.
We saw one of the adults pick small insects like a cricket on the ground around the palm trees.
On the last day, the chicks actively looking out around the nest. Respond to the call of their parents.
On July 21st 2018 we had a client from the US looking for the main target, the Javan White-eye (Zosterops flavus) that is found only in west & south of Borneo, coastal north of Java and Madura.
Due to the massive hunting and poaching of all kinds of white-eye’s species, the population in the wild is in a crazy decline. Sounds like critically endangered.
Khaleb Yordan told us that the last time he saw this endemic white-eye in western of Java was 2 years ago. Yesterday was a reunion for him, also lifer for Mr. Russell Graham.
We saw more than 6 individuals in the safe area since the people around here are educated well for conservation of wildlife.
We started birding that day after leaving Juanda international airport, Surabaya, East Java. The location is not too far away, it takes about 30 minutes from the airport. At 6.30 am we went to a location called Wonorejo. This is a huge fish-pond and mangrove area.
On the first stop, before the parking area we tried looking at Sunda Coucal. Usually, it’s perched on tree or bushes top for sun-bathing. Sadly, the birds were not shown and we did not hear the sounds.
At least a male Freckle-breasted Woodpecker is perched on a dried branch. We don’t want to miss it.
Then we walk slowly, a clear call of Cerulean Kingfisher attracting us. For sure, a single bird perched in front of us, divided by the river. The kingfisher was perched on a bush near the water surface. Then it flies, responding to the other kingfisher’s calls.
We move to the parking area and prepare our stuff to get inside. But, we have to take time around the Muntingia calabura tree.
3 individuals of Scarlet-headed Flowerpeckers foraging on that tree. Our client pulled up his binocular to add it into his life-list. Bravo! new lifer again.
Satisfied with it, we continued walking to pursue our main target.
Walk for about 500 meters inside through fish-pond and mangrove trees. Then we played the Javan White-eye’s sounds. We heard the response at a mangrove tree that was full of Cave Swiftlet. This was also new for him.
We approached the tree and found the object. Voila! our ears were correct, four individuals gleaning its prey below the mangrove’s leaves at the middle canopy.
Hang out and enjoy the birds also following its movement while watching other species until our clients are satisfied.
At 8.30 am we moved out to warung (small canteen) near the parking area. After taking a break for a while we continued again to other directions. But the number of birds was low and no new birds were added to the list. So we ended the trip and started driving to the airport.
Highlights:
6+ individuals Javan White-eye (Zosterops flavus)
A male Freckle-breasted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos analis)
