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
