Indonesia Trip 2017 Day 12

Indonesia Trip Day 12 – Wednesday 2nd August 2017

Sulawesi with Mike Nelson from Bird Tour Asia.

The first part of our 6-week Indonesian trip was birding the island of Sulawesi. Today we were in northern Sulawesi.

On the morning of Wednesday 2nd, August 2017 we left the Patra Jasa Hotel in Kotamobagu at 4.00 am driving an hour and a half to bird at Tarout from 5.30 am to 10.30 am. Here we had to get a raft over the river to the birding site. The raft was on the other side of a river, so our local guides stripped down to their underpants to go and retrieve it. I had to look the other way! The forest habitat at the site has been reduced, so much that if it continues within a year or two nothing will be left. There was a large research station here that has fallen into disrepair which was a shame. 

Our best birds from the morning were Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, Pied Cuckoo-shrike, Minhasa Racket-tail, Blue-backed Parrot, White-faced Cuckoo Dove, Grey-cheeked and Pinked. Necked Green Pigeons and I saw a Great-billed Kingfisher that Mum and Dad missed.

We then drove half an hour for lunch and a rest in a local basic hotel again, where we had rooms we could use. I got a good hour of sleep. On trips like this, I survive from one nap to another.

In the afternoon we left our lunch spot at 3 on before driving the hour to bird Tower Marsh from 4.00 pm to 5.30 pm.  It is a small area of water and paddy field. The habitat here has been destroyed so again there also won’t be any decent birding here within a short time. The target here was White-browed Crake.

Mum was feeling sick after lunch and ended up being sick from the car on the way to the birding site but still insisted on carrying on birding so she didn’t miss any birds. It must have been too much sun as she perked up pretty quickly.

We managed to get really great views of White-browed Crake and Dusky Scrubfowl, Dusky Moorhen and White-breasted Waterhen.