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| Black-lored Parrot |
1-22 MARCH, 2014
PARTICIPANTS: Greg Roberts (leader- email friarbird.roberts@gmail.com), Merilyn Browne, Tim Burr, Barbara De Witt, Peter Ginsburg, Marie Tarrant, Bill Watson
SUMMARY
This was a highly successful private trip to far-flung islands of eastern Indonesia that have been relatively little visited by birders. Among the goodies we scored were a male Black-lored Parrot on Buru that landed in a tree near the road, affording us prolonged views of this mega-rarity. The Black-lored Parrot has been seen so rarely that it had been thought to be nocturnal; we are only the third group of birders to the region to see the species - see here for more pictures and details, and this is only the second time the species has been photographed in the wild.
Almost as exciting was Blue-eared Lory on Seram. We had up to 15 birds on three days in the same flowering tree. Again, we are only the second birding group to see this species; the last sighting was in 2007. Soon after seeing the Blue-eareds, we saw a single Purple-naped Lory, another very difficult endemic. (Images of Blue-eared Lories and other Seram birds can be found here.)
Other difficult endemics and rarities that we saw included Buru Honeyeater, Buru Thrush, Lesser Masked Owl, Lazuli Kingfisher, Grey-backed Tern, Moluccan Scrubfowl, Buru Green-Pigeon and Grey-hooded Dark-eye. The only endemics and specialties missed were Blue-fronted Lorikeet and Rufous-throated Dark-eye on Buru (no easily accessible sites are known for either), Seram Thrush on Seram (very difficult), the newly discovered Seram Masked Owl (though we tried for it), and Tanimbar Scrubfowl on Yandema (this tricky species needs a whole morning; we did not have one to spare).
The trip went very well logistically; we encountered no difficulties with transport, food and accommodation arrangements, which were organised expertly by Ceisar Riupassa of Ambon-based Likestours (email -likestours@yahoo.co.id). Ceisar and his amiable and helpful partner, Vinno, are not birding guides but they know where all the hotspots are, and their eyes are sharp. I cannot recommend highly enough the services of Ceisar, who did an excellent job in pulling together a potentially quite difficult trip.
The islands visited were, in order: Ambon, Buru, Yamdena, Kai Cecil, Kai Besar, Haruku, Seram, Palau Sawai, Palau Lusaolde.
We were fortunate also with the weather, losing almost no birding time due to rain. Most days were hot but not unbearably so, with cloud cover often helping. Our only negative experience was a nasty flu-like virus which temporarily put some of the group out of action. Thanks to Peter and Tim for putting together a useful checklist for the trip.
ITINERARY AND DIARY
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| Lazuli Kingfisher |
March 3. Disembarking at the Buru capital, Namlea, we headed north-west in 4-wheel drives, birding fragments of secondary growth where nice birds included 100+ Great-billed Parrots, Buru Oriole and Moluccan Cuckoo. We arrived at the village of Waspait on the north coast of Buru and checked into the Waspait Resort Buru, our (surprisingly flash) hotel for the next five nights. In the afternoon we drove up the Wamlana Logging Road (Wamlana Road) to 650m, coming to grips with endemics and specialties such as Buru Friarbird, Moluccan King-Parrot, Buru Raquet-tail, Buru Drongo, Buru Flowerpecker, Buru Golden-Bulbul and Yellow-throated Whistler.
March 4. Our morning began with an unsuccessful pre-dawn search for the Buru race of Hantu Boobook but nice looks at a co-operative Moluccan Scops-Owl. Our focus for the day was the higher elevation forests (900-1300m) of the Wamlana Road and a relatively new logging road running off Wamlana to Danau Rana (Danau Road). The latter was particularly rewarding; it was along here that we found the Black-lored Parrot, in the heat of the day shortly after lunch. Buru Raquet-tails were surprisingly common. We chalked up Buru Mountain-Pigeon, Buru Leaf-Warbler, Buru White-eye, Tawny-backed Fantail, Wakolo Myzomela, White-naped Monarch and Drab Whistler. The various distinctive island races of species such as Drab Whistler and Northern Fantail suggest many more splits in future. For more pictures and information from Buru, see here.
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| Buru Golden-Bulbul |
March 6. We drove west through the lowlands to the coastal villages of Bara and Eruba, where we birded patches of lowland rainforest and secondary forest. We heard Forsten’s Scrubfowl and some of us saw a Buru Green-Pigeon. Black-tipped Monarch, a snappy lowlands endemic, was seen several times.
March 7. We returned to the Danau Road, with those in the front vehicle seeing Buru Thrush on the road early in the morning. At the spot where we taped the suspected Buru Honeyeater two days earlier, we saw 6-8 Buru Honeyeaters feeding in a band of white flowering trees.
March 8 - We went back to Eruba village for the morning, crosssing the river before dawn and calling in a fine Lesser Masked Owl. In the afternoon we drove back to Namlea, calling in at Danua Sawah, a small lake, and boarded the overnight ferry to Ambon.
March 9. After disembarking we again visited the Tulahu Road, failing to see the white-eye or kingfisher again but adding Seram Imperial-Pigeon to the list.
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| Cinnamon-tailed Fantail |
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| Tanimbar Corella |
March 12. Back to the scrub patches on the main road. At Kebun 45 we saw Long-tailed Fantail, Slaty-backed Thrush and Fawn-breasted Thrush. Along another scrubby trail we had Wallace’s Fruit-Dove and better views of the parrotfinch, while Greater Wallacean Drongo was found along the road. More from the Tanimbars can be found here.
March 13. We returned to Yonif 734 Road in the early morning and saw a pair of boobooks and another Long-tailed Fantail. We later flew to Tual, the capital of Kai Kecil Island in the Kai Islands. Our hotel, the Suita Indah, was ordinary but there’s not much choice here. We saw Kai Coucal while driving from the airport and in the afternoon visited a patch of scrub at the coastal village of Ohoililir, where White-tailed Monarch showed.
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| Grey-backed Tern - Pic Merilyn Browne |
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| Island Monarch |
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| Kai Coucal |
March 17. We caught the ferry from Ambon to Seram, arriving at the port of Amahai and crossing the island along the Trans-Seram Highway, passing through the Manuseli National Park, our primary birding destination for the island. Stopping along the road we saw our first Seram endemics including Streak-breasted Fantail, Seram Cockatoo, Seram Leaf-Warbler and Seram Mountain-Pigeon, along with Blyth’s Hornbill. Our accommodation in the delightful village of Sawai was the basic but enchanting Lisar Bahari Community Guest-house, where an impressive array of coral marine life can be watched from the balconies.
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| Seram Cockatoo |
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| Seram Oriole |
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| Saltwater Crocodile |
March 21. We drove back to Amahai, stopping once more in high altitude forest in Manuseli where Grey-hooded Dark-eye and Blue-eared Lory were again seen. We caught the afternoon ferry back to Ambon.
March 22. Everyone left on early morning flights from Ambon to Jakarta or Denpasar.
This report has also been posted on Surfbirds: http://www.surfbirds.com/trip_report.php?id=2442
SPECIES LIST
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| Our group at birdcall, Buru |
SPECIES LIST
Moluccan Scrubfowl Megapodius wallacei - 2 Haruku
Forsten's Scrubfowl M. forstenii - 1 Palau Sawai; 1 Salaway River; calling Bara
Orange-footed Scrubfowl M. reinwardt - 1 Ohoililir
Blue-breasted Quail Coturnix chinensis– 4 roadside, Buru lowlands
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis - 4 Danau Sawah
Australasian Grebe T. novaehollandiae - 2 Danel Ablel
Streaked Shearwater Calonectris leucomelas - 1 offshore north Buru coast; 2 from ferry to Kai Besar
Matsudaira's Storm-Petrel Oceanodroma matsudairae– 5 from ferry to Kai Besar
Great Frigatebird Fregata minor– a few off north Buru coast
Lesser Frigatebird F. ariel– common off north Buru coast
Brown Booby Sula leucogaster– a few off north Buru coast
Little Black Cormorant Phalacrocorax sulcirostris
Little Pied Cormorant P. melanoleucos
Australasian Darter Anhinga novaehollandiae– 2 Danau Sawah
Australian Pelican Pelecanus conspicillatus– 7 Saumlaki Harbour
Black Bittern Ixobrychus flavicollis– 1 Salaway River; 1 Seram roadside lowlands
Striated Heron Butorides striata
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea– a few Buru
Great Egret A. alba
Little Egret Egretta garzetta
Pacific Reef-Heron E. sacra– common
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Rufous Night-Heron Nycticorax caledonicus– 1 Bara
Australian Ibis Threskiornis moluccus– 1 Salaway River
Osprey Pandion haliaetus– 1 near Sawai
Pacific Baza Aviceda subcristata– race reinwardtii 1 Salaway River
Black Eagle Ictinaetus malayensis– common Seram, Buru highlands
Variable Goshawk Accipiter hiogaster– race polionotus 2 Yamdena; race pallidiceps 1 Wamlana Road; race hiogaster 1 Manusela ; race albiventris 2 Kai Kecil
Brown Goshawk A. fasciatus - race buruensis 1 Danau Sawah
Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus
White-bellied Sea-Eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster
White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus - race leucomelana2 Salaway River
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola– 4 Palau Sawai
Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos
Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes– 2 Palau Sawai
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus
Far Eastern Curlew N. madagascariensis– 2 Palau Sawai
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus– common off north Buru coast; several from Seram-Ambon ferry
Oriental Pratincole Glareola maldivarum - 1 Saumlaki Airport
Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus– 2 off north Buru coast; 6 from ferry to Kai Besar; 2 from Seram-Ambon ferry
Grey-backed Tern O. lunatus– 1 juvenile from ferry to Kai Besar
Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii
Rock Pigeon Columba livia
Spotted Dove Streptopelia chinensis
White-throated (Metallic) Pigeon Columba [vitiensis] halmaheira– 1 Danau Road; 1 Manusela
Dusky (Bar-necked) Cuckoo-Dove Macropygia magna - race timorlaoensiscommon Yamdena
Slender-billed Cuckoo-Dove M. amboinensis– race amboinensis common Buru,Seram; race keyensissmall numbers Kai Islands
Common Emerald Dove Chalcophaps indica– 2 Ambon
Pacific Emerald Dove C. [indica] chrysochlora– several Yamdena; 2 Kai Kecil
Stephan’s Dove C. stephani - 1 Kai Kecil; 1 Kai Besar
Barred Dove Geopelia maugei – small numbers Yamdena, Kai Kecil
Buru Green-Pigeon Treron aromaticus – 1 Bara
Wallace's Fruit-Dove Ptilinopus wallacii– common Kai Kecil (100+ in one grouping); a few Yamdena
Superb Fruit-Dove P. superbus – a few Ambon, Buru, Seram
Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove P. regina - race xanthogastercommon Yamdena; a few Kai Kecil
White-breasted Fruit-Dove P. rivoli – common Buru highlands, Kai Kecil
Claret-breasted Fruit-Dove P. viridis – common Ambon, Buru; a few Seram
Seram Imperial-Pigeon Ducula neglecta – 1 Ambon; common Seram
Spectacled Imperial-Pigeon D. perspicillata - common Buru
Elegant (Yellow-eyed) Imperial-Pigeon D. concinna– common Yamdena, a few Kai Kecil
Pied Imperial-Pigeon D. bicolour- widespread in small numbers
Buru Mountain-Pigeon Gymnophaps mada– 4-6 Danau Road
Seram Mountain-Pigeon G. stalkeri – 2-3 Manusela
Brush Cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus– calling Kai Islands
Moluccan Cuckoo C. aeruginosus– common Ambon, Buru, Seram
Pied (Little) Bronze-Cuckoo Chrysococcyx [minutillus] crassirostris– 4-5 Kai Kecil, adults and juveniles photographed
Asian Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus– 1 Bara, heard elsewhere Buru & Ambon
Eastern Koel E. cyanocephalus– Heard Yamdena, Kai Islands
Channel-billed Cuckoo Scythrops novaehollandiae– flock of 18 Kai Kecil
Kai Coucal Centropus spilopterus– small numbers Kai Kecil
Lesser Coucal C. bengalensis– a few Buru, Yamdena
Lesser Masked-Owl Tyto sororcula– 1 called in near Eruba
Moluccan Scops-Owl Otus magicus– race bouruensis 1 Wamlana Road, 1 Bara, others heard Buru; race magicus heard Manusela
Tanimbar Boobook Ninox forbesi– 2 Yamdena
Hantu Boobook N. squamipila– 2 Manusela; heard Sawai
Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus– 1 Wamlana Road; heard Eruba
Glossy Swiftlet Collocalia esculenta– common & widespread
Seram Swiftlet Aerodramus ceramensis– common Ambon, Buru; a few Seram
Uniform Swiftlet A. vanikorensis– Ambon, Kai Kecil, Seram
Moustached Treeswift Hemiprocne mystacea– a few Buru, Seram
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis– 1 Danau Rana
Lazuli Kingfisher Todiramphus lazuli– 2 Ambon
Collared Kingfisher T. chloris– common
Beach Kingfisher T. saurophagus– 1 Palau Lusaolde
Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher Todiramphus australasia– heard only Yamdena
Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis– a few Kai Kecil, Seram
Blyth's Hornbill Aceros plicatus– common Manusela
Spotted Kestrel Falco moluccensis– race moluccensis common Buru, 2 Manusela; race microbalius a few Yamdena
Oriental Hobby Falco severus– 1 Manusela
Tanimbar Corella Cacatua goffiniana– common Yamdena; a few Kai Kecil
Seram (Salmon-crested) Cockatoo C. moluccensis– small numbers Manusela
Moluccan Red Lory Eos bornea– race bornea small numbers Yamdena, Manusela; race cyanonothoruscommon Buru
Blue-streaked Lory E. reticulate– fairly common Yamdena
Blue-eared Lory E. semilarvata– up to 15 on 3 days Manusela
Rainbow Lorikeet Trichoglossus haematodus–race haematodus a few Ambon, Buru; common Manusela
Purple-naped Lory Lorius domicella– 1 Manusela
Red-flanked Lorikeet Charmosyna placentis– a few Kai Kecil, Seram
Yellow-capped Pygmy-Parrot Micropsitta keiensis– small numbers Kai Islands
Red-cheeked Parrot Geoffroyus geoffroyi– race rhodops common Buru, Seram; race timorlaoensis a few Yamdena
Buru Racquet-tail Prioniturus mada– common Buru
Black-lored Parrot Tanygnathus gramineus– 1 Danau Road
Great-billed Parrot T. megalorynchos – race affinis common Buru, Seram; race subaffinis a few Yamdena
Eclectus Parrot Eclectus roratus - race roratus fairly common Bara, Manusela, Kai Kecil; race riedelia few Yamdena
Moluccan King-Parrot Alisterus buruensis– race buruensis fairly common Buru; race amboinensis a few Manusela
Red-bellied Pitta erythrogaster– race rubrinuchaheard Bara; race piroensis heard Manusela; race kuehni 1 Kai Kecil, others heard
Elegant Pitta Pitta elegans - heard only Yamdena
Seram (Drab) Myzomela Myzomela blasii– small numbers Manusela
Wakolo Myzomela M. wakoloensis– race wakoloensisfairly common Buru highlands; race elisabethaea few Manusela
Banda Myzomela M. boiei– a few Yamdena
Streak-breasted (White-tufted) Honeyeater - Lichmera squamata– common Yamdena
Buru Honeyeater L. deningeri– 6-8 Danau Road
Seram Honeyeater L. monticola– common Manusela
Olive Honeyeater L. argentauris– common Palau Lusaolde
Buru (Black-faced) Friarbird Philemon moluccensis– common Buru
Tanimbar (Black-faced) Friarbird P. [moluccensis] plumigenis– common Yamdena, Kai Islands
Seram Friarbird P. subcorniculatus– common Seram
Rufous-sided Gerygone Gerygone dorsalis– race dorsalis common Yamdena; race keyensis a few Kai Kecil
White-breasted Woodswallow Artamus leucorynchus– common Buru, Yamdena
Moluccan Cuckooshrike Coracina atriceps– 1 Manusela
Wallacean Cuckooshrike C. personata - race unimodaa few Yamdena
Buru Cuckooshrike C. fortis– 2-3 Danau Road
Tanimbar (White-browed) Triller Lalage moesta– common Yamdena
Varied Triller L. leucomela– common Kai Islands
Pale Cicadabird Edolisoma ceramense– small numbers Buru, Seram
Kai Cicadabird E. dispar– 2-3 Kai Kecil
Common Cicadabird E. tenuirostre– 2-3 Danau Road
Yellow-throated Whistler Pachycephala macrorhyncha – race buruensis fairly common Buru; race macrorhyncha common Seram, 1 Ambon; race fuscoflava a few Yamdena
Island Whistler P. phaionota– 1 Ohoililir
Grey-headed (Grey) Whistler P. [simplex] rufipennis; a few Kai Kecil
Wallacean Whistler P. arctitorquis– common Yamdena
Drab Whistler P. griseonota– race examinata common Buru; race griseonota a few Manusela
Buru Oriole Oriolus bouroensis– fairly common Buru
Tanimbar Oriole O. decipiens– fairly common Tanimbar
Seram Oriole O. forsteni– a few Manusela
Australasian Figbird Sphecotheres vieilloti– fairly common Kai Kecil
Greater Wallacean Drongo Dicrurus densus– race kuehni a few Yamdena; race megalornis common Kai Islands
Buru (Spangled) Drongo Dicrurus [bracteatus] buruensis– common Buru
Seram (Spangled) Drongo D. [bracteatus] amboinensis– a few Ambon, Manusela
Northern Fantail Rhipidura rufiventris– race bouruensis common Buru; race cinerea a few Manusela; race assimilis common Kai Islands
Willie Wagtail R. leucophrys - common Buru
Cinnamon-tailed Fantail R. fuscorufa– common Yamdena
Tawny-backed Fantail R. superflua– 1 Wamlana Road; 2 Danau Road
Streaky-breasted Fantail R. dedemi – fairly common Manusela
Long-tailed Fantail R. opistherythra– 2 Yamdena
Arafura Fantail R. dryas– race hamadryas fairly common Yamdena, race squamata 1 Ohoililir
White-naped Monarch Carterornis pileatus– fairly common Buru
Loetoe Monarch C. castus– common Yamdena
Island Monarch Monarcha cinerascens– common Kai Islands; 2 Palau Sawai
Spectacled Monarch Symposiachrus trivirgatus– 1 Ambon; fairly common Manusela
White-tailed Monarch S. leucurus– a few Kai Islands
Black-tipped Monarch S. loricatus– fairly common Bara
Black-bibbed Monarch S. mundus– a few Yamdena
Slaty (Moluccan) Flycatcher Myiagra galeata– race buruensis small numbers Buru; race seranensisa few Ambon, Manusela
Broad-billed Flycatcher M. ruficollis– common Yamdena
Seram (Violet) Crow - Corvus violaceus– 2 near Sawai
Tanimbar (Torresian) Crow - Corvus [orru] latirostris– 2 Yamdena
Golden-bellied Flyrobin (Flycatcher) Microeca hemixantha– common Yamdena
Buru Golden-Bulbul Alophoixus mystacalis– common Buru
Seram Golden-Bulbul A. affinis– race affinis common Seram; race flavicaudus 2 Ambon
Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica
Pacific Swallow H. tahitica
Mountain Tailorbird Phyllergates cucullatus– fairly common Buru highlands, Manusela
Tanimbar Bush-Warbler Cettia carolinae– 3 Tanimbar, more heard
Buru (Chestnut-backed) Bush-Warbler Bradypterus [castaneus] disturbans– 1 Danau Road
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis– widespread in small numbers
Buru (Island) Leaf-Warbler P. [poliocephalus] everetti– common Buru highlands
Seram (Island) Leaf-Warbler P. [poliocephalus] ceramensis – common Manusela
Kai (Island) Leaf-Warbler P. [poliocephalus] avicola– 2 Kai Besar
Tawny Grassbird Megalurus timoriensis– heard Tanimbar
Golden-headed Cisticola Cisticola exilis– common Buru
Grey-hooded Dark-eye (White-eye) Lophozosterops pinaiae– 3-4 Manusela
Rufescent Dark-eye (White-eye) Tephrozosterops stalkeri– 2 Manusela
Mountain White-eye Zosterops montanus– race montanus a few Buru highlands; race obstinatuscommon Manusela
Ashy-bellied White-eye Z. citronella– common Yandema
Great Kai White-eye Z. grayi– common Kai Besar
Little Kai White-eye Z. uropygialis - common Kai Kecil
Seram White-eye Z. stalkeri– a few Manusela
Buru White-eye Z. buruensis– common Buru highlands
Ambon White-eye Z. kuehni– 2 Ambon
Grey-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta– widespread
Buru Jungle-Flycatcher Rhinomyias additus– 2 Danau Road
Island (Verditer) Flycatcher E. panayensis– a few Manusela
Tanimbar Flycatcher Ficedula riedeli– a few Yandema
Cinnamon-chested Flycatcher F. buruensis– race buruensis2 Danau Road; race ceramensis heard Manusela
Buru Thrush Geokichla dumasi– 1 Danau Road
Slaty-backed Thrush G. schistacea– 2 Yandema, others heard
Fawn-breasted Thrush Zoothera machiki– 1 Yandema
Metallic Starling Aplonis metallica– common Ambon, Buru, Seram
Tanimbar Starling A. crassa– fairly common Yandema
Moluccan Starling A. mysolensis– fairly common Ambon, Buru, Seram
Long-crested Myna Basilornis corythaix– 3-4 near Sawai
Buru Flowerpecker Dicaeum erythrothorax– common Buru
Ashy Flowerpecker D. vulneratum– common Ambon, Seram
Mistletoebird D. hirundinaceum– race fulgidumcommon Yandema
Black Sunbird Leptocoma sericea– race proserpina common Buru; race aspasioides common Ambon, Seram; race chlorolaema a few Kai Kecil
Black-breasted (Olive-backed) Sunbird Cinnyris [jugularis] clementiae – race buruensiscommon Buru; race clementiae common Ambon; race keiensis fairly common Kai Islands
Eastern Yellow Wagtail Motacilla tschutschensis– 30+ Danau Sawah
Grey Wagtail M. cinerea– widespread
Tree Sparrow Passer montanus
Tricolored Parrotfinch Erythrura tricolor– a few Yandema
Black-faced Munia L. molucca– common Buru
Nutmeg Mannikin L. punctulata– 2 Yandema
Five-colored Munia L. quinticolor– fairly common Yandema
192 species
Other animals included Black-bearded Flying-Fox (common Kai Kecil) and an impressive Broadclub Cuttlefish seen while snorkelling off Seram