INDONESIA (REMOTE EASTERN) REP 10 - Birdquest

had two different species of cuscus, and some really stunning butterflies and dragonflies, many of
which were regional endemics.
The tour began on the little-visited island of Buru, after an overnight ferry journey from Ambon, the
capital of South Maluku Province. We were a bit sorry to miss-out on seawatching but at least we
slept for most of the trip. On arrival, we quickly checked into our hotel and then headed off for some
introductory birding in some lowland forest patches at Waslabi and Air Mandidi, south-west of
Namlea. Our first Buru endemics were soon rolling in, with Buru Golden Bulbul (split from Southern
Golden), Buru Drongo (split from Spangled), Black-tipped Monarch, Buru Friarbird, Buru
Flowerpecker (split from Flame-breasted), and Buru White-eye all giving themselves up easily. Other
good birds in these areas were a nice pair of White-throated Pigeons that flew over, Superb Fruitdove,
Buru (or Spectacled) Imperial Pigeon, Moluccan Cuckoo (i.e. the local form of Rusty-breasted
in this case), Australian Koel, Seram Swiftlet (split from Moluccan), flocks of migrant White-throated
Needletails soaring over the ridges, the superb Moustached Treeswift, Pale Cicadabird, White-naped
Monarch, Slaty Flycatcher, Drab Whistler, Black Sunbird, Black-breasted Sunbird (split from Olivebacked),
and Black-faced Munia. Air Mandidi had some wetlands, which supported Wandering
Whistling-duck, Australian Swamphen, and Australian Reed-warbler. En route between sites and at
lunch, we also scanned cultivation. A huge swirling mass of at least 150 Oriental Pratincoles was
unexpected, and we also saw two Spotted Harriers. We finished the day trying to get views of our
first Forsten’s Scrubfowls, which were calling back to us near their mound.
Our second day took us further along the coast to accommodation at Waspait Resort Buru, and we
also explored the Waipoti (Wae Putih) Logging Road. At the latter we found our first Buru Rackettails,
without realizing how common they would later become, and glimpsed Buru Bush-warbler
(split from Chestnut-backed). This was not a great site however.
The next day we were off to the hills in 4WD vehicles for some serious trekking as we attempted to
track-down the high-elevation endemics – an attempt that provided us all with many challenging
moments. Reaching the higher levels of the Wamlana Logging Road, we made some relatively brief
stops, first for large numbers of Buru Racket-tails and then for scope views of the amazing Redbreasted
Pygmy-parrot. At the end of the drivable logging road, we met-up with a large band of
porters, and set off with our guides. The plan was to hike to a village at the foot of the higher
mountains west of Danau Rana, a large volcanic lake in the centre of the island. We had not gone far
when the first of a number of streams had to be forded. We were, in general, following the course of
a larger river and between each tributary-crossing there was a slippery scramble up a ridge and then
down to the next stream. But after several hours and a break for lunch we descended to walk
alongside, and then increasingly in, the muddy margins of the main river. When it started to rain our
earlier efforts to keep our feet dry by taking shoes and socks off to ford each stream seemed to be
rather pointless and we trudged on, little realizing that our feet would hardly be dry for the next four
days! After about six hours we noticed some tell-tale rubbish on the path and soon afterwards some
graveyards – we were nearing the village of Lemampoli. There was a sting-in-the-tail however, as the
village was on the other side of a river and we had a knee-deep torrent swollen by the rain to cross
before we arrived in the communal village area; to be closely examined by the curious locals, who
had probably rarely seen foreigners before. The village was rather an enigma as it consisted of about
40 almost identical buildings with sheet-iron roofs. Quite why it was here and what all the people
did was hard to fathom. One house boasted a generator and therefore a TV, but otherwise there was
no electricity. The only other signs of Western civilization were the football shirts worn by the
children. After a lot of discussion we were all billeted into one pokey dark building, for a rather
uncomfortable night.
2 Birdquest: Remote Eastern Indonesia 2010