INDONESIA (REMOTE EASTERN) REP 10 - Birdquest

Initially though, a tyre needed to be replaced, so while this was being done we birded the first patch
of secondary scrub and plantation that we came to. Almost immediately we heard the familiar tones
of a white-eye, and there was Kai Besar's most well-known endemic, the Great Kai White-eye. They
proved to be common enough during the morning. Our first Kai Coucal also perched-up in the open
to be scoped. The less well-known endemic on this island is Kai Leaf-warbler, a very distinctive
species that was trashed in the Island Leaf-warbler ‘dustbin’. To see this we needed to head for the
hills and attain some elevation. Driving to the highest point of the little road we followed a side-track
down to Bukit Indah Mission, with a backdrop of beautifully forested hills. Provided with a local
guide, we asked to be taken along a trail that would get us higher up towards the peaks. Some
misunderstanding followed and we traipsed along a muddy path that seemed to go nowhere.
Eventually we cleared things up, and after consulting with some locals in a little hut, we found our
way up to 425m, though by that time we were very hot and sweating profusely! Soon though, we
heard a leaf-warbler singing and worked our way into a clearing where we could get a better view.
Excellent; we had very nice looks at a pair feeding dependant fledged young – job done. The trail
back down to the mission was quick and easy, so we were puzzled as to exactly what had gone
wrong in the first place! Other good species here were the local race of Variable Goshawk, a pair of
the endemic form of White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, and perched-up Brush Cuckoo. After lunch back
at the jetty we returned to Kai Kecil and then drove to a patch of secondary forest on neighbouring
Kai Dullah, which is accessed by a bridge. Here we were hoping to find the soon-to-be-split Kai
Boobook. Unfortunately there was not a peep, and the habitat had apparently also deteriorated
considerably since it was last seen here, according to Ceisar. Our last day on the Kai Islands was
spent exploring new forest patches on Kai Kecil. The first, at Letfuan, was rather poor but we did get
great perched views of a Blue-breasted Pitta, and some feral Tanimbar Corellas were unexpected.
The second site turned out to be really good, an area of logged forest at Samawi. Walking up and
down a several kilometre-long stretch for much of the day, we notched-up some really good birds.
Yellow-capped Pygmy-parrots were found to be quite common and we had some great views, a large
breeding group of Eclectus Parrots were watched for a long time, we saw several Red-flanked
Lorikeets in flight, Pied Bronze Cuckoo, Kai Coucal, another dark form of Wallacean Cuckoo-shrike
(related to the one on Tanimbar) and, not long before dark, we finally caught up with the scarce
Green Figbird in a giant fig tree (several had earlier been seen more fleetingly). After dark, there was
still no boobook though, so we decided to try Letfuan again, as this had at least looked good for
owls. On arrival and immediately after playing the sound, a bird called back loudly, but then
promptly shut up. We waited around and tried, but clearly we were out of luck and time with this
one.
From Kai it was another short flight back to Ambon using a third airline and a third aircraft type.
Then a quick drive across the northern part of the island to meet the very swish Seram ferry, with its
air-conditioned lounge fitted-out with old business-class aircraft seats. A short trip ‘up top’ revealed
almost no birds over the sea apart from a Brown Booby, and so we made the most of the luxury until
we arrived at Masohi on the south coast of Seram. After checking into the hotel we visited some
lowland forest patches nearby. Rain-stopped-play again however, and by the time it had finished it
was getting late. A flock of 13 Great-billed Parrots was unusual and we saw Lazuli Kingfisher again.
We spent the following week on Seram, based at a well-situated coastal guest house at Sawai, on the
north coast. Built on stilts like a pier, it was surrounded by some impressive coral-growth with its
attendant rich variety of colourful fish. The small village of Sawai is tucked into a sort of cove, and is
situated 30 minutes down a largely rough track. Our three Toyota Kuangs mostly made light work of
this, though one of the drivers was a ‘rookie’ and bored himself into a deep mud-hole on one
afternoon. We saw most of the bird specialities on the first full day, when we drove over from
Masohi, and it became a case of ‘the law of diminishing returns’, as we birded various levels of the
6 Birdquest: Remote Eastern Indonesia 2010