Birding in Baluran, Serangan and Kerandangan

Our adventurous birding this time (25 October - 02 November 2016) is more like a country road, across the “African van Java” of Baluran then Waterbirds-paradise of Serangan (Bali) to the Home for Trio endemics Lesser Sunda (Rinjani Scops Owl, Elegant Pitta & Cinnamon-banded Kingfisher) at Kerandangan Nature Recreation Park, Lombok.

Dazzling a male Green Peafowl

With six person on the car we drive starting at night from Malang. During on the car we spent the time to sleep, save our energy. Our first destination was Kerandangan NRP, but we firstly stayed for take a rest at Baluran NP in day-one morning. While sun rising we heard several Large-tailed Nightjars behind the trees at north direction to Bekol savannah. Then Javan Kingfisher sing at perch on top canopy, while the pairs of Scarlet-headed Flowerpeckers flew from one branch to other. Slowly the fisrt sun for Java getting warm and high. After a welcome rest in Baluran, we continue drive to Gilimanuk that directly we get ferry to accross Bali. We still able to seen Striated Swallow and Pacific Swift fly around the harbor. Below the bridge which connected ferry with port are the nest for that birds. While the ferry start to across Bali strait, we move to the roof looking for migratory raptor. But we are not lucky because may the birds has move into Bali last week. Luckily we still able to see Greater Crested Tern and Little Tern, fly across the strait and occasionally flopped to the sea. Arrived in Bali at noon then we continue to Serangan while waiting night come for cross to Lombok, mark time to birding in waterbirds-paradise. We scoped from the roadside which upper then the mangrove switch to the south into tidal area, a bay layered by sand-flat where the birds remain. We seen many species such as Sacred Kingfisher, Cormorants; Little Pied & Little Black, Egrets; Great, Intermediate & Little, Plovers; Javan, Little Ringed, Lesser Sand, Greater Sand & Grey, Common Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Whimbrel, Eurasian and Far Eastern Curlew, Bar-tailed Godwit, Beach Stone-curlew, Red-necked Stint and many more.

Trio Sunda Teal

Before the dusk we transferred to a different area and finally scored with a good performance from couples Sunda Teal and Cerulean Kingfisher fly away in font of us. Closing for the day then at night we continue the journey drive into Padang bay port for crossing to Lombok. In the next day at morning we arrived at Lembar Port, welcomed by beatiful scenery of beach covered thinly mist with hills and top of Mt. Rinjani for the background, quiet waves like a carpet, and slowly the sun rising then burn the horizon also morning skies. Kerandangan Nature Recreation Park, a lowland forest surrounded by hills and cross with river flow from hills at the east to the west. Finally we arrived at noon, then trying the luck to Elegant Pitta around campground. Sadly we only heard the song from any directions, hard to find this bird because the green upper-part and yellowish lower-part blending into the lush. We hung around until dark and after some patient waiting we enjoyed superb views of a Rinjani Scops Owl right overhead. It easy to recognized by the song and way it flight above us until perched ten meters from the ground.

The endemic Rinjani Scops-owl easy to find on site

At the morning we split into two groups, first went to Nipah hill for migratory raptors. the rest group birding in the area for Elegant Pitta and other birds. Nipah hill was like a short peninsula extend to the west, like a west-end Lombok Island. Large open area so we can scoped 360 degrees wait until the Raptor passing by. Coming from the Bali head to the east, right in front of us.


With several minutes after arrived we seen the raptor such as Oriental-honey Buzzard, Chinese Sparrowhawk and Japanese Sparrowhawk flashed on the side of us, sometimes they fly above us closely or below with sea for the background. Before we finished a single Western Osprey fly and gliding to the east for end the birding. During in Krandangan, we also attended the “7th Pertemuan Pengamat Burung Indonesia (7th Annual Gathering Indonesian Birder)” with about 70 birders from Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Bali and Nusa Tenggara. We discussed about our activity in last one year. The main focus of discussed were about the progress Indonesian Bird Atlas which citizen science are the motor movement.

Close to Oriental Honey Buzzard

At the Kerandangan trail head to the waterfall, we seen various resident birds such as Wallacean Drongo are being brood in the treetops near the river, a pair Orange-footed Scrubfowl, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, and Black-naped Monarch. At night around the camp we also found Red-legged Crake perched behind the bushes. Next we return to the Serangan, completing the list of waterbirds and resident. It starts early in the day at the west form of mangrove areas with stagnant water tidal we seen Sunda Teal in a group of about almost hundreds and at the sand-flat we seen such as White-tailed Tropicbird, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, Asian Dowitcher among the shorebirds and terns. At the afternoon we finished birding and go back across Java. In the next day we arrived at Baluran NP, during the day we headed to Evergreen for Red Junglefowl, Javan-banded Pitta and Oriental-dwarf Kingfisher. On the roadside Batangan-Bekol near the bridge Curah-Uling a pair of Red Junglefowl located on the forest floor. Foraging by scavenging foliage. Occasionally crowing behind thick Evergreen trees. A single Oriental-dwarf Kingfisher fly around the dry river then perched on the Lianas. We missed the Javan Banded Pitta.

Black-winged Starling riding on Water Buffalo

In the early afternoon we continued toward Savannah Bekol, a dry grasslands with trees interlude. We waited group of Javan Deer and Water Buffalo as attractive to the group of Black-winged Starling. This bird follows by riding on the back to the a group of Javan Deer, occasionally drop to the ground. In the surroundings a single male Green Peafowl pecking from the ground. Females Green Peafowl are away across the savannah. In the last day we went back again to Evergreen for the Javan Banded Pitta at the morning when the birds are still active sing as well as more chances to see it. From behind the trees these birds appear on the forest floor. Before we returned, from a distance of about 300 meters headed to the Batangan we see the adult Javan Leopard follow the roadside. We have not had time to approach, because it disturbed by visitors coming from the direction of Batangan. Javan Leopard ends our birding trip that fairly strenuous but still delightful. Participants: Swiss Winasis BP., Ahmad Yanuar, Arif Budiawan, Nurdin Setio Budi, Imam Taufiqqurahman, Waskito Kukuh W.

Systematic List:

  1. Sunda Teal | Anas gibberifrons

  2. Orange-footed Scrubfowl | Megapodius reinwardt

  3. Green Junglefowl | Gallus varius

  4. Red Junglefowl | Gallus gallus

  5. Green Peafowl | Pavo muticus

  6. Australasian Grebe | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae

  7. White-tailed Tropicbird | Phaethon lepturus lepturus

  8. Black-crowned Night Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax

  9. Striated Heron | Butorides striata

  10. Javan Pond Heron | Ardeola speciosa

  11. Eastern Cattle Egret | Bubulcus coromandus

  12. Grey Heron | Ardea cinerea

  13. Purple Heron | Ardea purpurea

  14. Great Egret | Ardea alba

  15. Intermediate Egret | Egretta intermedia

  16. Little Egret | Egretta garzetta

  17. Pacific Reef Heron | Egretta sacra

  18. Little Pied Cormorant | Microcarbo melanoleucos

  19. Little Black Cormorant | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris

  20. Western Osprey | Pandion haliaetus

  21. Crested Honey Buzzard | Pernis ptilorhynchus

  22. Crested Serpent Eagle | Spilornis cheela

  23. Chinese Sparrowhawk | Accipiter soloensis

  24. Japanese Sparrowhawk | Accipiter gularis

  25. Red-legged Crake | Rallina fasciata

  26. White-breasted Waterhen | Amaurornis phoenicurus

  27. Barred Buttonquail | Turnix suscitator

  28. Beach Stone-curlew | Esacus magnirostris

  29. White-headed Stilt | Himantopus leucocephalus

  30. Pacific Golden Plover | Pluvialis fulva

  31. Grey Plover | Pluvialis squatarola

  32. Little Ringed Plover | Charadrius dubius

  33. Javan Plover | Charadrius javanicus

  34. Lesser Sand Plover | Charadrius mongolus

  35. Greater Sand Plover | Charadrius leschenaultii

  36. Oriental Plover | Charadrius veredus

  37. Asian Dowitcher | Limnodromus semipalmatus

  38. Black-tailed Godwit | Limosa limosa

  39. Bar-tailed Godwit | Limosa lapponica

  40. Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus

  41. Eurasian Curlew | Numenius arquata

  42. Far Eastern Curlew | Numenius madagascariensis

  43. Common Redshank | Tringa totanus

  44. Common Greenshank | Tringa nebularia

  45. Grey-tailed Tattler | Tringa brevipes

  46. Common Sandpiper | Actitis hypoleucos

  47. Ruddy Turnstone | Arenaria interpres

  48. Great Knot | Calidris tenuirostris

  49. Red-necked Stint | Calidris ruficollis

  50. Long-toed Stint | Calidris subminuta

  51. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper | Calidris acuminata

  52. Curlew Sandpiper | Calidris ferruginea

  53. Gull-billed Tern | Gelochelidon nilotica

  54. Greater Crested Tern | Thalasseus bergii

  55. Lesser Crested Tern | Thalasseus bengalensis

  56. Little Tern | Sternula albifrons

  57. Common Tern | Sterna hirundo

  58. Whiskered Tern | Chlidonias hybrida

  59. White-winged Tern | Chlidonias leucopterus

  60. Island Collared Dove | Streptopelia bitorquata

  61. Spotted Dove | Spilopelia chinensis

  62. Common Emerald Dove | Chalcophaps indica

  63. Zebra Dove | Geopelia striata

  64. Pink-necked Green Pigeon | Treron vernans

  65. Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon | Treron griseicauda

  66. Rusty-breasted Cuckoo | Cacomantis sepulcralis

  67. Sunda Scops Owl | Otus lempiji | Heard Only

  68. Rinjani Scops Owl | Otus jolandae

  69. Spotted Wood Owl | Strix seloputo | Heard Only

  70. Large-tailed Nightjar | Caprimulgus macrurus | Heard Only

  71. Savanna Nightjar | Caprimulgus affinis

  72. Grey-rumped Treeswift | Hemiprocne longipennis

  73. Cave Swiftlet | Collocalia linchi

  74. Pacific Swift | Apus pacificus

  75. Javan Kingfisher | Halcyon cyanoventris

  76. Collared Kingfisher | Todiramphus chloris

  77. Sacred Kingfisher | Todiramphus sanctus

  78. Cerulean Kingfisher | Alcedo coerulescens

  79. Blue-eared Kingfisher | Alcedo meninting

  80. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher | Ceyx erithaca

  81. Blue-tailed Bee-eater | Merops philippinus

  82. Oriental Pied Hornbill | Anthracoceros albirostris

  83. Flame-fronted Barbet | Psilopogon armillaris

  84. Yellow-eared Barbet | Psilopogon australis

  85. Freckle-breasted Woodpecker | Dendrocopos analis

  86. Yellow-throated Hanging Parrot | Loriculus pusillus

  87. Javan Banded Pitta | Hydrornis guajanus

  88. Elegant Pitta | Pitta elegans | Heard Only

  89. Indonesian Honeyeater | Lichmera limbata

  90. Golden-bellied Gerygone | Gerygone sulphurea

  91. White-breasted Woodswallow | Artamus leucorynchus

  92. Common Iora | Aegithina tiphia

  93. Long-tailed Shrike | Lanius schach

  94. Black Drongo | Dicrurus macrocercus

  95. Ashy Drongo | Dicrurus leucophaeus

  96. Wallacean Drongo | Dicrurus densus

  97. Malaysian Pied Fantail | Rhipidura javanica

  98. Black-naped Monarch | Hypothymis azurea

  99. Racket-tailed Treepie | Crypsirina temia

  100. Slender-billed Crow | Corvus enca

  101. Sooty-headed Bulbul | Pycnonotus aurigaster

  102. Yellow-vented Bulbul | Pycnonotus goiavier

  103. Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica

  104. Pacific Swallow | Hirundo tahitica

  105. Striated Swallow | Cecropis striolata

  106. Common Tailorbird | Orthotomus sutorius | Heard Only

  107. Ashy Tailorbird | Orthotomus ruficeps | Heard Only

  108. Horsfield's Babbler | Malacocincla sepiaria | Heard Only

  109. Oriental White-eye | Zosterops palpebrosus

  110. Javan Myna | Acridotheres javanicus

  111. Black-winged Starling | Acridotheres melanopterus

  112. Rufous-chested Flycatcher | Ficedula dumetoria

  113. Blue-cheeked Flowerpecker | Dicaeum maugei

  114. Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker | Dicaeum trochileum

  115. Brown-throated Sunbird | Anthreptes malacensis

  116. Olive-backed Sunbird | Cinnyris jugularis

  117. Eurasian Tree Sparrow | Passer montanus

  118. Javan Munia | Lonchura leucogastroides

  119. Scaly-breasted Munia | Lonchura punctulata

  120. Paddyfield Pipit | Anthus rufulus

Mammals

1. Water Buffalo | Bubalus bubalis

2. Timor Deer | Rusa timorensis

3. Javan Leopard | Panthera pardus melas