Sumatra & Java Part 4

Monday August 10^th

We left the hotel with bags packed at 4am and drove for two hours. Breakfast was taken at a homestay and then we transferred to a fleet of 4x4s to get to the park. We had one major target this morning so we tried not to spend any time looking for other birds along the trail. After an hour we arrived at the spot and the mealworms were scattered around a clearing. With hardly any waiting time the first of two Sumatran Ground-Cuckoos appeared, looking more like a pheasant than a cuckoo. This had been a really difficult bird to see for a long time before these birds became habituated at this site.

Sumatran Ground-Cuckoos

They were still feeding in the open after half an hour as we got up to walk away and let the next group in. We took our time walking down so we could look for other birds and caught up on Sumatran Drongo, Sumatran Bulbul and Sumatran Flowerpecker, a trio of endemics.

Red-bearded Bee-eater

With the sun out and a wide track with plenty of low vegetation and mud, there were lots of butterflies, more than we’d seen in total on the whole trip so far. We had lunch at the park entrance and there were a few birds to see as well and I also found a Lesser Death’s Head Hawkmoth. 

Lesser Death's Head Hawkmoth

Bar-winged Flycatcher-Shrike

Scaly-breasted Munia

We walked back along the track for a while before hopping back into the 4x4s. We had a much needed cold drink back at the van before driving to the next hotel which was about an hour away, arriving in daylight for a change.

Tuesday 11^th August

We left the hotel after a 5am breakfast and went into the forest. Sumatran Trogon showed well and a few babblers moved through the trees, shortly followed by a couple of Sumatran Treepies. 

Sumatran Trogon

Sumatran Treepie

As the forest continued to wake up, gradually more birds began to show. We went to a little stream and waited behind a screen. Sunda Forktails were feeding by the stream but it wasn’t them we’d come to see. After a few minutes, a Graceful Pitta appeared, anxious not to miss out on the new supply of mealworms that had been scattered around. It was a little skittish but eventually gave really nice views. 

Graceful Pitta

Sunda Forktail

The other target was Marbled Wren-Babbler but there was no sign of it so we wandered off. However, it came in shortly afterwards so we went back and saw this normally skulking bird feeding right out in the open. 

Marbled Wren-Babbler

The sign says 'do not litter'!

We spent the rest of the day birding the roadside at various elevations. Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle flew over as did a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbill in the afternoon. 

Asian Fairy-Bluebird

Black-and-Crimson Oriole

Fire-tufted Barbet

Temminck's Sunbird

Sumatran Flowerpecker

Whiskered Tree-Swift

Grey-bellied Bulbul

Pig-tailed Macaque

We went searching for various bulbuls and managed to locate Grey-headed, Spectacled and Scaly-breasted. Towards dusk we drove back up to the top of the pass and saw a few Sumatran Green-Pigeons fly over before going to a spot to try some owling. It took quite a while but eventually a superb Rajah Scops-Owl came in and sat in the spotlight for ages.

Rajah Scops-Owl

Wednesday 12^th August

We checked out of the hotel at 5.30 and went back to the pass in the forest. No more Green-Pigeons were seen so we worked the lower slopes for the rest of the morning but it was a bit slow going. We were particularly looking for leafbirds but could only manage Blue-winged Leafbird rather than the hoped-for endemic. Lots more bulbuls were seen before it was time to leave for the long drive back tp Padang. 

Cream-striped Bulbul

Wreathed Hornbill

We stopped for lunch en route at a small out of the way restaurant which probably doesn’t get a lot of westerners as the owner insisted on having her photo taken with all of us.

At another rest stop late afternoon we saw a little flock of Baya Weavers and some Asian Glossy Starlings. We arrived at our rather nice hotel in Padang just before 8pm and barely had time to drop off our bags before heading down to dinner but at least we didn’t have an early start in the morning.