Birding in Sulawesi

Sulawesi Hornbill

I am on a trip now exploring tropical rainforest of Indonesia with several Taiwanese visitors. We are doing birdwatching to find Sulawesi birds. So far, we have seen Black-ringed White Eye, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Red-backed Thrush, Sulawesi Hornbill, Red-knobbed Hornbill, Black Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Sulawesi Babbler, White-necked Myna, Glossy Swift, Uniform Swiftlet, Gray-rump Treewift, Pale Blue Monarch, Sulawesi Hawk Eagle, Hair-crested Drongo.
I hope that we will see more interesting birds as we travel to other regions of Sulawesi. This is also the first time I use a D-SLR camera with a Tamron 150-600mm G2 telephoto lens. Honestly this is my first birding trip with foreign visitors across Sulawesi.

Red-backed Thrush

Sulawesi is a large tropical island located between Asia and Australia Avifauna region. It has got a lot of endemic birds that attract the attention of thousands of birdwatchers from around the world.
After birding in the morning, we continued our exploration of South Sulawesi birds in Patene of Makassar sub-urban area. We left Dalton hotel at 16.00 local time. It was not a forest that we visited but an open area with some trees, and wide grass land. There were big buildings in the vicinity. The first bird that we saw that day was Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris). He was sitting on a branch of a shrub approximately 10 meters from me. Seeing the bird I immediately took out my camera and aimed it at the bird. I pressed my shutter button several times. We saw Lemon-bellied White Eye, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Chestnut Munia, Javan Pond Heron, female Olive-backed Sunbird, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, and various other birds that I can't mention all of them in this post.

A fenale Olive-backed Sunbird

Hundreds of youth from the city were busy with their motorcycle racing near the site where we enjoyed our late afternoon birding walk. Although we were tired, we were satisfied with what we saw. Our clients were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I, Idris, and the drivers ate Coto Makassar for our dinner. Now, I am sitting in my room in Dalton hotel writing this post. I hope that our birding adventure tomorrow will be more exciting and interesting. As I see more birds in the coming days, I will update this blog with more stories and pictures. Written by Leo Roring
Also read:

• Great-billed Kingfisher
• Pale Blue Monarch
• Sulawesi Scops Owl

Ikan dan Terumbu Karang

Saya sering melakukan kegiatan snorkeling dan menyelam-bebas (freediving) di kawasan terumbu karang. Ada berbagai spesies ikan yang bisa dilihat di sana. Beberapa di antaranya adalah: Striped Surgeonfish dan Convict Surgeonfish. Ikan ini memiliki ornamen bergaris di tumbuh mereka sehingga menjadikannya menarik.
Untuk melihat ini saya harus berenang agak jauh dari pasir pantai hingga ke kawasan terumbu karang yang berair jernih. Kemudian dengan memakai snorkeling mask, snorkel serta flipper (kaki bebek), saya menyelam bebas ke ke kedalaman 2 sampai 5 meter. Kadang, saya memotret ikan menggunakan kamera bawah air Fujifilm XQ2 atau Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition. Foto-foto tersebut bisa dijadikan sebagai referens jika saya ingin menggambar ikan.

Surgeonfish hidup di terumbu-karang

Oleh karena itu, saya berkeputusan untuk menggambarnya. Saya menggunakan Tablet Samsung Tab A dan aplikasi Autodesk Sketchbook untuk menggambar ikan-ikan tersebut. Agar terlihat lebih menarik, saya menambah beberapa terumbu karang di sekitarnya.
Ada banyak sekali spesies ikan di perairan terumbu karang terutama pada kedalaman antara 1 meter hingga 20 meter. Saya akan mencoba menggambarnya di lain waktu dan menguploadnya di blog ini. Anda bisa melihat berbagai produk cetak yang tersedia dengan berkunjung ke halaman: Dompet Bergambar Ikan

Surgeonfish and Coral Reef

Tonight I upload another drawing again into my Redbubble account. It is the picture of Surgeonfish in the coral reef. I only added another species of fish to the previous illustration. The new fish is Convict Surgeonfish. There are some hard corals and water-plants in the new artwork. So, there are now two fish in the picture, i.e.: Striped-Surgeonfish and Convict Surgeonfish.

Surgeonfish in Coral Reef

I frequently see these fish and hundreds of other species when I guide tourists on sightseeing, and snorkeling tours in Raja Ampat, Tambrauw and Manokwari. To take pictures of the marine life, I bring a small action camera. It is a Brica B-Pro5 Alpha edition. The camera is not for professional underwater photographer. But it is good enough to show how an underwater coral reef environment looks like. I will buy a better camera such as Fujifilm XQ2 and its waterproof housing. I hope it will give higher quality photographs which I could study as my reference for creating more artworks.l
If you are interested in taking a snorkeling, birding, and sightseeing tour with me in West Papua, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

• If you just want to enjoy my artworks, please, support this blog by buying some products in the form of t-shirt, mugs, spiral notebook, or iPhone/ Samsung cases, please, visit my online artshop in Redbubble under this name: Tropical Art

Tourist Attractions in Tambrauw

Marine Tours in Tambrauw regency of Indonesia

Tambrauw is the name of a regency in West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. Its local government has declared its territory as conservation regency. As a consequence no mining, logging and other activities that are harmful to the environment will be allowed. To support local economy, local government of Tambrauw support the development and promotion of environmentally friendly tourism.

Tambrauw regency has got a number of interesting attractions which tourists can see while exploring its coastal and mountaineous areas. Some of them are described as follows:

Leatherback turtle was laying eggs

• Turtle watching - There are four species of turtles that land on the beach of Tambrauw to lay eggs. They are the Leatherback Turtles, Green Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles and Olive Ridley turtles.
• Snorkeling and freediving - There are coral reef areas along the beach of Tambrauw, and Pulau Dua where tourists can visit to enjoy swimming, snorkeling and freediving. Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel and flippers if they want to see the marine life. A good underwater camera such as Nikon W300 or a D-SLR camera with waterproof housing will be useful for taking pictures of fish, sea star, lionfish, striped surgeonfish, sea urchin, and other marine creatures. There is no scuba dive center in the regency so, I cannot offer diving trips at the moment.
• Fishing - Visitors can also enjoy fishing at the blue sea of the regency. Please, also bring your own fishing gear. Fish such as tuna, or even red snapper can be caught for a delicious lunch or dinner.
• Bat watching - There are a lot of bats in Pulau Dua area, they play important roles in polination of flowers in the forest of New Guinea
• Hiking, Camping, Birding and Wildlife Watching - Most of the territories of Tambrauw is covered by tropical rainforest. It is the natural habitat of hundreds of species of birds including Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Western-crowned Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, as well as coastal birds such as Tern, Sand Piper, and even the migratory bird - the Northern Phalarope. Tourists need to bring their binoculars, spotting scope and camera with telephoto lens to watch and take pictures of the birds. For the purpose of camping in the forest or remote beach, we can provide camping gear.

Local people in Tambrauw with international visitors

How to get there

Please, fly from your country to Indonesia. The capital of this country is Jakarta. After arriving in Jakarta, you could continue your trip by taking a domestic flight to Sorong city. I could meet you at the airport and organize your trip to Tambrauw regency. Airlines such as Garuda, Batik Air, Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air have got regular flights between Jakarta and Sorong city.

Cost
The cost of the tour in Tambrauw regency depends on the number of participants and duration of the trip which visitors have. The tour and its cost is usually customized according to these factors.

Booking

Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:
Snorkeling Raja Ampat 
7 Snorkeling Spots in Raja Ampat

Snorkeling and sightseeing tour in Manokwari

Sunbathing, Swimming and Snorkeling in Manokwari

I have just completed a snorkeling and sightseeing tour for a Dutch family in Manokwari. I guided them to see several parts of the city in the first day and then a tour to Mansinam island in the second day.
The view of the coral reef could be seen easily. I brought my underwater action camera Brica B-Pro5 and some snorkeling gears that I ordered from an online store in China. Their brands were Whale. I was very surprised with the qualities of the products. The masks, snorkels and fins were very good. They were very comfortable on my face, mouth and feet. Whale is a very good brand for snorkeling and diving gear.

I was doing freediving, I could see a lot species of fish such as the Regal Angelfish (Pigoplites diacanthus), Latticed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesi), Backlip Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii), Yellowtail Damsel (Neoglyphidodon nigroris), Dash-Dot Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus). There were also grouper, moorish idol, surgeonfish, parrotfish, and anemonefish. I felt as if I was diving in a giant aquarium with thousands of marine creatures around me. My experience of snorkeling and freediving was amazing.

Coral Reef life in Manokwari waters

As a tourist guide, I often organize tours for foreign visitors who come from countries as far as the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, China, Korea, Germany, Switzerland, and India.
I sometimes combine the marine tour with hiking, camping and wildlife watching tour in the rainforest. Visitors who are interested in taking a tour with me should bring their own snorkeling gear, and underwater camera as well as binoculars.
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Related posts:
Snorkeling in Raja Ampat archipelago
Birdwatching and Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

King Bird of Paradise

King Bird of Paradise

This is the photograph of King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) that I made in Susnguakti forest of Arfak range. The bird lives in lowland and lower montane forest of New Guinea. There are several sites that visitors can go to watch this bird such as Tambrauw Mountains, Arfak mountains and Sorong ridge forest. Because the size of this bird is quite small, bird watchers need to bring binocular and, if possible, a spotting scope in order to find and watch the bird.
The wings and upper part of the bird are red whereas the underpart is white. I made the picture of this bird while I guided two Dutch tourists on a 3-day/ 2-night hiking, birding and wildlife watching in Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. I used my old camera Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR. The telephoto lens capability of this photographic device allowed me to shoot the bird in the branch of a tree some 10 meters above the ground.
In addition to King Bird of Paradise, visitors who go to this forest can also watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Great Cuckoo Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Hooded Butcherbird, Coconut Lorikeet, Spangled Drongo, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra and a lot more.
At nights, we did soome night walks where a local villager immitates the sound of female cuscus possum to attract a male one. We saw the nocturnal animal twice. In addition to birds and possum, we also saw a venomous white snake, ground brown skink, and a bandicoot.
The Susnguakti forest where I saw the King Bird of Paradise is located in the south of Manokwari city. It can be reached by car or motorcycle in approximately one hour ride. There is no guesthouse in the forest, tourists only stay in simple basecamp which was built by local people.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon)

Pinon Imperial Pigeons are in mating season in late March and April. Actually during these months the northern region of West Papua receive high rainfall. However, due to its close position to the equator the sunlight is also good. Small berry fruits are still abundant in Klabolo forest of Sorong regency. They attract a lot of birds to gather in trees to eat the fruits and mate. During my recent birding tour where I guided Tony Lau - a Canadian tourist in Klabolo forest, we saw male Pinon Imperial Pigeons compete one another to mate with their female counterparts. I was able to take some pictures of them including pictures of a female pigeon sitting on her nest in a high tree. Fortunately, my Fujifilm Finepix has got powerful zoom to shoot her. Her nest was quite small compared to the size of her body.

Female Pinon Imperial Pigeon was incubating her eggs

In West Papua, people hunt Pinon Imperial Pigeon for their meat. They are greatly extirpated especially in the forests near big towns or cities. In these areas, town dwellers use air guns to hunt them. Pinon Imperial Pigeons can still be watched in lowland and lower montane forest.
I also saw Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Large Fig Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Moustached Treeswift, Oriental Dollarbird, Black Lory, Magnificent Riflebird, Rainbow Bee-eater, Eclectus Parrot, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, and even Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise during my 4 days/ 3 nights stay in the forest.
This is my whatsapp number: +6281332245180. You could contact me to book your birding trip in Manokwari and Sorong regency. You could also send email to peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read:
Pied Imperial Pigeon

Paradise Birds in Klabolo Forest

Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor)

Klabolo is the name of rainforest located in the east of Sorong regency. Several birds of paradise live there including Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius), Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca), and Glossy Manucode (Manucodia ater).

Last week, I guided Tony Lau - a Canadian tourist to the forest for 4 days/ 3 nights. We explored the forest to watch paradise birds and other tropical birds that are endemic to West Papua lowland region. To watch the Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), we had to wake up very early in the morning at 04.30. After drinking tea, and eating some bread, we began to wear our hiking shoes. Thirty minutes later we were leaving our guesthut for the birding site of the paradise birds. 

It took around one hour of walking up and down two hills, and along muddy paths to reach trees where paradise birds like to dance for mating. When we arrived at the birding site, we heard the calls of birds of paradise approximately 10 meters high the branches of trees. I brought two pairs of binoculars. I lent one pair to Tony. We spent 3 hours under the tree watching and photographing the birds. 

I used my old camera Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR to take pictures of the birds. With its telephoto zoom capability of 1,000 millimeters, I could take some good pictures of the paradise birds. Although I was so exhausted with the morning walk, I was very happy to see the yellow paradise birds. 

We also saw other birds such as Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Coconut Lorikeet, Helmetted Friarbird, Moustached Treeswift, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, and Northern Cassowary. I was fortunate enough to see Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise in a distant using my spotting scope Kinglux 20-60×60. He was sitting for a few seconds on the branch of a tree at the forest edge of the clearing area of the village. 

I provided birding tour to Klabolo forest for everybody who is interested in watching paradise birds as well as other birds in the jungle of Sorong regency.

Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180 for detailed itinerary and cost.

Olive-backed Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird in Raja Ampat

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) is a small bird that lives in tropical rainforest particularly in lowland and coastal areas. Its yellow underpart often becomes the main physical characteristics that is used by birdwatchers to call him Yellow-bellied Sunbird.

I saw this bird in Manokwari city, Sorong hill forest, Raja Ampat and even as far as Numfor island. His wings have got olive-greenish look. This small but very beautiful bird eats nectar of wild flowers in tropical rainforest. When I was guiding a tourist from India, I saw the sunbird was feeding on nectar of coconut flowers. I immediately turned on my Fujifilm HS50 EXR camera and shot the bird several times.

Olive-backed Sunbird in Sorong forest

My most recent photographs of the bird were made when I went hiking and birdwatching in savanna hills near Sorong city. To watch this small bird, we need a good pair of binoculars that has got such magnification as 10×42 mm. My recommendation will be Swarovski, Nikon, Leica, or Zeiss binoculars. I personally use more affordable alternative - the Visionking 10×42 mm binoculars.

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Sorong city and want to see Olive-backed Sunbird and other tropical birds of West Papua, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180

Birding Tour in Rainforest near Sorong City

Hiking and Birding

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)

This is the picture of Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) which I saw yesterday in the forest near Sorong city. I also saw Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides), Yellow-faced Myna (Mino dumontii), Olive-crowned Flowerpecker (Dicaeum pectorale), Coconut Loriket (Trichoglossus haematodus), and a couple of Back Lory (Chalcopsitta atra).

Terrestrial Spathoglottis Orchid

The rainforest was relatively quite far from Sorong city. It took 2 hours ride from the city center. Another alternative site for birdwatching is Sorong ridge forest. It is around 30 minutes ride to reach the starting point for hiking. On the average, visitors need to go hiking for approximately 30 minutes to one hour to see the forest and enjoy birdwatching. Birds are usually active in the mornings and in the afternoons.
Birding Equipment
Visitors who want to enjoy birdwatching in Sorong forest need at least a pair of good binoculars. Most often avid birders carry spotting scope with tripod and adaptor for taking picture using cell phone. I personally use a pair of Visionking 10×42 mm binoculars, a 20-60x60 spotting scope and a Fujifilm HS50EXR binoculars. Experienced birdwatchers use Swarovski, Leica or Nikon ED Lens, Bak4 prism 10×42 or 8.5x42 mm binoculars.
The Jungle tour

Tropical Rainforest of Sorong

This forest can become a hiking and sightseeing destination for visitors who are waiting for their flight back home or who has just arrived in Sorong city of West Papua.
Hiking and birding tour in this forest can be organized for 1 day or several more days. For day trip, visitors can start the tour at 05.00 and then leave before dark. For multiple day hiking and birding tour, overnights stay in tents in the jungle can be arranged for visitors. Besides watching birds, visitors can see wild flowers, butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, and a lot of unique plants of Papua forest.
If you are interested in birding and hiking in this forest, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Birds in Love

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a species of bird that is beautiful and can be seen in lowland and lower montane forest of West Papua and its surrounding islands. The bird has got white feather with yellow crest above its head. While I was guiding a French couple in Mesirrokow river of Manokwari, I was able to see a loving couple that was sitting close to each other on a branch of a tree just above the river. They saw us but did not fly away when we walked along the riverside below them. When we were already behind them, I stopped, turned around and took some pictures of them.

Birds are very romantic when they are in love. I have seen some of them when I guided visitors on birdwatching tours in several rainforest areas of West Papua.

Golden Myna in Klasow Valley

When I was in Klasow valley, I saw a couple of Golden Myna (Mino anais) kissing or cuddling each other on a branch of a dead tree. I walked slowly trying to hide myself under the cover of shrubs and other green plants. They were not afraid of me when I aimed my camera at them. I was able to make a lot of pictures of them. The one in this blog was my best shot.

Pink-spotted Fruit Dove

Another birds in love couple that I like to present in this post is Pink-spotted Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus perlatus). I saw these birds near the guesthut of Klasow valley. The male and female looked the same. I was guiding some birdwatchers in the lowland forest of Sorong regency at that time. The birds were preparing for a nest because the female bird was carrying eggs. When I returned to the valley again, I could determined the female bird had laid her eggs. I could only hear their sounds. The nest was located in higher branches blocked by leaves and twigs. The bird was also seen at Mesirrokow river - the lowland forest of Manokwari. I was guiding three French tourists. We saw the Pink-spotted Fruit Dove and Lowland Peltop at the same time.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon in lowland forest of Sorong

Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon) lives in lowland and lower montane forest of New Guinea. The feather is mostly brown. Its tail is black with very visible white stripe near its tip. I saw a couple of these birds after watching Lesser Birds of Paradise. I was guiding an Australian couple at that time.

Birding Optics

Watching birds in the forest  is a facinating activity. The birdwatching experience will be greatly enhanced if visitors bring high quality birding devices as binoculars and spotting scopes. I highly recommend Nikon EDG 8×42 mm binoculars and a pair of sturdy Swarovski SLC 10×42 mm binoculars that are suitable for all weather condition. Visitors who go birdwatching without proper birding optics will find their trips only as ordinary sightseeing tours. Written by Charles Roring/ E-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com Whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Palm Cockatoo
Explore the Natural Beauty of West Papua

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

Yellow-billed Kingfisher lives in lowland and lower montane forest of West Papua. Here is a photograph of a couple of the birds that I saw when I was guiding a Chinese lady and an Australian couple in Klasow valley. We spent 5 days exploring the tropical rainforest of Sorong regency in search of Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird and Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise.
Klasow valley is located in Sorong regency and can be reached by a 4WD car.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

During the birdwatching trip in Klasow valley, we also saw Palm Cockatoo, Northern Cassowary, Pinon Imperial Pigeon.
We were very lucky to see the courtship dance of King Bird of Paradise. Actually, it was also the mating season of Yellow-billed Kingfisher. So, we had the opportunities to watch the birds several times. by Charles Roring
Related Posts:
Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher
Azure Kingfisher
Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
Great-billed Kingfisher

Spangled Drongo

This is a picture of a couple of Spangled Drongo that I saw in tropical rainforest of Klasow valley. The valley is located in Sorong regency of West Papua province of Indonesia. The birds can easily be recognized by their forked tails and black feather. They have got red eyes.  They eat insect and small vertebrates. There are several villages in Klasow valley where visitors could stay in for watching birds. Some of them include Klatomok and Klabili villages.  Visitors go there to also watch Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Brahminy Kite, Variable Goshawk, and a lot more.

Spangled Drongo

I also often see the Spangled Drongo when I go birdwatching in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat, and in Lowland Forest of Manokwari.
Also read:
Olive-backed Sunbird
Western Parotia - the ballet dancer
Cockatoos and Parrots in West Papua