An expedition to Buton Island, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

First off let me apologise for the lack of posts since May. I've been a little... preoccupied.

Y'see for two months this summer I got the chance to go to Sulawesi in Indonesia to work as an ornithologist for Operation Wallacea. It was the best thing I've ever done, and here's the story...

I was based on Buton Island, just off the South East coast of mainland Sulawesi, for 8 weeks in a small forest village called Labundobundo - so nice they named it 1 and a half times. We lived with local people, sharing their houses and using the village as a base from which we went to the forest camps. There were forests camps dotted around the island, some close to the village about an hours walk into the forest and others further away. One, at the Northern end of Buton Island, was a 6 hour drive, 1 hour boat trip and 1 hour trek through the forest. So swings and roundabouts really.

Trekking through the forest to one of the camps

Now when I say 1 hour walk, this isn't a walk like "walk" is normally meant. This is a walk in over 30 degrees Celsius heat WITHOUT the sun even out. Add to that the humidity of 100%, the rucksacks filled with enough gear for a 5 night stay on our backs and the "paths" that we were walking through the jungle and you might begin to realise that this wasn't some casual stroll through the forest. It was hard going. After the rains had been down some of the paths were the hardest walking I've ever done anywhere. But the treasures that lay within the forest made it all worthwhile... and then some.


I was there as I had been employed as an ornithologist for Operation Wallacea, and I was working most days over the 8 weeks collecting data through point counts to survey the bird populations of the forest. This data would then be used to try and obtain better protection for the forest reserves and the birds within them. Let me tell you... some of the birds were stunning! One of the most charismatic species there is the Knobbed Hornbill, a bird that isn't found anywhere else on Earth apart from Sulawesi (as with many of the other bird species). Its a huge bird that you could hear most days in the forest, whether that be its barking like call or the sound of their wings as they glided over the forest canopy from tree to tree.

Knobbed Hornbill

The reason that Sulawesi is so important is for the reason that most of the animals there are so special and unique. Sulawesi is on the Wallace Line, an imaginary line that seperates the flora and fauna of the Asian and Australasian continent. On the left hand side of the Wallace line you get typically Asian species; Tigers, Indian Elephants, Orangutans etc. whereas on the right hand side you get Australasian species; Cassowaries, Marsupials and the like. However Sulawesi has a mixture of both, so in the forests you will encounter Macaques (Asian) alongside Bear Cuscus, a marsupial (Australasian). That's why this area is in need of study and protection.

Indonesia as a whole has the second highest rate of deforestation in the world after Brazil and I saw much evidence that designating somewhere as a national park has little effect on logging. That's why the work that the team of scientists that were out there was so important, to make known the value of the area and to try and get better protection for the region.

Perhaps the bird that is highest up any birders list when Sulawesi is mentioned is the Maleo, an endemic member of the Megapode family. The scientists wanted to try and document presence of Maleo on the island as it would add further weight to the protection efforts. After a member of the team had been sent on a week-long trip to document Maleo nesting sites around Buton Island with very little success, a few days after his return a live specimen was brought into the village by a local man who had caught it in a jungle fowl snare. It was found in the forest on the outskirts of the village and some of the locals said, once they knew that was what a Maleo looked like, they occasionally see the bird crossing the forest road. This may mean there is a possibility that there may be a population of this highly endangered endemic species in the local area. Unfortunately I was at a forest camp at the time so was unable to see the Maleo and witness the events that day!

But I did manage to see some fantastic birds. I finished on over 80 species for the trip, which admittedly isn't a large number for such a length of time but that was due to the dense forest vegetation we were working in. I did get some crackers though, birds like the Yellow Billed Malkoha, Sulawesi Crested Myna, Rufous Bellied Eagle and Ornate Lorikeet to name a few with many on my list only being able to be found in that part of the world. I also got Oriental Hobby, which was only ever the second record for the island. I saw some other great wildlife too - Sulawesi Wild Pig, Reticulated Python, Sulawesi Tarsier, Black Macaque, Dwarf Cuscus and a probable King Cobra!

Sulawesi Hawk Eagle

However despite seeing all of these incredible animals, the best part of the experience was the people that I met. It was nice to be able to find like minded people to myself that were so passionate about nature and concerned with trying to preserve it and understand it. It was also a fascinating experience to work so closely with local people - something that I embraced and managed to learn a decent degree of Indonesian!

It's a wonderful place and was a truly remarkable way to spend 2 months of my summer. I very much hope I'll get to return next year.

Mudskipper down in the mangroves

Bala camp nestled in a jungle clearing

A little dude of a tree frog

Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher with small birds syndrome

He was gorgeous though!

The rarely seen Dwarf Cuscus

A Large Hanging Parrot caught by one the the mist netters

Pied Cuckoo Shrike

Sulawesi Serpent Eagle

Reticulated Python

Sat in the canopy, watching dawn break over the forest

Shrike-y mate!

Its exam season.  The final exam season.

The last Becher's Brook size hurdle of my 3 years at university before I find myself spat out into the big wide world and wait for life to smack me round the face. The exams should go OK. That is, all except one.

 Like an academic Leviathan rising out of the exam timetable froth, formed from the most difficult to remember biological processes comes "Animal Developmental Biology", which I sat today. Well when I say "sat" it felt more like I was spending the entire time drowning in a sea of over complicated gene names and desperately fighting against being dragged down by an undercurrent of biological jargon. "Don't let go Jack"? By the end I was ready to take a lung full and let the exam markers have a feeding frenzy over my soul.

I don't get bothered by exams, as you can tell, but this one really was a nightmare and a one way ticket to Failsville. I needed to cheer myself up.

The day before I had seen through Twitter that there were reports of 5 Bee Eaters being seen in Flamborough, and I half had the mind to abandon my revision right then to go off to see them. I thought better of it in the end though and decided that it might just be the perfect cure for a bout of post exam trauma. They ticked all my twitchable bird boxes; 1. Not too far - only about an hour and a half drive from Leeds, and 2. They are absolute little stunners. Plus they are very rarely recorded this far north and particularly not in these numbers.

So today, at 12 midday, I set off to Flamborough. Flamborough and the surrounding area has been a favourite holiday spot of my family for years so it didn't take much time at all to locate where the Bee Eaters had been seen. It was made all the easier by 3 birders standing aimlessly by the side of the road looking wistfully along telegraph wires. The news was as I feared, no sightings since half 11 that morning (it was now about 2ish) and some people had even reported seeing them high up flying out to sea.

This was turning into my first unsuccessful long range (for me) twitch but the sun was shining and there was plenty else to see. Especially when one of the birders told me of a site five minutes down the road where a Red Backed Shrike had been since the day before and showing brilliantly. Sure enough, after being there for only a couple of minutes, it popped up onto a willow where it stayed for five minutes before disappearing off into a thicket from which no one could locate it.

The sun shining on North Landing. Enough to brighten anybodies mood

I had been hoping to get some photos digiscoped from my phone so hung around for about an hour and managed to see a nice Roe Deer as well as talk to a couple of birders. That's the thing about birdwatching, you can easily pass an hour talking to someone you've never met before. There's something very special in that.

My patience was rewarded after I decided to have a walk up to the direction that it was last seen (no one was checking that area so some reason) and it popped up into view where it stayed for a good 15 minutes where I managed to get some decent record shots.

For those that read this blog looking for directions to the site; the small reserve is located on North Marine Road on the road down to North Landing in Flamborough. Its the left turn dead before the Viking Pub signposted Thornwick Bay Caves and Bird Sanctuary. Good luck!

From there I headed to Bempton Cliffs, one of my favourite places in the world, to see the sea bird colony. I got good views of all the regulars; Puffin, Gannet, Razorbill, Fulmar, Guillemot and Kittiwake.

Razorbills - one of my favourites. They look so smart!

Colony of Guillemots enjoying the evening sun

The view down the cliffs

 It was about 5 when I decided to start making my way back and on the way up to the visitor centre was where I got my best wildlife encounter of the day. From the ground to my left a large white bird rose and started flying across the sky with laborious wing beats. My first instinct was a Little Egret, but as soon as I got my binoculars on it there was no mistaking it; a gorgeous Barn Owl. It its talons it clutched some prey it must have hunted in the fields as it slowly floated into the distant haze.

There was only one way to end such an amazing day; fish and chips. Which I duly demolished with haste.

What started out as a pretty terrible day had turned into one of the most enjoyable days I think I've ever had. Just goes to show that you should always get out there, you never know what's waiting for you!

Adding to the list

This post will be fairly picture heavy as I go about recapping various birds that have been added to my year list so far.

Before I get started with bird watching though, I'll start with a lifer bird for me in regards of bird ringing.

Any guesses?

If any of you have managed to guess what they are based on the above pictures then I am remarkably impressed and you may need to consider spending less time knee deep in rivers wading around under bridges. That clue should have really given it away - they are Dipper chicks. 

We'd previously visited them a few days earlier and they were too small to ring but we judged the days and size they would get too accurately and came back when they were more the correct size. Only one had been lost over the 5 days that passed and if a healthy brood of four fledges then it will be judged a pretty good success. Fingers crossed they all make it!

Now, back to the bird watching.

A visit to Lound Gravel Pits a couple of weeks ago turned up the first House Martins of the year as well as Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Oystercatcher and Ruff making it a very worthwhile trip. It was probably a bit early for Turtle Doves (although I didn't really have a good look) but I was able to spot the other specialty of the site that remains present all year round; Red Crested Pochard. I didn't realise until recently that the majority of the UK population are escapes, I just thought they were native but only very localised. As this population is fairly large and present all year round then I assume it must have been founded by captive birds some years ago.

Finally I visited the RSPB's Old Moor a couple of days ago with my grandparents where we decided to take the track that skirts round the edge of the reserve rather than visit the hides as we usually do. It proved a very nice walk and with sightings of two Black Necked Grebe on Bolton Ings, I can't complain at all. After finishing the walk me and my Grandad decided to head into the reserve to do an hours quick blitz to target some new species for the year. We chose to go for the main path on the reserve to aim for Mediterranean Gull and Gargeny over the path that possibly offered Green Sandpiper and Bittern and, although we missed the Gargeny, we were successful in our hunt for the Mediterranean Gull as well as hearing our first Cuckoo of the year.

Can you see it?

There were hundreds of Black Headed Gulls screaming and wheeling round as well as the countless birds nesting on all the islands, making the search for the Med. Gull a needle in a haystack job where the needle is also straw coloured. A site like Old Moor is really a site where telescopes come into their own and after a scan across the colony the Med Gull was located. You can tell the difference as they have a darker head that is black rather than chocolate brown of the Black Headed Gull and the black covers much more of the head on the Med Gull. It's bill is also thicker and a much more vibrant red. Still, a pretty pleasing spot if I do say so myself!

Not a brilliant picture, but you can see the jet black head.

Yellowhammer overload and a migrant bonanza

Spring is in full swing with migrants on the wing that are doing much to lift the spirits in tune with the rising temperature. Bird ringing has been a joy in the past two weeks, with a wide variety of species coming from the scrub land site at Bondhay. In particular its been Yellowhammer that have continued to flood into the feeding station despite the warm weather. The total for the site in March and April are only 16 shy of the overall group average annual totals as we currently stand on 62 for the year.

Interestingly, after finding a Reed Bunting with only one leg the week before, one of the Yellowhammers also appeared to be worse for wear in the limb department with a missing lower leg. The damage seemed to have occurred some time ago as the leg had completely healed (or it may have been born that way) and the bird didn't seem to be too adversely affected. Both birds were missing the lower leg below the joint which is an unusual place for both to sustain traumatic injuries as a coincidence... There may be some kind of limb losing epidemic sweeping across the site!

I managed to bag my first Swallow of the year today as well as hearing my first Whitethroat singing along with a couple of Willow Warblers. There's a Phylloscopus Warbler at the Crags that I've got my eyes on that sings outside the visitor centre with a mixture of Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff song and I wonder whether it could be a hybrid. Its been there for at least two weeks which would make it an early Willow Warbler, but with the way this season is panning out that should come as no surprise!

Finally, here is the earliest Grasshopper Warbler ever caught on Bondhay which was caught today. There population was at an all time low last year, so here's hoping they are on the up this year!