While working in Jakarta, Indonesia recently, I spent a weekend at Kebun
Raya Cibodas (Botanical Gardens) and the adjoining Gede/Pangrango National
Park. I left early on Saturday morning by expensive taxi from my Hotel
(about A$50) and about 2 hours later we were at Freddy's Home Stay
(recommended in "Birding Indonesia") just outside the Park Entrance. It
was raining lightly with quite gusty winds. I checked in to Freddy's and
went into the Gardens at about 0845.
I saw no birds except for tree sparrows outside the Gardens for the first
90 minutes. In 4 hours there were a couple of mini-waves and I saw only
Pygmy Tit, beautiful Blue Nuthatch Oriental White-eye, Blood-breasted
Flowerpecker, Little Pied Flycatcher, Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike and
Indigo (or was it Pale Blue) Flycatcher.
It started raining as I walked into the National Park and I gave up when I
reached the little Blue Lake. Sheltered from the rain in the open hut, I
saw Snowy-browed and Rufous-chested Flycatchers. The former had a
moss-covered nest near the hut with a nestling and egg inside.
The following morning it was again windy and raining so that Eddy the
guide, Mike from the UK and I left late at about 0620. We tried hard for
Sunda Forktail in the usual spots without success. Eventually the enormous
number of people crowding into the gardens forced us to call it a day at
about 1130. Other birds seen on Sunday were Collared Kingfisher, Great
Tit, Grey-breasted White-eye, Ashy Drongo, Long-tailed Shrike,
Orange-spotted Bulbul, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Asian Brown Flycatcher, Barn
Swallow and of course Cave Swiftlet.
Eddy claimed that the weather kept the birds away and also that the
economic crisis in Indonesia had forced more people to trap birds. An
Orange-headed Thrush in a cage on the street outside Freddy's said it
all. Eddy did say that the best birding was in August.
I travelled by minibuses, normal bus and taxi back to my hotel in
Jakarta. I had been warned by Mike to ensure the taxi from the bus station
at Kampong Rambutan had a meter. It did but it registered about Rup.
63,000 for what should have been a Rup. 25,000 ride. Be warned.
Regards,
Gil Langfield
Melbourne, Australia
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