Sungai Penuh: Sumatra

To be continued.

Mount Kerinci: Sumatra

The 19th October was a long travel day, as we had to fly back to Jakarta & then fly back to Sumatra to Pedang to drive the six hours to Mount Kerinci. It sounds like madness, but the alternative is a three day drive between way Kambas & Mount Kerinci!

Dawn.

Mount Kerinci.

Kerinci is an active volcano!

It is quite a walk even to get to the forest.

The long route to the top!

Sunda Honey Buzzard

Mount Kerinci is yet another of these classic birding locations, holding some scarce & difficult to see mid montane & higher montane species. It is famous for being a difficult place to see birds especially if it rains! Steep slopes & deep mud are common! However on our visit we had dry & very good weather.very lucky indeed! We had two & half days birding here, on one day climbing up to 2,500 m. It was some of the most exciting birding of the whole tour.

Sumatran Frogmouth, male.

Female

Sumatran Trogon

Shiny Whistling Thrush

Sumatran Whistling Thrush

Snowy browed Flycatcher

Schneider's Pitta; young bird.

Lesser Shortwing

Best birds included:

Red billed Partridge; Sumatran Peacock Pheasant; Salvadori's Pheasant; Sunda Cuckoo; Sumatran Frogmouth; Sunda (Collared) Owlet; Sumatran Trogon; Wreathed Hornbill; Grey throated Babbler; Spot necked Babbler; Rusty breasted Wren Babbler; Sumatran Rimator; Eye browed Wren Babbler; Sumatran Cochoa; Large Niltava; Lesser Shortwing; Shiny Whistling Thrush; Sumatran Whistling Thrush & Snowy browed Flycatcher.

Way Kambas: Sumatra

The next day was a travel day as we flew back to Sumatra & drove to Way Kambas. This is a classic Asian birding locality, one I had wanted to visit for a long time. It proved to be an excellent spot & we saw some great birds here. We spent from 17th -18th October here.

My bungalow at The Way Kambas Resort

The dining area of our hotel.

This resort is one of several

covering Indonesia.

The main road through

 the national park.

Malayan crested Fireback Pheasant

A pair.

Red Muntjac

Large Frogmouth

Gould's Frogmouth

Orange backed Woodpecker

White bellied Woodpecker

Red naped Trogon

Rufous collared Kingfisher

Showing the rufous collar!

Boat trip down the river.

The clearing after a ten minute boat ride.

Blue tailed Bee-eater

Red crowned Barbet

Blue eared Kingfisher

Reddish Scops Owl.

Crimson Sunbird

Best birds were:

Red Junglefowl; Malayan Crested Fireback; Cinnamon Headed Green Pigeon; Little Green Pigeon; Green Imperial Pigeon; Black bellied Malkoha; Whiskered Treeswift; Silver Rumped Spinetail; Large Frogmouth; Gould's Frogmouth; Malaysian eared Nightjar; Bat Hawk; White bellied Fish Eagle; Oriental Bay Owl; Reddish Scops Owl; Collared Scops Owl; Red naped Trogon; Red crowned Barbet; Grey & Buff Woodpecker; Orange backed Woodpecker; Rufous Woodpecker; Banded Yellownape; White bellied Woodpecker; Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker; Rufous Collared Kingfisher; Blue eared Kingfisher; Blue throated Bee-eater; Blue rumped Parrot; Blue crowned hanging Parrot; Black & Yellow Broadbill; Dusky Broadbill; Malayan Banded Pitta; Rufous winged Philentoma; Bar bellied Cuckooshrike; Scarlet Minivet; Fiery Minivet; Blyth's Paradise Flycatcher; Tiger Shrike; Rufous crowned Babbler; Sooty capped Babbler; Ferruginous Babbler; Short tailed Babbler; Rufous tailed Shama; Ferruginous Flycatcher; Grey chested Jungle-Flycatcher; Lesser Green Leafbird; Van Hasselt's Sunbird; Crimson Sunbird & Little Spiderhunter.

Oriental Bay Owl

Collared Scops Owl

This was a great stay at a world class eco - destination. The night birding was superb but we failed to spot any of the larger cats!