The object was to see as many of the regional endemics as possible, spending most time in the Cibodas area. I hired a Jakarta-based car hire operator, Himawan Susatra http://www.himawansusastra.com to drive me from Jakarta Airport to Cibodas; from Cibodas to Carita; and from Carita to Jakarta with a stopover at Pulau Dua - for a total cost of about $A380, which was well worthwhile. Himawan will fit in with a birder’s schedule, which included a pick-up at 3.30am at Carita to be at Pulau Dua at first light.
I was at Cibodas from 14 to 18 June, mostly in Gunung Gede Pangrangro National Park. On three days I walked to Air Panas (2150m) or about 500m beyond these hot springs. I spent time at the waterfall and around Blue Lake. The Junction, where the waterfall trail meets the main trail, was a useful reference point for sightings, and most good birds were seen between here and Air Panas. I spent a day at the Cibodas Botanic Gardens, and a morning at the end of the golf course and along the lower trails of the park. I should have spent one more day here and one day less at Carita, but I was keen to escape Freddy’s Homestay in Cibodas, which is handily located for the birds but a bit too rustic for my liking, although host Freddy is a delight and caters well for the quirky needs of birders. Major dips here were the endemic laughingthrush and partridge.
At Carita I stayed at the Sunset View Hotel, an easy walk from the Wisata Huta Reserve behind the beach village. This so-called reserve had a constant stream of villagers walking through it, many with axes, guns and bird-catching equipment. In three mornings I failed to see White-breasted Babbler and fear they have all been captured.
We had no trouble finding Pulau Dua by asking people for directions. This was nice wetland habitat with mangroves, but I dipped on the Javan White-eye.
I stayed at the Hotel Sanno in Jakarta which is conveniently located for the airport and for a visit to Muara Angke, where the boardwalk through the remnant wetland has been repaired but the tower is no longer in use.
[] = heard only. *denotes lifer. common names follow Clements checklist.
Cattle Egret,
Great Egret,
Intermediate Egret,
Little Egret,
Glossy Ibis (Pulau Dua),
Javan Pond-Heron,
Striated Heron,
Grey Heron,
Oriental Darter,
Little Cormorant (Pulau Dua),
White-breasted Waterhen,
Common Moorhen,
*Javan Plover (several around pools at Pulau Dua),
Crested Serpent-Eagle,
Spotted Kestrel (Cibodas golf course),
*Javan Hawk-Eagle (1 seen from far end of Cibodas golf course),
*Javan Owlet (1 called in at Gunung during day; HO5 mark on lower trail),
[Javan Scops-Owl (Gunung; heard at Blue Lake)],
*Sunda Scops-Owl (1 seen well behind Carita),
*Salvador’s Nightjar (Gunung; very close views at Blue Lake),
Large-tailed Nightjar (Carita), Savanna Nightjar (common Pulau Dua),
Javan Frogmouth (1 seen well at Carita; 2 heard at Gunung at HO8 mark lower trail),
[Chesnut-bellied Partridge (Gunung; many heard but none seen)],
*Pink-headed Fruit-Dove (Gunung; 1 seen, many heard between The Junction & Air Panas),
Black-naped Fruit-Dove (1 at Carita), Island Collared-Dove,
Pink-necked Pigeon,
*Yellow-throated Hanging-Parrot (a pair at Cibodas Botanic Gardens),
*Javan Kingfisher (Gunung; 1 at Blue Lake),
*Small Blue Kingfisher (3 at Pulau Dua; 2 at Muara),
Collared Kingfisher,
*Javan Trogon (Gunung; brief views of one above The Junction),
Checker-throated Woodpecker (Gunung), Sunda Woodpecker (Carita & Pulau Dua),
Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker (Pulau Dua & Muara),
Plaintive Cuckoo (1 seen, many heard around Cibodas),
*Sunda Cuckoo (Gunung; 2 below Air Panas, many heard),
*Sunda Coucal (1 seen well from start of boardwalk at Muara),
*Brown-throated Barbet (commonly heard on the Gunung trails and easily seen),
*Flame-fronted (Orange-fronted) Barbet (commonly heard and seen round Cibodas),
*Black-banded Barbet (1 seen, many heard Carita – showed in response to Bornean Mountain Barbet playback),
Blue-eared Barbet (Carita), Coppersmith Barbet (Carita),
*Waterfall Swift (Gunung; 1 above grassy clearing on lower trail),
Cave Swiftlet,
Edible-Nest Swiftlet,
Brown-backed Needletail (Muara),
Grey-rumped Treeswift (Carita),
Banded Pitta (1 seen, many heard behind Carita),
Pacific Swallow,
Red-rumped Swallow (Muara),
Common Iora,
Blue Nuthatch (Gunung),
Velvet-fronted Nutchatch (Carita),
Long-tailed Shrike (Cibodas),
Scarlet Minivet (Carita),
Small Minivet (Carita),
*Sunda Minivet (1 party above The Junction),
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Carita),
*Spotted Crocias (2 parties in Gunung – one at The Junction; one 500m below The Junction),
*Javan Cochoa (Gunung – a female and a male seen separately below Air Panas),
*Sunda (Lesser) Forktail (Gunung - 1 at the waterfall; 1 at Blue Lake),
*Javan Whistling-Thrush (common in Gunung),
[Lesser Shortwing (common in Gunung)],
White-browed Shortwing (Gunung; common below Air Panas),
*Suunda Thrush (Gunung; 1 on lower trail 1km from entrance),
*Chesnut-capped Thrush (1 behind Carita),
*Eye-browed Wren-Babbler (common in Gunung, mainly lower trails),
Large Wren-Babbler (several in Gunung),
Pygmy Wren-Babbler (common in Gunung),
*Crescent-chested Babbler (quite common in Cibodas-Gunung area),
*White-bibbed Babbler (Gunung; several on lower trails),
Chesnut-fronted Shrike-Babbler (Gunung),
White-browed Shrike-Babbler (Gunung),
*Grey-cheeked Tit-Babbler (common behind Carita),
Horsfield’s Babbler (Gunung),
Black-capped Babbler (Carita),
*Sunda (Blue) Robin (seen several times in Gunung at all levels),
*Rufous-tailed Fantail (common in Gunung),
Pied Fantail (Pulau Dua),
Little Pied Flycatcher (Cibodas area),
Indigo Flycatcher (Gunung),
Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Gunung),
Black-winged Shrike-Flycatcher (Cibodas area),
*Javan Fulvetta (common in Gunung),
*Sunda Warbler (common in Gunung),
Mountain Leaf-Warbler (Gunung),
Golden-bellied Gerygone,
Zitting Cisticola,
*Olive-backed Tailorbird (common around Cibodas),
Mountain Tailorbird (Gunung),
Common Tailorbird (Carita),
Ashy Tailorbird (Carita),
Sunda Bush-Warbler (small numbers around Air Panas),
Clamorous Reed-Warbler (Muara),
Plain Prinia (Cibodas),
*Bar-winged Prinia (common around Cibodas and coastal sites),
*Javan Tesia (common in Gunung at all levels),
Yellow-vented Bulbul,
Grey-cheeked Bulbul (Cibodas),
Sooty-headed Bulbul,
*Orange-spotted Bulbul (common in Cibodas-Gunung area),
*Sunda Bulbul (Gunung; a few above The Junction),
Great Tit,
*Pygmy Tit (small parties Cibodas Botanic Gardens & Gunung lower trails),
*White-flanked Sunbird (common in Cibodas-Gunung area),
Ruby-cheeked Sunbird (Carita),
Olive-backed Sunbird,
Brown-throated Sunbird,
*Javan (Scarlet) Sunbird (1 bird behind Carita),
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker,
*Scarlet-headed Flowerpecker (2 at Pulau Dua),
Little Spiderhunter (Carita),
Oriental White-eye (race buxtoni in Gunung and seen at Pulau Dua),
Mountain White-eye (Gunung),
*Javan Grey-throated White-eye (common in Gunung),
Javan Munia (small numbers Cibodas and Carita),
Scaly-breasted Munia,
*White-headed Munia (quite common at Pulau Dua),
*Mountain Serin (Gunung; several between Air Panas & The Junction feeding on white trackside flowers),
*Streaked Weaver (2 at Pulau Dua),
Javan Sparrow (party of 6 at Pulau Dua),
Tree Sparrow.
White-breasted Woodswallow (Muara).
128 species, 44 lifers
Mammals
*Ebony Leaf-Monkey cristatus (common in Gunung),
Long-tailed Macaque,
Common Tree-Shrew (Carita),
*Black-striped Squirrel Callosciurus nigrovittatus (Gunung),
*Lesser Asiatic Yellow Bat Scotophilus kuhlii (Cibodas),
Javan (Small Indian) Mongoose (Cibodas),
*Colugo (Flying Lemur) – a trip highlight was seeing one behind Carita.