BIRDING TRIP: guiding to Mt.Gede!

Om Budi, Me & Zach resting in the track of Mt.Gede

After birding trip in Muara Gembong, Zach, om Budi and I continued birdwatching in the next day. Monday, November 16th 2015, Om Budi drove us to Mt.Gede in early morning. 8 AM we arrived in the land of West Java. remembering what my ecology of tropical rainforest lecture said, quote from foreigner I forgot the name my lecture mentioned, God is smiling when create West Java. Yes, it is a beautiful montainous area with the greatest tropical rainforest. Specifically, Om Budi brought Zach and I to Mt.Gede-Pangrango National Park in Cibodas. This was the first time for Zach, not for me. I have visited Mt.Gede for several times in my Biology study. 

Some Horsfield's Babbler chirping and jumping among the shrubs said hello to us. It was difficult to take their photo, they were hyperactive. Then Little Pied Flycatcher showing off his fat body with eyecatching black and white feathers. Usually, this flycatcher is the easiest bird to watched in the area of Mt.Gede-Pangrango National Park. But at that time the 3 of us birding, we just saw it in about one third of the track. It came with no female near him. The next time we saw it again while we watched the male of White-flanked Sunbird. The metallic greenish-blue capped sunbird with bright red on chin to chest and absolutely has white on its flanks, is endemic to Indonesia. Another bird we saw is Mees's White-eye. It is endemic too, especially endemic to Java and Bali. On our birding trip, there were mixed flock of horsfield's babbler and mees's white-eye in the blue pond. Oh, I forgot, in the beginning we watched Mountain White-eye too at the parking area.  

white-flanked sunbird (my doc)

Trekking continued, we met Javan Tesia. The small with no tail endemic bird of Java! It was too close to me, only in about 1 meter from my shoes. Yes, it came out from the bush. Poor me, I lost the chance to capture it with my lense. Hard to find the focus with my Canon SX50HS. But I was happy to see it soooooo clearly for the first time. Snowy-browed Flycathcer (male and female), Crescent-chested Babbler, Sunda Minivet, Blue Nuthatch  and tailorbirds were on our checked list too. Javan Whistling Thrush showed off its navy colours to us, often on our last minutes birding before heavy rain came. This medium size bird is also endemic to Java.

Although dry season in another part of Indonesia on November 2015, but rainy days still love West Java. The heavy rain stopped us to do birdwatching at Mt.Gede, we were in hurry to get the nearest shelter. Om Budi only brought an umbrella for himself, I wore my raincoat, but there was no cover for Zach. He did not want to wear mine, so I took banana leaf for his accidental umbrella. Hahahaha survival thing!

At the national park gate, I bought him a temporary raincoat made of thin plastic. He wore it to the parking area. Getting wet and cold, we prefer to eat the hot famous instant noodle (Indomie/mie goreng) than another culinary along the street. Heavy rain continued and accompanied us to exit the West Java. When we arrived back to Jakarta, there was no rain. Lol. Night of that Monday, we say goodbye for each other. Sayonara, Zach and Om Budi! Nice to know you both :)

Om Budi & Zach shooting Little Pied Flycatcher

male of Little Pied Flycatcher (my doc)