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| that gold-top-monument is the landmark of Jakarta, MONAS |
WELCOME BACK!
Apologize in advance, I did not post anything in months. Here I am, typing the stories I left behind. It is me-time, a day to remember what times brought. This is a throwback from May 15th 2016. I was guiding a friend from Wahington D.C. - his name is Will McPhail. He works at Institute of International Education, sounds cool huh? I think so! This is kind of my reason to be a birding pal: have new friends with unpredictable background. Having them, I know world is not as that so small to be explored. People, place, and chance :)
Picked up Will in his hotel starting the day. Early Sunday morning, I rode my motorcycle to Kuningan where the hotel is. Kuningan was not familiar for me and my motorbike, I needed an extra time to find it. About 10 minutes over schedule. I met Will, a big guy, and he saw me as a small human being (GIRL!) hahaha he seemed like "Oh My God! Is it okay if I am hitchiked?".
Thank God, we arrived safely at our first spot: Taman Margasatwa Ragunan (zoo). Wild birds came with their lovely chirping. Spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis), sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster), yellow-vented bulbul (P. goiavier), plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus), and red-breasted parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) heard. Eurasian tree-sparrow (Passer montanus) appeared so many times. We waited for Darma, my junior in university and birdwatching club. I asked him to join just like I usually do to my juniors, I want they improve their skills - for praticing english at least. Darma came out. The three of us started bird watching in Ragunan.
Ah, fyi, Ragunan zoo has set policy of using card - named Jakcard to entry its area. First, you have to buy that card at the gate. If I am not mistaken, it charges you for 30 thousands rupiah. That card has 20 thousands rupiah as your e-money in it. 1 jakcard can be used for some of you and your friends. When you have no enough e-money in your jakcard, you can recharge it. By this policy, there are no more paper tickets!
The wild birds of Ragunan zoo are not too bad. They are impressive in Will's binocular. The little ones such as scarlet-headed flowerpecker (Dicaeum trochileum), brown-throated sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis), olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) are so common for me but not for Will. He'd like to see them clearly with his own eyes and binocular whenever I told him about their existence. We saw fulvous-breasted woodpecker or the new name is freckle-breasted woodpecker (Dendrocopos analis), sunda pygmy woodpecker (Picoides moluccensis), small minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus), coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus roseus), collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris), blue-eared kingfisher (Alcedo meninting), javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus), barred buttonquail (Turnix suscitator), pied fantail (Rhipidura javanica), black-naped oriole (Oriolus chinensis), javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa), black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and the heard birds before. Except the cuckoo, always only the call. Ah, we heard the javan kingfisher (Halcyon cyanoventris) several times, I saw at a glance it was perching in front of me just about 7 meters apart. Unfotunately, Will did not see it.
By the way, the brown-throated sunbird seems like were making a nest in huryy. They were in a pair. The coppersmith barbet was still in the same bark, the same nesting hole like I watched a day before. Barred buttonquail? There were 3 of them, foraging. Will was the first man who see them among the grass on the ground of mammals' cage. The collared kingfisher was pretending to be shy, it did not show itself first. But finally in the end, it came to us for about 5 meters in front of us. We did not see the cockatoos (wild but released ones) because we were not exploring the ragunan zoo at all. We were in a race against time to beat the 2 other birding spots.
Continuing to the second spot, MONAS. It is a landmark of Jakarta, tower with golden top. The name said it is national monument. Yep, Monas has the green space for wild birds! Located in Central of Jakarta. The sun was burning hahaha we arrived at about 12 PM. After Darma and I praying Dzuhur (1 of 5 praying times for moslem), we started the Monas short birding trip. Will really wanted to see the pink-necked green-pigeon (Treron vernans) and usually there is a big flock of them here. But I did not know why that day, even there is no single one green pigeon! Monas was too silent, birds were too shy. No spotted kestrel (Falco moluccensis) which is usually do soaring in the afternoon, no slender billed crow (Corvus enca) with their noisy and creepy call, there was not any starling (Aplonis panayensis, Acridotheres javanicus, Acridotheres tristis, Gracupica contra) too. I did not know, why? But we got oriental white-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) in a flock.
Heading to the most famous birding spot in Jakarta: Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke (SMMA - Muara Angke Wildlife Sanctuary) at the end of the day. We took a taxi for 3 of us. Sure, Darma and I left our motorcycles at Monas. We arrived at 4 PM. Sunda pygmy woodpecker welcoming us. Then, pink-necked green pigeon appearing with no worry. Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), racket-tailed treepie (Crypsirina temia), striated heron (Butorides striata), white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus), and pied fantail (Rhipidura javanica) continuing the show. Just a quick and short birding at SMMA because of closing hour.
For bonus, we got a new friend! Simon Reynolds, a half blood prince huahahaha - he is English man but his mom is Indonesian. He was alone at that sanctuary and went birding there by his own car, so he gave us a hitch to go home. Thanks Simon! And sure, thanks a bunch to Will McPhail for having me as guide on your birding trip. One day, I will go to Washington hahaha do not know how and when, but see ya!
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| look at that expression of Will in Muara Angke Sanctuary |
Thank God, we arrived safely at our first spot: Taman Margasatwa Ragunan (zoo). Wild birds came with their lovely chirping. Spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis), sooty-headed bulbul (Pycnonotus aurigaster), yellow-vented bulbul (P. goiavier), plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus), and red-breasted parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) heard. Eurasian tree-sparrow (Passer montanus) appeared so many times. We waited for Darma, my junior in university and birdwatching club. I asked him to join just like I usually do to my juniors, I want they improve their skills - for praticing english at least. Darma came out. The three of us started bird watching in Ragunan.
Ah, fyi, Ragunan zoo has set policy of using card - named Jakcard to entry its area. First, you have to buy that card at the gate. If I am not mistaken, it charges you for 30 thousands rupiah. That card has 20 thousands rupiah as your e-money in it. 1 jakcard can be used for some of you and your friends. When you have no enough e-money in your jakcard, you can recharge it. By this policy, there are no more paper tickets!
The wild birds of Ragunan zoo are not too bad. They are impressive in Will's binocular. The little ones such as scarlet-headed flowerpecker (Dicaeum trochileum), brown-throated sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis), olive-backed sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) are so common for me but not for Will. He'd like to see them clearly with his own eyes and binocular whenever I told him about their existence. We saw fulvous-breasted woodpecker or the new name is freckle-breasted woodpecker (Dendrocopos analis), sunda pygmy woodpecker (Picoides moluccensis), small minivet (Pericrocotus cinnamomeus), coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus roseus), collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris), blue-eared kingfisher (Alcedo meninting), javan myna (Acridotheres javanicus), barred buttonquail (Turnix suscitator), pied fantail (Rhipidura javanica), black-naped oriole (Oriolus chinensis), javan pond heron (Ardeola speciosa), black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and the heard birds before. Except the cuckoo, always only the call. Ah, we heard the javan kingfisher (Halcyon cyanoventris) several times, I saw at a glance it was perching in front of me just about 7 meters apart. Unfotunately, Will did not see it.
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| blue-eared kingfisher lemme take its photo |
By the way, the brown-throated sunbird seems like were making a nest in huryy. They were in a pair. The coppersmith barbet was still in the same bark, the same nesting hole like I watched a day before. Barred buttonquail? There were 3 of them, foraging. Will was the first man who see them among the grass on the ground of mammals' cage. The collared kingfisher was pretending to be shy, it did not show itself first. But finally in the end, it came to us for about 5 meters in front of us. We did not see the cockatoos (wild but released ones) because we were not exploring the ragunan zoo at all. We were in a race against time to beat the 2 other birding spots.
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| the coppersmith was curious on us |
Continuing to the second spot, MONAS. It is a landmark of Jakarta, tower with golden top. The name said it is national monument. Yep, Monas has the green space for wild birds! Located in Central of Jakarta. The sun was burning hahaha we arrived at about 12 PM. After Darma and I praying Dzuhur (1 of 5 praying times for moslem), we started the Monas short birding trip. Will really wanted to see the pink-necked green-pigeon (Treron vernans) and usually there is a big flock of them here. But I did not know why that day, even there is no single one green pigeon! Monas was too silent, birds were too shy. No spotted kestrel (Falco moluccensis) which is usually do soaring in the afternoon, no slender billed crow (Corvus enca) with their noisy and creepy call, there was not any starling (Aplonis panayensis, Acridotheres javanicus, Acridotheres tristis, Gracupica contra) too. I did not know, why? But we got oriental white-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus) in a flock.
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| Will watching the white-eye |
Heading to the most famous birding spot in Jakarta: Suaka Margasatwa Muara Angke (SMMA - Muara Angke Wildlife Sanctuary) at the end of the day. We took a taxi for 3 of us. Sure, Darma and I left our motorcycles at Monas. We arrived at 4 PM. Sunda pygmy woodpecker welcoming us. Then, pink-necked green pigeon appearing with no worry. Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), racket-tailed treepie (Crypsirina temia), striated heron (Butorides striata), white-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus), and pied fantail (Rhipidura javanica) continuing the show. Just a quick and short birding at SMMA because of closing hour.
For bonus, we got a new friend! Simon Reynolds, a half blood prince huahahaha - he is English man but his mom is Indonesian. He was alone at that sanctuary and went birding there by his own car, so he gave us a hitch to go home. Thanks Simon! And sure, thanks a bunch to Will McPhail for having me as guide on your birding trip. One day, I will go to Washington hahaha do not know how and when, but see ya!
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| Darma, Will, Simon & I |
great article, love it... wish I can join your trip someday xoxo
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