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Birding in Tomohon area, Sulawesi, Indonesia (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kate_hugs
- Start date
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
AFAIK, Gunung Mahawu is the place to go. I went in 2008 but missed the Bee-eater there, I don't think a guide is necessary, I just went up on a motorbike and walked back down.
Make sure you visit the 'traditional' market, horrific but interesting.
Thanks a lot for the quick reply @Andy Adcock, good to know it's easy enough on a motorbike!
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
I think I stayed in a place called the 'Happy Flower' in the nearby village of Kakaskasen and the owner organised the bike for me.
dandsblair
David and Sarah
We were on a tour with Birdtour Asia in 2017 but staying at Onong's Resort
Onong’s Mountain Resort would work independently and then get transport to Gunung Mahawu a local guide would obviously help with the owl sites.
This was our first day note
"Early breakfast and I had some nice pancakes and coffee, Sarah an Omelette before we headed off around 4.30 to try for a couple of Owls.
This was much more like it one call, bird calls back, two birds fly in and perched in the flash light is a nice Speckled Boobook, I didn’t get a great photo before we moved the beam and looked at the second bird which no surprise I suppose was a Sulawesi Scops Owl. The Boobook was still around but was now well hidden behind some branches. Still this was nice and easy and we were up the top of Gunung (old volcano) Mahawu, while it was still semi dark; so we took the opportunity to walk to the top of the viewpoint to see the old crater and the other mountains as the sun rose.
There were even a few Sulawesi Cuckoo Doves at the top to tick. After taking a few photos there was time for a few common birds Lemon-bellied and Mountain White-eye, Arctic Warbler, Turquoise Warbling Flycatcher and couple of new birds in Sulphur-bellied Whistler and Black-crowned White-eye before trying for two difficult targets in the forest.
On the walk down we bumped into another birding group who had been in the forest yesterday they told us where they had found a Scaly Kingfisher. So we headed into the forest and crossed the stream to that area. However, there was no Kingfisher calling and after much searching no Scaly Kingfisher found, we did though find a cracking Sulawesi Jungle Flycatcher that I even managed a photo of and we knew that we still had a chance of a Scaly at Gunung Ambang.
On emerging from the forest we did some roadside birding on the way down the hill and added Sulawesi Myzomela, Western Superb Fruit Dove, Citrine Canary Tit, and a couple of fly-over Japanese and Chinese Sparrowhawks and then a Small Sparrowhawk.
Onong’s Mountain Resort would work independently and then get transport to Gunung Mahawu a local guide would obviously help with the owl sites.
This was our first day note
"Early breakfast and I had some nice pancakes and coffee, Sarah an Omelette before we headed off around 4.30 to try for a couple of Owls.
This was much more like it one call, bird calls back, two birds fly in and perched in the flash light is a nice Speckled Boobook, I didn’t get a great photo before we moved the beam and looked at the second bird which no surprise I suppose was a Sulawesi Scops Owl. The Boobook was still around but was now well hidden behind some branches. Still this was nice and easy and we were up the top of Gunung (old volcano) Mahawu, while it was still semi dark; so we took the opportunity to walk to the top of the viewpoint to see the old crater and the other mountains as the sun rose.
There were even a few Sulawesi Cuckoo Doves at the top to tick. After taking a few photos there was time for a few common birds Lemon-bellied and Mountain White-eye, Arctic Warbler, Turquoise Warbling Flycatcher and couple of new birds in Sulphur-bellied Whistler and Black-crowned White-eye before trying for two difficult targets in the forest.
On the walk down we bumped into another birding group who had been in the forest yesterday they told us where they had found a Scaly Kingfisher. So we headed into the forest and crossed the stream to that area. However, there was no Kingfisher calling and after much searching no Scaly Kingfisher found, we did though find a cracking Sulawesi Jungle Flycatcher that I even managed a photo of and we knew that we still had a chance of a Scaly at Gunung Ambang.
On emerging from the forest we did some roadside birding on the way down the hill and added Sulawesi Myzomela, Western Superb Fruit Dove, Citrine Canary Tit, and a couple of fly-over Japanese and Chinese Sparrowhawks and then a Small Sparrowhawk.
Thanks a lot for the information and the notes! I think we'll try to do it ourselves due to the budget so we'll have to keep our fingers crossed for the owls...
