2 days in Java - Gunung Gede Trip Report (1 Viewer)

[TheMcNeills]

On the front end of a work trip to Indonesia, I arrived in Java (Jakarta) prior to the weekend and drove south a few hours to Gunung Gede Pangrangro National Park near Cibodas. The park is 2 to 7 hours south of Jakarta depending on traffic! This park is well known due to its high concentration of Javan endemics on an island ravaged by humanity. I stayed at Freddy’s Guest house. His place is about 1 K from the park gates, so access is great, but it is quite basic. You can rent a room for 100,000 / night $11 AUD, but you need to bring your own Towel, Bog Roll, Soap and a set of your own sheets would not be a bad idea. His wife will cook for you if you like, basic meals such as Nasi this or Mie that for around 3-4 dollars, the will also give you a plastic lunch box to take in the forest too!

The Friday afternoon I spent in the lower part of the forest by myself and managed to see a number of critters and many endemics without ID’s being too difficult. I can however say that this is the first time I have ever been hampered by a field guide. I found A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali: The Greater Sunda Islands by MacKinnon to be very challenging to use. I can be generous and chalk up the drawings being of “non-Javan” forms, but I swear you would think you were discovering new species! White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Javan Trogon and others were so different...anyone who has the book and would like to see some pictures...I will show you what I mean!

The next morning, I did not intend to take a guide into the forest, but Freddy insisted that his Grandson go with me. He told me he is training Ekke to be a bird guide, he is a nice young kid but still needs a lot of training! Those without independent identification skills will end up with a much bigger list than appropriate and even a few species that would be firsts for Java...if you know what I mean. He is in his late teens so time is on his side.
I think after the first few minutes with me pushing back on his Id’s he called up his uncle (Freddy’s son) who was also in the forest guiding a Japanese fellow and the four of us hooked up. That was a blessing as he is an excellent bird guide.
I was foiled from actually camping in the park due to the higher elevation sections being closed to tree falls and bad weather but we made it above “the Junction” on two successive days in search of Javan Trogon and Javan Cochoa. Managed the Cochoa the first day and Trogon the second...nice pics of the trogon too!
We were there on the weekend and the trails were full of Javanese heading up and down to the waterfall, but once we walked onto a spur trail, we had the place mostly to ourselves. Like all forests, you can wander around and hope to stumble into or hear a resident bird, but our guide knew the spots and we spent more than a few hours waiting for the flocks, which inevitably had the target species. Things like being at the boardwalk clearing at 8 for Giant Swiftlet failed the first day, but worked the second!
There is a lot of good info on the web about the trails and areas to see which species so I won’t duplicate that. Anyone interested in more details can contact me off line. Bird species list is below, those with a (J) were seen while waiting for my driver in Jakarta and not in the mountains

See Borneo Thread for end of trip report...

Intermediate Egret (J)
Little Egret (J)
Javan Pond-Heron (J)
Crested Serpent-Eagle
Asian Black Eagle
Changeable Hawk-Eagle
Javan Hawk-Eagle
Spotted Dove (J)
Zebra Dove (J)
Oriental Cuckoo
Salvadori's Nightjar
Waterfall Swift
Edible-nest Swiftlet (J)
Linchi Swiftlet
Javan Trogon
Javan Kingfisher
Mangrove Kingfisher
Fire-tufted Barbet - not shown in Java, good pics as proof!
Flame-fronted Barbet
Crimson-winged Woodpecker
Orange-backed Woodpecker
Pacific Swallow
Gray Wagtail (J)
Sunda Cuckooshrike
Sunda Minivet
Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
Sooty-headed Bulbul
Orange-spotted Bulbul
Gray-cheeked Bearded Bulbul
Sunda Bulbul
Long-tailed Shrike
Lesser Shortwing
White-browed Shortwing
Sunda Whistling-Thrush
Sunda Robin
Sunda Forktail
Javan Cochoa
Horsfield's Babbler
Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler
Pygmy Wren-Babbler
White-bibbed Babbler
Crescent-chested Babbler
White-browed Shrike-Babbler
Chestnut-fronted Shrike-Babbler
Javan Fulvetta
Spotted Crocias
Bar-winged Prinia
Javan Tesia
Mountain Tailorbird
Ashy Tailorbird (J)
Mountain Leaf-Warbler
Sunda Warbler
Indigo Flycatcher
Mugimaki Flycatcher
Snowy-browed Flycatcher
Little Pied Flycatcher
Gray-headed Canary Flycatcher
Rufous-tailed Fantail
Pygmy Tit
Great Tit
Blue Nuthatch
Blood-breasted Flowerpecker
Brown-throated Sunbird (J)
Olive-backed Sunbird (J)
White-flanked Sunbird
Javan Gray-throated White-eye
Ashy Drongo
Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo
White-breasted Woodswallow (J)
Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch
Javan White-bellied Munia (J)
Nutmeg Mannikin (J)
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Cheers,

Roger - SEQ, Samford AU

 

[DMW]

Nice report - Gunung Gede is a fantastic place, and it looks like you did really well.

Fire-tufted Barbet has been recorded from the mountain for several years now, and I understand the population there is considered to be derived from escaped cage birds.

 

[imam]

I can however say that this is the first time I have ever been hampered by a field guide. I found A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Bali: The Greater Sunda Islands by MacKinnon to be very challenging to use. I can be generous and chalk up the drawings being of “non-Javan” forms, but I swear you would think you were discovering new species! White-browed Shrike-Babbler, Javan Trogon and others were so different...anyone who has the book and would like to see some pictures...I will show you what I mean!

In White-browed Shrike-Babbler case, I must say that you were absolutely right. I remembered the first time I saw it (the male), I thought it was a very strange Little Pied Flycatcher because it have yellow spot on its wings and a beaked-bill!

But, because that is the only field guide for the area so far, MacKinnon is still the best...

 

[kurakura]

I love TNGGP, been there several times. There are many skilled birders in West Java - A visit the Birdlife international in Bogor might be fruitfull for a good guide. Or else try Wishnu or Adam from Kukila, although I believe Wishnu is working in Riau now- they might be more expensive, but they are very experienced birders with goood english skills - they both work in conservation so could give good insight that would be difficult to obtain elsewhere.

 

[iraqbabbler]

I'll be in Jakarta next week for 3 or 4 days, and I understand that Pangrango National Park is THE place to visit for Java endemics.

Some questions:

1- I've never been to Indonesia before and I have no interest in driving, what are the transport options in and out of the park, and within the park itself ?.

2- Is Freddy's the only place to stay there ?. It sounds too basic if one has to bring their own sheets and toilet paper, how basic is it ? and are there better alternatives ?

3 - What's the leech situation like ?!

thanks o