Tour report by Birdquest leader Pete Morris
This tour has, over the last few years, rapidly become one of my personal favourites. It is to a seldom visited region that is packed full of glorious endemics and where, despite the political instability of much of Indonesia, one feels happy and at ease. The people are generally charming and friendly, the food is quite good and the logistics seem to be working well now. On the downside, the people are poor and continue to rape the land of its natural resources. Forest is going at a distressing rate (even within the national parks) and it’s rapidly becoming one of those now or never destinations.
 

This year we once again detoured to Ujung Pandang in the south of the island. This was a change forced upon us initially by the cutback in internal flights last year. However, we have since learnt that the Ujung Pandang area is a productive area in its own right and is now likely to become a permanent fixture of the tour. Our first foray into the field took us to Karaenta Forest near Ujung Pandang. Our main quarry, the endemic Black-ringed White-eye was quickly logged and with a supporting cast that included Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon, Piping Crow, some lemon-faced Sulawesi Dwarf Hornbills, impressive Knobbed Hornbills and a small group of excellent Sulawesi Crested Mynas we retraced our steps to the airport in a content mood.

That afternoon we flew to Palu from where we drove on to Kamarora in Lore Lindu National Park. This is one of the few areas in Sulawesi where there are large and accessible tracts of reasonable (most of it has been selectively logged) forest and it was with excitement and anticipation that we awaited daylight the following morning. Our exploits over four days here took us from the lower altitude forest around Kamarora, to the mid-altitude areas around Dongi Dongi and higher up towards the old logging camp at Anaso. The number of endemics here is always cause for excitement and this year was no exception as we notched up an impressive list of seldom-seen species.

'Sulawesi' Flycatcher

In the lower areas, Rufous-throated Flycatcher showed well again, a Stephan’s Dove put on an amazing performance and a perched Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk was a bonus. Speckled Boobook and Sulawesi Scops Owl both showed well after dark and a pair of Isabelline Bush-hens were watched strolling around the clearing. A dead tree full of Grosbeak Starlings caused amusement and good numbers of White-bellied and Grey-headed Imperial Pigeons showed well. Raptor watching was also productive with great views of Barred Honey-Buzzard and Rufous-bellied and Sulawesi Hawk-Eagles amongst others.

However, it was a small, streaky, Muscicapa flycatcher that gave us the most excitement. On plumage it matches a bird first noted in 1997 (as written up in Forktail - the Oriental Bird Club publication) and presumably constitutes an as yet undescribed species.