Lake Dolat: Wetland Birdwatching

Around Labuhanbajo

A marshly lake and buffalo wallow (approximately 6 km to the south of Labuhanbajo) attracts migratory waterfowl in the northern winter (oct-Mar). at the height of the dry season (Jul-Sep) egrets and whistling ducks from surrounding areas concentrate at this rare area of fresh water.

Getting there

Few people in Labuhanbajo know where Lake Dolat is; an added confusion is that villagers along the way seem to know several areas as “Dolat”. To be sure of getting there, take a guide from the National Park office. Alo Sahu knows the area and is a keen birder, but for 3 weeks every month he is based on Komodo.

Finding your own way there is a nice adventure and you will see plenty of open country birds Black-winged Kites, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Singing Bush-larks and the like, along the way.

There are two ways of getting there. One is to charter a boat to take you down the coast to Nonganipa (about 30 min/$20 charter) and then walk inland asking along the way for Dolat. The locals do not consider it to be a lake, so your best bet is to ask for Rawa (swamp) Dolat or lahan basah (wetland) Dolat. The other option is to approach it by land. Take any bemos in the direction of Ruteng and ask to be dropped at Cabang (branch0 ke kampong Nanganai, which is 5 km out of town. 

There’s chicken farm on the right at the right place. Take the trail behind this farm over a small rise, then down through a bamboo grove to an area of paddies. Walk direcly across the paddies for about 2 km until you come to a river with a village on the opposite bank. Wade the river then go through the village and carry on for about 3 km, asking at every opportunity for directins. It is best to head off in the early morning, take lunch and plenty of water, and approach it as a pleasant stroll which with luck will arrive at Lake Dolat.

Labuhanbajo: Place for savana birdwatchers

Labuhanbajo

The little coastal town of Labuhanbajo is the main entry point to Flores for those traveling from Komodo or islands to the west.

Getting there

Daily ferries from Sape, Sumbawa, which stop at Komodo, arrive in the late afternoon. Hotel/losmen representatives meet the ferry, so simply walk to the Losmen of your choice or the whisked to the oout-of-town seaside hotels by boat. If you arrive by bus from Ruteng, you can be dropped where you want.

The Pelni ships Binaiya, Tatamilau and tilongkabila each stop in at Labuhanbao a total of 4 times each month on their respective 2-week routes.

The airport is a couple of kilometers out of town, $4 charter, 80 cent for a collective minibus. At present there are 6 flights a week to Labuhanbajo on the Kupang to Bima route; however the service is unreliable and often overbooked. Do not rely on getting a flight out: an “Ok” ticket booked outside Labuhanbajo has no meaning.

Accommodation/dining

Most places are geared to the low end of the budget travel market and are situated along the shore, a short walk from the harbour, though there are a few better quality hotels.

Transport

Ferry office at the harbour at the north end of Jl Soekarno, Impossible to miss.Bus Local buses run up and down the main street. Your losmen will call one for you. Buses to Ruteng run 3 times daily ($4, 4-5 hrs0. Charter minibus to Ruteng, $50-75, night buses direct to Ende, $7, 15 hrs. Long-distance bus several bus companies offer service to and from destinations to the west.

General information

Tourist Office Jl eltari

PHPA office Komodo National Park information centre, Labuhanbajo, Flores Barat, 86554 Labuhanbajo

Post Office Jl Soekarno

Foreign exchange is not available in Labuhanbajo. Remember to stock up on malaria tablets as they are essential in this region; it is also advisable to carry a net.

Trans-Flores Highway: Birdwatching way

The trans-flores highway winds some 700 km through the scenic mountains of the island,, from Labuhanbajo in the west, to Larantuka on the island’s eastern tip. Most of the road is paved, and it passes through all 5 of Flores’s district capitals.

Labuhanbajo-Ruteng (126 km) 4 hrs

Ruteng-Bajawa (130 km) 4 hrs

Bajawa-Ende (126 km) 4 hrs

Ende-Moni (Keli Mutu) (52 km) 1,5 hrs

Moni-Maumere (96 km) 3 hrs

Maumere-Larantuka (137 km) 4 hrs

Transport

Public buses-cheap, reliable, and crowded-shuttle continuously back and forth along the highway. Most of the buses run during the day, although there area a few night expresses. No single bus makes the entire run; usually they are based in one district capital and just run to the next and back.

Chartering your own vehicle costs $40-60/day but allows you plenty of flexibility-essential for birding! Side-trips depend on the type of vehicle and the state of the roads. Check the state of the vehicle very carefully; many bemos are not fit for the out-of-town roads, nor are all the drivers competent. Remember that map distances often have little relevance to travel time.

Birdwatching in Nusa Tenggara: Komodo National Park

Komodo

Komodo is a beautiful island that offers great birding, as well as a chance to see the famous komodo “dragons”.

Komodo National Park

The komodo National Park, world famous as the home of the world’s largest lizard, covers the 335 km by 15 km Komodo island and its slightly smaller neighbour, Rinca, as well as many smaller islands in between. The dry, lontar palm-studied landscapes set in sparkling blue seas create a delightful birdwatching setting. As well as Komodo Dragons and birds, there are fruit-bat roost in the mangroves and some good snorkeling.

Key species

Key species one of the last strongholds of yellow-crested Cockatoo; Orange-footed Scrubfowl are easy to see. Other notable species are ; Great-billed Heron, Green Junglefowl, Beach Thick-knee, Green and Pied Imperial Pigeon, Nicobar Pigeon, Wallacean Cuckoo-shrike.

Other wildlife

Komodo dragons, fruit bats in the mangroves at Pulau Kalong, superb corals at Pantai Merah. Feral horses, buffalo, and wild boar. Flying Fox roost, Green turtles, sharks and dolphins in surrounding seas.

Getting there

Reach Komodo by daily ferry from either Sape on Sumbawa (departs 8.00 am, 6 hrs, $5) or Labuhanbajo on Flores (departs 8.00 am, 4 hrs, $3). Transfer from ferry to shore by small boat ($2). You can also charter a boat from aither of these ports: the longer and more dangerous trip from sape cost $175-350 depending on the type and condition of the boat: from Labuhanbajo aim to pay $50-100.

Komodo’s sister island, Rinca (which also has “dragons”), is reached by chartered boat from Labuhanbajo. Many hotels and travel agencies offer a day-trip pckage for $35 on a small fishing boat that can carry 8-10 people. The crossing takes 2 hrs.

Accommodation/dining

On Komodo the National Park Headquarters at Loh Liang is the only accommodation on the island. Although it has 80 beds in shared cabins, in the peak season (June-August) it is often overcrowded and you may have to sleep on the floor. A canteen serves simple Indonesia meals and drinks.

A Rinca the National Park has similar accommodation (8 rms only) and a canteen at Loh Bay.

General Information

The best time to visit is from Mar-May and Sep-Dec. the park entrance fee is IDR 4,000. guides are compulsory for excusions. From Loh Liang to Banu Nggulung the cost is IDR 5,000. expect to pay $8-12 for larger trips.

Birdwatching in Nusa Tenggara: Lombok Island

Birdwatching in Nusa Tenggara

Lombok

A great place for relaxing, enjoying the beaches and visiting temples and villages Lombok has become Indonesia’s new “in” tourist destination. Apart from on the slopes of Mt Rinjani, little natural vegetation remains and the island’s bird fauna is very impoverished compared to that of its neighbours. There is good trekking and pleasant mountain birding in Rinjani National Park and this is well covered in all guides to the island.

Sapit

On the mountain’s eastern slopes, this pleasant area of forest (some degraded) mixed with shifting agriculture, is the island’s only birding area.

Key species

Chinese Goshawk, Black-naped Fruit-dove, White-shouldered Triller, Scaly-crowned Honeyeater, Lesser Shortwing, Mountain Leaaf-warbler, Short-tailed Starling.

General information

From Sapit a road leads uphill for 7 km to the start of the Air Panas (“hot spring”) trail. The nicest thing to do is to charter a vehicle up ($3-6) and walk back, descending through degraded forest after 1-2 km. the sacred hot springs at air panas are surrounded by good primary forest through which there is a level trail.

Banyuwedang

Located 5 km west of Labuhan Lalang on the north coast road, this is a popular Hindu shrine and hot spring located 1 km down a side road. Trails lead out beyond the shrine to the coast, crossing dry river beds and passing through scrub. It is one of the best places to see Island Collared Dove, Small Minivet, Black-winged Starling and Java Sparrow.

Blimbing Sari to Labuhan Lalang Trek

Blimbing Sari to Labuhan lalang Trek

This rigorous, 7-8 hr trek can be arranged with the park guides. An early morning bemo charter takes you round to the microwave station on Mt Klatakan, near blimbing Sari village, 5 km inland from Melaya on the Denpasar road. This is a good place to see hill Myna. Rufous-bellied and black eagles and Chestnut-headed Bee-eater. The trail crosses two ridges (610 and 550 m) and then drops down a valley to labuhan lalang. Good chance of Wreathed Hornbill. A guide is essential and they ask $25 for this excursion.

Labuhan Lalang

Labuhan Lalang is the main focus for park visitors as from here they can take a boat across for the snorkeling around Menjangan Island. Fixed-price boat charter is $30 for about 4 hrs, but you can probably arrange to share a 10-seater boat with other tourists. Snorkel and mask hire is $7.

The park staff also offer guided birding walks on the mainland for $7. the pleasant, 2 hr walk takes you southwest along the shore through the back of the Jayaprana temple. Beyond the temple it drops down through scrubby forest to a river and then follows the river back to the road near Sumber Klampok. Birds to see are Buffy Fish owl, Fulvous-chested Rhinomyias and Horsfield’s Babbler. This is the place to look for migrating raptors.

Sumber Klampok

The village of sumber klampok is located mid-way between Cekik (Gilimanuk) and Labuhan Lalang. A track (with barrier) on the north side of the road leads 1,5 km through fields to the National Park research centre and captive breeding centre. The bushes around the complex are full of birds. Look for Green Junglefowl, Orange-breasted Green Pigeon, Racquet-tailed Treepie, Laced Woodpecker and Banded Pitta. In April-May and September-October migrant Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Arctic Warbler and Oriental Cuckoo.

Gilimanuk Bay : Good place for Birdwatching

Gilimanuk Bay

A trail running northwest along the shore from Losman Nusantara II leads after 200 m to a dry bay covered with stunted mangroves, cross the bay to a grassy peninsula. From September to November this is a good place for oriental plover and the inlet on the other side has waders in small numbers, among which are Great Knot and Grey-tailed Tattler. Along the walk look out for savanna Nightjar, Black winged Starling, Richard’s Pipit and Asian Pied Starling

Birdwatching in Banyuwedang: Watch A Beautifull Bali starling

Banyuwedang.

General Information

The national Park office is at Cekik, 4 km from Gilimanuk and directly opposite the junction of the Gilimanuk-Denpasar and north coast roads. A permit to enter the park costs IDR 6,000, and is available from both here and at Labuhan lalang. An excellent guide is I Nyoman Lodiarta,, a keen birder who speaks some English.

Seeing the Bali Starling

The last few birds are concentrated around the Teluk kabar guard post on the north shore of the Parapat Agung Peninsula. The best way to see them is to overlook their roosting area and watch them fly in at dusk. Access to this area is restricted and officially a letter of permission is required from PHPA in Jakarta (very difficult to obtain), but ask at the National Park HQ or Labuhan Lalang about the possibility of seeing the birds.

Wildlife in Bali Barat National Park and How to Get There

Other wildlife

There is fabulous snorkeling and diving off the coast of the national park and from nearly pulau Menjangan. Hundreds of species of coral and a good variety of reef fish.

Getting there and around

The park is 3 hrs by road from Denpasar and 2,5 hrs from Levina. A charter from kuta, Ubud or Levina to the park will cost IDR 6,000. There are numerous buses from Levina and Ubung bus station, Denpasar, to Gilimanuk, the ferry head on Bali for east Java.

Bemo and horse-drawn carts ply the 1 km between Gilimanuk bus terminal and the harbour (IDR 2,000/4,000). There are plenty of public minibuses or ojek to ferry you along the road to the birding sites at Sumber Klampok, Labuhan lalang

Bali Barat National Park Bird Key Species

Key species

Lesser adjutant, Great-billed Heron, Malaysian Plover, Java sparrow, Black-winged Starling, White-shouldered Triller. During the migration season shorebirds such as oriental Plover and Occasionally Great Knot; thousands of honey-buzzards and sparrow-hawks cross from East java in the first two weeks of October.

taken from: Birding Bali. Periplus Publishing. Singapore

Bali Barat National Park

The 17,500 ha Bali Barat National Park lies on the far western tip of Bali. Along the northern coast it protects the last areas of dry forest on the island, home of the remaining wild population of Bali starling, which numbers just 35. the rest of the park has wetter forest. The park’s main tourist attraction is the excellent wall of reefs around menjangan island. For birders the park is poorly served with trails, nevertheless the area offers an excellent mix of habitats, muddy shores, mangroves, dry forest and scrub, with wetter forests on the east of the north coast road, which bisect the park.

taken from: Birding Indonesia. Periplus Publishing. Singapore

Bedugul

General Information

Bemos and buses from marketplace or lakeside, IDR 3,000 to singaraja, IDR 6,000 to Gilimanuk. Boat rides on lake Braten, $5-8 per har. To see waterfowl on Lake buyan: 2 km along south boundary road, stop near school, walk to lakeside on grassy track.

source: birding indonesia. periplus publishing. singapore