After braving the planks in the swamp forest of Nimbokrang, I was ready for something less strenuous the next day.  Fortunately Jamil knew just the place, a small mountain about 40 minutes from town by motorcycle (100,000 rupiahs extra).  It was only me this time, my husband wanted to look around town.  We set out at the crack of dawn and made it up the mountain in time to watch the sunrise.

(Don’t expect Nat Geo style professional photos, the birds were usually far away, in flight and many shots are blurry.  I have not edited them since this is a travel blog and I want you to see the exact conditions you will be taking photos in when you go there).

Sunrise over Nimbokrang from the mountain

The birds didn’t take long to show up.  Although I still had to view them from a distance (attempting to get photos) at least they did fly through open skies a bit more as opposed to dense foliage in trees.  Jamil identified several Brown Lories, Eclectus Parrots, Red-Cheeked Parrots and a solitary Rainbow Lorikeet which I thought was strange as I am used to seeing them in large flocks in Brisbane.  I did have a go at “find the hidden bird” shots, pointing the camera at trees where birds were flitting about, hoping to catch them.  Sometimes I got lucky, sometimes I didn’t!  Brahminy Kites were easier to photograph as they are larger and fly slower.  The highlight of this excursion was a stunning Palm Cockatoo!

Find the hidden bird!

Find the hidden bird!

Brahminy Kite, Nimbokrang

Red-cheeked Parrot, Nimbokrang

Palm Cockatoo, Nimbokrang

Brown Lory

Find the hidden bird!

Find the hidden bird!

Brown Lory, Nimbokrang

Red-cheeked Parrot, Nimbokrang

These next photos are of a pair of Double-eyed Fig Parrots who were perching in a tree on a property belonging to Jamil’s friend.  It was a bit muddy and I didn’t trust myself to get close enough without slipping and scaring them off so I asked Jamil to get some shots for me and he did!

Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Nimbokrang

Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Nimbokrang

Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Nimbokrang

Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Nimbokrang

Double-eyed Fig Parrots, Nimbokrang

Double-eyed Fig Parrot, Nimbokrang

Another Brahminy Kite swooping lazily around.

Brahminy Kite, Nimbokrang

Brahminy Kite, Nimbokrang

These Victoria Crowned Pigeons sometimes come into Jamil’s backyard so that’s why I was lucky enough to get close-ups!

Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Nimbokrang

Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Nimbokrang

Victoria Crowned Pigeon, Nimbokrang

Victoria Crowned Pigeons, Nimbokrang

Jamil knew I was anxious to see Buff-faced Pygmy Parrots.  They sometimes also visit his backyard but not today.  In the afternoon, we staked out a nest hoping they would come back at roosting time but they didn’t.

Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot Nest, Nimbokrang

The next morning, Jamil hopped on his bike and went looking for them.

Pak Jamil, Nimbokrang

He found a pair in a neighbor’s tree and took me down there.  I could see them furtively darting about in the branches but they were so tiny I never did get a clear look………….and they are fast too!  I watched them for a few minutes, then they took off into the distance.   This is the mark of an excellent guide, Jamil took the time to make sure I saw the birds I wanted to see (Birds of Paradise and Parrots) and really cared that I was happy and got to see all the birds possible.  We didn’t get ALL the targeted birds, there were no Pesquet’s Parrots or Salvadori Fig Parrots.  He can’t conjure birds out of thin air (though sometimes it did seem like he could)!   We devoted an afternoon and a morning just to the Buff-faced Pygmy Parrot whereas other birders may have had other priorities and he would have gone elsewhere.

According to Burung Nusuantara, these are the most sought-after birds for a Nimbokrang trip.  The linked page also has links to trip reports by other birders that may be of interest.

Northern Cassowary; Pale-billed Sicklebill; Blue-and-Black Kingfisher; Brown Lory; Twelve-wired Bird-of-Paradise; Shovel-billed Kingfisher; Victoria Crowned Pigeon; King Bird-of-Paradise; Blue Jewel Babbler; Brown-necked Crow; Hook-billed Kingfisher; Vulturine Parrot; Papuan Hawk-owl; Lesser Bird-of-Paradise; Brown-collared Brush-turkey; Greater Black Coucal; Papuan Nightjar; Grey Crow; Black-sided Robin; Lowland Peltops; White-eared Catbird; Wompoo Fruit-Dove; Coroneted Fruit-Dove.

This brought an end to my birding adventure in Nimbokrang.  Jamil called the bemo to pick us up and it was back to Sentani for an overnight stay since we had an early flight to Manokwari the next day.

As I mentioned in the post about getting to Nimbokrang, Pak Jamil is the must-have birding guide in Nimbokrang.  A prime example of the success of eco-tourism, Jamil was formerly a bird trapper who discovered it was much more rewarding to keep the birds in the wild and help tourists see them.  He is a marvel, can identify birds that are barely tiny dots in the sky and knows all bird calls and can name them in English.  You can contact him by text message at +62-852-5433-2796.  Keep it simple, give him the dates first and ask if he can accommodate you in his spare room.  He speaks English reasonably well.  As of March 2013, he charges 500,000 per day for guiding and worth every rupiah!

There are a few other fees to land-owners and the police so budget an extra $50-60 of rupiah.  If you need a motorbike to get to a birding location it’s an extra 100,000 rupiah ($10).

PLANKING NIMBOKRANG STYLE

We arrived in the early afternoon and after a siesta, Jamil took us to the swamp forest outside the village of Nimbokrang.   He wore gumboots and loaned me a pair of boots left behind by a friend as my walking shoes were inadequate for the swampy conditions.  Have a look at the trail!

Planking in Nimbokrang Swamp Forest

Planking in Nimbokrang Swamp Forest

My husband struggles with the slippery planks and takes off his shoes – big mistake!

Jamil strolls through the swamp with the same ease that I stroll though a shopping mall!

I sit on this tree stump trying to capture birds with my camera

Catch up, Ina!

We saw some really amazing birds and Jamil gave me the list once we got back to the house.  Sorry, I am just not agile enough to nail them with that tiny red dot when they fly so fast!  I did try and will post a few pics but there won’t be any Nat Geo quality shots.   We visited the swamp forest twice – in the afternoon on the first day and the early morning on the second day to see the two endemic Birds of Paradise.   I had a problem with my camera after it fell in the mud and I somehow discharged the battery while cleaning it and missed out on getting a good shot of the Twelve-Wired Bird of Paradise who was perched atop a tree for several minutes.  The Lesser Bird of Paradise was more elusive, darting around trees and calling enticingly so we knew he was there but not coming out for a good view.

We saw lots of parrots here but the few pics I took were backlit and I can’t make out the colours well enough to identify them.  Jamil was pointing them out – Brown Lories, Dusky Lories, Black-capped Lories, Red-fronted Lorikeets, Red-flanked Lorikeets and Eclectus Parrots.  Non-parrot birds include:  Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, Black-browed Triller, Streak-headed Munia, Singing Starling, Green-backed Honey-eater, Brahminy Kite, Fawn-breasted Bowerbird, Lesser Black Coucal, Rainbow Bee-eater, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Dollarbird, Helmeted Friarbird, Red-capped Flowerpecker, Yellow-faced Myna, Willy Wagtail, Spangled Drongo, Golden-headed Cisticola and Brown Cuckoo Dove.

Eclectus

Willy Wagtail

Lesser Black Coucal

Golden-headed Cisticola