Burung Layang-layang

Burung Layang-layang di Perairan Papua Barat

Saya sering melihat burung layang-layang terbang tinggi di angkasa. Burung ini dikenal juga dengan nama: Lesser Frigatebird (Fregata ariel). Burung ini memiliki bentangan saya lebih dari 1.5 meter. Ketika saya berada di pantai, burung frigate ini biasanya terbang dalam kelompok dengan jumlah 2 hingga lebih dari 10 ekor. Mereka mencari ikan di lautan. Burung ini akan terlihat melayang-layang di atas laut pada ketinggian puluhan meter di udara. Mata mereka yang tajam dengan sigap mencari kumpulan ikan yang sedang berenang di permukaan. Jika mereka telah menemukannya, mereka akan menyambar ikan-ikan tersebut dan menangkapnya dengan paruh mereka yang panjang. Karena jumlah mereka yang banyak, terkadang burung-burung laut lainnya yang berukuran kecil takut mendekat. 

Burung layang-layang ini adalah simbol kebebasan. Mengapa demikian? Karena burung ini bisa terbang tinggi dan pada jarak yang sangat jauh. Mereka sering memanfaatkan tiupan angin sehingga tidak terlalu banyak mengepak sayapnya. Ini adalah cara terbang yang sangat menghemat energi.  

Di kawasan perairan Samudra Pasifik di wilayah utara Manokwari, Tambrauw, serta perairan Raja Ampat, burung Lesser Frigatebird ini mudah dijumpai. Meskipun bukan merupakan target pengamatan yang penting di kalangan wisatawan pengamat burung, ketika kita melihat Lesser Frigatebird di udara, kita akan kagum akan pergerakan mereka di udara.

Wisata Bahari di Raja Ampat

Kepulauan Raja Ampat di Provinsi Papua Barat adalah salah satu destinasi wisata bahari yang terpopuler di Indonesia. Keindahan terumbu karang dan keanekaragaman biota lautnya menurut para ahli adalah yang tertinggi di dunia. Ada ribuan spesies ikan dan hewan laut lainnya yang hidup di perairan Raja Ampat. Oleh karena itu, tidaklah mengherankan jika banyak sekali penikmat wisata bahari dari berbagai negara yang suka ke Raja Ampat. Mereka ke sana untuk berenang, snorkeling dan menyelam. Banyak juga wisatawan domestik yang suka ke sana untuk melihat pemandangan pulau-pulau hijau di perairan berwarna turquoise yang indah sekali.

Wisata Bahari Keliling Raja Ampat

Ada sekitar 610 pulau di kabupaten maritim ini. Jika ditambah dengan gugusan karang yang kecil-kecil maka jumlahnya bisa mencapai lebih dari 1500 buah. 

Untuk melihat keindahan alam bahari Raja Ampat, para pelancong memerlukan perahu motor. Harga sewanya relatif mahal karena bahan bakar harus diambil dari kota Sorong atau Waisai yang jauh sekali jaraknya. Agar biaya wisata ke Raja Ampat lebih murah, kebanyakan wisatawan pergi secara berkelompok dengan jumlah sekitar 8 sampai 10 orang. Ada banyak penginapan sederhana yang tersedia di berbagai pulau di sana seperti Waigeo, Gam, Kri, Mansuar, Batanta, Salawati hingga Misool. Kebanyakan penginapan itu dikelola oleh masyarakat setempat. Ada juga resort dengan kamar yang mewah dibangun di pesisir pantai. Harganya lumayan mahal karena dikelola secara profesional oleh perusahaan-perusahaan milik swasta nasional dan manca negara.

Pulau-pulau Karst di Kepulauan Raja Ampat

Bagaimana ke Raja Ampat

Caranya mudah saja. Pertama-tama Anda berangkat dari kota Anda ke Sorong. Ada penerbangan reguler yang di sediakan oleh maskapai penerbangan milik pemerintah maupun swasta ke kota Sorong seperti Garuda, Sriwijaya, Batik, Nam, Lion Air. Setelah tiba di bandara Domine Eduard Osok, wisatawan perlu ke Pelabuhan Rakyat untuk naik kapal cepat ke Waisai (ibu kota kabupaten Raja Ampat).

Dari Waisai, wisatawan bisa melanjutkan perjalanan ke pulau-pulau sesuai dengan yang diinginkan. Ada banyak sekali pantai, kampung, atau pulau yang bisa dikunjungi. Untuk memotret pemandangan indah, wisatawan bisa ke Pasir Timbul, Wayag, Piaynemo, Laguna Ikan, Arborek serta Teluk Kabui.

Bagi para pelancong yang punya duit lebih, perjalanan ke Misool atau Kofiau juga bisa dilakukan.

Tempat Menginap
Raja Ampat Flow (RAFLOW) Resort yang terletak sekitar 20 menit berkendara dari Pelabuhan Waisai adalah tempat yang bagus sekali untuk menginap. Ada 15 bungalow dan 5 kamar standard tersedia untuk wisatawan yang ingin berlibur di Raja Ampat.
RAFLOW Resort menyediakan pula peralatan snorkeling seperti mask, snorkel, serta pelampung yang bisa dipakai oleh tamu yang ingin menikmati snorkeling. 

Menikmati Keindahan Alam

Para pelancong yang ingin melihat keindahan dunia bawah laut di Raja Ampat bisa menikmati wisata renang snorkeling di kawasan terumbu karang. Harap membawa masker, pipa bernafas (snorkel), serta kaki bebek (fins) sendiri. Sebuah kamera aksi yang kedap air seperti GoPro atau Brica B-Pro5 akan sangat bermanfaat untuk memotret ikan, bintang laut, anemone dan ribuan jenis ikan dan satwa laut lainnya. 

Hutan hujan tropis di Raja Ampat merupakan habitat alami bagi berbagai spesies burung. Ada Kakaktua Raja, Kakaktua Putih, Eclectus Parrot, Raja Udang Paruh Kuning, Raja Udang Pantai dan lain-lain. Untuk menontknnya, wisatawan perlu binocular dan kamera telefoto seperti Nikon P900 dan Nikon P1000. 

Booking

Jika Anda berminat untuk berwisata ke Raja Ampat untuk melihat keindahan alam baharinya dan membutuhkan saya sebagai pemandu wisata. Silahkan menghubungi saya lewat email: peace4wp@gmail.com atau whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Watching New Guinea Vulturine Parrot

Vulturine Parrot

This is the picture of New Guinea Vulturine Parrot (Psittrichas fulgidus) that I saw in Sakofsiah mountain range of West Papua. There were three of them that stayed in the fig tree for quite long. They ate the fruits and took a rest for several hours there. Because of continuous hunting, road construction and conversion of rainforest into monoculture palm oil and cacao plantations, the population of the bird decreases rapidly. IUCN has put the bird into the Status of Vulnerable. A different approach has to be done to preserve the natural habitat of this parrot, other tropical birds and wild animals.

Andaer ridge forest in Vogelkop region of West Papua

Ecotourism is one of the solutions to protect them. Local villagers could work as guides, cooks, and porters when tourists come to their village to watch Vulturine Parrot and other birds.
To watch tropical birds in the forest, visitors need to make some preparation and bring suitable birding devices. A good pair of 10×42 or 12×50 binoculars is needed to see birds and animals. For taking pictures, I highly recommend a bridge camera such as the Nikon P900 or Nikon P1000. Users of D-SLR camera can buy telephoto lens Sigma 150-600 mm or Tamron 150-600mm G2.
Visitors need to fly to Manokwari or Sorong city if they want to go hiking and birdwatching in the forest of Mount Sakofsiah. I suggest that visitors travel in a group of 4 people so that they can share the cost. Birds that can also be seen in the region are Wompoo Fruit Dove, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Mountain Peltop, Long-tailed Buzzard, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, and Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Lesser Birds of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Yellow-faced Myna, Oriental Dollarbird, Blyth's hornbill, and at lot more.
The duration of the tour to Andaer ridge forest should be at least 4 days. If the trip to Mount Sakofsiah is included, we need at least 6 days in total to accomplish the tour.
Bringing raincoat, sleeping bag, and plastic bags to cover camera and other electronic devices in case of raining is highly recommended. When visitors participate in this tour, they have to be physically fit because the trip may involve long walk along mountain ridge and camping in the forest to see more wildlife and birds.
If you are interested in watching Vulturine Parrot, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Olive-backed Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)

I like walking in the morning to see beautiful scenery and watch birds that like to perch on the branches of trees. When I was traveling in Sonder town of Minahasa regency of North Sulawesi, I saw a lot of species of birds. Some of them were small such as the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Scaly-breasted Munia, and Chestnut Munia.

But there was another beautiful bird that attracted my attention. It was the Olive-backed Sunbird (Cynniris jugularis). The male one had yellow bellied feather and blue throat. His wings were olive green. I was standing still in front of my parents' house when I saw it landing on the branch of a Papaya tree to lick the nectar of its flowers.

Sulawesi Scops Owl

Sulawesi Scops Owl

I did a short night birding in the forest of Minahasa a few hours ago. My main target was Sulawesi Scops Owl (Otus manadensis). It was around 18.00 local time when I heard the call of owl. So, I immitated it by making similar call. The bird was calling from the forest in a distance of approximately 50 meters away from me. I was standing at the side of a road. After replying its calls for around 15 minutes, I heard that the calls from the bird were getting closer. There was a small forest at the roadside. The bird was sitting on the lower branch of a tree around 5 meters above the ground.

Pale Blue Monarch

Pale Blue Monarch

Here is the picture of Pale-Blue Monarch (Hypotimis puella) that I saw when I guided several Taiwanese tourists in the rainforest of North Sulawesi. It was around 10.00 morning time. We were about to leave the forest where we were birding in. Suddenly a small blue bird landed on the lower branch of a tree on the right of us. He stayed for a few seconds and then jumped to other branches of another tree. The feather of the bird was blue. It was a beautiful bird. I immediately aimed my camera to the bird and began shooting him several times. In addition to the bird, we also watched other species such as  Great-billed Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Green-backed Kingfisher, White-necked Myna (Streptocitta albicollis), Large-billed Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Malkoha, Grey-cheeked Green Pigeon, Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove, Sunda Teal, Spotted Whistling-Duck, Barred Rail, and etc.
If you are interested in birding in North Sulawesi, and want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: leororing@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Azure Kingfisher in Halmahera

Azure Kingfisher

This morning, I accompanied the Taiwanese tourists on a birding trip to the coastal area of Halmahera island. Our main target was Azure Kingfisher and Beach Kingfisher. We focused our birding activity in the harbor area of Sidangoli across from the old ruins of the former plywood making factory.
There, we saw a couple of Beach Kingfisher, Willie Wagtail, Sunbird, and Plover. After that we moved to the bank of the river that was located across from the lodge where we stayed. There was an elementary school near the place where we enjoyed birding. We were waiting for the Azure Kingfisher when suddenly we heard that there were a lot of school children coming out of the school to meet us.

Farmland in North Sulawesi

Farmland in Minahasa

I was in North Sulawesi last week. I guided some Taiwanese tourists on a birding and wildlife watching tour across Kotamobagu and Minahasa. In Kotamobagu we watched Maleo whereas in Minahasa, we watched Scaly Kingfisher and various other species of birds. We spent several days in Tangkoko to watch monkeys, cuscus possum, and various species of birds.
While traveling in this region, I saw beautiful landscape of farmland both in lowland and in highland areas. For lowland, most of the farmland consisted on ricefield whereas for highland, the slopes were covered by vegetables such as cabbage, carrot, and fruits. This agricultural produce is sold not only to Manado, Tomohon, and Bitung but also to towns and cities in eastern region of Indonesia such as Sorong, Manokwari and Jayapura as well as Ternate, Ambon. North Sulawesi also exports palm sugar to these cities.

Great-billed Kingfisher

Great-billed Kingfisher

This is the picture of Great-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis melanorhyncha) that I saw when in the mangrove forest of North Sulawesi. The bird was bigger than most other kingfishers. I was traveling with 4 Taiwanese tourists in Tangkoko region when we decided to do a trip to a river in North Minahasa to watch the bird. We went there by car. It took around 1 hour to reach the birding site. We had to continue our trip by a motorized boat through a river where mangrove trees and other coastal plants grow on its both sides.

Eruption of Mount Soputan

Mount Soputan

I am now traveling with several tourists from Taiwan on a birding tour across Sulawesi and Halmahera islands. This trip has been an extraordinary adventure for us because we experienced huge earthquake in Palu city of Central Sulawesi and saw the eruption of Mount Soputan in Minahasa.
For me earthquake, tsunami, volcano eruption are processes of nature that have happened millions of years before the introduction of concepts of religions into mankind. These natural phenomenons are not the punishment from God to human being so that they will repent from their sins. People may think that these natural disasters are bad things to ever happen to us. For me, personally, it is the best time to learn, understand, appreciate and respect nature.
Most of the time, it is not easy for us to live in harmony with nature. Men often exploit natural resources irresponsibly. Illegal logging, the use of trawl net at the bottom of the sea, or the excessive use of toxic materials to control pest in farmland are some of the many examples that occur every day.
Visiting Minahasa is an exciting moment for me. I can see mountains, and valleys. I begin to fall in love with this land. I hope that I can return very soon to Minahasa.

Flying Lizard

Celebes Flying Lizard

I am traveling with four Taiwanese tourists in North Sulawesi now. We explore the rainforest of Minahasa peninsula to watch birds and other wild animals that live in tropical rainforest. This morning, I saw Maleo, Ashy Woodpecker, Blue Roller, Hanging Parrot, White-bellied Imperial Pigeon, Pale-Blue Monarch.
Before that, we were traveling in South Sulawesi and Lore Lindu Natuonal Park in Central Sulawesi  where we saw Black-ringed White Eye, Lesser Myza, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Turquoise Flycatcher, Knobbed Hornbill, Pygmy Hornbill, Collared Kingfisher, and a lot more.
I also saw some flying lizards. I like the color of this reptile. So, I took a picture of the lizard. It is a very beautiful animal.
In addition to watching birds, insects and reptiles, I also saw a lot of species of wild flowers. As a tourist guide, I offer birding and wildlife watching tour to visitors who are interested in traveling to North Sulawesi. Please, contact me (Leo Roring) by email to: leororing@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Wild Flowers in the forest of Sulawesi island

Birding in Ramang-Ramang

Ramang-ramang

Ramang-Ramang is the name of a karst area in Maros of South Sulawesi. I went birding with several Taiwanese tourists today. We saw Yellow-billed Malkoha, Sulawesi pygmy woodpecker, Sulawesi Serpent Eagle, and various other interesting birds.
The karst formation is beautiful and also good for sightseeing.

Birding in Sulawesi

Sulawesi Hornbill

I am on a trip now exploring tropical rainforest of Indonesia with several Taiwanese visitors. We are doing birdwatching to find Sulawesi birds. So far, we have seen Black-ringed White Eye, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Red-backed Thrush, Sulawesi Hornbill, Red-knobbed Hornbill, Black Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Sulawesi Babbler, White-necked Myna, Glossy Swift, Uniform Swiftlet, Gray-rump Treewift, Pale Blue Monarch, Sulawesi Hawk Eagle, Hair-crested Drongo.
I hope that we will see more interesting birds as we travel to other regions of Sulawesi. This is also the first time I use a D-SLR camera with a Tamron 150-600mm G2 telephoto lens. Honestly this is my first birding trip with foreign visitors across Sulawesi.

Red-backed Thrush

Sulawesi is a large tropical island located between Asia and Australia Avifauna region. It has got a lot of endemic birds that attract the attention of thousands of birdwatchers from around the world.
After birding in the morning, we continued our exploration of South Sulawesi birds in Patene of Makassar sub-urban area. We left Dalton hotel at 16.00 local time. It was not a forest that we visited but an open area with some trees, and wide grass land. There were big buildings in the vicinity. The first bird that we saw that day was Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris). He was sitting on a branch of a shrub approximately 10 meters from me. Seeing the bird I immediately took out my camera and aimed it at the bird. I pressed my shutter button several times. We saw Lemon-bellied White Eye, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Chestnut Munia, Javan Pond Heron, female Olive-backed Sunbird, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, and various other birds that I can't mention all of them in this post.

A fenale Olive-backed Sunbird

Hundreds of youth from the city were busy with their motorcycle racing near the site where we enjoyed our late afternoon birding walk. Although we were tired, we were satisfied with what we saw. Our clients were having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. I, Idris, and the drivers ate Coto Makassar for our dinner. Now, I am sitting in my room in Dalton hotel writing this post. I hope that our birding adventure tomorrow will be more exciting and interesting. As I see more birds in the coming days, I will update this blog with more stories and pictures. Written by Leo Roring
Also read:

• Great-billed Kingfisher
• Pale Blue Monarch
• Sulawesi Scops Owl

Ikan dan Terumbu Karang

Saya sering melakukan kegiatan snorkeling dan menyelam-bebas (freediving) di kawasan terumbu karang. Ada berbagai spesies ikan yang bisa dilihat di sana. Beberapa di antaranya adalah: Striped Surgeonfish dan Convict Surgeonfish. Ikan ini memiliki ornamen bergaris di tumbuh mereka sehingga menjadikannya menarik.
Untuk melihat ini saya harus berenang agak jauh dari pasir pantai hingga ke kawasan terumbu karang yang berair jernih. Kemudian dengan memakai snorkeling mask, snorkel serta flipper (kaki bebek), saya menyelam bebas ke ke kedalaman 2 sampai 5 meter. Kadang, saya memotret ikan menggunakan kamera bawah air Fujifilm XQ2 atau Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition. Foto-foto tersebut bisa dijadikan sebagai referens jika saya ingin menggambar ikan.

Surgeonfish hidup di terumbu-karang

Oleh karena itu, saya berkeputusan untuk menggambarnya. Saya menggunakan Tablet Samsung Tab A dan aplikasi Autodesk Sketchbook untuk menggambar ikan-ikan tersebut. Agar terlihat lebih menarik, saya menambah beberapa terumbu karang di sekitarnya.
Ada banyak sekali spesies ikan di perairan terumbu karang terutama pada kedalaman antara 1 meter hingga 20 meter. Saya akan mencoba menggambarnya di lain waktu dan menguploadnya di blog ini. Anda bisa melihat berbagai produk cetak yang tersedia dengan berkunjung ke halaman: Dompet Bergambar Ikan

Surgeonfish and Coral Reef

Tonight I upload another drawing again into my Redbubble account. It is the picture of Surgeonfish in the coral reef. I only added another species of fish to the previous illustration. The new fish is Convict Surgeonfish. There are some hard corals and water-plants in the new artwork. So, there are now two fish in the picture, i.e.: Striped-Surgeonfish and Convict Surgeonfish.

Surgeonfish in Coral Reef

I frequently see these fish and hundreds of other species when I guide tourists on sightseeing, and snorkeling tours in Raja Ampat, Tambrauw and Manokwari. To take pictures of the marine life, I bring a small action camera. It is a Brica B-Pro5 Alpha edition. The camera is not for professional underwater photographer. But it is good enough to show how an underwater coral reef environment looks like. I will buy a better camera such as Fujifilm XQ2 and its waterproof housing. I hope it will give higher quality photographs which I could study as my reference for creating more artworks.l
If you are interested in taking a snorkeling, birding, and sightseeing tour with me in West Papua, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

• If you just want to enjoy my artworks, please, support this blog by buying some products in the form of t-shirt, mugs, spiral notebook, or iPhone/ Samsung cases, please, visit my online artshop in Redbubble under this name: Tropical Art

Tourist Attractions in Tambrauw

Marine Tours in Tambrauw regency of Indonesia

Tambrauw is the name of a regency in West Papua province of the Republic of Indonesia. Its local government has declared its territory as conservation regency. As a consequence no mining, logging and other activities that are harmful to the environment will be allowed. To support local economy, local government of Tambrauw support the development and promotion of environmentally friendly tourism.

Tambrauw regency has got a number of interesting attractions which tourists can see while exploring its coastal and mountaineous areas. Some of them are described as follows:

Leatherback turtle was laying eggs

• Turtle watching - There are four species of turtles that land on the beach of Tambrauw to lay eggs. They are the Leatherback Turtles, Green Sea Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles and Olive Ridley turtles.
• Snorkeling and freediving - There are coral reef areas along the beach of Tambrauw, and Pulau Dua where tourists can visit to enjoy swimming, snorkeling and freediving. Visitors need to bring their own snorkeling gear such as mask, snorkel and flippers if they want to see the marine life. A good underwater camera such as Nikon W300 or a D-SLR camera with waterproof housing will be useful for taking pictures of fish, sea star, lionfish, striped surgeonfish, sea urchin, and other marine creatures. There is no scuba dive center in the regency so, I cannot offer diving trips at the moment.
• Fishing - Visitors can also enjoy fishing at the blue sea of the regency. Please, also bring your own fishing gear. Fish such as tuna, or even red snapper can be caught for a delicious lunch or dinner.
• Bat watching - There are a lot of bats in Pulau Dua area, they play important roles in polination of flowers in the forest of New Guinea
• Hiking, Camping, Birding and Wildlife Watching - Most of the territories of Tambrauw is covered by tropical rainforest. It is the natural habitat of hundreds of species of birds including Palm Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra, Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Western-crowned Pigeon, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, as well as coastal birds such as Tern, Sand Piper, and even the migratory bird - the Northern Phalarope. Tourists need to bring their binoculars, spotting scope and camera with telephoto lens to watch and take pictures of the birds. For the purpose of camping in the forest or remote beach, we can provide camping gear.

Local people in Tambrauw with international visitors

How to get there

Please, fly from your country to Indonesia. The capital of this country is Jakarta. After arriving in Jakarta, you could continue your trip by taking a domestic flight to Sorong city. I could meet you at the airport and organize your trip to Tambrauw regency. Airlines such as Garuda, Batik Air, Sriwijaya Air, Lion Air have got regular flights between Jakarta and Sorong city.

Cost
The cost of the tour in Tambrauw regency depends on the number of participants and duration of the trip which visitors have. The tour and its cost is usually customized according to these factors.

Booking

Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:
Snorkeling Raja Ampat 
7 Snorkeling Spots in Raja Ampat

Snorkeling and sightseeing tour in Manokwari

Sunbathing, Swimming and Snorkeling in Manokwari

I have just completed a snorkeling and sightseeing tour for a Dutch family in Manokwari. I guided them to see several parts of the city in the first day and then a tour to Mansinam island in the second day.
The view of the coral reef could be seen easily. I brought my underwater action camera Brica B-Pro5 and some snorkeling gears that I ordered from an online store in China. Their brands were Whale. I was very surprised with the qualities of the products. The masks, snorkels and fins were very good. They were very comfortable on my face, mouth and feet. Whale is a very good brand for snorkeling and diving gear.

I was doing freediving, I could see a lot species of fish such as the Regal Angelfish (Pigoplites diacanthus), Latticed Butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesi), Backlip Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii), Yellowtail Damsel (Neoglyphidodon nigroris), Dash-Dot Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus). There were also grouper, moorish idol, surgeonfish, parrotfish, and anemonefish. I felt as if I was diving in a giant aquarium with thousands of marine creatures around me. My experience of snorkeling and freediving was amazing.

Coral Reef life in Manokwari waters

As a tourist guide, I often organize tours for foreign visitors who come from countries as far as the Netherlands, the United States, Japan, China, Korea, Germany, Switzerland, and India.
I sometimes combine the marine tour with hiking, camping and wildlife watching tour in the rainforest. Visitors who are interested in taking a tour with me should bring their own snorkeling gear, and underwater camera as well as binoculars.
Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Related posts:
Snorkeling in Raja Ampat archipelago
Birdwatching and Snorkeling in Raja Ampat

King Bird of Paradise

King Bird of Paradise

This is the photograph of King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius) that I made in Susnguakti forest of Arfak range. The bird lives in lowland and lower montane forest of New Guinea. There are several sites that visitors can go to watch this bird such as Tambrauw Mountains, Arfak mountains and Sorong ridge forest. Because the size of this bird is quite small, bird watchers need to bring binocular and, if possible, a spotting scope in order to find and watch the bird.
The wings and upper part of the bird are red whereas the underpart is white. I made the picture of this bird while I guided two Dutch tourists on a 3-day/ 2-night hiking, birding and wildlife watching in Susnguakti forest of Manokwari. I used my old camera Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR. The telephoto lens capability of this photographic device allowed me to shoot the bird in the branch of a tree some 10 meters above the ground.
In addition to King Bird of Paradise, visitors who go to this forest can also watch Lesser Birds of Paradise, Common Paradise Kingfisher, Great Cuckoo Dove, Beautiful Fruit Dove, Hooded Butcherbird, Coconut Lorikeet, Spangled Drongo, Rufous-bellied Kookaburra and a lot more.
At nights, we did soome night walks where a local villager immitates the sound of female cuscus possum to attract a male one. We saw the nocturnal animal twice. In addition to birds and possum, we also saw a venomous white snake, ground brown skink, and a bandicoot.
The Susnguakti forest where I saw the King Bird of Paradise is located in the south of Manokwari city. It can be reached by car or motorcycle in approximately one hour ride. There is no guesthouse in the forest, tourists only stay in simple basecamp which was built by local people.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon)

Pinon Imperial Pigeons are in mating season in late March and April. Actually during these months the northern region of West Papua receive high rainfall. However, due to its close position to the equator the sunlight is also good. Small berry fruits are still abundant in Klabolo forest of Sorong regency. They attract a lot of birds to gather in trees to eat the fruits and mate. During my recent birding tour where I guided Tony Lau - a Canadian tourist in Klabolo forest, we saw male Pinon Imperial Pigeons compete one another to mate with their female counterparts. I was able to take some pictures of them including pictures of a female pigeon sitting on her nest in a high tree. Fortunately, my Fujifilm Finepix has got powerful zoom to shoot her. Her nest was quite small compared to the size of her body.

Female Pinon Imperial Pigeon was incubating her eggs

In West Papua, people hunt Pinon Imperial Pigeon for their meat. They are greatly extirpated especially in the forests near big towns or cities. In these areas, town dwellers use air guns to hunt them. Pinon Imperial Pigeons can still be watched in lowland and lower montane forest.
I also saw Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Large Fig Parrot, Coconut Lorikeet, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Moustached Treeswift, Oriental Dollarbird, Black Lory, Magnificent Riflebird, Rainbow Bee-eater, Eclectus Parrot, Orange-bellied Fruit Dove, and even Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise during my 4 days/ 3 nights stay in the forest.
This is my whatsapp number: +6281332245180. You could contact me to book your birding trip in Manokwari and Sorong regency. You could also send email to peace4wp@gmail.com.

Also read:
Pied Imperial Pigeon

Paradise Birds in Klabolo Forest

Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor)

Klabolo is the name of rainforest located in the east of Sorong regency. Several birds of paradise live there including Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus), King Bird of Paradise (Cicinnurus regius), Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleuca), and Glossy Manucode (Manucodia ater).

Last week, I guided Tony Lau - a Canadian tourist to the forest for 4 days/ 3 nights. We explored the forest to watch paradise birds and other tropical birds that are endemic to West Papua lowland region. To watch the Lesser Birds of Paradise (Paradisaea minor), we had to wake up very early in the morning at 04.30. After drinking tea, and eating some bread, we began to wear our hiking shoes. Thirty minutes later we were leaving our guesthut for the birding site of the paradise birds. 

It took around one hour of walking up and down two hills, and along muddy paths to reach trees where paradise birds like to dance for mating. When we arrived at the birding site, we heard the calls of birds of paradise approximately 10 meters high the branches of trees. I brought two pairs of binoculars. I lent one pair to Tony. We spent 3 hours under the tree watching and photographing the birds. 

I used my old camera Fujifilm Finepix HS50EXR to take pictures of the birds. With its telephoto zoom capability of 1,000 millimeters, I could take some good pictures of the paradise birds. Although I was so exhausted with the morning walk, I was very happy to see the yellow paradise birds. 

We also saw other birds such as Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Coconut Lorikeet, Helmetted Friarbird, Moustached Treeswift, Golden Myna, Yellow-faced Myna, and Northern Cassowary. I was fortunate enough to see Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise in a distant using my spotting scope Kinglux 20-60×60. He was sitting for a few seconds on the branch of a tree at the forest edge of the clearing area of the village. 

I provided birding tour to Klabolo forest for everybody who is interested in watching paradise birds as well as other birds in the jungle of Sorong regency.

Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp: +6281332245180 for detailed itinerary and cost.

Olive-backed Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird in Raja Ampat

Olive-backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis) is a small bird that lives in tropical rainforest particularly in lowland and coastal areas. Its yellow underpart often becomes the main physical characteristics that is used by birdwatchers to call him Yellow-bellied Sunbird.

I saw this bird in Manokwari city, Sorong hill forest, Raja Ampat and even as far as Numfor island. His wings have got olive-greenish look. This small but very beautiful bird eats nectar of wild flowers in tropical rainforest. When I was guiding a tourist from India, I saw the sunbird was feeding on nectar of coconut flowers. I immediately turned on my Fujifilm HS50 EXR camera and shot the bird several times.

Olive-backed Sunbird in Sorong forest

My most recent photographs of the bird were made when I went hiking and birdwatching in savanna hills near Sorong city. To watch this small bird, we need a good pair of binoculars that has got such magnification as 10×42 mm. My recommendation will be Swarovski, Nikon, Leica, or Zeiss binoculars. I personally use more affordable alternative - the Visionking 10×42 mm binoculars.

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Sorong city and want to see Olive-backed Sunbird and other tropical birds of West Papua, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by e-mail to: peace4wp@gmail.com or send text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180

Birding Tour in Rainforest near Sorong City

Hiking and Birding

Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus)

This is the picture of Magnificent Riflebird (Ptiloris magnificus) which I saw yesterday in the forest near Sorong city. I also saw Helmeted Friarbird (Philemon buceroides), Yellow-faced Myna (Mino dumontii), Olive-crowned Flowerpecker (Dicaeum pectorale), Coconut Loriket (Trichoglossus haematodus), and a couple of Back Lory (Chalcopsitta atra).

Terrestrial Spathoglottis Orchid

The rainforest was relatively quite far from Sorong city. It took 2 hours ride from the city center. Another alternative site for birdwatching is Sorong ridge forest. It is around 30 minutes ride to reach the starting point for hiking. On the average, visitors need to go hiking for approximately 30 minutes to one hour to see the forest and enjoy birdwatching. Birds are usually active in the mornings and in the afternoons.
Birding Equipment
Visitors who want to enjoy birdwatching in Sorong forest need at least a pair of good binoculars. Most often avid birders carry spotting scope with tripod and adaptor for taking picture using cell phone. I personally use a pair of Visionking 10×42 mm binoculars, a 20-60x60 spotting scope and a Fujifilm HS50EXR binoculars. Experienced birdwatchers use Swarovski, Leica or Nikon ED Lens, Bak4 prism 10×42 or 8.5x42 mm binoculars.
The Jungle tour

Tropical Rainforest of Sorong

This forest can become a hiking and sightseeing destination for visitors who are waiting for their flight back home or who has just arrived in Sorong city of West Papua.
Hiking and birding tour in this forest can be organized for 1 day or several more days. For day trip, visitors can start the tour at 05.00 and then leave before dark. For multiple day hiking and birding tour, overnights stay in tents in the jungle can be arranged for visitors. Besides watching birds, visitors can see wild flowers, butterflies, grasshoppers, beetles, and a lot of unique plants of Papua forest.
If you are interested in birding and hiking in this forest, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or text message to my whatsapp: +6281332245180.

Birds in Love

Sulphur Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita) is a species of bird that is beautiful and can be seen in lowland and lower montane forest of West Papua and its surrounding islands. The bird has got white feather with yellow crest above its head. While I was guiding a French couple in Mesirrokow river of Manokwari, I was able to see a loving couple that was sitting close to each other on a branch of a tree just above the river. They saw us but did not fly away when we walked along the riverside below them. When we were already behind them, I stopped, turned around and took some pictures of them.

Birds are very romantic when they are in love. I have seen some of them when I guided visitors on birdwatching tours in several rainforest areas of West Papua.

Golden Myna in Klasow Valley

When I was in Klasow valley, I saw a couple of Golden Myna (Mino anais) kissing or cuddling each other on a branch of a dead tree. I walked slowly trying to hide myself under the cover of shrubs and other green plants. They were not afraid of me when I aimed my camera at them. I was able to make a lot of pictures of them. The one in this blog was my best shot.

Pink-spotted Fruit Dove

Another birds in love couple that I like to present in this post is Pink-spotted Fruit Dove (Ptilinopus perlatus). I saw these birds near the guesthut of Klasow valley. The male and female looked the same. I was guiding some birdwatchers in the lowland forest of Sorong regency at that time. The birds were preparing for a nest because the female bird was carrying eggs. When I returned to the valley again, I could determined the female bird had laid her eggs. I could only hear their sounds. The nest was located in higher branches blocked by leaves and twigs. The bird was also seen at Mesirrokow river - the lowland forest of Manokwari. I was guiding three French tourists. We saw the Pink-spotted Fruit Dove and Lowland Peltop at the same time.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon in lowland forest of Sorong

Pinon Imperial Pigeon (Ducula pinon) lives in lowland and lower montane forest of New Guinea. The feather is mostly brown. Its tail is black with very visible white stripe near its tip. I saw a couple of these birds after watching Lesser Birds of Paradise. I was guiding an Australian couple at that time.

Birding Optics

Watching birds in the forest  is a facinating activity. The birdwatching experience will be greatly enhanced if visitors bring high quality birding devices as binoculars and spotting scopes. I highly recommend Nikon EDG 8×42 mm binoculars and a pair of sturdy Swarovski SLC 10×42 mm binoculars that are suitable for all weather condition. Visitors who go birdwatching without proper birding optics will find their trips only as ordinary sightseeing tours. Written by Charles Roring/ E-mail: peace4wp@gmail.com Whatsapp: +6281332245180.
Palm Cockatoo
Explore the Natural Beauty of West Papua

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

Yellow-billed Kingfisher lives in lowland and lower montane forest of West Papua. Here is a photograph of a couple of the birds that I saw when I was guiding a Chinese lady and an Australian couple in Klasow valley. We spent 5 days exploring the tropical rainforest of Sorong regency in search of Lesser Birds of Paradise, King Bird of Paradise, Magnificent Riflebird and Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise.
Klasow valley is located in Sorong regency and can be reached by a 4WD car.

Yellow-billed Kingfisher

During the birdwatching trip in Klasow valley, we also saw Palm Cockatoo, Northern Cassowary, Pinon Imperial Pigeon.
We were very lucky to see the courtship dance of King Bird of Paradise. Actually, it was also the mating season of Yellow-billed Kingfisher. So, we had the opportunities to watch the birds several times. by Charles Roring
Related Posts:
Red-breasted Paradise Kingfisher
Azure Kingfisher
Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
Great-billed Kingfisher

Spangled Drongo

This is a picture of a couple of Spangled Drongo that I saw in tropical rainforest of Klasow valley. The valley is located in Sorong regency of West Papua province of Indonesia. The birds can easily be recognized by their forked tails and black feather. They have got red eyes.  They eat insect and small vertebrates. There are several villages in Klasow valley where visitors could stay in for watching birds. Some of them include Klatomok and Klabili villages.  Visitors go there to also watch Yellow-faced Myna, Golden Myna, Pink-spotted Fruit Dove, Pinon Imperial Pigeon, Brahminy Kite, Variable Goshawk, and a lot more.

Spangled Drongo

I also often see the Spangled Drongo when I go birdwatching in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat, and in Lowland Forest of Manokwari.
Also read:
Olive-backed Sunbird
Western Parotia - the ballet dancer
Cockatoos and Parrots in West Papua

Palm Cockatoo from West Papua's Forest

Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) in Waigeo island
Photo: Charles Roring

Here is the picture of Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) that I saw in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. The bird was eating catappa fruits (beach almond) when I shot it using my Fujifilm HS50EXR. It was quite big with black - greyish feather. The red patch on its cheek was very visible under the morning sunlight. This bird is also called Goliath Cockatoo, or Great Black Cockatoo.
In Indonesia, its name is Kakaktua Raja (meaning King Cockatoo). Birdwatchers can see the bird in mainland New Guinea (West Papua and Papua New Guinea), Maluku islands, northern region of Australia, and other tropical islands in the Pacific.

Palm Cockatoo in Waigeo island

The first time I saw Palm Cockatoo in its natural habitat was in Table Mountain of Manokwari. I was guiding three Russian tourists at that time. Later, I saw the bird again in Tambrauw Mountains when I guided two Belgian tourists. I was walking with them under the canopy of the forest when suddenly this goliath looking bird landed on the branch of the tree above our heads. The Belgian tourist quickly pulled his camera out of his backpack, turned it on and aimed it at the bird. He successfuly made some nice pictures of the Goliath Cockatoo. Seconds later, the bird flew away.

Personally, I have taken pictures of Palm Cockatoo in several different forest areas in West Papua. I like the bird because it is different from other birds. It is more independent. Unlike its relatives the Sulphur Crested Cockatoo that like to fly in groups, Palm Cockatoo likes flying solo exploring the lush green of tropical rainforest. Sometimes there are a couple of the birds feeding on fruits in trees.
One day, I was guiding some European birdwatchers in Klasow valley of Sorong regency. We woke up early in the morning to see Twelve-wired Bird of Paradise (Seleucidis melanoleucus). While we were waiting for the Bird of Paradise to come, a Palm Cockatoo landed on the tree trunk where the Twelve-wired BOP like to play. It was staying on that trunk approximately 30 minutes. I had a chance to take a lot of pictures of the birds. Unfortunately, the bird was quite far from us and there was some glare from the rising sun. But it was a very nice moment in my life where I could see Palm Cockatoo for quite long. And the Twelve-wired BOP? He did not come that morning. This was written by Charles Roring
Also read:
Cockatoos and Parrots in West Papua
Birding Walk in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat

Magnificent Bird of Paradise

Magnificent Bird of Paradise
Photo: Charles Roring

Magnificent Birds of Paradise (Diphyllodes magnificus) live in mid-montane forest of New Guinea. This paradise bird can easily be watched in Arfak mountains especially in the mornings and in the afternoons. Physically, a male Magnificent BOP is similar to Wilson's Bird of Paradise (Diphyllodes respublica). The male Magnificent BOP is slightly larger then the Wilson's BOP. He has got mostly yellow and brown feather with dark green underparts. Magnificent BOP has been a favorite tourist attractions in Manokwari for birdwatchers who come from the United Kingdom, the United States as well as a number of Asian and North American countries. For sexualy life, the Magnificent Bird of Paradise is mostly polygamous.
Camping and Wildlife Watching in Susnguakti forest

Hibiscus Merah dan Kupu-kupu

Saya baru saja upload sebuah gambar di Toko Online Alam Lestari di tees.co.id. Gambar tersebut adalah Bunga Hibiscus Merah yang dikenal juga dengan nama Kembang Sepatu dan Kupu-kupu.
Di saat sinar mentari bersinar dengan cerahnya di pagi hari, bunga-bunga liar yang ada di alam mulai menarik serangga untuk datang menghisap madu. Salah satu yang datang ke bunga Hibiscus adalah Kupu-kupu. Ini adalah proses alam yang terjadi setiap hari.
Gambar ini bisa diperoleh dalam berbagai produk seperti kaos wanita seperti pada foto yang tertera di bawah ini. Untuk memesannya, pembaca dipersilahkan untuk klik foto tersebut.

 Hibiscus Merah dan Kupu-kupu

Baik kupu-kupu maupun bunga hibiscus tadi memainkan peranan penting di lingkungan. Oleh karena itu, kita wajib menjaganya.
Gambar di atas, saya buat menggunakan aplikasi Autodesk Sketchbook Pro. Aplikasi ini memungkinkan saya menggambar di mana saja dan kapan saja. Aplikasi Sketchbook agak berbeda dengan software lain yang biasa saya pakai yakni inkscape. Secara teknis, Autodesk Sketchbook berbasis bitmap sedangkan Inkscape berbasis vektor. Seniman memerlukan stylus jika ingin menggambar menggunakan Sketchbook. Proses menggambarnya lebih intuitif dibandingkan dengan Inkscape. Meskipun Inkscape lebih kaku, kualitas gambar yang dicapai sangatlah bagus.
Baca juga
Lukisan Cat Air Bunga Hibiscus
Hibiscus Flower in Watercolour
Flowers in my neighborhood

Surabaya Kota Dagang yang Semakin Hijau

Surabaya

Ini adalah pemandangan jalan raya di kota Surabaya saat dilihat dari lantai 26 Hotel Papilio. Nampak ada banyak pepohonan hijau yang tumbuh. Selama masa pemerintahan ibu Risma, program penghijauan kota nomor dua terbesar di Indonesia tersebut gencar dilaksanakan. Taman-taman kota juga ditambah untuk menghadirkan suasana Surabaya yang ramah terhadap warganya.
Kota Surabaya adalah kota perdagangan yang penting di Indonesia. Berbagai komoditas perkebunan seperti kopra, cengkih, kopi dan kakao yang berasal dari Indonesia Tengah dan Timur dikirim ke kota itu untuk diproses lebih lanjut. Sebaliknya produk manufaktur, mesin dan bahan-bahan konstruksi dikapalkan dari kota ini ke seluruh wilayah di Indonesia.

Jalan-jalan ke Kota Malang

Kota Malang

Malang adalah sebuah kota di Provinsi Jawa Timur. Kota ini berpenduduk hampir 900 ribu orang menurut sensus 2016 yang lalu. Cuaca yang sejuk dengan banyak pepohonan menjadikan kota ini selalu menjadi daerah tujuan wisata bagi warga kota Surabaya dan kota-kota lainnya di Indonesia terutama selama hari-hari libur.
Kota Malang juga memiliki banyak bangunan peninggalan Belanda dengan gaya arsitektur Eropa. Penduduk kota Malang yang berasal dari beragam suku bangsa di Indonesia membuat kota ini sebagai kota multikultur dan layak dikunjungi oleh siapa saja yang ingin berlibur ke sana.

Jalan Raya di sekitar Alun-alun Kota Malang

Ada banyak insitusi pendidikan tinggi di kota ini baik yang milik swasta maupun pemerintah. Beberapa di antaranya adalah: Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Widya Gama, Insitut Teknologi Nasional Malang, STIE Malangkucecwara, Universitas Katolik Widya Karya, dan masih banyak lagi. Oleh karena itu, tidaklah mengerankan jika Malang terkenal juga sebagai kota pendidikan. Biaya hidup di Malang yang relatif terjangkau menjadikan kota ini sebagai daerah tujuan favorit bagi banyak orang-orang muda di Indonesia yang ingin melanjutkan sekolahnya hingga ke perguruan tinggi.
Kota Malang bisa dicapai dengan naik bis ber-AC dari terminal Bungurasih Surabaya, naik kereta api, atau juga naik pesawat.
Nah, jika Anda berencana untuk berlibur, jangan lupa untuk memasukkan kota Malang dalam daftar teratas untuk nama kota yang ingin Anda kunjungi.