Flores August – September 2014, Golo Lusang

There are several areas around the city of Ruteng that have proven to be productive. Danau Ranamese is probably the most famous one, as the rare Flores Scops-owl has been rediscovered here. Golo Lusang is also famous, but mainly for having a nice view and loads of Bare-throated Whistlers singing their air-sacks out at dawn. As the forest at Golo Lusang apparently also hosts the same species as Danau Ranamese, we decided to try this site first, for it is much closer to Ruteng, it lies on a smaller road and people were less afraid of hantu’s at this site. We birded Golo Lusang one morning and one evening and got there by ojek, for which we paid 100.000 IDR per motorcycle.

We got dropped off around 8:00, so quite some time after dawn, but the Bare-throated Whistlers still gave it their best. After some while we managed to find two and got good views of their bright red throats bulging out while they were singing. Walking down and back up the windy road we also got good views of several other interesting species including Scaly-crowned Honeyeater, Russet-backed (Flores) Jungle-flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Warbler, Timor (Flores) Leaf-warbler, White-browed and Thick-billed White-eye. Unfortunately even though the area lies along a smaller road, there is still plenty of honking traffic to be sufficiently annoying.

Male Bare-throated Whistler (Pachycephala nudigula)

White-browed White-eye (Lophozosterops superciliaris)

Flores (Timor) Leaf-warbler (Phylloscopus (presbytes) floris)

Scaly-crowned Honey-eater (Lichmeria lombokia)

Brown-capped Fantail (Rhiphidura diluta)

Around 17:15 we returned to this site and after asking the hantu’s for permission to enter the forest (as is the custom here) walked down the road in search for a proper spot to start owling. While walking down the road we got brief views of a male Little Pied Flycatcher and two perched Dark-backed Imperial Pigeon, but Pygmy Cupwing and the local form of White-browed Shortwing managed to stay out of sight and therefore remained heard-only. As soon as it got dark we gave both Wallace’s and Flores Scops-owl a try, but no response at first. While walking further down the road and trying again and again for both species we eventually got a response from a Flores Scops-owl! We manoeuvred to a good spot and after a while this little owl got very close. The moment we knew where it was sitting and wanted to turn the light on four very kind motorcyclists treated us with a nice, proper honking and the owl bailed… However frustrating, we decided that since it is an endangered species it is probably better if we don’t start the play-back again, here or at another territory. Although we had have some success with the Flores Scops-owl, the Wallace’s Scops-owl remained silent.

Even though the forest here is good as well as the species and the road smaller than the road at Danau Ranamese, the traffic here is still annoying as hell. I think it is better to invest most of your birding time in the Poco Ranaka area, as there it seems the species composition there is similar to Golo Lusang and Danau Ranamese and the traffic there is apparently almost non-existent.