Wallace's Standardwing

So the final Sulawesi bird post and we have to end it on the whole reason for the trip - the bird Wayne has always wanted to see Wallace's Standardwing a magnificent bird of paradise.  Two trips were made to see this fabulous bird at its lek - always high up and in deep shade its not an easy bird to digiscope! It was originally discovered in 1858 and not seen again for nearly 60 years and only a handful of times up to 1953 and no further sightings until rediscovered in 1983 - it was filmed by David Attenborough in 1986 and broadcast and it was seeing this documentary that stuck in Wayne's mind ever since and inspired this trip.

Odds and sods

Savannah Nightjar

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

Purple-bearded Bee-eater

Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo

Sulawesi Cuckoo Dove

Sulawesi Thrush

Superb Fruit Dove

Umbrella Cockatoo

White-faced Cuckoo Dove

Lilac Kingfisher

Yet another stunning Kingfisher

Believe it or not the individual below is the same bird as above - only difference is lighting!

Sulawesi Goshawk

Sulawesi Hawk-Eagle

Sulawesi - a few more

Rufous-bellied Triller

Sacred Kingfisher

Silver-tipped Imperial Pigeon

Sombre Kingfisher

A blooming big spider

Spot-tailed Sparrowhawk

Purple-bearded Bee-eater

A lot of effort put into seeing this species and we eventually located one at Lore Lindu after a two day search, we also saw one later in the trip at Gunung Ambang

Matinan Flycatcher and Scaly Kingfisher

This flycatcher is restricted to about four locations on the Minahasa Peninsular in N Sulawesi making it rare and difficult species to see.  We managed to get these close views from a protected mountain forest reserve known as Gunung Ambang.

Also seen at Gunung Ambang was this superb Scaly Kingfisher another difficult species to see.