Our guiding trio consisted of Pak Ian the driver, Harleen, the pony-tailed main guide who had come over for a couple of nights to Waisai from Sorong, and Marlon, the local Papuan guide who was the son of the landowner of the mountainside where the 3-storey hide stood. In East Papua as in West Papua, not an inch of land is without its owner who intently guards it against all intrusions. If an unauthorised (in other words, non paying) intruder is caught, it is a hugely serious issue, and legally and tribally the landowner can ask literally any price.
The red BOP (Bird of Paradise) gathered at first light in a noisy mob ( 3 or 4) of males high in the treetops. As the light increased, an amazing hopping, dancing, shaking, vibrating show took place.
The descent in daylight was relatively easy, but we could see why rain would make the track impassable, so we were lucky it hadn't rained for a couple of days.
At the start of the track, a local couple had a lovely forest cabin on the edge of the forest where we had tea and banana fritters. An assortment of kids and puppies milled around. The fruit trees attracted fruit doves and orioles. The owners showed us a beautiful spotted cuscus in a cage. He had been found in town and placed in care with this couple until it could be released into the wild again.
====================================================================
Red Bird of Paradise, Raja Ampat, Waigeo Island, Indonesia, Bird Hide
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comment: