10 Nov 2022

10 Nov 22 - Indonesia - Banda Sea Cruise Day 15 - An Afternoon On Kalaotoa

Finally, we were close to Kalaotoa Island.
Local houses on the beach
Osprey: These two Ospreys were enjoying this navigation tower
We were now very used to these beach landings
We saw a reasonable number of species in the scrubby bushes & cultivation on the island. However, we also spend too much time unsuccessfully trying to see our first Temminck's Elegant Pitta of the trip in the dense scrub.
Wilbur & some of the dense scrub
Flores Sea Cuckoo Dove: This is the longa subspecies which occurs on the Flores Sea islands of Kalaotoa & Tanahjampea
Flores Sea Cuckoo Dove: There is another subspecies that occurs in South West Sulawesi & some neighbouring islands
Banda Sea Gerygone: This is the senex subspecies which occurs on the Flores Sea islands of Kalaotoa & Madu. This is also known as Rufous-sided Gerygone
Rusty-breasted Golden Whistler: This is the everetti subspecies which occurs on the Flores Sea islands & the Tukangbesi Islands nearer to Sulawesi
Black-naped Oriole: This is the boneratensis subspecies which occurs on the Flores Sea islands
Olive-backed Sunbird: Male. This is the teysmanni subspecies which occurs on the Flores Sea islands of Kalaotoa, Tanahjampea, Kalao, Bonerate & Madu
Olive-backed Sunbird: Female. The Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago has proposed that the Indonesian subspecies should be split from those subspecies that occur in South East Asia, the Philippines, the Bismarck & the Solomon Islands, but this hasn't been adopted by Clements & the IOC
Osprey: One of the Ospreys had a fly around in the late afternoon
There were several Cashew Nut orchards
This looks like the foul-smelling, but supposedly delicious-tasting Durian fruit
We headed back to the Lady Denok just before the light gave out. There were two final Sulawesi islands to visit on the next day.