Birding Trip to Mt Mahawu & Tangkoko 2023-02-18 to 2023-02-25

 

Birdhouse Homestay Tangkoko

Jalan Rata, Kelurahan Batuputih Bawah, Kecamatan Ranowulu Bitung, North Sulawesi, Indonesia 95535

Phone +62 852-5593-4785

Email : irawanhalir@gmail.com

Tour Itinerary

Prepared for : Ng Yeow Ming Vincent

                       Steven Heng

                        Wong Weng Fai

Start Date : 18th February 2023, End Date : 25th February 2023

This is the itinerary and the budget for the tour in Tangkoko, Tomohon an Tambun nesting ground for 8D/7N.

Itinerary:

Day 1: 2023-02-18

Airport-Tomohon (1 hour drive) we will photograph Sulawesi Pitta.

Accomodations

Mountain View Resort & Spa, Tomohon

Jalan Kali - Qnilow, Lingkungan VI, Kinilow, Tomohon Utara, Tomohon City, North Sulawesi 95362, Indonesia

Tel :  +62 431 3158666

Day 2: 

Tomohon for Scaly-breasted kingfisher and Sulawesi Pitta.

Lunch

Gardenia Country Inn 

Jl. Kawiley, Kakaskasen Dua, Kec. Tomohon Utara, Kota Tomohon, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia

Tel : +62 823-9524-0659

Accommodations: 

Mountain View Resort & Spa, Tomohon

Jalan Kali - Qnilow, Lingkungan VI, Kinilow, Tomohon Utara, Tomohon City, North Sulawesi 95362, Indonesia

Tel :  +62 431 3158666

Day 3:

We will use Half day Birding for another species such as: Sulawesi blue  flycatcher, black crown white eye, Sulawesi woodpecker, Yellow-sided flowerpecker, grey saided flowerpecker,etc and then Go directly to Kotamobagu (4-5  hours drive)

Stay at the Hotel - 

Hotel Sutanraja Kotamobagu

Jl. Siliwangi, Kobo Besar, Kec. Kotamobagu Tim., Kota Kotamobagu, Sulawesi Utara 95716, Indonesia•+62 434 2621888

Day 4:

We will weak up early around 4am and From the hotel in Kotamobagu drive for 1,5 hours to Tambun (Maleo site). When we finish with Maleo, we will have lunch and Go directly to Tangkoko (6-7  hours drive) stay at Birdhouse Homestay Tangkoko.

Day 5 and Day 6:

In Tangkoko, we will have breakfast at 5, after breakfast, we will go to the jungle to photograph such as: Green backed kingfisher,   Lilac cheek kingfisher, Sulawesi dwarf kingfisher, Ashy woodpecker, Purple winged roller, yellow billed malkoha, pale blue Monarch, Ruddy kingfisher, etc.

Accommodations:

Birdhouse Homestay Tangkoko.

Day 7:

In the morning, we will go to the over fiew of Tangkoko to photograph some canopy bird such as: Sulawesi hawk eagle, Sulawesi triller, White neck myna, finch billed myna, Sulawesi crested myna, Azure rump perrot, Yellow breasted rackettail,etc.

Around 2pm, we will go by boat in search Great-billed Kingfisher.

Accommodations:

Birdhouse Homestay Tangkoko.

Day 8:

If we still have enough time, we will check again at the view point or try to spotted the bird where we miss it on the day 5 an Day 6.

After that, drop you to the Airport.

Price:

USD 1375/person 

Price include:

-accomodation with single room each.

-Meals (B,L,D)

-Transport

-1 time boat trip in Tangkoko

-entrance fee 

-guide fee

Not include:

-personal expenses 

-laundry 

-alcoholic

Feb 14th 2023 - a new tiered ARF system.

 The account below is pure fiction.

From all the easy money that I made from the crypto fiasco, I have chosen to stay put in my 5-rm HDB flat and have put a deposit down for my dream car instead - a Ferrari F8 Spyder. I was a little upset last year when the taxman in Singapore decided to revise the tiered ARF in Budget 2022. I took it in my stride as the increase was just a bit more. Then I took a hit in Crypto and because I was smart, I was able to cut my losses early and did not really suffer big losses. My budget for my spanking new Ferrari F8 Spyder is still there and is earning good interest in government bonds. My F8 Spyder finally got allocated and will arrive in March, with delivery in 2023 April. To play a little prank on myself, I was planning to register the car on 1st of April 2023 and I have successful secure the number plate SXX14X as well ! After I secure my hopeful $105k COE next round, I will be all SET !

My dear future DPM gave me the best Valentine's Day present today. When I heard his speech, the first thing I did was to check what was the average OMV of my spanking new F8 Spyder. LTA's website told me $321,631. I punched into my excel sheet and almost fainted. The increase in ARF is going to be $267,631 !!

And to make matters worse, he has also decided to limit PARF of my car at the end of 10 years to $60,000. It was previously 50% of ARF paid.

2023-02-12 4 species of Tailorbird in 1 destination

 

It is a Sunday morning, it was supposed to be beautiful, but the weather chose let the sky pour instead.  While everyone were still in bed, I was up and about, raring to go.  So I went about my usual morning routine - sip my coffee and eat my breakfast.

A Dove that is threatening to drive us KuKu - Oriental Turtle Dove

 I was quite astonished when the Oriental Turtle Dove was added to the Singapore List.  It was a single record from Sister's Island. 

An adult of the nominate subspecies orientalis recorded on Sisters’ Island during an island survey by Camphora Pte Ltd on 28 Nov 2018 for SDC. This was the first record for Singapore.

Then in 11th Jan 2023, at Rower's Bay, somebody shot one with his Handphone.  Arsehole said he shot Sunday 8th Jan 2023.

He said he shot near the toilet while waiting for the Osprey to appear.

The news came on 4th Feb 2023, 1 bird spotted at Lim Chu Kang Lane 3.  A twitch by a fairly large group on 5th Feb 2023 yielded nothing but a confiding Rusty Breasted Cuckoo.  I went again in the evening.  Met the guy who got the shot - he said it was raining when he spotted the bird.  Bird stayed for more than half and hour before flying off in the direction of Lim Chu Kang Lane 2.  It was a northerly direction towards Johor, Malaysia.  Was this the same bird that was spotted at Rower's Bay in January.

It is another lifer that has eluded many.

Comments - COE Quota and Trends 2023

You can say anything you want, but if you want to be saying anything near relevant, you need to have facts to back up what you are saying.

As a background reference, it is always interesting to note the history of PQP paids cars on the road.

In 2022, 2017 cars with 5-year PQP paid will need to be de-registered.

Cat A - 13643, Cat B - 8104, Total = 21,747

In 2023, 2018 cars with 5 year PQP paid will need to be de-registered.

Cat A - 14781, Cat B - 6893, Total = 21674

To note - in the couse of its 5 years PQP life, the cars could have already been de-registered due to damage or some other reasons.

POTENTIAL DE-REGISTRATIONS INDICATES QUOTA SIZE

Then it is fundamentally necessary to look at the car population by age on the last day of 2022 and 2021.

At the end of 2020, there were 18677 vehicle reaching the end of its 1st COE life.

At the end of 2021, market size was Cat A 19,357, Cat B 25,879, total 45236

At the end of 2021, there were 13290 vehicles reaching the end of it 1st COE life, 10991 vehicles could have renewed its COE in 2021 to start its 2nd COE life.

COE renewal ratio was 10991/18677 = 58%, 7686 vehicles were de-registered because it reached the end of its 10-year COE lifespan.

As noted, in 2022, 2017 cars with 5-year PQP paid will need to be de-registered. Cat A - 13643, Cat B - 8104, Total = 21,747

7686 plus 21747 = 29433

At the end of 2022, market size (based on registrations) was Cat A 13,811, Cat B 16,661, total 30472

Wow wow wow !

At the end of 2022, there are 10969 vehicles reaching the end of its 1st COE life, 6196 vehicles could have renewed its COE in 2022 to start its 2nd COE life.

COE renewal ratio was 6196/10989 = 56%

So what do we think the market size for 2023 could be ?

If we take a conservative 50% of 10969 vehicles renewing COE in 2023, we will have 5435 vehicles going to the scrap yard.  Adding 21674 vehicles (5 year PQP renewal in 2018), we have a potential market size of 27109.

The LTA disrupted the market by changing average of 3 months to average of 6 months and then to average of 12 months now.  This will slow down the slowing down, but as de-registrations are going to be lower in the entire calendar year of 2023, the slow down will set in second half of 2023 and beyond.  Even when de-registrations start to expand in the 1st half of 2024, the market will be set back by this method that will even out the expansion of the market in 2024.

That is a double whammy to me.  Good for government revenue, bad for car buyers !

My conclusion for 2023 are as follows.

1. Market size will definitely be smaller than 2022, market size (based on registration at the end of 2023) will be about 28,000.

2. The expansion due to LTA adopting a 12 month average will cease from 3rd Quota period of 2023.

3. The LTA may expand 12-month average to 18-months in the second half of 2023, reducing fluctuations in the COEs available in each quarters.

4.  Premiums are set to hover closer to the 90k mark for Cat A and 120k mark for Cat B.  The gap is expected to widen as there will be noticeably lesser COEs at each bidding.

30th October 2022 - Singapore's 1st Brown Breasted Flycatcher

Norvin Ng was on a mission that day to find another flycatcher - the Chinese Blue Flycatcher.  According to a friendly account of the incident which led to the record of Singapore's 1st Brown Breasted Flycatcher - they were playing back the tape of the Chinese Blue Flycatcher and this "Asian Brown Flycatcher" responded.  Nobody was interested in this bird and he grudgingly obliged by taking a few shots.

The few shots made him of two who has ticked the Brown Breasted Flycatcher in Singapore.  It is not unlike striking 4D, just that no money to collect.

Longer-billed than all other Muscicapa species in Singapore, but bill not as strong and bulky as in Brown-chested Jungle Flycatcher. Lower mandible almost completely pale yellowish, unlike Asian Brown Flycatcher and Dark-sided Flycatcher, which have mostly dark lower mandibles. Warm rufous fringes to wing coverts recall Brown-streaked Flycatcher, but that species lacks the sharply contrasting white patch on lores. Ferruginous Flycatcher has a richer orange wash on breast and flanks, which are a drabber buffish colour for Brown-breasted. Legs are also paler than other Muscicapa species.

*added by Vincent Ng on 5th February 2023.

Grey Streaked Flycatcher vs Dark Sided

 Observations by Dave Bakewell.

The different structure of this bird is apparent – it’s a larger, bigger-billed bird with a different head shape. There’s a great comparison of the structure of both species here. The bill of Grey-streaked is mostly dark (often looking all black). The breast streaks are distinct, long, pencil-like marks against a whitish background, quite different from either Dark-sided or Brown-streaked.

https://digdeep1962.wordpress.com/tag/flycatcher/

USB Stuff for Pioneer

 

one set of this

one set of this

Original height about 34mm by 60mm

CITRINE WAGTAIL ID

 Last Sighting in Singapore 2018-11-18

Differentiated by the prominent supercilium that goes around the rear ear-coverts; the dark brow above the supercilium/side of crown; brownish forehead; darkish lower mandible.