Small White Rose and Red Rose as well as other Flowers

I saw small white rose and red rose today at the side of the street near the main cross-road of the old downtown of Manokwari. The rose plants, together with other flower plants were grown as hedgerow in the frontyard of a house. Across from the roses plants, on the other side of the street was the compound of army MP. 

White Rose

Shooting Birds at Warduwer Beach of Raja Ampat

Still about birding in Warduwer beach of Waigeo island, I see more birds in the mornings and in the evenings. The branches in tall trees are the places where birds like to sit. I like to photograph birds that I see. During my recent birding walk at the beach, I made photos of Palm Cockatoo, Claret-breasted Fruit Dove, Hooded Butcherbird, Singing Starling, and a lot more. I had put some pictures of them in my previous posts.

Palm Cockatoo

Claret-breasted Fruit-Dove

Hooded Butcherbird

Mimic Meliphaga

It was not easy to take pictures of birds in distant trees. I sometimes have to try different settings of my camera. I also have to stabilize my hand or even hold my breath to minimize my body movements. Canon 200D is a camera for beginning level user of a D-SLR camera. The use of Tamron 150-600 mm greatly enhances its reach. However, I don't always get good pictures of birds that I shoot. For instance, when I shot a Red Bird of Paradise in high tree, it was too far from me. I could not make sharp pictures. However, I am satisfied that Warduwer beach is a great place for birdwatching. I highly recommend this place as an easy birding site for visitors who want to visit Waigeo island of Raja Ampat. 

Red Bird of Paradise

A beach resort will soon operate at this beach. Its name is Raja Ampat Flow Resort (RAFLOW). More trees and flower plants will be planted in the beach so it will look greener and beautiful. I expect to see more birds and butterflies at this beach. 

Coral reef is the rainforest of the sea. A lot of soft coral in the sea looks like flowers. Warduwer beach has got coral reef that is very beautiful. Visitors can enjoy swimming, and snorkeling to see the "flowers" and the fish. I often organize sightseeing boat tour, snorkeling, hiking and birdwatching in Raja Ampat for tourists who want to see this beautiful archipelago.

If you plan to visit Raja Ampat and want me to guide you, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Flowers in My Neighborhood

I made pictures of some beautiful flowers today. I have just returned from my afternoon walking exercise around my neighborhood. I walked to a football field around 500 meters (1,640 feet) from my house. A long the way to the field, I saw some tropical flowers. There were Yellow Beach Hibiscus, White and Red Bougainvillea in the frontyard of Saint Agustinus church. 

Yellow-beach Hibiscus

When entered the military compound next to the church, I saw some flower plants along the road-side too. Very beautiful white plumeria stood by the wall fence. There were also jasmine flowers on the other side of the road. They were planted by families of the military officers who live in the compound. In Bali the plumeria is called Frangipani but here in West Papua, we call it Kamboja.

White Plumeria

Crepe Ginger Flower (Cheilocostus speciosus)

Near the corner of the road that turns to right, I saw another white flower that usually grows in the forest edges. Its English name is Crepe Ginger Flower (Cheilocostus speciosus). I approached it and took one photograph of the flower. I did not bring my pocket camera Fujifilm XQ2. I only used the camera feature of my Samsung Tab A. In wikipedia, it says that this plant has got a lot of medicinal functions such as for fever, rash, asthma, an intestinal worms. 

As a walked up the slopes to the football field, I saw some pink orchid flowers at the front yard of a house. I stopped for a while to take pictures of the orchids. They look like Cattleya Orchids.

Orchid

The weather today was nice. It was not very hot. So, I enjoyed my walking exercises around the track of the football field. There were tens of people in the field. Some were playing football whereas others were just jogging or walking. Most of them were young men and women. 

Rainfall in this city is decreasing in its frequency starting from June. I hope to see more flowers where ever I travel. written by Leo Charles Roring
Also read:

• Rainforest Flowers
• Red Hibiscus and White Passion Flowers
• Passion Flowers
• Wild Flowers

Birdwing Butterfly and Red Hibiscus Flower

Please, support this blog by clicking and purchasing the following artdrawing of mine below that is printed on various products in Redbubble website: This birdwing butterfly Ornithoptera priamus lives in the jungle of New Guinea - the largest tropical island in the world. I saw this butterfly when I was guiding a British tourist on a rainforest tour in the northern coast of West Papua. 

https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/20916614?asc=u

Butterfly and Red Hibiscus

Coral Reef - the Flowers of the Sea

I spend much of my time in Sorong and Raja Ampat now. I usually go snorkeling and freediving at Warduwer beach. It is located in southern region of Waigeo island. The coral reef of Warduwer beach is very beautiful. It is colorful and looks like underwater flowers. There are a lot of fish that live in them including anemonefish, butterflyfish, moorish idol, damselfish, parrotfish, wrasse, coris, and a lot more. 

Christmas Tree Worm in Raja Ampat

Christmas Tree Worms are some of the many marine creatures that are similar to flowers. They have got vivid colors such as blue, orange, yellow, red and purple. They live by catching or filtering tiny food objects or microorganism. Because of this filtering function, Christmas Tree Worms play important roles in making the sea clean. There are also sea anemone whose forms are similar to flowers. They become the "nests" for fish like Orange Skunk Anemonefish, Red and Black Anemonefish as well as Spinecheeck Anemonefish. Sea Anemone maybe harmful for other fish but not for the clownfish.

Coral Reef Environment in Warduwer Beach

 There are also burrowing clams that build their houses by sinking their shells into the surface of big rocks in a very slow rate. They filter food from the sea.
Coral reef has got functions that is similar to rainforest. It is the natural habitat of a lot of marine creatures. Therefore, they have to be preserved.

Burrowing Clams

In addition to burrowing clams, christmas tree worm, table coral, cauliflower corals, there is also Pulsating Xenid (Heteroxenia fuscescens) that visitors can see in the waters of Warduwer beach of Waigeo island. It is a species of soft coral that lives in shallow water. It has got tentacles with polyps whose appearance are similar to small flowers. The movements of tentacles in the waters are influenced by waves and sea current. Its polyps open and close in a pumping or pulsating movement to filter food or nutrients from the sea.

Pulsating Xenid

Booking
If you are interested in taking a snorkeling holiday in Raja Ampat and want me to organize your trip, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com

Evening Bird in Raja Ampat

A few days ago I had an evening bird walk at Warduwer beach. It was located in southern region of Waigeo island. As usual, I brought my Canon 200D and Tamron 150-600 mm lens as my photograhic device. I did not have special target to shoot. The first bird that I saw near the entrance gate to the beach was a Helmetted-Friarbird. He made some calls but later was busy with his prey.

Helmetted Friarbird at Warduwer Beach of Raja Ampat

There were a couple of Yellow-faced Myna. They were sitting on the branches of a small tree. It was quite difficult for me to shoot them. I looked around the beach to find the best spot and was very happy to find a small sand hill near the tree. I walked up to the top of the hill and carefully adjusted my camera to adapt with the light condition. I raised my camera and aimed it at the birds. I shot them several times but later made several adjustments on the settings of the camera to get better quality pictures out of the camera.

Yellow-faced Myna

A crow landed on the lower branch of the same tree while I was busy making photographs of the myna. I shot the bird again but shortly after that she flew away.

Crow

After shooting the bird, I walked down the sand hill to the beach. The sun slowly disappeared from the horizon. I walked to the beach and tried to find if there were birds among the green vegetation that were standing near the sea water. I saw Sacred Kingfisher sitting on a stone but it was too far from me. Beach Kingfisher flew fast in front of me. It was evening time and the sea was in low tide. An Eastern Reef Egret landed on an exposed hard coral. I made some pictures of the bird too.

Eastern Reef Egret (Ardea modesta) at Warduwer beach

Beach Resort, House Reef and Snorkeling
Evening was a good time for birding at Warduwer beach. Soon Raja Ampat Flow (RAFLOW) Resort will begin its operation at the beach. This beach resort will become an ideal place for visitors who like birdwatching and snorkeling.
The house reef of RAFLOW Resort is in very good condition. There are a lot of fish that snorkelers can see while swimming over coral reef. Some of them include Moorish Idol, Butterflyfish, Anemonefish, Three-spot Dascyllus, Parrotfish, and even the Wobbegong, and Stonefish.

Marine Life in Raja Ampat

How to get there?

• It is easy to visit and stay at Raja Ampat Flow Resort. First, you need to fly from your country to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.
• Second, you continue your flight to Sorong city.
• Arriving at Domine Eduard Osok Airport of Sorong, you need to go to Pelabuhan Rakyat by airport taxi. The usual price is 100,000 rupiahs per taxi (one way). Ir can carry around 4 people.
• The price of the ticket for crossing by ferry from Sorong to Waisai town is 100,000 rupiahs per person. 
• Arriving at the harbor, visitors are usually asked by government officers of Raja Ampat regency to pay entrance fee: 1,000,000 rupiahs per person.
• After that they can use taxi or be picked up by shuttle hus to Raja Ampat Flow Resort.

Booking
If you are interested in taking a combined Snorkeling and Birding Tour in Raja Ampat, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Black Birds of Warduwer Beach

Towards the sunset time, I went birding again at Warduwer beach of Raja Ampat. I walked up the slope behind the beach and waited for birds that flew around or sat on the branches of the surrounding trees and shrubs. Black birds were some of the many birds that I saw at the beach. There were Willie Wagtail, Singing Starling and Spangled Drongo.

Willie Wagtail

Spangled Drongo

Singing Starling

I also saw Lesser Frigate Birds, Shining Flycatcher and a lot of other birds in area. 

Beautiful Fruit Dove in Raja Ampat

I did some birding again this afternoon at Warduwer beach of Waigeo island. It is the location of Raja Ampat Flow (RAFLOW) Resort. There are trees on the side of the slope road that connects the beach resort and the main road. Fruits similar to red berry were hanging in small twigs of the tall tree. There were birds that were eating the fruits. 

Beautiful Fruit Dove

I walked closer to the tree and stood on the slope trying to find birds that could easily be shot using my camera. In less than one minute, I was able to see one bird that landed on the tip of a small branch closer to where I stood. Its name was Beautiful Fruit Dove. There were other birds that were eating the fruits but they were higher.

Beautiful Fruit Dove at Warduwer Beach of Waigeo island

I turned on my camera, adjust its setting and then wait until the bird was clearly visible. He was trying to reach a ripe red berry near the tip of the branch. I quickly aimed my camera at him and pressed its shutter button several times. 

Willie Wagtail

After eating the fruit, he continued walking and jumping on to another twig and sat there for a few seconds. I followed him by my camera and made some pictures. 

Shining Flycatcher

I thought I had made some good shots of the Beautiful Fruit Dove. In the contrary, my pictures were too bright. Now I am editting my pictures using photodirector. I have to adjust their brightness so that the colors will look more balanced. 

I also saw several other birds during my afternoon walk among the trees of Warduwer beach. Some of them were Willie Wagtail, Singing Starling, Blyth's Hornbill, Hooded Butcherbird, and Shining Flycatcher. 

The front waters of Warduwer beach has got very nice coral reef. In general, Raja Ampat is the best or the richest in the world for Marine Biodiversity. When I enjoyed snorkeling at this beach, I took a lot of pictures of the fish, reef and other marine animals. 

Coral reef of Warduwer beach

If you plan to visit Indonesia and do birdwatching or snorkeling in Raja Ampat, I highly recommend that you go to Warduwer beach. RAJA AMPAT FLOW (RAFLOW) RESORT will be a good place to stay. 

If you want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Palm Cockatoo of Raja Ampat

When I go birding in Raja Ampat, Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus) is my favorite bird to see. In Indonesia, we call it Kakaktua Raja. Raja means: King. This large parrot has got smoky black feather and big red patches on both sides of his or her cheek. In the mornings, the bird likes to fly to coastal area and land on the branches of catappa trees. Palm Cockatoo eat like to eat catappa fruits.

a couple of Palm Cockatoo at Warduwer beach of Waigeo

Closer look of the Palm Cockatoo

Because of his or her big size, Palm Cockatoo can easily be recognized when sitting and feeding on tropical fruits that grow along the beach of Waigeo island. This bird can also be identified by his or her unique whistling calls. 

When I walked along the Warduwer beach of Raja Ampat. I saw two of the  sitting on very high branches of a tree. I made some pictures of them from a distance and later a closer photograph of the Palm Cockatoo from a window between the branches of trees closer to me.

In addition to Palm Cockatoo, other birds that I often see at Warduwer beach of Waigeo island are Red-cheeked Parrot, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Eclectus Parrot, Brahminy Kite, Eastern Osprey, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Pinon Imperial Pigeon and etc.

I use a good pair of Visionking 10×42 mm binoculars and Canon 200D as my birding gear. For field guide book, I used Birds of New Guinea, second edition by Thane K. Pratt and Bruce Beehler. This is a very important reference for identifying birds that occur in Waigeo island of Raja Ampat as well as other regions in West Papua and PNG.
Warduwer beach of Waigeo island is not only a good site for birdwatching but also for snorkeling and freediving. I have done a lot of snorkeling activities at this beach, fish like Wobbegong, Stonefish, Anemonefish, Butterflyfish, Surgeonfish, and Damselfish are some of the many birds that make the coral reef of Warduwer as their natural habitat.

Marine Life at Warduwer beach of Waigeo island

If you are interested in taking a birding and snorkeling trip to Raja Ampat and want me to be your guide, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Afternoon Bird at Warduwer Beach of Raja Ampat

I did some birding walk today at Warduwer beach of Waigeo island. As usual I brought my camera the Canon 200D with Tamron 150-600 mm lens. It was quiet that afternoon. Only some birds that were seen in the air or on the branches of the trees.

Pinon Imperial Pigeon

Some Lesser Frigatebird flew over the beach when I came out of the water after snorkeling for around 1 hour. After changing my clothes, I walked slowly up a slope to higher. Some Willie Wagtail were playing on the leaves of pandanus tree. A Beach Kingfisher was flying very fast above my head and then disappeared into the forest. I kept on walking to the hill behind the beach. Here I saw a couple of Pinon Imperial Pigeon sitting quietly on a branch of a tall tree. I also saw Puff-backed Honeyeater in a shrub. Perhaps, the bird was looking for some insects to eat.

Helmetted Friarbird

As the sun went further to the west, I saw a fruit dove flying fast in front of me - too fast, I could not identify it. A couple of Black Sunbird was sitting on the top leaves of another tall tree.

Puff-backed Honeyeater

Raja Ampat is a nice place for birdwatching. I really enjoy my work here. I can watch birds and swim at the beach to see colorful fish and coral reef.

If you are interested in traveling to Raja Ampat and staying in Raja Ampat Flow (RAFLOW) Resort at Warduwer beach of Waigeo island, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Brahminy Kite