Day 3: 20.June
2001
0600hr Cloudy
and overcast.
0820hr First record
of a large ficus* for this transect.
0830hr Bark of saplings
heavily damaged by kijang (muntjac)* rubbing antlers.
0835hr Second very
large ficus. Team following course of river along relatively wide and
gently sloping river valley.
0850hr Buceros
rhinoceros* - rhinoceros hornbill/rangkong. First record
0855hr Pondok encountered
on northern side of river in a flat wide valley, dating approximately
one month. No rubbish or detritus. No smoking racks or bird holding
cage. Inspection of fire indicates that plastic and other rubbish have
been burned before departure. High probability this is the shelter constructed
and used by researcher Matt Linkie on a brief visit to this area in
early May. To side of this camp and within 3-5m, at three sites, Rhizanthes
zeppeli, five in flower, others in bud. This little studied parasitic
flower is often mistaken for Rafflesia to which it is closely allied..
Flowers and buds growing direct from an unidentified liana.
0920hr Confluence
of two rivers to form the main body of Sako Gedang river. Prints of
sambar and many old and new marks of deer rubbing antlers on trees to
side of well-used animal trail moving directly down river. Topography
becomes gentle and easy to walk, valley opening out to the north to
form a relatively wide, flat area, intermittently poorly drained. Matt
Linkie advises many sambar wallows in this area
1020hr Chloropsis
spp - leafbirds/murai daun heard. Subsequently many encounters over
remaining four days of trial transect walk. Heavy growths of fine rattan
in marketable lengths and qualities. Manau vines present but intermittent.
Siamang groups heard callilng in hill forests to north and south of
river but not in riverine forest
1045hr Team pauses
at pool and notes many labeobarbus spp (semah) indicating minimal
or no fishing pressure. No fresh rintis seen since 1710 on Day II despite
easy trail. Prints of rusa and wild pig intermittent on trail. Siamang
heard.
1130hr Tiger * Panthera
tigris sumatrae pug marks on trail. No GPS possible. Prints date
back +/- 1 week and cannot be measured due to leaf litter and rain damage.
Appear to be of a single adult although a female with cub was recorded
on the Bkt Setinjlaut-G Raya ridge trail in September 2000 (FFI)
1147hr Muntjak*
prints, fresh. Simpai - Presbytis melalophos heard..
1200hr Team breaks
for lunch. GPS achieved
1325hr Team moving
downriver past second (southern) tributary of Sako Gedang. Buceros
rhinoceros (2) heard. This pair-forming hornbill proves to be the
most commonly heard & seen hornbill species of this Transect with multiple
encounters, visual and oral, on every day of the Transect. Broad, flat
riverine forest to the north with many vines. The appearance of this
forest and what appear to be Teratostigma spp vines (the host
for Rafflesia spp) , suggest that a rafflesia may be present
upon more detailed investigation of this riverine forest. Steeper hill
forest to the south. This area was reportedly investigated in the early
1980s by Kerincinese farmers seeking new areas to open sawah but not
cleared due to difficult access. Substantial diameter trees but few
hardwood dipterocarps which generally prefer well-drained slopes and
not riverine forest such as this.
1410hr Petai hutan.
This legume is a valuable food resource for many primates, particularly
pig-tail macaque and leaf monkeys but is becoming rare in many areas
since fruiting trees are often felled rather than climbed to be harvested.
Trail wide and easy, remains of a path made an used by manau collectors
in the late 1980s, early 1990s when heavy manau collection was undertaken
here - pers com: Pak Aup. Alt 625m asl
1425hr Megalaima
chrysopogon -gold-whiskered barbet/takur gedang. Subsequently heard,
intermittently, through until Day VII .
1430hr Camp III
Pondok. Dating back ++ 1 month and probably built by three/ four men.
Large smoking racks. Presumed fishermen, probably from Kerinci since
many fish downriver there is no real reason for individuals from Pesisir
Selatan to walk so far upstream. Site chosen as camp site since the
team proposes to cut south towards Sungai Kiang and water will be difficult
to obtain subsequently, also two members of team troubled by knee problems
and a third is unwell.
1730hr 30 minutes
casual fishing (using line) by Aup yields six semah, maximum length
average 10 cms. Two muntjak seen at rivers edge. Second guide/porter
Sutrisno returns from fishing expedition with two seluang and reporting
line(15Ib breaking strain) snapped and cleanly broken by a large labeobarbus
in a downstream pool
1900hr (approximately).
Tiger* long moan ('aum') call reported by Aup and Sutrisno. FFI team
member sick with high fever and did not hear.
Day 1
- 2 - 3
- 4 - 5
- 6 - 7
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