Day 4: 21.June
2001
0630hr
Clear with slight hazy overcast.
0720hr Buceros
rhinoceros (1+) seen and heard south of river and Buceros vigil
- helmeted hornbill / burung gading heard calling to north - first record
for this Transect. Subsequently heard on all remaining days of the transect
walk.
0800hr Argusianus
argus*, Great argus pheasant/kuow calling downriver and north of
camp. Species subsequently heard on all subsequent days with exception
of Day VII
0815hr Team crosses
Sako Gedang river north-south and begins to climb to high ridge trails
which will give access to Sungai Kiang and Manjunto headwaters.. Tree
diameter increases substantially as the team climbs steeply from Sako
Gedang and enters dry hill dipterocarp forest dominated by Shorea
spp -known, generically as meranti and heavy exploited by both legal
and illegal logging industry.. Prints of rusa. Argus pheasant calling
close to team transect route.
0825hr Siamang calling
to north and south of Sako Gedang. Fine views of G Raya massif as climb
to ridge trail.
0833hr Nest (+/-1
month) of wild pig (almost certainly Sus barbatus oie)* seen.
Large ficus Three Argus pheasant calling, simultaneously, along the
transect route to hill ridges above and south of Sako Gedang river.
Megalaima mystacophanus - red-throated barbet calling. First
large very large Shorea* spp (80cm diameter dbh+) seen. Species
is Shorea. Heavy leaf litter in open, parkland forest hampers footmark
collection and this handicap continues on Days V and VI.
0840hr Disused
Argus dancing ground on hill ridge climbing west to connecting ridges
between Silaut and Kiang river systems. Three + additional groups of
siamang now calling to south (ulu S.Kiang and foothills of G.Bujang
(named on maps as G Medan). Apparently high density of this gibbon in
this area on basis of group numbers now calling. Buceros rhinoceros
heard. First large banio - Shorea platyclados - estimated as
min.1m dbh. Large examples of Hopea spp (white meranti) also present
Banio is an intensively sought after and heavily exploited export-quality
timber and large, mature examples of this tree are probably no longer
present in other than well-protected or remote-from road head areas
of Sumatra. Fallen fruit/acorns of tropical oak Quercus spp noted.
These are a valuable food resource for a number of species, including
primates and small deer.
0852hr First evidence
of gaharu collection* in this area - a lubang gaharu - where the rotting
root system of an Aquillaria tree has been excavated for investigation
by gahuru collectors
0855hr Team climbing
steeply to 730m. Steep terrain in area with hill sides falling at 60-70
degrees+. Siamang still singing Very large Shorea platyclados
(banio) in this area, some with dbh in excess of 1.25m.
0947hr 825m asl.
Dry ridge trail. Substantial growths of manau and rattan. Few vines
or epiphytes
0950hr Old rintisan
on trail. Probably gaharu hunters. No recent signs of human presence
0955hr Pheasant
calling. Heard previously in Sungai Gambir, Tapan where described as
kuow lantieng and, by description, a fireback. This pheasant has still
not been identified by the FFI team but appears to be an uncommon resident
of lowland and lowland hill forests
1012hr Active dancing
ground of Argus pheasant. Dipterocarps, particularly Hopea and Shorea
spp dominate the tree flora in this area and some banio are of immense
size with some examples in excess of 1.5m diameter.
1017hr Begin to
descend through open parkland forest with an almost completely closed
canopy south towards Sungai Kiang. Many complex interlinking ridge trails.
Gaharu collectors have erected signs directing friends in crucial directions.
1040hr Fresh
prints of sambar deer. Heavy leaf litter in this area is hampering collection
of indicators of mammal presence. Very large active deer wallow encountered
- total length of wallow is +/-20m-4m. From the structure, shape and
size of this wallow it is probable this was previously a Sumatran rhinoceros
wallow that has since been appropriated by sambar. No sign of rhino
is seen throughout the transect period and local advice is that the
last rhino were killed in this area in the mid-late 1980s
1111hr Group of
bushy-crested hornbill/Tujuhsekawan - Annorhinus galeritus -
calling. The only record for this transect of this normally very commonly-encountered
flocking species of hornbill which is flexible in its habitat requirements
and may be found from lowland through to hill forests above 1200m.
1120hr Descending
slowly, south, to 720m asl. Prints of Sumatran tiger,* fresh. Prints
cannot be measured due to heavy leaf litter.. It is probable, given
proximity, that this is the animal reported calling overnight at Camp
III although without camera trapping, no firm conclusion can be drawn.
Close by, names of three men (unclear) and village name - Lunang I -
cut into a tree
1137hr Wild forest
citrus in fruit - named as asam purut hutan. The wild lemons of the
Kerinci Seblat are a crucially important biological genetic data bank.
Spilornis cheela - Crested serpent eagle - heard calling from
a dead tree.
1150hr On wide,
clear ridge trail running generally south-west. Siamang calling close
by and two Argus, not previously recorded, calling to north west of
ridge trail. Long, commercially valuable lengths of rattan observed.
B.rhinoceros calling.
1200hr Fallen fruit,
hard shelled, unidentified, has been partially eaten by a small ungulate.
Guides identify as Tragulus napu or greater mouse deer. This
is possible given dentition size and forest type. Trail moves through
an interesting area of tree ferns (padang paku), species unknown where
soil conditions are less dry. A barbet identified as Megalaima oorti
(ketakur bukit/black-browed barbet) calling - this is a barbet of
hill forests and, at 755m asl, this area is slightly below its normal
altitude (MacKinnon 1992 cites hill forests above 800m) however given
close proximity of higher forests and the G Raya massif to the immediate
south east, the bird was not far from its usual range
1214hr Siamang group
heard and seen - 3 animals including a sub-adult. One or more others
probably present but not recorded.
1230hr Buceros
vigil calling due south of transect route and immediately above
S.Kiang
1250hr Siamang (previously
unrecorded group) calling. B.rhinoceros (2) calling
1300hr Copsychus
malabaricus * Murai batu/white-rumped shama calling.
1302hr Landslide
on ridge trail (steeply descending to east and west at 60-70 degrees)
allows far-ranging views to rice fields of Lubuk Pinang area and sea
beyond (hazy). Megalaima mystacophanus - red-throated barbet
calling.
1310hr Four Aceros
undulatos - wreathed hornbill/enggang kukai seen flying west-east.
1335hr Two species
of barbet calling almost simultaneously - Megalaima chrysopogon (gold-whiskered
barbet) and (believed to be) Megalaima rafflesia -red-crowned
barbet, ketakur tutut Rintisan of gaharu hunters on hill top meeting
point of three+ ridge trails indicating directions of Silaut and Kiang
rivers. This point named by Transect team as Bukit Persewat for the
shape of the 'sign post' constructed. Juvenile Aquillaria spp
seen. Continue to descend, south, to Sungai Kiang
1310hr White-rumped
shama, Copsychus malabaricus, heard calling
1350hr -1405hr.
High density of ficus observed. Forest figs are a crucially important
food resource for both primates and birds, in particular the hornbills.
Long lengths of mature manau vines. Aup advises that he and many other
Tapan men worked to collect manau in late 1980s-early 1990s but since
only large vines were harvested, this climbing palm has recovered .
1415hr Burrow of
Hystrix brachyura - common Malay porcupine/landak
1430hr Hillsides
falling very steeply to Sungai Kiang, many small, steep-sided and rocky
streams not marked on map. Density of manau vines increases and some
are exceptional length - +100m. Rintisan, believed of gaharu hunters.
A single large adult example of Amorphophallus titanum observed
by MONEV team member. There are very few records for this species in
western Sumatra and so this is a valuable extension of range of this
endemic floral flagship.
1600hr Make Camp
IV at approximately at 400m asl approx using remains of a camp made
by gaharu hunters + 6 months ago. Investigation of small tributary stream
north of camp and Sungai Kiang south of camp reveals many fish - semah
and seluang and small fresh water crayfish (photographed). Fishing,
15 minutes, secures six small semah, the largest 15 cms in length and
total weight approximately 400g.
1930hr Animal movement
in forest across river heard .
Day 1
- 2 - 3
- 4 - 5
- 6 - 7
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