Site Report: Weda

Visits

• 2016-03-07: We took the ferry over to Sofifi where it was so hot that I could not eat. After taking several sink showers at the restaurant, we drove over the hill to Weda. Weda is some kind of brand new town to where they export the extra people from Java, or so it seams.
• 2016-03-08: I got a ride with the bird guide into the forest to catch the display of the Standardwing Bird-of-Paradise. Very interesting. Also very cool was the sound of hornbills soaring above the trees. I had lunch at the Weda Resort where a lot of people were getting ready for eclipse viewing. In a bit of foreshadowing, I told someone there that I thought the road was not good enough in the case clouds suggested a repositioning. Some scuba divers staying at the resort were joking (probably) about watching the eclipse under water. In addition to the birds listed, we heard the call of the Moluccan Scop-owl.
• 2016-03-09: As the sun set on the day before the eclipse, the sky was completely overcast. A light rain started late at night while I tried to sleep. I woke up at sunrise, and looking out the window, there were mostly clear skies. By first contact, it was clear that clouds were forming on the coast, so we got in the car to race the pending cloud cover. Blue skies were visible to the west, and we drove into the mountains followed by the menacing clouds. After about 30 minutes of driving, we stopped for a bit, but the clouds continued their approach inland. We got into the car again and drove another few miles inland finally stopping next to a radio tower. At this point we were mostly clear for the skies, and the eclipse was viewed successfully with light clouds at third contact. We celebrated with a boat ride to a coconut plantation, Indonesian driving lessons, home-brewed palm liquor, football, and photo sessions with the entire city of Weda.

Species Seen

Lifelists

• Asia
• World

Trips

• Indonesia