Introduction
General Information
Trip Planning Resources &
Contacts
Padang
Keresik Tua
Letter "W" Waterfall
Sungei Sangir
Sungei Penuh
Tapan Road
LETTER 'W'
WATERFALL
After birding in the claustrophobic tight forest up Mount Kerinci for some time, the open views and tendered gardens offers a welcome respite. Mount Kerinci’s trail can get very slow in the afternoon, so this is a good alternative to get the active garden species. The more open terrain makes it much easier to find birds.
GETTING THERE : Just flag down any white coloured
van heading back
towards Padang from the road in front of Pak Subandi’s house.
Tell the
driver you want to go to Pelompek. That village is just two rows of
shophouses along a 100m stretch of road. (See sketch). A one-way trip
takes 15-20 minutes and costs only 2000Rp. Just pay the driver that
amount upon arrival. If you ask for the price, his quote will
likely
to be 10,000-20,000Rp! BIRDING HIGHLIGHTS: The gardens are home to many Hill Prinias and Scaly Breasted Munias. At the entrance, the trees are home to Great Tits, Golden Babblers and Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrikes. Lots of chirpy Oriental White-eyes feed off worms on the trees before the waterfall. It was surprising to see Yellow Vented Bulbuls at that altitude. However, I dipped on both the Lesser Forktail and swifts.
Other birds seen there included Black Eagle, Long Tailed Shrike, Sunda Whistling Thrush, Ashy Drongo, Golden Bellied Gerygone and Eurasian Treesparrow.
LEECHES : None.
MAP/SKETCH : Refer to Sketch of Pelompek's Letter "W" Waterfall
LESSONS LEARNT : Pak Subandi informed me about the trail that leads from Pelompek town to the Second Falls (see sketch) after I had returned. That might be a good trail to explore should time permit.
