John Boyd Macdonald
John Boyd Macdonald
The Proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) got its name because…. well it’s obvious really. They are large monkeys, and the males in particular have impressively prominent noses. They are colloquially referred to as ‘Monyet Belanda‘ (Dutch monkeys) as there is a…
It’s more than six months ago that we were in North Sulawesi/Sulawesi Utara (Indonesia), so well past time that I posted some pictures of birds that we encountered there. These pictures, from Tangkoko and the Tomohon region, highlight just a…
We had the great pleasure of travelling to the island of Halmahera (North Maluku, Indonesia) back in late March – early April this year. We only got to see a small part of this big island, spending the bulk of…
There is nothing ‘standard’ about the bird known as “Wallace‘s standardwing” (Semioptera wallacii). Actually it gets its name because the wings of the male bird are anything but ‘standard’. It has two long white plumes extending from the top of…
This is a followup to my previous blogpost, showcasing some of the wonderful birdlife which may be encountered at the Kebun Raya Balikpapan (Balikpapan Botanical Garden). Collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) This lovely bird was remarkably unperturbed by my presence, and…
The Kebun Raya Balikpapan (Balikpapan Botanical Garden) is focussed on collecting, conserving and showcasing the unique trees, orchids and other plants of Kalimantan. Across its 307 hectares, it achieves this admirably. Most of that area consists of protected lowland dipterocarpus…
The Toraja region of South Sulawesi is deservedly famous for its buffalo – but Torajans are also proud of their roosters. Brightly coloured, lean and athletic, and (dare I say it) looking rather cocky as they strut around. Here’s a…
Water buffalo generally give the appearance of being placid – slow dull gentle giants. Bovine, even. 500+ kilos of docility. But when they fight, they reveal quite a different dimension. There’s a loud clashing of heads, a locking of horns,…