Searching for White-winged Duck
With a world population of only about individuals spread across India, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Sumatra, White-winged Ducks are decidedly thin on the ground. However, they are birds of lowland swamp forest, and a few of the 30 or so that live in Way Kambas are always to be found in tha vicinity of Way Kanan. It is just a matter of catching up with them-something which is much easier during the dry season between June and November, when water levels recede, leaving a few small pools, and you do not have to wade through waterlogged forest.
Rawa Gajah (elephant swamp), a 20-min paddle up the river from Way Kanan, is usually the first place to try. On the river you will have no trouble getting acquainted with the impressive Stork-billed Kingfisher-unmistakable, thanks to its large size and yellow head-and you will probably also see Grey-headed Fish-eagle perched on an over hanging bough. Rawa Gajah is a wetland of about 1 ha that dries out to grass and mud at the height of the dry season (October) but which, when flooded, is a regular spot for the ducks as wel as Lesser Adjutant.
Rawa Pasir (sand marsh) and the forest pond of Ulung-ulung Satu are also good areas for ducks: both are located 3-4 km from Way Kanan, along (for the first part) a well-maintained trail that starts behind the Tiger project building at Way Kanan. There are plenty of exciting birds to see on the way-so it is worth taking your lunch and making a day of it. The forest edge around Rawa Pasir can be particularly productive for leafbirds, bulbuls, flowerpeckers and sunbirds.
The ducks are incredibly wary, so getting good views before fly away is something of an art. The problem lies in the abrupt juxtaposition of forest and water; scanning the whole of the river at Rawa Pasir or the large pond at Ulung-ulung Satu without stepping into full view is almost impossible. Moreover, many birders can tell of how, after assuring themselves that no ducks were present, they stepped out into the open only for a group of ducks to explode in a blaze of black-and-white wing flashes from behind a semi submerged log.
taken from Birding Indonesia. Periplus Publishing. Singapore