Tufted Duck and White-faced Plover?

5-6th December 2024

Upon receiving the bird alert via Sabah Bird Alert page regarding the arrival of Tufted Duck, Alizah, a good friend of mine from Brunei decided to flew last minute despite the severed weather! When we got on the site at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud, the ducks were resting on the first plot of the rice field in the rain. 

Tufted Duck considered a rare migrants from North Asia for Sabah with inconsistent sightings over the years including Northern Pintail and Cotton Pygmy-Goose. After Tempasuk Plain, visited Kuala Abai and Lok Kawi Beach for the shorebirds

Bird list at eBird:

• Tempasuk https://ebird.org/checklist/S204504265
• Kuala Abai https://ebird.org/checklist/S204582235
• Penampang https://ebird.org/checklist/S204582513
• Lok Kawi Beach https://ebird.org/checklist/S204584166

Testing the new Swarovski Optik AX Visio

Tufted Duck identified by the AX Visio

Looking at her lifer through the Swarovski Optik ATC56 scope

Got the Large-tailed Nightjar too!

Identified by the AX Visio

Morning from Tempasuk Plains, Kota Belud

At Kuala Abai

Watching the Sandpipers, Plovers and Egrets with the Swarovski Optik BTX95 scope

Penampang rice fields

Cath joined the fun and looking at the might be vagrant White-faced Plover at Lok Kawi Beach

Could this be the White-faced Plover?

Good birding!

Seabirds Identification Workshop

22-24th November 2025

Held at University Malaysia Sabah, the course was attended by bird guides and other tourism players from Sabah, Labuan, Singapore and Melaka conducted by the well known shorebirds expert, Dave Bakewell from Miri, Sarawak. For the field training, we visited Mantanani Island and saw Christmas and Lesser Frigatebirds including the resident Mantanani Scops Owl

I have the new Swarovski AX Visio binocular and it was awesome with its identification features for birds found in Sabah. Identifications were breeze even in flight for the Oriental Honey-Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Germain's Swiftlet and other species seen during the workshop!

Insulated water bottle and pen by Swarovski Optik

The famous Mt. Kinabalu

Shooting the Mantanani Scops Owl

Swarovski Optik AX Visio

Swarovski Optik Outdoor app for the AX Visio

Good birding!

Bird Photography Tour with Lieven

 22nd August - 4th Septermber 2024

14 days trip with Lieven from Belgium and we got some of the finest birds such as Blue-headed Pitta, Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Black-throated Wren-Babbler, Whitehead's Trogon and Whitehead's Broadbill and many more.

The trip started in Tawau then to Tabin Wildlife Reserve with Rafel Suzie Rachel and few nights at Borneo Nature Lodge, Kinabatangan River and the quiet Rainforest Discovery Centre Sepilok followed by 2 night at Telupid for the Bornean Peacock-Pheasant and Blue-banded Pitta.

The remaining days were spent at Mt. Kinabalu, Mt. Trusmadi and Kota Kinabalu for the Bulwer's Pheasant, Crested Partridge and Slaty-breasted Rail from behind the yard of friend in Inanam hehehe

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Yellow-bellied Prinia

Leopard Cat

Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot

Blyth's Frogmouth

Black-throated Wren-Babbler

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Bronzed Drongo

North Borneo Gibbon

Brown Fulvetta

Asian Fairy-Bluebird

Red-bearded Bee-Eater

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Bushy-crested Hornbill

Rhinoceros Hornbill

Bornean Ground-Cuckoo

Bornean Pygmy Elephant

Storm's Stork

Crested Serpent Eagle

Baya Weaver

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker

Bornean Peacock-Pheasant

Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher

Blue-banded Pitta

Whitehead's Broadbill

Rufous-chested Flycatcher

Asian Emerald Dove

Dayak Blue Flycatcher male above and female

Penan Bulbul

Large Treeshrew

Bornean Leafbird female above and male

Slaty-breasted Rail with its chick

With Rafel on our way into Tabin Wildlife Lodge

Night drive for mammals and nocturnal birds

Shooting the Rufous Piculet

After the Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot

Morning sunrise at Tabin...

We got the Rufous-collared Kingfisher!

Lecheflan for dinner...

Best bird guide in Tabin, Rafel!

Waiting for the Black-crowned Pitta

Lone Menggaris tree that attracts bees for bee hives

For the Rhinoceros Hornbill

And Black & Yellow Broadbill at Gomantong

Waiting for the Bornean Pygmy Elephants at Kinabatangan River

Morning sunrise from the river

Buying local fruits

Skywalks at Rainforest Discovery Centre

Got a pair of Collared Hornbill

Shooting the Rufous-backed Kingfisher

Coffee and tea with the Land Cruiser

View of IPS, Telupid before the rain

Bird hide for the Bornean Peacock Pheasant

Lunch!

2nd day at Telupid for the Blue-banded Pitta!

Another 850m to go for the hide

Cooling off with a bit of music before the Pitta

Hide can fits up to 6 birders at one time

On the way down to the car!

At mt. Kinabalu for the Whitehead's Broadbill

Morning breakfast with a view of Mt. Kinabalu and Swarovski Optik 10x32 NL Pure orange bino!

Bump onto Daniel and Jack!

Mt. Trusmadi bird hide

Waiting for the Crimson-headed and Red-breasted Partridge at Mt. Alab, Tambunan

A bit of birding at Penampang paddy fields...

Waiting for the Slaty-breasted Rail at friend's backyard, Inanam

Simple hide hehehe

At Lieven's favourite coffee shop!

Happy birding!