Birding with Tom and Mary Part III

  7-13th March 2025

On their visit in 2023, we visited Sepilok and Kinabatangan River for the Hornbills and Kingfishers. This time around, we went to the river and Tabin Wildlife Reserve again for the Pittas and Wren-Babblers. Images taken during the trip.

Oriental Pied Hornbill

Changeable Hawk-Eagle dark morph

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Black and Red Broadbill

The migrant Grey Heron

Rhinoceros Hornbill

Colugo

Grey-headed Fish Eagle

Bushy-crested Hornbill

Black-crowned Night Heron

Kinabatangan River for the birds and mammals

Trucker cap by Swarovski Optik

With Tom, Paul, Rafel and Mary at Tabin Wildlife Lodge

Ending point for the dusk and night drives

Rafel points out the sleeping hole for the Red Giant Flying Squirrel 

My favourite part at Tabin Wildlife Lodge overlooking the river on the left side

On our way to the Core

Bird hide for the Blue-headed Pitta

Welcome to the rainforest!

Waiting for the Barred Eagle Owl from the Eagle's Nest 

Morning walk around the lodge before breakfast

Shooting the Rhinoceros Hornbill

Rafel with the Swarovski Optik ATC56 scope for the Orang Utan

Happy birding!

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!