My New Toy !

24nd December 2008

I will be off tomorrow with friends to Danum Valley Forest Reserve and will stay at Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Main mission for this trip, Bornean Clouded Leopard and Giant Pitta :)

And so far im impressed with this bino compared with my Nikon Monarch 8x42 which will be send to Nikon service centre for repair on the eyecups soon. It is sharp, bright and more contrast then the Monarch hohoho and the rainforest of Danum Valley will be the real test for this little gem with high humidity and lots of rain !

The new model from Nikon, the Nikon EDG is expected to be out this year. But unfortunately, no news so far except few lucky birders from USA has tested this bino while on trip at Guatemala recently

Check this link; http://www.nikonhunting.com/binoculars-edg.html

Reviewed by Pete Dunne; http://featheredgeoptics.com/productreviews_nikonedg.htm

Lengthy discussion at; http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=103957


On the field at Guatemala with Nikon EDG by Derek Lovitich; http://outdoors.mainetoday.com/naturewatching/fieldnotes/028498.html

For American market, the new Nikon EDG is available online but it has not been launch worldwide ...

I like the strap, quite classic


7.8 degree FOV !


Nikon HG L 8x32 - High end model

By the way, merry xmas for all my readers and happy new year too, may we have more lifers next year hahaha :p

Happy birding !

Orang Utan At Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok

Last November the 28th - 29th

One of the highlight during the recent Sandakan Bird Fair last month was the encountered with wild Orang Utan feeding and built 2 nests behind the Borneo Bird Club booth and lucky visitor has a closer look of this endangered species with estimated only around 30 000 left in the wild.

As Cede was saying, "We are conserving the nature and this Orang Utan is one of the 'visitors' that came and support us"

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, FSB-6 adapter and Nikon Coolpix P5100

Wild Orang Utan


Blue-throated Bee-Eater


Hooded Pitta digiscoped from the main road at Sepilok

It is still raining here in Kuching since yesterday and im stucked in the hotel and unfortunately no chance to visit Bako Buntal for waders because i will be flying back tonight to Kota Kinabalu :)

Happy birding !

Eclipse Male Northern Shoveler - My New Lifer

6th December 2008

Hahaha another lucky day at my favorite patch. Both male and female was enjoying the sun with few Common Moorhen and Wandering Whistling Duck :)

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn Mk II adapter and Fujifilm F31d

Eclipse male Northern Shoveler

Female Northern Shoveler

I will be off tomorrow to Kuching town, hope can get a chance for birding at Bako Buntal village, one of the best place in Borneo for waders hehehe :p

Happy birding !

Maybe Tufted Duck Is Back ?

14th December 2008

Visited my favorite patch at Tuaran district this morning looking for the Northern Pintail, instead saw the Northern Shoveler again which i thought have gone to other place or killed by local hunter which i have been informed by one of the local nearby. The hunters came almost everyday late in the afternoon for the Wandering Whistling Duck which is consumed by them.

He was suggesting for putting a warning signboard around the lake so no one can hunt the ducks anymore as this is the only reliable place for seeing some of the migratory birds such Koel, Yellow and Cinnamon Bittern and the Tufted Duck together with the endangered resident Oriental Darter.

Hope i can do something to save those ducks with the bird club and wildlife department as soon as possible :)

And while scanning for the Northern Pintail, suddenly few ducks flew quite close with me and by looking through my scope, i could only see small part of the dark brown head with yellow iris and black pupil on its eyes. Possibility of Tufted Duck ? I will try again tomorrow morning :o

Some of my shots today hehehe :)

Pied Triller hahaha i've been dying to get this shot which is almost impossible with digiscoping !


Great Egret


Sleepy Peaceful Dove


Juvenile Purple Heron


Plaintive Cuckoo mostly heard at other place but quite common to see at the patch


Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker hehehe


Stork-billed Kingfisher perched quite far ...


One of my favorite shot of this Olive-backed Sunbird


Common Moorhen with Wandering Whistling Duck


Common Sandpiper

Images digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn Mk II adapter and Fujifilm F31d

Happy birding !

Grey-faced Buzzard

11th December 2008

My lifer found and digiscoped at Tuaran district hahaha :p but no sign of the Northern Pintail spotted by CK last month at Garganey site ...

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn Mk II adapter and Fujifilm F31d

Maximum 3x digital zoom and shimmer heat distorted the quality of this picture, taken around 11am

Happy digiscoping :)

Sandakan Bird Fair at 1Borneo Mall

6th - 7th December 2008

Another birding event by Borneo Bird Club @ BoBC at Kota Kinabalu city with collaboration of Nikon Malaysia and Sabah Society recently :)

I was one of the speaker for Basic Digiscoping Techniques hehehe :p

Enjoy the pictures and happy birding :o

Cede presenting talk in - Best place for birding in Sabah


Press and VIPS at sale items counter


Models for the bird fair


Datin Naimah officiating the Bird Fair


Nikon Big Guns on displayed for visitors


Hahaha this is me :p

John Kong in Capture NX talk

Andrew Siani in Basic Birdwatching talk

Jollence in Basic Nature and Landscape Photography talk


Alphon, Seng, Ron and Hazel


Jordan and check his blog at http://amazingborneo.blogspot.com/


Gary explaining the camera setup to one of the journalist


Group photo of the speakers

Ck with Andrew


Sponsored by Nikon Sport Optics Malaysia





Bird of Borneo images on displayed

Happy birding and see you again next year !

Upcoming Birding Event in Kota Kinabalu City

3rd December 2008

See you all there :)

Sandakan Bird Fair - A Successful Story

29th - 30th November 2008

Some of the shots taken during the Bird Fair recently at Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok, Sandakan.

Thanks for those who came and enjoyed the fair, and will see you all next year !

Booths for the Ministers and guests


Models for the Bird Fair

With Tee from Nikon Malaysia

Choo Beng Teong at his bird painting booth

Chien from Penang giving a talk about bird migration in Malaysia


Tee photographing birds at Sepilok

Participants during the bird walk at Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary

Kenneth with the participants for the bird walk at Sepilok

Participants were looking at Blue-throated Bee-Eater perched high on a death tree

Jun, Nadil and Marie Anne

Tee and Dr. Rahimatsah from WWF

Seng looking after the Nikon Big Guns section

Jeffery trying the Nikon Fieldscope ED82 with D700

Looking through scopes provided by Nikon Malaysia

Irene from Sandakan Foto at Nikon booth

Arrival of Honourable Dato Sri Azalina, Minister of Tourism, Malaysia at Nikon Booth, greeted by Chairman of Sabah Tourism, Tengku Adlin, with Cede and Auther

Mac Book Team

Me and Tee at Nikon Booth

John Bakar

Mark

Chien, the Birdman

Cede testing the Nikon RA scope

Nikon 200 - 400mm, 500mm and 600mm prime lens being displayed and tested by visitors during the bird fair

Borneo Bird Club @ BoBC booth displaying images of birds of Borneo

Bird painting section at BoBC booth

My beloved wife :)

Part of the Bird Fair Team

Lovely staffs at Nikon booth


Girl Guides team that helped during the Bird Fair

The team that made the Sandakan Bird Fair successful !

Photos credit of Gary Albert.