Digiscoping At Tabin Wildlife Reserve

27th - 29th april 2008

Short visit to Tabin Wildlife Reserve for observing new birding product at the core area which is the only primary rainforest left intact during the timber concession in the 70s until late 80s. 2 birders from Thailand, Rattapon Kaichid (Tu) and his wife Pitchaya Janhom (Jan) been staying at tabin for 26 days and they have explored the core area and stayed overnight at the observation tower around the mud volcano which produced many interesting birds and other wildlife for them.

Arrived late in the afternoon at the resort and the night after dinner, Tu and Jan presented us with slide show of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians pictures which taken mostly with digiscoping and I was told by CK who were at Tabin with them early this month, Jan was the winner for Swarovski Digiscoper's of the Year 2007 and were treated with birding trip at Namibia.

Their pictures were fantastic without any post-processing done, I'm privileged to met and learnt few tricks about digiscoping from them hahaha thanks Jan and Tu hope we'll meet in Thailand this year !

And it was raining the next day, while waiting for the rain to stopped, few birds perched quite low around the restaurant hehehe and this is what we called gift from the rain.

Black and Yellow Broadbill

Red-eyed Bulbul

Black-backed Kingfisher

ISO 1600!

Green crested Lizard


Brown Shrike


Wagler's Pit-Viper at the restaurant

Birds seen and heard :

• Wreated Hornbill
• Rhinocerous Hornbill
• Black Hornbill
• Bushy-crested Hornbill
• White-bellid Munia (lifer)
• Black-backed Kingfisher
• Black and Yellow Broadbill
• Banded Broadbill (heard)
• Thick-billed Spiderhunter
• Purple-throated Sunbird
• Crested Serpent Eagle
• Plain Sunbird
• Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike
• Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike
• Rubycheek Sunbird
• Green Iora
• Red-throated Sunbird
• Black Eagle
• Lesser Green Leafbird
• Red-eyed Bulbul
• Ashy Tailorbird
• Buffy Fish Owl
• Dark-necked Tailorbird
• Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
• Buff-rumped Woodpecker
• White-bellied Woodpecker (heard)
• Red-naped Trogon (heard)
• Scarlet-rumped Trogon (heard)
• Brown Fulvetta
• Cream-vented Bulbul
• Black and Crimson Pitta
• Fiery Minivet
• White-fronted Falconet
• Chestnut-winged Babbler
• Slender-billed Crow
• Dusky Munia
• Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
• Grey Wagtail
• Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Non-bird seen :

• Forest Tree Crab (lifer)
• Bornean Gibbon
• Pig-tailed Macaque
• 4 Striped Tree Frog (lifer)
• Green Crested Lizard
• Wild Boar
• Pygmy Squirrel
• Giant Squirrel
• Plantain Squirrel
• Red Giant Flying Squirrel
• Thick-spined Porcupine (lifer)
• Banded Palm Civet (lifer)
• Leopard Cat
• Reticulated Python
• Wagler's Pit-Viper adult and juvenile (lifer)

Summary of the trip, Tabin Wildlife Reserve keeps on producing surprised wildlife for me and with many lifers for each trip, I will be back again and this time would be longer stay at Tabin.

Soon another book would be published by Wendy Hutton and Cede Prudente about reserve who were there with us.

Many thanks to Alixon and Wong Sui Lin for the invitation together with great sighting and nice packed lunch !

Tu and Jan website at www.naturefocusthailand.com

Images Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-griturn adapter and Fujifilm f31d


Happy birding !

mt. kinabalu trogon :p

23rd april 2008

wahahaha now i got my record shots a pair of whitehead's trogon this morning after my best friend, osman who currently leading another bird group with susan myers informed me about their finding yesterday afternoon :)

had only 2 hours to spend birding at the mountain today, after 15 minutes walked, saw the female flew in front and perched not far away from the trail. took few frames and heard the male calling.

female much cooperative than the male ...

when i saw the male, it took off quite fast and perched at other tree but unfortunately too many leaves and twigs blocking my scope's view and it was a bit dark as well :p

found only in borneo, this male actually much bigger in size than other trogons in greater sunda

bornean whistling thrush

while waiting for the trogon to came back (which it did not !), another endemic showed itself less than 10 seconds. this thrush was split from the sunda whistling thrush that is endemic to java, and eventually became bornean endemic hehehe :)

hope can get another pictures soon before my trip with ck to jakarta this coming may :o

digiscoped with nikon fieldscope ED82, srb-griturn adapter and fujifilm f31d

celyn resort, kundasang

14 - 15th april 2008

stayed overnight at celyn resort, kundasang with a couple from denmark, mr. and mrs. padersen and visited the kinabalu national park headquarters and poring hot spring sub-station. main interest was to see birds and orchids and luckily weather was good during the tours and nice room at the resort too hahaha :p

bird list :

• black-sided flowerpecker
• ochraceous bulbul
• little spiderhunter
• red-eyed bulbul
• brown fulvetta
• orange-bellied flowerpecker
• white-crowned shama (endemic)
• blue and white flycatcher
• eyebrowed jungle flycatcher (endemic)
• sunda cuckoo-shrike
• temminck's sunbird
• chesnut-hooded laughingthrush (endemic)
• ashy drongo
• bornean treepie (endemic)
• chestnut-crested yuhina (endemic)
• bornean whistler (endemic)
• grey-chinned minivet
• mugimaki flycatcher
• indigo flycatcher
• white-throated fantail
• yellow-breasted warbler
• mt. leaf warbler
• mt. tailorbird
• large hawk cuckoo
• oriental cuckoo
• hair-crested drongo
• grey-throated babbler
• bornean whistling thrush (endemic)

view of the crocker range from my room :)


stalls at kundasang town is well know for its fresh vegetables and local fruits

happy birding everyone :)