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 !