Maroon-breasted Philentoma

29th January 2009

A bit quiet at the forest only few came quite close for decent pictures such as;

Maroon-breasted Philentom female

And the male


Grey-streaked Flycatcher


Asian Brown Flycatcher

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

Happy birding !

Hidden Secret Final Part Hahaha :p

28th January 2008

What a tiring day chasing the Diard's and Red-naped Trogon with the gang hahaha and the best part was, good weather with blue sky and notable species seen :

• Blue-eared Barbet
• Red-throated Barbet
• Diard's Trogon
• Red-naped Trogon and
• White-fronted Falconet

Some of the shots from the scene and digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn Mk II adapter and Fujifilm F31d :p

From left to right, Ron, Hazel, Ben, Jordan (please move back to KK hehehe) and Zaiton

"The mask to prevent the birds from seeing my eyes" - I'm happy with him for his new interest in bird photography


First subject, Lesser Sticky Frog spotted by Zaiton

My 1st shot of this Diard's Trogon hehehe dedicated to the gang :p

Red-naped Trogon





Gecko sp.

Grey-streaked Flycatcher

Buff-vented Bulbul

Juvenile Blue and White Flycatcher

As usual another record shot of this elusive and smallest raptor in the world, White-fronted Falconet. Too far !

Back to work today and might be visiting this lovely place soon with friends :)

Hidden Secret Part 2 Hahaha :p

25th January 2008

Early start with Joe, Zaiton, Karim and Ben birding at Sugud Forest Reserve and saw many birds such as Streaked Bulbul, Yellow-eared Spiderhunter and Velvet-fronted Nuthatch. Andrew came a bit later after Karim managed to photographed his lifer, Narcsissus Flycatcher hahaha :)

Some of the shots today :)

Resting ...


Then shoot !

Birds seen and heard today:

• Crested Serpent Eagle
  
• Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot
• Grey-rumped Treeswift
• Diard's Trogon (heard)
• Gold-whiskered Barbet
• Red-throated Barbet (heard)
• Yellow-crowned Barbet (heard)
• Blue-eared Barbet (heard)
• Black and Yellow Broadbill
• Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike
• Fiery Minivet
• Lesser Green Leafbird
• Streaked Bulbul
• Red-eyed Bulbul
• Spectacled Bulbul
• Buff-vented Bulbul
• Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
• White-bellied Epornis
• White-crowned Shama
• Artic Warbler
• Ashy Tailorbird
• Dark-sided Flycatcher
• Narcsissus Flycatcher
• Yellow-eared Spiderhunter
• Little Spiderhunter
• Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
• Oriental White Eye

Main star for the trip, Banded Kingfisher ! Thanks to Ben for spotting this instead of the Bee-Eater hahaha :p






Runner up is this Red-bearded Bee-Eater :)

Brown Barbet (subspecies)


Flying Lizard sp.


Civet's sp. pooh


Lantern Bug

Good birding today and I'm planning to go back for Dark-sided and Narcsissus Flycatcher pictures !

Happy digiscoping !

Hidden Secret Hahaha :p

22nd January 2009

My second visit to Sugud Forest Reserve with Karim proved to be fruitful with many forest species seen and heard this morning before it rained in the afternoon. Main mission was for the Dark-sided Flycatcher digiscoped by Ck last month and saw the bird but too fast except record shots by Karim.

Birds seen and heard :

• Crested Serpent Eagle
• Indian Cuckoo (heard)
  
• Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot
• Barn Swallow
• Swiftlet sp.
  
• Gold-whiskered Barbet (heard)
  
• Banded Kingfisher (heard)
• Dark-throated Oriole
• Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike
• Leafbird sp.
• Red-eyed Bulbul
• Spectacled Bulbul
• Black-headed Bulbul
• Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
• Dark-sided Flycatcher (a bit shy for the camera hahaha)
• Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
• Oriental White-Eye (8 birds seen feeding)
  

Banded Woodpecker


White-fronted Falconet (endemic to North Borneo only)


Hairy-backed Bulbul

Black and Yellow Broadbill (heard through out the morning)

Good place hahaha and i will be back again this Sunday :)

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

20th January 2009

With a help from Eugene who works at Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre (formerly known as Kota Kinabalu Bird Sanctuary), found this single Rufous Night Heron at one of the mangrove tree next to the office hehehe. Dennis found this bird last Sunday around 5 in the evening and managed to get eye level shot !

Rufous Night Heron

2 years ago, i found big colony of this bird together with Black-crowned Night Heron near Queen Elizabeth Hospital at small patch of land. Juvenile was also present that time but unfortunately, few months later, the colony has moved to other unknown place. So finding this bird at Wetland Centre is a relief for me and my 1st decent shot of this uncommon species for Sabah :)

Other birds seen and heard:

• Purple Heron
• Great Egret
• Brahminy Kite
• White-breasted Waterhen
• Common Sandpiper
• Common Greenshank
• Rock Dove
  
• Spotted Dove
• Zebra Dove
• Greater Coucal
• Blue-eared Kingfisher
• Blue-throated Bee-Eater
• Common Iora
  
• Pied Triller
• Yellow-vented Bulbul
• Chestnut-rumped Babbler
• Oriental Magpie Robin
• Ashy Tailorbird
• white-breasted Wood-Swallow
• Asian Glossy Starling
• Olive-backed Sunbird
• Black-headed Munia

Eurasian Tree Sparrow at last !!!

Collared Kingfisher

Little Egret

Crab sp.

Bird Tower good for raptors in flight

Breeding place for Purple Heron

Boardwalk at the centre along the mangrove

The Wetland Centre is opened from Tuesday until Sunday only and closed on Monday. Conservation fee is RM 3 per person and has resource library for visitor too. Please visit their website at http://www.sabah.org.my/kkcbs/

Happy birding !

Kota Belud Bird Count

8th January 2009

Weather a bit overcast but produced nice birds during my count covering Taun Gusi, Rampayan and Tempasuk Village at Kota Belud district which takes around 75km from Kota Kinabalu city.

Main highlight today was the sighting of juvenile Eurasian Marsh Harrier (spilonotus) being harassed by Black-winged Kite at Taun Gusi and another adult female at Tempasuk Village hahaha. It is a common winter visitor to this area but the number usually less than 5 when my observations of this raptor started since 2004.

Mt. Kinabalu

Abandoned paddy field

Cattle

Small stall on the roadside where i had my breakfast :)

Rampayan beach


Fisherman boat where i saw 30 over Lesser Frigatebird gliding on top

Birds seen and heard: Total 45 species

• Lesser Frigatebird (One female flew very low and near to me :p)
  
• Grey Heron
• Purple Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Great Egret
• Little Egret
• Wandering Whistling Duck
• Black-winged Kite
• Brahminy Kite
• Eurasian Marsh Harrier
• Changeable Hawk Eagle (Pale morph)
• White-breasted Waterhen
• Common Moorhen
• Purple Swamphen
• Pacific Golden Plover
• Little Ringed Plover
• Kentish Plover (1 seen at the beach and many at Tempasuk paddy field)
• Marsh Sandpiper
• Common Greenshank
• Wood Sandpiper
• Common Sandpiper
• Long-toed Stint
• Black-winged Stilt
• Whiskered Tern
• Spotted Dove
• Zebra Dove
• Plaintive Cuckoo (Heard)
• Collared Kingfisher
• Blue-throated Bee-Eater
• Barn Swallow
• Pacific Swallow
• Pied Triller
  
• Yellow-vented Bulbul
  
• Striated Grassbird
• Yellow-bellied Prinia
• White-breasted Wood-Swallow
• Brown Shrike
• Yellow Wagtail
  
• Paddyfield Pipit
• Asian Glossy Starling
• Olive-backed Sunbird
  
• Dusky Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Black-headed Munia
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

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

Cattle Egret

Changeable Hawk Eagle (Pale morph)


Straited Grassbird


Juvenile Lesser Coucal

Happy birding !

Raining Season

12th January 2008

Raining around the west coast of Sabah and few places was flooded too. After i sent my wife to her office, drove up to one of the building in the city facing the Signall Hill and digiscoped few common species around Kota Kinabalu.

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

Rock Pigeon is common around Gaya Street.

Asian Glossy Starling



Yellow-vented Bulbul in the rain

Pink-necked Green Pigeon taking shelter from the rain

The shots was taken from the 6th floor and one of the best place to get eye level pictures of birds such as Green Imperial Pigeon, House Swift and White-breasted wood-Swallow.

And recently, friends in Kuching, Sarawak found new birds for Borneo; Pied Avocet and White-faced Plover during their outing at Buntal Village. Info regarding this will be post soon hehehe :)

Happy birding !