Birding With Eustace Barnes And Charlotte Cook

10th - 25th July 2009

Had a nice trip with one of the well know bird guide for South America, Eustace Barnes with his client, Charlotte Cook recently and managed to see more than half of the endemic birds of Borneo such as Whitehead's Trogon and Mountain Serpent Eagle with 23 mammal species throughout the trip.

Itinerary for the trip:

• Day 1 : Kota Kinabalu.
• Day 2 - 7 : Tambunan Rafflesia Centre / Kinabalu National Park.
• Day 7 - 11 : Danum Valley Forest Reserve.
• Day 11 - 14 : Kinabatangan River
• Day 14 : Kinabalu Park
• Day 15 : Kota Kinabalu / Airport
  

Key species seen out of 259 birds recorded during the tour :

• Storm's Stork.
• Mountain Serpent Eagle - Last day while driving back to Kota Kinabalu from Kinabalu Park. What a luck !
  
• White-fronted Falconet - 1 individual seen perched on a tree en route to Lahad Datu.
• Long-toed Stint - Early arrival of this species at Kota Belud paddy field.
• Whitehead's Trogon - A pair seen at usual place along Silau-silau Trail a bit off the track.
• Rufous-collared Kingfisher - Close up with this species at Poring Hot Spring.
• Bornean Barbet
  
• Orange-backed Woodpecker
• Whitehead's Broadbill - Shared the same fruiting tree with Mountain Barbet at Tambunan Rafflesia Centre.
• Black and Crimson Pitta
• Blue-headed Pitta
• Fruithunter
• Kinabalu Leafbird
• Scaly-breasted Bulbul - A bit high on tree but thanks to the spotting scope by Nikon.
• Bornean Bristlehead - At Bornean Rainforest Lodge.
• Bornean Wren Babbler
• Grey-headed Babbler
• Everett's Thrush
• Kinabalu Friendly Warbler - Only seen brief but twice by Eustace.

Pictures digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82 and ED50, SRB-Griturn adapter and Fujifilm F31D

Good weather at Mt. Kinabalu

Colugo or Flying Lemur

Banded Kingfisher female

Crow-billed Drongo

Red-naped Trogon

Anyone know this ?

Charlotte and Eustace

Formation of clouds surrounding Mt. Kinabalu

At Tambunan

Kota Belud paddy field

Entrance and exit to Gomantong Cave

One of the hole seen from the cave

Morning cruise at Kinabatangan River

Pied Hornbill

Scarlet-rumped Trogon

Eustace and Charlotte currently at West Malaysia for another couple of days at Fraser's Hill and Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Hope they will see their targets there :)


Happy birding !