Ducks Of North Borneo

10th December 2010

Sighted by Ck Leong last week, only today I managed to get some pictures of these vagrant after my trip with the gang at Klias Peatswamp Forest Reserve (posting soon). There were 2 males and 1 female of Tufted Duck, 5 Northern Shoveler and only 1 Garganey together with the resident Common Moorhen, White-breasted Waterhen and Wandering Whistling Duck.

Apparently, the number of visiting Ducks from North Asia is smaller in Sabah, Borneo. There were new record of Northern Pintail last year by Ck Leong, and several other old records of Cotton Pygmy Goose, Mallard and Common Teal by Karim Madoya at Penampang paddy field.

With the increasing of birding and bird photography by the locals, it is possible now to get updated records of wintering Ducks, Waders and other species from September until April during the winter migration plus with the opening of abandoned paddy fields on the West Coast of Sabah with the funding by state government, there is a hope to see more wintering birds in the future.

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s

Lagoon where the Ducks is

Northern Shoveler

Garganey

Pretty looking Tufted Duck

Wandering Whistling Duck

Happy birding folks !