Tempasuk Kota Belud

8th Decemebr 2019

On the recent strong wind from the Philippines, I went to Tempasuk in search for some rarities, but unfortunately, there weren't any even for the Broad-billed Sandpiper and Little Stint sighted by the gang a few weeks before which I missed it too.

Birds seen:

1. Yellow Bittern
2. Pond Heron sp.
3. Eastern Cattle Egret
4. Grey Heron
5. Purple Heron
6. Great Egret
7. Little Egret
8. White-breasted Waterhen
9. Black-backed Swamphen
10. Common Moorhen
11. Black-winged Stilt
12. Little Ringed Plover
13. Kentish Plover
14. Pacific Golden Plover
15. Black-tailed Godwit
16. Marsh Sandpiper
17. Common Greenshank
18. Wood Sandpiper
19. Common Sandpiper
20. Temminck's Stint
21. Long-toed Stint
22. Curlew Sandpiper
23. Oriental Pratincole
24. Whiskered Tern
25. White-winged Tern
26. Black-shouldered Kite
27. Yellow-vented Bulbul
28. Barn Swallow
29. Pacific Swallow
30. Long-tailed Shrike
31. White-breasted Wood Swallow
32. Wandering Whistling Duck
33.  Olive-backed Sunbird
34. Common Kingfisher
35. Crested Myna
36. Oriental Reed Warbler
37. Yelow Wagtail
38. Black-headed Munia
39. Eurasian Tree Sparrow 

One of the best place in Sabah for migratory birds!

Happy birding!

Asian Bird Festival 2019 Post Tour

1st -10th October 2019

Delegates from China, Taiwan, Canada and Costa Rica spent for a week in Sabah after the Asian Bird Festival in Kuching Sarawak. We covered Mt. Kinabalu, Sepilok, Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley with highlight species such as Helmeted Hornbill, Large Frogmouth, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Bornean Falconet and Crested Jay. No Pitta was seen during the trip including the rare Bornean Bristlehead!

Images taken with Swarovski STX95 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Digiscoping the Blue-naped Parrot with Swarovski BTX95 at Tanjung Aru Beach

My 8x30 CL, excellence performer in a small package!

 Morning cruise at Menanggul tributary, Kinabatangan River

 Blue-throated Bee-Eater at Sepilok Bed & Breakfast

Watching the endemic Bornean Falconet on its favourite death tree next to the restaurant at INFAPRO, Danum Valley

We got the Large Frogmouth roosting on the road side at Danum Valley 

Group photo at Kinabatangan River

Recording of the Wallace's Hawk-Eagle at Menanggul tributary, Kinabatangan River with Tascam DR44-WL on Sennheiser ME66/K6 mic https://www.xeno-canto.org/502306

Happy birding!

Short Birding Trip with Andreas and Cecilia

17-22nd August 2019

It was a short birding trip with the couple from China and we saw some of their target birds such as Whitehead's Trogon, Whitehead's Broadbill, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Orang Utan and unexpected detoured to Silam Forest Reserve, we got the Blue-banded Pitta!

Images taken with Swarovski Optik. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Rainbow at Kundasang...

With Apis at Kinabatangan River

Afternoon cruise in search for the Rhinoceros Hornbill

 Spined Spider at Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok

Happy faces after seeing naked Red-naped Trogon along the Gomantong Caves road!

Rambutan, one of the famous local fruits available during the fruiting season. Good booster during breakfast hahaha

Banded Woodpecker

Happy birding!

Little Tern

31st July 2019

There were at least 15 Little Terns flying around the beach of Mimpian Jadi Resort at Tuaran and saw one sitting on its nest with 2 eggs. Other species seen including Lesser Sand Plover, Paddyfield Pipit, Pacific Swallow and Collared Kingfisher. Normally by August or September, these Tern will moved to other places together with its immature.

Images taken with Swarovski Optik STX95 and Nikon V1. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The BTX module, such a joy to used on the field for a longer observation. It uses 2 eyepieces similar with binocular. For more info, please visit Swarovski Optik, Austria website.

Happy birding!

Tawai Rainforest Camp, Telupid

5th July 2019

On my way to Sandakan, I decided to pay a bit of more visit to the newly upgraded facilities at Tawai Rainforest Camp that is popular among the locals mainly for the river itself. It takes only 10 minutes drive from the main Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan Road onto the reserve. In 2009, I was involved with the bird survey under Heart of Borneo http://horukuru.blogspot.com/2009/08/tawai-forest-reserve-telupid.html and I was informed, in 2016, Sabah Forestry Department decided to promote this place as one of the recreation centres along the Tongod Road in the interior.

There were several birds seen and heard especially the rare Chestnut-naped Fortail hunting on the rocks along the river. Black-headed Bulbul, Little Spiderhunter and many more.

 Prices for chalets

This place is also popular for those who likes to do a bit of walking to the 2nd highest waterfall in Sabah. It takes about 30 minutes drive from the centre to the starting point then another 2 hours walked to the waterfall.  

Well maintained trail to the upper section of the river. This place is good for a bit of birding

Pool sections for visitors

Changing rooms and toilets with gazebos

I stayed here in 2009. It is way better now!

Happy birding!

Camping at Tegudon Village, Kota Belud

14-15th June 2019

Spent a night at this lovely place mainly to get away from the city life at the same time managed to took a few pictures from the top and there were at least 8 gardens birds were heard and seen from the camping site.

• Black-shouldered Kite
• Fulvous-chested Jungle Flycatcher (very vocal early in the morning)
• Common Iora
• Asian Glossy Starling
• White-breasted Wood Swallow
• Yellow-vented Bulbul 
• Pied Fantail
• Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Farmer crosses the iconic suspension bridge toward the paddy field with Mt. Kinabalu as the backdrop

The shorter Mt. Nungkok, is another attraction for visitors in Kota Belud besides the famous Mt. Kinabalu at the back 

Camping ground

Best place for Milkyway...

 

The best meal for camping!

Morning view from Tegudon

Tent were powered with GoalZero Sherpa 50 powerbank

Coffee with Hario!

 

 Paddy field capture with DJI Drone 

Happy birding!

Birding with Cheema and the gang

20-29th April 2019

Spent a week with the group of bird photographers from India and visited the usual birdwatching hot spots; Kinabalu Park HQ, Sepilok Forest Reserve, Kinabatangan River and the awesome Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Their main target was Pitta and Kingfisher and the mega Bornean Bristlehead (dipped) plus it was quite a struggled to get some of the endemics at Mt. Kinabalu due to the current dry spell...

Images taken during the trip with Huawei P10 Mate Pro. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Think Tank Photo it is!

Canopy walkway leading to Bristlehead Tower at Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok

View of Mt. Trusmadi at the far distance, the 2nd highest peak in Sabah Borneo

Mt. Kinabalu...

Misty morning at Kundasang

Huge area of paddy fields at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud, one of the best places to watched migratory birds from September-April every year

Sunrise at Kinabatangan River...

Shooting the Lesser Fish Eagle at Tenegang tributary, Kinabatangan River

My favourite section at Simud Hitam Cave, Gomantong Caves

Happy birding everyone. For more info on my birding and bird photography tours in Sabah, please visit my other birding blog at http://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com/