3-6th December 2021
Spent a few nights here with the gang plus some demo units of cameras and lenses were provided by Sony Kota Kinabalu for testing on the field. The weather was good throughout, but the forest around the office and along the designated bird trail were a bit quiet than what I normally see and hear in other birding hotspots.
We did explored further along the trail leading to Makam Sigunting, a local warrior during the British occupation in the late 1800s, but the low density of Babbler and Bulbul at the elevation around 130m asl were a bit surprising though. Heard the Sunda Scops Owl on the camping ground but (next to the crystal colour water) no other Owl were observed especially the common Buffy Fish Owl during the trip.
Overall the substation is a good weekend gateway for family seeking relaxing environment with a good combo of the river and rainforest to walk around plus excellent public amenities provided by Sabah Parks.
Bird list: 72 birds from the substation https://ebird.org/checklist/S98474483 the rest at Tip of Borneo, Kudat and Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud
- Great Argus
- Bornean Necklaced Partridge
- Wandering Whistling Duck
- Chinese Pond Heron
- Grey Heron
- Purple Heron
- Little Egret
- Great Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Lesser Frigatebird
- Rufous-bellied Eagle
- Changeable Hawk-Eagle
- Brahminy Kite
- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Black-winged Kite
- Common Moorhen
- White-breasted Waterhen
- Black-winged Stilt
- Marsh Sandpiper
- Common Sandpiper
- Wood Sandpiper
- Long-toed Stint
- Curlew Sandpiper
- Whiskered Tern
- Spotted Dove
- Red-collared Dove
- Little Green Pigeon
- Feral Pigeon
- Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot
- Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo
- Greater Coucal
- Lesser Coucal
- Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
- Raffles's Malkoha
- Sunda Scops Owl
- Asian Palm Swift
- Grey-rumped Treeswift
- Plume-toed Swiftlet
- Edible-nest Swiftlet
- Brown Needletail
- Silver-rumped Spinetail
- Scarlet-rumped Trogon
- Diard's Trogon
- Rufous-backed Kingfisher
- White-crowned Hornbill
- Gold-whiskered Barbet
- Red-throated Barbet
- Buff-rumped Woodpecker
- Buff-necked Woodpecker
- Banded Broadbill
- Black & Yellow Broadbill
- Hooded Pitta
- Green Iora
- Lesser Green Leafbird
- Ashy Minivet
- Large Wood Shrike
- Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
- Pied Triller
- Long-tailed Shrike
- Dark-throated Oriole
- Asian Fairy-Bluebird
- Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
- Slender-billed Crow
- Crested Jay
- Pacific Swallow
- Barn Swallow
- White-breasted Woodswallow
- Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
- Ashy Tailorbird
- Olive-winged Bulbul
- Yellow-vented Bulbul
- Red-eyed Bulbul
- Spectacled Bulbul
- Charlotte's Bulbul
- Grey-cheeked Bulbul
- Striated Grassbird
- White-chested Babbler
- Chestnut-winged Babbler
- Bold-striped Tit-Babbler
- Bornean Ibon
- Asian Glossy Starling
- Eyebrowed Thrush
- Siberian Blue Robin
- Oriental Magpie Robin
- White-crowned Shama
- Asian Brown Flycatcher
- Mugimaki Flycatcher
- Asian Paradise-Flycatcher
- Pied Fantail
- Black-naped Monarch
- Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
- Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
- Thick-billed Flowerpecker
- Brown-throated Sunbird
- Little Spiderhunter
- Bornean Spiderhunter
- Scaly-breasted Munia
- Dusky Munia
- Black-headed Munia
- Grey Wagtail
- Paddyfield's Pipit
- Eurasian Tree Sparrow
Recording of Asian Fairy-Bluebird https://www.xeno-canto.org/690430
Recording of Gold-faced Barbet https://www.xeno-canto.org/690431
Images taken with Swarovski Optik. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
A pair of Little Green Pigeon, common nomadic resident
Rufous-backed Kingfisher, one of the smallest out of 12 species found in Borneo
Scarlet-rumped Trogon sometimes confused with the Cinnamon-rumped Trogon (on both females)
Marak Park Road via Kota Marudu and it takes around 2 hours 40 minutes (152 km) drive from Kota Kinabalu with great scenery of the countryside
Signboard to the station via Marak Parak village
Short demo session by Sony Kota Kinabalu on their new models of cameras and lenses
John on the warning notice of No Fishing or fines between RM 5000 to RM 50000!
Gazebos facing the river
Huntsman spider
So far so good with those birds
Paved bird trail for easier access to the visitors
Starting points to places of interests at the substation
Sony A7C with Swarovski Optik STX95 spotting scope
Shooting the Rufous-backed Kingfisher
Starting point to climb Mt. Nambuyukong
Hostel and chalets are available for rent
24 hours electricity is a luxury for campers!
Gary shooting time lapses of Mt. Nambuyukong
Climbing Mt. Nambuyukong at 1603m can be done in 1 day with advance booking for rangers at Sabah Parks office
Yours truly
Half way to Makan Sigunting
Local warrior tomb
Bioluminescence Firefly glow in the dark inside my tent
This is how the soft bodied beetles looks like
Together with Jack from Sabah Parks
Buying cheap gingers and lemons on the road side at Kg. Monggis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMViCgBNYwQ&t
Ashy Minivet, lifer at Tip of Borneo, Kudat
Fresh grill fish at Kota Belud
Setting up tent at Kisakot Campsite, Kota Belud
The famous Panataran River with Mt. Kinabalu at the background...
Happy birding!
