Gedau Estate, Sandakan

15-17th November 2023

My 2nd visit to Gedau Estate since 1993 and the 3 days visit were mainly to observed birds and other wildlife found within the vicinity of the forest reserve next to the plantation. Total of 53 species of birds were recorded and saw few migrants ducks such as Northern Pintail, Shoveler and Garganey. Two Sand Martin were also present at the affluent ponds

Thank you for the hospitality by the staffs of the estate. Will be back in the future.

Checklists in eBird:

• https://ebird.org/checklist/S154544841 
• https://ebird.org/checklist/S154588876.

Images taken with Swarovski Optik STX95. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No hunting sign on the entrance of the estate

Classic Dunhill promo material I used to see a lot in the early 90s

View of Sungai Lokan forest reserve next to the oil palm plantations

Swarovski Optik ATC spotting scope

Paired with Leofoto travel tripod hehehe

Some of the food from Indonesia quite easy to get on the East Coast of Sabah

At one of the affluent ponds with many migrants too

My auntie and her boss (owner of the ATC spotting scope)

Quite nice to have something like this inside the plantation...

One of the view point for the staffs to relaxed etc

The primary forest of Sungai Lokan

With my trusted Toyota Land Cruiser 80!

Water reservoir

Northern Pintail

Common Sandpiper

Little Grebe

Wandering Whistling Duck

Ornate Sunbird

Common Snipe

Red-necked Phalarope

Happy birding!

Birding at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud

 10th November 2023

After Gary sighted the vagrant Asian House-Martin yesterday, I drove early this morning to one of my favourite birding hotspots in Sabah. Waited for few hours but unfortunately, did not see the House-Martin but got the vagrant Long-billed Dowitcher! Will be back here tomorrow with the group from Sabah Birdwatchers Association.

Bird list:

1. Wandering Whistling Duck
2. Spotted Dove
3. Zebra Dove
4. Lesser Coucal
5. Black-backed Swamphen
6. Black-winged Stilt
7. Pacific Golden Plover
8. Little Ringed Plover
9. Long-billed Dowitcher
10. Common Sandpiper
11. Marsh Sandpiper
12. Wood Sandpiper
13. Common Greenshank
14. Whiskered Tern
15. White-winged Black Tern
16. Little Egret
17. Medium Egret
18. Eastern Cattle Egret
19. Great White Egret
20. Purple Heron
21. Grey Heron
22. Black-winged Kite
23. Eastern Marsh Harrier
24. Peregrine Falcon
25. White-breasted Woodswallow
26. Oriental Reed Warbler
27. Striated Grassbird
28. Sand Martin
29. Pacific Swallow
30. Barn Swallow
31. Yellow-vented Bulbul
32. Ornate Sunbird
33. Chestnut Munia
34. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
35. Eastern Yellow Wagtail

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon

Wandering Whistling Duck

Juvenile Lesser Coucal

Peregrine Falcon

Black-winged Stilt

Marsh Sandpiper

Happy birding!

Birding with Cheta and the gang

 7th -13th October 2023

Another group from Manila and we spent around 7 days at the usual birding hotspots and got some of the finest endemics birds of Sabah and Borneo such as Bulwer's Pheasant, Whitehead's Spiderhunter, Bornean Bristlehead and also the Black-crowned Pitta. Weathers were good throughout the trip but missed out the Blue-banded Pitta at Silam Forest Reserve on the last day and I continued with Andy for two days with the Sabah Birdwatchers Association at Asian Bird Festival 2023 held in Kota Kinabalu last weekend.

Saw the Fruithunter at Timpohon Gate

Watching the endemic Whitehead's Broadbill with group from Japan

Whitehead's Trogon!

A pair of endemic Bornean Forktail were spotted along the Silau-Silau stream behind the multi purpose hall at Mt. Kinabalu

New bird hide at Mt. Trusmadi for the Red-breasted and Crimson-headed Partridge

Breakfast at Ranau

Shooting the Violet Cuckoo and Raffles's Malkoha at RDC, Sepilok

They got the Black-crowned Pitta at its usual stake out spot

Waiting for the Sabah Partridge

Shooting the endemic subspecies of Rufous-backed Kingfisher

IBA at RDC, Sepilok

Birding at Gomantong Cave road

Kinabatangan River

My favourite Sukau Greenview Lodge

Entrance to Menara Kayangan at Silam Forest Reserve, Lahad Datu

Mum with Noah Strycker

Watching through the Swarovski BTX95 spotting scope

Forum at the ABF 2023

T-shirt made by the SBWA

Booths of foreign delegates around Asia

The iconic Bornean Bristlehead!

Rajendra from Nepal and Cambodia got their lifer; Rufous Night Heron at Sembulan

Local birders testing the Swarovski Optik BTX95 spotting scope

Happy birding everyone!