6-11th November 2025
The longest birding workshops series held at University Malaysia Sabah, Mantanani Island and Shangri-La Rasa Ria Resort in conjunction with the arrival of migrants birds such as Blue-and-white Flycatcher and Red-throated Pipit. On our short stopped at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud, John spotted the Eurasian Spoonbill! What a great finding to start the day!
2 nights were spend with Sutera Mantanani and we got the female Black-headed Bunting, Philippine Megapode and a few migrants too.
Bird list in eBird https://ebird.org/tripreport/431744
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| Forum with Fiona (GM), Dr. Balvinder and Dave Bakewell |
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| With kids from SJK St. Philip, Tamparuli |
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| Birding walk around the golf course and saw a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbill and Chinese Egret |
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| Mt. Kinabalu from the golf course |
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| Morning talk in Rasa Ria Resort |
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| Dave watching the Curlew Sandpiper with the Swarovski BTX95 scope at Tempasuk Plain |
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| Swarovski Optik and Optisan scopes |
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| Happy faces! |
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| Got stuck hahaha |
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| Downpour! |
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| Drawing on the beach for the Lesser vs Christmas Frigatebirds |
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| Adeline with the Swarovski Optik STX95 scope for the Owl |
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| The resident Mantanani Scops Owl |
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| Andy with the Swarovski BTX95 scope for the Hobby |
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| Eurasian Hobby near JSK resort |
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| Brown Shrike in the bag |
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| Mt. Kinabalu |
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| Getting ready to Mantanani Island |
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| At last Eurasian Spoonbill seen with the Swarovski Optik BTX95 scope! |
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| Many waterbirds |
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| Mt. Kinabalu |
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| Searching for the vagrant Eurasian Spoonbill seen earlier by John Bakar |
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| With Gary on our way to Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud before Mantanani Island |
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| Single Tufted Duck at Alam Mesra pond |
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| Class session in UMS |
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| Hodgsons' Hawk-Cuckoo ID by James Eaton |
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| Crested Honey-buzzard |
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| Christmas Frigatebird |
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| White-bellied Sea Eagle |
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| Lesser Frigatebird |
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| Black-winged Kite |
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| Female Black-headed Bunting |
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| Blue-and-white Flycatcher female |
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| White-throated Needletail |
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| Eurasian Spoonbill, the first for Sabah and Malaysia! Identifications by Swarovski Optik AX Visio 10x32 smart binocular |
Happy birding!
