Grey-faced Buzzard Surveys

13-16th March 2026

After searching for years, at last the gang have found one of the route for the migrating Grey-faced Buzzard and Chinese Sparrowhawk in Pitas, Kota Marudu in between Bongol and Layak-Layak village!

During the surveys, estimated around 2k++ GFB and CS were seen passing through towards the North to Palawan Island and Japan. The group will gather again in September 2026 at Pitas and Lahad Datu. 

eBird trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/496975

Grey-faced Buzzard

Changeable Hawk-Eagle

Chinese Sparrowhawk

 

At Tinapiat Hill

Together with Mel from Manila

Birthday cake all the way from Manile hehehe Sansrival

Friendly Gecko at the homestay

Mission completed!

Happy birding!

Sorinsim Substation, Kota Marudu

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

1. Great Argus
2. Bornean Necklaced Partridge
3. Wandering Whistling Duck
4. Chinese Pond Heron
5. Grey Heron
6. Purple Heron
7. Little Egret
8. Great Egret
9. Cattle Egret
10. Lesser Frigatebird
11. Rufous-bellied Eagle
12. Changeable Hawk-Eagle
13. Brahminy Kite
14. Crested Serpent Eagle
15. Black-winged Kite
16. Common Moorhen
17. White-breasted Waterhen
18. Black-winged Stilt
19. Marsh Sandpiper
20. Common Sandpiper
21. Wood Sandpiper
22. Long-toed Stint
23. Curlew Sandpiper
24. Whiskered Tern
25. Spotted Dove
26. Red-collared Dove
27. Little Green Pigeon
28. Feral Pigeon
29. Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot
30. Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo
31. Greater Coucal
32. Lesser Coucal
33. Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
34. Raffles's Malkoha
35. Sunda Scops Owl
36. Asian Palm Swift
37. Grey-rumped Treeswift
38. Plume-toed Swiftlet
39. Edible-nest Swiftlet
40. Brown Needletail
41. Silver-rumped Spinetail
42. Scarlet-rumped Trogon
43. Diard's Trogon
44. Rufous-backed Kingfisher
45. White-crowned Hornbill
46. Gold-whiskered Barbet
47. Red-throated Barbet
48. Buff-rumped Woodpecker
49. Buff-necked Woodpecker
50. Banded Broadbill
51. Black & Yellow Broadbill
52. Hooded Pitta
53. Green Iora
    
54. Lesser Green Leafbird
55. Ashy Minivet
56. Large Wood Shrike
57. Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
58. Pied Triller
59. Long-tailed Shrike
60. Dark-throated Oriole
61. Asian Fairy-Bluebird
62. Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
63. Slender-billed Crow
64. Crested Jay
65. Pacific Swallow
66. Barn Swallow
67. White-breasted Woodswallow
68. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
69. Ashy Tailorbird
70. Olive-winged Bulbul
71. Yellow-vented Bulbul
72. Red-eyed Bulbul
73. Spectacled Bulbul
74. Charlotte's Bulbul
75. Grey-cheeked Bulbul
76. Striated Grassbird
77. White-chested Babbler
78. Chestnut-winged Babbler
79. Bold-striped Tit-Babbler
80. Bornean Ibon
81. Asian Glossy Starling
82. Eyebrowed Thrush
83. Siberian Blue Robin
84. Oriental Magpie Robin
85. White-crowned Shama
86. Asian Brown Flycatcher
87. Mugimaki Flycatcher
88. Asian Paradise-Flycatcher
89. Pied Fantail
90. Black-naped Monarch
91. Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
92. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
93. Thick-billed Flowerpecker
94. Brown-throated Sunbird
95. Little Spiderhunter
96. Bornean Spiderhunter
97. Scaly-breasted Munia
98. Dusky Munia
99. Black-headed Munia
100. Grey Wagtail 
101. Paddyfield's Pipit
     
102. 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

Swarovski Optik, the best sport optic in the world are used widely by bird guides in Sabah

 

 

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!