Seabirds Identification Workshop

22-24th November 2025

Held at University Malaysia Sabah, the course was attended by bird guides and other tourism players from Sabah, Labuan, Singapore and Melaka conducted by the well known shorebirds expert, Dave Bakewell from Miri, Sarawak. For the field training, we visited Mantanani Island and saw Christmas and Lesser Frigatebirds including the resident Mantanani Scops Owl

I have the new Swarovski AX Visio binocular and it was awesome with its identification features for birds found in Sabah. Identifications were breeze even in flight for the Oriental Honey-Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Germain's Swiftlet and other species seen during the workshop!

Insulated water bottle and pen by Swarovski Optik

The famous Mt. Kinabalu

Shooting the Mantanani Scops Owl

Swarovski Optik AX Visio

Swarovski Optik Outdoor app for the AX Visio

Good birding!

Mantanani Island Trip

 30th May - 1st June

My last visit was during the Sabah Big Year in Oct 2022 but had a problem with my smartphone so not able to update the trip with the gang. These time I nailed the Mantanani Scope Owl again on its usual spot near Arahni Homestay including Pied and Grey Imperial Pigeon and the shy Philippine Megapode with Alizah and Aaron from Brunei.

Images taken with Swarovski Optik. ALL RIGHT RESERVED

Birding at Tempasuk Plain and we got the Sand Martin and Barn Swallow

Breakfast at Nik

Mt. Kinabalu...

Speedboat to the island

Swarovski Optik

Yours truly

Waiting for the motorcycle to get to the village from Realux Lodge

Lugisan Island, one of the roosting site for the Lesser and Christmas Frigatebird

Comfy rooms etc by Arahni family

Looking at the Pied Imperial Pigeon

Grey Imperial Pigeon

Star of the trip; Mantanani Scope Owl

Birding along the main road at the island

Interior of the homestay

Happy birding!