Birders Of Sabah Borneo Island: Tempasuk

Showing posts with label Tempasuk. Show all posts

Friday, November 19, 2021

Long-biled Dowitcher

18th November 2021

Single bird feeding among the many Black-winged Stilt and also Black-tailed Godwit. The excitement while watching this vagrant through the excellent Swarovski Optik BTX95 spotting scope was hard to described, and it was my no 516 Borneo birds lifer for 2021 hahaha :D

As per eBird, it was the 2nd record for Sabah on the same area of Tempasuk Plain sighted in 1996 by Craig Robson https://ebird.org/checklist/S30299345. Thanks to Oliver for the great finding!

Video at my Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKtqPp0DW2A

Recorded sounds of feeding frenzy of Pink-necked Green Pigeon https://www.xeno-canto.org/687787

A group of Black-tailed Godwit with Common Greenshank and Marsh Sandpiper

Oliver scanning with the Swarovski Optik BTX95 spotting scope

Shooting some images and videos with the Swarovski Optik STX95 spotting scope

Yours truly

Tempasuk plains, one of my favourite birding spots throughout the year

Happy birding!

Sunday, May 9, 2021

8th May 2021 Global Birding

8th May 2021

Joined the #globalbirding yesterday and started from home around 6 AM and saw around 10 birds such as Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Iora, Black-headed Munia before moving to Tempasuk, Kota Belud. At Tempasuk, there were a few migrants left; Black-winged Stilt, Marsh Sandpiper and Oriental Pratincole (passage breeder). Next destination was at Kuala Abai and it didn't disappoint me with a group of Red-necked Stint, Kentish Plover, Greater and Lesser Sand Plover with a single Whiskered Tern.

When I get back home, Grey Heron and Striated Heron added the tally to 68 species in total. Waited for the Large-tailed Nightjar and Sunda Scops Owl, but luck was not on my side. So Submission was done through eBird and Malaysia ranked 2nd after India with 386 species. Sabah sits at 3rd with 135 species after Selangor with 136 and Penang with 325 species of birds within 24 hours!

Link for the counts at eBird under Sabah: https://ebird.org/region/MY-12?yr=BIGDAY_2021a&m=&rank=lrec

Small reclaimed patch with Spotted Dove, White-breasted Waterhen and Plum-toed Swiftlet

My favourite section on the road at Kelawat Hill with mist in the morning en-route to Kota Belud

One of the famous Instagram spots in Kota Belud with Mt. Kinabalu at the background

My trusted Toyota Land Cruiser 80 and the Swarovski Optik STX95 spotting scope was pointing on a pair of White-breasted Woodswallow

Lesser Coucal, quite common on the paddy fields especially after the rain

Buff-banded Rail, the first record for Sabah was in 2016 at Tempasuk

Male Watercock, a shy creature but usually calls in the open!

Close up shot of this Scaly-breasted Munia

My digiscoping setup by Swarovski Optik

Green paddyfields...

At Kuala Abai with the Swarovski Optik BTX95 looking at the group of waders on the small island right in the middle

My EL 10x32 Fieldpro binocular by Swarovski Optik

Happy birding and stay safe everyone!

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Tempasuk Paddy Fields, Kota Belud Update

30th September 2020

Below is the list of waterbirds seen at the above in the early migratory season together with Oliver:

Great Egret
Intermediate Egret
Little Egret
Cattle Egret
Javan Pond Heron
Cinnamon Bittern
Black-winged Stilt
Oriental Pranticole
Pacific Golden Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Asiatic Dowitcher
Common Redshank
Common Greenshank
Marsh Sandpiper
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Red-necked Phalarope
Common Snipe
Red-necked Stint
Little Stint
Temminck's Stint
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper
Long-toed Stint
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is a common passage migrants to Kota Belud

Wood Sandpiper

Little Ringed Plover

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Red-necked Phalarope

From left to right: Wood Sandpiper (left and bottom right), Black-winged Stilt juvenile and adult and Common Greenshank (middle)

White-winged and Whiskered Tern

Pacific Golden Plover

Scanning for the juvenile Little Stint with Mt. Kinabalu at the background with Ali and Oliver

My setup Swarovski STX95 + TLS APO + Nikon V1 mounted on Swarovski Optik PTH gimbal head and Fotopro carbon fibre tripod

Good sealed road around the paddy field

Shooting the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper!

Happy birding and stay safe everyone!

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Tempasuk Paddy Fields and Kuala Abai Mudflats, Kota Belud

16th September

A few hours at Kota Belud in hoping for some rarities during the Malaysia Day celebration, 4 suspected Little Stint with one among the Red-necked Stint and the other three flew nearby but didn't allow for prolonged view to get the right ID by Oliver. But the crown and overall plumage colour suggested it was the bird that I have been looking for years. But I need to see it longer before deciding for another lifer this year.

Other waterbirds seen:

Oriental Darter
Purple Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
Chinese Egret
Cattle Egret
Pond Heron sp
Wandering Whistling-Duck
White-breasted Waterhen
Common Moorhen
Black-backed Swamphen
Black-winged Stilt
Oriental Pratincole
Pacific Golden Plover
Little Ringed Plover
Greater Sand Plover
Whimbrel
Common Redshank
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Grey-tailed Tattler
Terek Sandpiper
Red-necked Stint
Long-toed Stint
Whiskered Tern
Gull-billed Tern (24 birds)

The famous Kota Belud Mee Soup, next to the multipurpose hall in town with chicken feet in black soy sauce!

Besides binoculars, spotting scopes is a must have tools for waders watching on the coast

My favourite combo, the Swarovski BTX95 spotting scope. My eyes never felt tired scanning those waterbirds for hours!

Happy birding everyone and stay safe!

Monday, December 9, 2019

Tempasuk Kota Belud

8th Decemebr 2019

On the recent strong wind from the Philippines, I went to Tempasuk in search for some rarities, but unfortunately, there weren't any even for the Broad-billed Sandpiper and Little Stint sighted by the gang a few weeks before which I missed it too.

Birds seen:

Yellow Bittern
Pond Heron sp.
Eastern Cattle Egret
Grey Heron
Purple Heron
Great Egret
Little Egret
White-breasted Waterhen
Black-backed Swamphen
Common Moorhen
Black-winged Stilt
Little Ringed Plover
Kentish Plover
Pacific Golden Plover
Black-tailed Godwit
Marsh Sandpiper
Common Greenshank
Wood Sandpiper
Common Sandpiper
Temminck's Stint
Long-toed Stint
Curlew Sandpiper
Oriental Pratincole
Whiskered Tern
White-winged Tern
Black-shouldered Kite
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Barn Swallow
Pacific Swallow
Long-tailed Shrike
White-breasted Wood Swallow
Wandering Whistling Duck
Olive-backed Sunbird
Common Kingfisher
Crested Myna
Oriental Reed Warbler
Yelow Wagtail
Black-headed Munia
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

One of the best place in Sabah for migratory birds!

Happy birding!

Monday, November 26, 2018

Tempasuk Plains, Kota Belud

25th November 2018

I was hoping for the vagrant Spot-billed Duck and rare Green Sandpiper which were spotted a few weeks ago, but after several hours scanning the area, luck was not on my side. The best thing is, I have found the strength of the BTX module by Swarovski Optik, which allows for comfortable long usage scanning with two eyes without causing any strains which I do encountered sometimes on the spotting scope.

Default power with the 95mm objective module is at 30x. But if I need more power, the ME 1.7x magnification extender, can gets me to 60x without sacrificing a lot on the sharpness and contrast from the glass itself. The module also comes with adjustable forehead rest too.