Birding with Kunal and Family

 1-10th June 2024

It was a bit tough getting some of the targets such as Whitehead's Broadbill, Blue-banded Pitta, Bornean Bristlehead and few more as some of the birds are on nesting season now. We did the usual hotspots starting at Mt. Trusmadi for the Bulwer's Pheasant, then 2 nights at Mt. Kinabalu where we got a pair of Whitehead's Trogon and Rainforest Discovery Centre were great as usual with the Black-crowned Pitta, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Bornean Black Magpie and Sabah Partridge.

They continued to Utan Rainforest Lodge for the Great Argus and Bornean Ground Cuckoo, but on the final 2 days in Tawau for the Bornean Banded Pitta, together with another group led by Gary Albert, we heard only twice the response from the bird hide at TV Hill...

191 birds were recorded during the trip eBird from 1-10th June 2024

Lesser Treeshrew

Bulwer's Pheasant

The funky Crested Partridge

The rare Four-striped Squirrel

Black-capped White-Eye

Whitehead's Trogon

Mountain Barbet

Fiery Minivet

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike

Sabah Partridge

Red-naped Trogon

Black-crowned Pitta

Rufous-backed Kingfisher

Mt. Kinabalu

Having fun with the Whitehead's Trogon

With the Black-crowned Pitta

Gary looks at the Black-faced Kingfisher through the Swarovski Optik ATC56 spotting scope

On my way home...

View of Gaya Island...

Happy birding!

mountain barbet at tambunan rafflesia centre

1st june 2008

bad news, did not see any of the besra's chicks at the nest after waited nearly 2 hours this morning with karim, andrew and dennis. found out, chai who had been staying up there for 3 days, he did not see the chicks either except probably the parents not far away from the nest ...

then took breakfast at gunung emas restaurant and drove to tambunan rafflesia centre and birded the whole day around the office, which produced many endemic birds of borneo such at the chestnut-hooded laughingthrush, black-sided flowerpecker and bornean bulbul.

quite cold this morning at besra site


view of crocker range from gunung emas restaurant

mountain barbet of borneo :p


waiting for the black-breasted fruit-hunter to appeared again (which it did not !)

this is the famous jordan at amazingborneo.blogspot.com hehehe

birds recorded today at besra site and the rafflesia centre :

• crimson-headed partridge (heard)
• oriental cuckoo (heard)
• bornean treepie
• bornean bulbul
• black-sided flowerpecker
• chestnut-hooded launghingthrush
• cinereus bulbul (split from ashy bulbul)
• whitehead's trogon
• grey-throated babbler
• verditer flycatcher
• long-tailed broadbill (2nd sighting after 2003 wahaha :p)
• temminck's sunbird
• besra
• ashy drongo
• black-breasted fruithunter (a pair)
• glossy swiftlet
• sunda bush warbler
• little cuckoo-dove
• dusky munia
• chestnut-crested yuhina
• ochraceous bulbul
• black and crimson oriole
• maroon woodpecker (heard)

video of the mountain barbet feeding at one of the red fruit available at my youtube www.youtube.com/user/horukuru

planned another visit with the others this month but probably 1 or 2 weeks before the big day :)

images digiscoped with nikon fieldscope ED82, srb-griturn adapter mark II, fujifilm f31d and sony ericsson k660i