14 Days Birding With Paul and the Gang

1st - 14th November 2015

Paul's last visit to Sabah was in 2010 and on his recent tour with the group, they managed to get around 310 birds on the usual birdwatching hot spots and particularly Danum Valley continued to impressed visiting clients for the wildife, lovely view of the rainforest and many more.

Highlights of the trips:

• Red-breasted Partridge (A pair was seen feeding while singing at Mt. Kinabalu)
• Chinese Egret (Single bird at Tg. Aru)
• Bornean Falconet (Scope view plus some videos of it feeding the large Cicada)
• Large Frogmouth (Heavy bird according to Paul!)
• Cinnamon-rumped Trogon (Unbelievable too close!)
• Ruddy Kingfisher (Playing hide and seek at Kinabatangan River)
• Helmeted Hornbill (Single male with fruit on its route to the nesting tree at Danum Valley)
• Grey & Buff Woodpecker (Early morning bird at RDC)
• Long-tailed Broadbill (Excellent view at Tambunan)
• Whitehead's Broadbill (Big and very obliging at Mt. Kinabalu)
• Giant Pitta (My 2nd view of this very shy Pitta at Danum Valley)
• Bornean Bristlehead (A family of four responded to the playback at Danum Valley)
• Grey-bellied Bulbul (Daily seen feeding on the fruiting trees next to the restaurant at Danum Valley)
• Everett's Thrush (3 birds were seen feeding near the road at Mt Kinabalu)

Some of the images capture during the trip. Taken with Nikon D3s + 300mm 2.8 VR II and Swarovski STX95 + Nikon V1 + 18.5mm. All Rights Reserved ©

 

Mountain Wren-Babbler (endemic)

Mountain Blackeye (endemic)

Green-ringed Cicada

 

Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel (endemic) feeds on algae and fast too!

 

Golden sunrise at Mt. Kinabalu

 

Yellow Racer Snake

 

Orang Utan with the juvenile at Gomantong Cave

 

Scoping the Black and Yellow Broadbill

 

Brown Wood Owl, 2nd common found in Sabah

 

Flat-headed Cat (lifer)

 

The largest Stork-billed Kingfisher in Sabah

 

Hooded Pitta

 

Black Hornbill

 

Lesser Fish Eagle

 

John at the canopy walkway, Danum Valley

 

Banded Broadbill

 

Cinnamon-rumped Trogon

 

Birding along the access road at Danum Valley

 

The nomadic Grey-bellied Bulbul

 

Olive-winged Bulbul

 

Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker (endemic) sub-adult

 

Common Tern between Gaya Island and the harbour

The trip ended at Manukan Island and saw the Tabon Scrubfowl, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher and Mangrove Whistler.

Good birding!

This post is Supported by Sandakan Foto 

Bornean Ground Cuckoo

Best places would be at Kinabatangan River, Sabah and also at Sungai Wain, Balikpapan according to friends who went to Kalimantan a few times in search for the Bornean Peacock Pheasant. Based on my records, this bird moved quietly on the floor without making any noise and when it replied on the playback, usually on the horizontal branches or logs on the ground.

Sometimes it takes hours before we get a glimpse of this rare birds too... The images below were taken at Kinabatangan River on cruise.

Taken with Nikon D300s + Nikon Fieldscope EDG85. All Rights Reserved ©

 It was also seen feeding on carcass at Danum Valley several years ago by researchers.

Rare and exquisite...

Happy birding!



For birdwatching/bird photography tours, please check my other blog http://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com/

This post is Supported by Sandakan Foto

White-fronted Falconet

Considered the smallest Raptor in the world, it is only found in Sabah and Brunei at Borneo Island. Main diet includes Nymph Butterfly and smaller birds such as Eurasian Tree Sparrow, Common Iora and Sunbird. If you are driving along the Kota Kinabalu-Sandakan Road, look for bare or death trees where it likes to perched and wait for its preys.

The series of images was taken in several places around Sabah with Nikon and Swarovski Optik spotting scopes. All Rights Reserved ©

 

 My favorite taken at Tenom

For birdwatching/bird photography tours, please check my other blog http://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com/

This post is Supported by Sandakan Foto

Red-breasted Partridge

Another montane endemic found in Borneo. These Partridge usually moved in flocks and allowed lucky photographers to get as close as possible for pictures, videos etc.

Taken with Nikon D3s + 300mm 2.8 VR II ~ All Rights Reserved ©

 

For birdwatching/bird photography tours, please check my other blog http://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com/

This post is Supported by Sandakan Foto

1st International Borneo Bird Race 2013

31st May - 6th June 2013

The 1st bird race held in Borneo Island with teams around Asia came for the prestigious Bornean Bristlehead Trophy. The race started in Brunei covering Tasek Merimbun and Ulu Temburong National Park. Then flew to Sabah with Mt. Kinabalu was the next destination and the race ended in Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok, just in time for the 5th Borneo Bird Festival.

The winner for Brunei Leg was the Bird Society Taiwan with 81 birds and for Sabah Leg, the hardworking team from the Wild Bird Club Of The Philippines grab the spot and eventually became the winner for the Bird Race with 148 species altogether.

I managed to get 2 lifers too; White-rumped Shama and Grey-breasted Spiderhunter seen feeding daily at Ulu-Ulu Temburong Resort together with the other Stewards.

Participating countries :

Details and pictures taken during the race is available at Borneo Bird Race official website at http://borneobirdrace.wordpress.com


Swarovski STX 95 + TSL APO + Nikon V1 and Nikon D300s + 300mm 2.8 VR II + TC1.4IIx
 

White-fronted Falconet, the smallest Raptor found in North Borneo

Oriental Dwarft Kingfisher

Fiery Minivet

Thanks to the Borneo Bird Race committees in Brunei (Brunei Tourism) and Sabah (Sabah Tourism and Borneo Bird Club) for making these race possible. We'll see you next year!

Happy birding!

These post is Supported by Sandakan Foto 

Best Birds and Wildlife Images In 2012

29th December 2012

As we are approaching the end of year 2012, below is some of my best images taken during my tours with clients all over the world. Thanks a lot for choosing Sabah as your birdwatching destination and spending your time here with me and hope to see you all again in the future. Looking forward for year 2013 !

Total birds seen for year 2012 was 377 species and areas of visit were at :

• Mt. Kinabalu
• Crocker Range
• Sepilok Forest Reserve
• Kinabatangan River
• Tabin Wildlife Reserve
• Tawau Hills Park
• Tempasuk, Tuaran and Penampang paddy field
• Lok Kawi and Tg. Aru Beach

Images taken with Nikon D300s, D700, 300mm 2.8 VR II, 80-400mm VR and Digiscoping Nikon Fieldscope EDG85

Chestnut-crested Yuhina, the commonest endemic found at the mountains in Sabah.

  

Copper-throated Sunbird photographed at Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok with John and Linda Mckean. It was tiring and fun at the same time tying to get a decent image of this fast moving bird !

Rufous-collared Kingfisher, a must see forest Kingfisher at Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sepilok. A pair was seen quite close on the trail with The Synders early October

Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel, one of the smallest Squirrel in the world and only found in Borneo

I have been dying to get a flight shot of this Lesser Fish Eagle and opportunity arise while cruising at Tenegang tributary with Bobby and Tracey last June. 

White-browed Crake, a shy creature but posed for me during one of my bird survey in Tuaran district with its immature. 

 Oriental Darter at Kinabatangan River

Small number of Chinese Egret arrived in Sabah during the winter migration from September - April. This one taken at Lok Kawi Beach

 My Japanese birdwatchers Y Bird group loved this Banded Broadbill so much !

Only found at Greater Sunda Islands and luck was on my side with Bjorn when this Black-capped White Eye perched lower than usual at Mesilau Substation

 

Wandering Whistling Duck ~ The only resident Duck in Sabah taken at Tempasuk paddy field, Kota Belud, the best place for migratory birds

Together with Ian Ewing, while waiting the Bornean Banded Pitta at Crocker Range, a group of Pygmy White Eye came and go at one of the fruiting tree.

Osprey scanning for preys at Tempasuk paddy field

Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush another common endemic found at Mt. Kinabalu. My favorite picture and capture with John Lobel in July

 Another surprise at Tawau Hills Park during the Sabah Park Biodiversity Expo last December, this Mangrove Blue Flycatcher was seen hunting close to the ground and very tame !

You don't see this Crimson-headed Partridge in the open very often !

And this Red-breasted Partridge ! Siew Lin even managed to get a video ..

 Purple-naped Sunbird on top of Ginger flower

Playing hide and seek at Menanggul tributary, Kinabatangan River with John Seymour. Bird of the trip ! ~ Buffy Fish Owl

 Whitehead's Trogon in panoramic mode

My best image of Whitehead's Broadbill with Tim recently ! It stayed in the open and managed to get some video recording through my lens for few minutes

Perfect blue sky on the way to Oxbow Lake at Kinabatangan River, there were at least 8 endangered Storm's Stork flying low that day with Dave Irving

Bornean Pygmy Elephant at Tabin Wildlife Reserve. Capture from the truck along Tomanggong Road with John and Linda Mckean. This is my favorite shot for 2012 ...

Proboscis Monkey, one of Sabah's specialty. You can see them at Klias - Garama and Kinabatangan River

Waited for 10 minutes before this magnificent Helmeted Hornbill flew above us at Oxbow Lake with Daniel and Arlief. What a view !

Happy birding everyone.