Birding With Ron & Carol

17th - 23rd July 2011

Spent a week with Ron & Carol searching for the best birds and wildlife at Mt. Kinabalu, Kinabatangan River and Sepilok Forest Reserve before they continued birding at Singapore and Thailand. With total over 170 birds seen and some of them were captured with my scopes, a pair of Whitehead's Trogon was one of the main highlight seen on the final morning after searching for several days at the mountain !

At Kinabatangan River and Sepilok, few endangered Storm's Stork with Lesser Adjutant, few pairs of Wreathed Hornbill, Grey-headed Fish Eagle and only the sound of Bornean Ground Cuckoo and the fast moving Blue-headed Pitta at Gomantong Cave. Missed the White-crowned, Helmeted Hornbill and Bornean Bristlehead this time.

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s

Cruising at Kinabatangan River

Good birding !

Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster)

13th July 2011

The only place left in the city to see this beauty together with Great, Little and Intermediate Egret, White-browed Crake and few winter visitors such as Temminck's Stint, Black-winged Stilt, Common Greenshank and Little Ringed Plover at Likas Lagoon

Estimated around 8 Oriental Darter at the Lagoon and other places to see them is along the Kinabatangan River on the East Coast.

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s

Happy birding

Fraser's Hill International Bird Race

24th - 29th June 2011

Joined the 24th Fraser's Hill International Bird Race held together with Ron and Alven at the same time meeting up with Tee from Nikon Malaysia and Andrew who has been there since the 20th with his Japanese group. The main target for this trip was the Silver-breasted Broadbill and shown by Andrew on the day of arrival !

Then a bonus while driving back along the Jeriau Waterfall, saw a pair of Red-headed Trogon. It reminds the gang of the elusive Whitehead's Trogon found at Mt. Kinabalu hehehe and we got the Orange-breasted Trogon at Bukit Tinggi after failed to see it at Fraser's Hill despite trying twice along The Gap road.

On our final day, visited the Putrajaya Wetland for the Painted Stork with other waterbirds that inhabitant the small islands. Saw a pair of White-headed Munia too.

Thanks to Tee from Nikon Malaysia and Mr. Durai for their hospitality at Fraser's Hill. Definitely will come back next year with more teams from Land Below The Wind :)

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s and Nikon Coolpix P7000

Driving from Kuala Lumpur to Fraser's Hill with rented car from Hertz

Lunch at small town of Kuala Kubu before driving up for another 1 hour to Fraser's Hill

Ron testing his Olympus E-P1 on my Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 hehehe with Andrew at Silverpark Apartment

Catch of the day, Malaysian Laughingthrush !

Waiting for the Orange-breasted Trogon with Tee at Bukit Tinggi

Happy birding !

Fulvous-chested Jungle Flycatcher (Rhinomyias olivaceus)

24th May 2011



My third sighting of these beauty and considered one of the rare Jungle Flycatcher in my place :)

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG65, 25LER Eyepiece via Nikon FSB-U1 Digital Camera Bracket on Nikon Coolpix P7000

 Happy birding !

Yellow-crowned Barbet (Megalaima henricii)

17th May 2011

Only once seen in Poring Hot Spring several years ago and saw it for the 2nd time with pictures and video hahaha :p

I would considered this species to be rare in my place and only sometimes heard in primary rainforest. Compared with other species of Barbet, this is a least known and photographed bird. Thanks to Jadda and the gang for pointing out this beauty :)

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s

Happy birding !

Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava)

17th March 2011

It is a matter of time who will get the best full frame shot of these beauty ! It was first seen 15 years ago by Andrew Siani then recently after many years, Ron, Hazel and Wins saw it again at Penampang paddy field next to the busy road in early March.

From the observations among the gang, it has 2 groups and by the time of writing, each group has 1 still in breeding plumage and the rest in post breeding and non breeding plumage. The highest number seen roughly around 20 birds feeding on the grasses at one time

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s and 80-400mm VR

In breeding plumage

Non-breeding plumage

At this moment there are road work repairing the main drain nearby the only site for these bird. Not sure what will happen next but I'm hoping it will remain there for a while until the number expand and become secure :)

Happy birding !

Birding With Y Bird Japan Group Part II

21st - 24th April 2011

Spent few days with Ken and his group from YBird Japan at Sepilok and Kinabatangan River. Heard the Bornean Ground Cuckoo at Gomantong Cave but too far inside the forest from the access road.

Total of 120 over species of birds seen and some of them were Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s, 80-400mm VR and Coolpix P7000

Shooting the Black-backed Kingfisher

Newly open lodge operated by Borneo Nature Lodge with open glass concept applied on the rooms and restaurant and has bird tower too.

Oriental Pied Hornbill seen in the morning feeding around the lodge

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Orang Utan having siesta in the afternoon

Black-nest Swiftlet at Gomantong Cave

Crested Serpent Eagle

Looking at the Storm's Stork

Black & Red Broadbill

Female Red-naped Trogon

Visiting Ruddy Kingfisher at Sepilok

Fiery Minivet

Morning mist at Kinabatangan River

Happy birding everyone !

Bornean Forktail (Enicurus borneoensis)

9th April 2011

While waiting for the Whitehead's Trogon with Joe and Sis, suddenly a pair of these elusive and rather shy Forktail appeared from the nearby stream right onto the busy road leading up to the Power Station. It was seen feeding around the area for nearly an hour providing excellent opportunity for pictures !

Bornean Forktail (Enicurus borneoensis) (BF) was split (Moyle et al 2005) from White-crowned Forktail (Enicurus leschenaulti) (WCF) based on the followings :

• The white shield stop on top of its forehead whereas WCF extended on the crown.
• Much bigger in size than WCF with longer and has 4 pair of white patches on its tail
• Different vocalizations
• Different habitat with BF mostly found at the mountains e.g Kinabalu National Park and WCF further down lowland forest e.g Danum Valley

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 via Nikon FSA-L2 DSLR Photo Adapter on Nikon D300s and 80-400mm VR lens

Happy birding !