Mt. Trusmadi Trip

 13-16th February 2022

Another great camping trip at Mt. Trusmadi since my last visit in 2003 with CK. We stayed for a few nights and during that time, the weather has been kind and rewarding too with plenty of fruiting trees nearby the main gate and also along the access road to the camping site. Target species here was the Bulwer's Pheasant, Malaysian Rail-Babbler, Crested Partridge, Long-billed Partridge and Bornean Frogmouth. Only the Frogmouth was seen briefly with great recording of its call and song on the final morning at the mountain. The rest was heard except for Malaysian Rail-Babbler really close but the thick vegetation was the main culprit...

The journey continued to Tinopikon Camp site, Penampang for the Blue-banded Kingfisher and Fairy Pitta but it was a disappointment with only fewer common birds seen at the hiking trail. While Andrew decided to call it a day, the rest drove towards Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud for the Black-faced Spoonbill, Black-browed Reed Warbler and another sighting of the rare resident of Eastern Grass Owl!

Bird list at Mt. Trusmadi, Mt. Alab, Tinopikon, Bukit Padang, Tanjung Aru Beach and Tempasuk:

1. Blyth's Hawk-Eagle
2. Crested Serpent Eagle 
3. Eastern Marsh Harrier
   
4. White-fronted Falconet (endemic)
   
5. Black-winged Kite
6. Brahminy Kite
7. Osprey
8. Brahminy Kite
9. Eurasian Kestrel
   
10. Crimson-headed Partridge (endemic)
11. Red-breasted Partridge (endemic)
12. Bulwer's Partridge (heard)
    
13. Crested Partridge (heard)
    
14. Great Argus
15. Wandering Whistling-Duck
    
16. Common Greenshank
17. Whiskered Tern
18. Little Egret
19. Great Egret
20. Black-crowned Night Heron
21. Nankeen Night Heron
    
22. Purple Heron
23.  Yellow Bittern
    
24. Black-faced Spoonbill (vagrant)
    
25. Oriental Darter 
26. Watercock
27. Eurasian Moorhen
    
28. Black-backed Swamphen
29. White-breasted Waterhen
30. Kentish Plover
31. Little Ringed Plover
32. Common Greenshank
33. Marsh Sandpiper
34. Long-toed Stint
35. Whiskered Tern
    
36. Little Cuckoo-Dove
37. Asian Emerald Dove 
38. Zebra Dove
39. Spotted Dove
    
40. Green Imperial Pigeon
41. Asian Palm Swift
42. Plume-toed Swfitlet
    
43. Brush Cuckoo
44. Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
    
45. Dark Hawk-Cuckoo (endemic)
46. Sunda Cuckoo
    
47. Bornean Frogmouth (endemic)
48. Sunda Frogmouth
49. Oriental Bay Owl
    
50. Reddish Scops-Owl
51. Sunda Scops-Owl
    
52. Mountain Scops-Owl
53. Eastern Grass-Owl
    
54. Brown Boobook 
55. Collared Kingfisher
56. Long-tailed Parakeet
57. Blue-naped Parrot
58. Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot 
59. Lesser Coucal
    
60. Common Iora
61. Green Iora
62. Orange-breasted Trogon
63. Collared Kingfisher
    
64. White-crowned Hornbill
65. Bornean Barbet (endemic)
66. Bornean Brown Barbet (endemic)
67. Golden-naped Barbet (endemic)
68. Mountain Barbet (endemic)
69. Gold-faced Barbet (endemic)
70. Red-throated Barbet
71. Maroon Woodpecker
72. Banded Woodpecker
73. Checker-throated Woodpecker
74. White-bellied Woodpecker
75. Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
    
76. Long-tailed Broadbill
77. Green Broadbill
    
78. Banded Broadbill
79. Black & Yellow Broadbill
80. Whitehead's Broadbill (endemic)
81. Bornean Banded Pitta (endemic)
82. Golden-bellied Gerygone
    
83. Gray-rumped Treeswift 
84. White-nest Swift
    
85. Barn Swallow
86. Pacific Swallow
87. White-breasted Woodswallow
    
88. Pied Triller 
89. Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
    
90. Sunda Cuckooshrike
91. Gray-chinned Minivet
    
92. Blyth's Shrike-Babbler
93. Bornean Whistler (endemic)
94. Black and Crimson Oriole
95. Asian Fairy Bluebird
    
96. Spotted Fantail
97. White-throated Fantail
98. Malaysian Pied Fantail
99. Ashy Drongo
100. Hair-crested Drongo
101. Black Drongo
     
102. Crested Shrikejay 
     
103. Bornean Treepie (endemic)
104. Gray-headed Canary-Flycatcher
105. White-bellied Erpornis
106. Bornean Whistler (endemic)
107. Dark-necked Tailorbird
     
108. Ashy Tailorbird
109. Mountain Tailorbird 
110. Yellow-bellied Prinia
     
111. Black-headed Bulbul
     
112. Bornean Bulbul (endemic)
113. Penan Bulbul (endemic)
114. Cinereous Bulbul
     
115. Yellow-vented Bulbul 
116. Spectacled Bulbul
     
117. Yellow-bellied Warbler
118. Mountain Leaf Warbler
119. Sunda Bush Warbler 
120. Black-browed Reed Warbler (vagrant)
     
121. Striated Grassbird
     
122. Chestnut-crested Yuhina (endemic)
123. Swinhoe's White-Eye
     
124. Pygmy White-Eye (endemic)
125. Rufous-fronted Babbler
126. Black-capped Babbler
127. Short-tailed Babbler
     
128. Chestnut-backed Scimitar-Babbler 
129. Rail-Babbler (heard)
     
130. Chestnut-rumped Babbler
131. Chestnut-winged Babbler
     
132. Gray-throated Babbler 
133. Black-throated Wren-Babbler (endemic)
134. Temminck's Babbler
135. Brown Fulvetta
     
136. Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush (endemic)
137. Sunda Laughingthrush
138. Dark-sided Flycatcher
139. Asian Brown Flycatcher
140. White-crowned Shama (endemic)
141. Fulvous-chested Jungle Flycatcher
     
142. Dayak Blue Flycatcher (endemic)
143. Blue and White Flycatcher
144. Indigo Flycatcher
145. Verditer Flycatcher
146. Mugimaki Flycatcher
147. Asian Glossy Starling
     
148. Orange-headed Thrush
     
149. Eyebrowed Thrush
     
150. White-browed Shortwing
151. Oriental Magpie Robin
     
152. Black-sided Flowerpecker (endemic)
153. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
     
154. Temminck's Sunbird
155. Eastern Crimson Sunbird
     
156. Brown-throated Sunbird 
157. Olive-backed Sunbird
     
158. Long-billed Spiderhunter
159. Little Spiderhunter
160. Whitehead's Spiderhunter (endemic)
161. Bornean Spiderhunter (endemic)
162. Lesser Green Leafbird
     
163. Bornean Leafbird (endemic)
164. Chestnut-munia
165. Scaly-breasted Munia
166. Dusky Munia (endemic)
167. Java Sparrow
     
168. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
169. Yellow Wagtail
     
170. Gray Wagtail

 Recording made at the mountain uploaded to my Xeno-Canto:

• Golden-bellied Gerygone
  
• Bornean Treepie
• Chestnut-crested Yuhina
• Cinereous Bulbul
  

 Images taken with Swarovski Optik. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

 

Along the access road to Camp Site at Mt. Trusmadi

 

 

T-junction before the hike to the camping site

Morning birding around the gate were the best with plenty of fruiting trees! We got the Golden-bellied Gergone, Orange-breasted Trogon, Bornean Banded Pitta, Pygmy White-Eye and many more!

Curry Maggi + Bambangan aka wild mango...

 

Late lunch again hahaha

Watching the Mountain Barbet at Tambunan Rafflesia Centre

White-fronted Falconet (endemic) on scopes

 

With the gang at Trusmadi

Swarovski Optik with a view of a primary rainforest

My four years old daily use trail shoes by NB...

Mark pointing at a group of Plume-toed Swiftlet, Pacific Swallow and House Swift nests on the building at Mt. Alab

Taking pics of the White-fronted Falconet at Trusmadi with Swarovski Optik STX95 spotting scope

We got the Bornean Leafbird (endemic), Sunda Bush Warbler, Golden-naped Barbet (endemic) and Grey-chinned Minivet at Mt. Alab road

Unlucky death endemic Bornean Horned Frog

Observing the Sunda Frogmouth at Bukit Padang track, Kota Kinabalu including the Oriental Bay Owl, Sunda Scops and Reddish Scops-Owl!

The Yoyo-Yoko Bird Team aims to see 500 species of birds found in Sabah for 2022. So far we got around 300++ birds :D

Tinopikon Tagal Centre, Penampang where we camped for a night for the Fairy Pitta. But no luck...

Black-sided Flowerpecker (endemic)

Bornean Treepie (endemic)

Verditer Flycatcher

Dark-sided Flycatcher

Joe taking videos of the full moon with his scope at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud

Sunset...

White-fronted Falconet (endemic), the smallest raptor in the world found only in Sabah, Borneo

Happy birding!

Black-browed Reed Warbler

 27th January 2022

Another vagrant spotted by Boris at Tempasuk Plain on the 26th January and upon arrival on the site, waited for an hour until the bird emerged from the tall Elephant Grass that grows along the waterway for the paddy fields. We suspected it came from Vietnam as the case with Black-faced Spoonbill after the double typhoons that hit Taiwan, HK, Vietnam and the Philippines late Dec and early January.

Great view with pictures taken on the reed next to the waterways and it was also singing but quite secretive. Sound at Xeno-Canto https://xeno-canto.org/699515. It was considered the first photographic records in Sabah and considered uncommon migrants in the Philippines too.

My #SabahBigYear2022 current list stand at 186 species. 314 birds to go! Other key migrant species seen on that day:

• Eurasian Bittern
• Northern Shoveler
• Black-faced Spoonbill
• Black Drongo

Images taken with Swarovski Optik. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

What a luck seeing another vagrant (Black-browed Reed Warbler) in January after the Black-faced Spoonbill!

 

Yellow-bellied Prinia

 

Together with Syamimi, Jupri, Ron, Win and Oliver

 

The small patch in front where the Warbler were seen flirting around and in the open

 

 

Sunrise at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud...

 

 

With the Swarovski Optik BTX95 spotting scope for the uncommon migrant Northern Shoveler

 

 

At last, Black-faced Spoonbill resting on the paddy field!

Yellow Bittern

Swarovski SLC and EL, the preferred optic brand in Sabah!

Happy birding and Chinese New Year!

Mt. Kinabalu + Black-faced Spoonbill special moment

 22-23rd January 2022

 

 

After more than 2 years from my last visit here, the morning birding produces some of the finest birds endemic to Borneo on the higher elevation such as Crimson-headed Partridge, Dark Hawk-Cuckoo and the legendary Whitehead's trio: Spiderhunter seen feeding on the rhododendron flowers, single male of the Trogon and a pair of Broadbill among the greens within 3 hours! 

One of the Rhododendrons favoured by the Temminck's Sunbird and Whitehead's Spiderhunter at Mt. Kinabalu. 27 species of rhododendrons were recorded here.

 

 Most birds were vocal and I got a few recording such a:

• White-browed Shortwing
  
• Mountain Wren-Babbler

Bird list:

1. Crimson-headed Partridge (endemic)
2. Little Cuckoo-Dove
3. Mt. Imperial-Pigeon
4. Whitehead's Trogon (endemic)
5. Golden-naped Barbet (endemic)
6. Maroon Woodpecker
7. Checker-throated Woodpecker
8. Whitehead's Broadbill (endemic)
9. Gray-chinned Minivet
10. Sunda Cuckooshrike
11. Bornean Whistler (endemic)
12. Hair-crested Drongo
13. Bornean Green-Magpie (endemic)
14. Bornean Treepie (endemic)
15. Penan Bulbul (endemic)
16. Yellow-breasted Warbler
17. Mountain Tailorbird
18. Chestnut-crested Yuhina (endemic)
19. Gray-throated Babbler
20. Mt. Wren-Babbler (endemic)
21. Sunda Laughingthrush
22. Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush (endemic)
23. Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher (endemic)
24. White-browed Shortwing
25. Bornean Whistling-Thrush (endemic)
    
26. Mugimaki Flycatcher (endemic)
    
27. Black-sided Flowerpecker
28. Temminck's Sunbird
29. Whitehead's Spiderhunter (endemic)

On the next day at Tempasuk Plain, Kota Belud with Mark and Gary on his 4th attempts for the mega lifer Black-faced Spoonbill. Despite searching for it around the plain since 5.30 in the morning, we decided to stayed at the last seen spot until when Okuy, Ed and Oliver arrived around 4 in the afternoon. It mush have been pure luck when Okuy went for another round at few places and eventually he got it! What a memorable day for Gary!

My current Sabah Big Year 2022 list at 161 species (500 target birds) and with the addition of Eurasian Bittern, my Borneo list at 526 :)

Images taken with Swarovski Optik. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 

 Celebration!

After 3 weekends in row for the Black-faced Spoonbill, it feels great knowing everyone in the circle got their mega lifer for January...

 

With a cooler box plus superb view of the plains...

 

Saw the Eurasian Bittern (vagrant) lifer here

 

High spirit for the Spoonbill with Gary and Mark!

 

One of the spot for the Black-faced Spoonbill

 

Another lovely morning at Tempasuk Plain with reflection of Mt. Kinabalu and my gear-ready Swarovski Optik BTX95!

Got stung by Bee while watching the Mt. Wren-Babbler!

Waiting for the Mt. Wren-Babbler

Modern tech allows us to view the subject seen from the lens with our smartphone nowadays

Waiting for the tree tops specialist, Whitehead's Spiderhunter

Mt. Imperial-Pigeon

Ron with a few tourists admiring the pics of Mt. Leaf Warbler

Whitehead's Broadbill, one of the must see birds in Sabah. Digiscoped with Swarovski Optik BTX95 spotting scope

 

Along the access road to Timpohon Gate

 

On the way to Kinabalu Park

Happy birding and Chinese New Year everyone!

Pied Stilt

 16th January 2022

It was a great birding day at Tempasuk Plain yesterday after another round of Black-faced Spoonbill, with John and Mark, we drove to Tips of Borneo, Kudat for the Black-naped Fruit Dove (lifer) and dips on the Ashy Minivet. Other birds seen there were the Brown Shrike, Lesser Frigatebird, Dollarbird and Asian Palm-Swift.

Then another alert were sent to the group for the Pied Stilt at Tempasuk Plain! It took us back to the plain around 1820 hrs++ and after rounding up the place for a while, eventually we got the vagrant Stilt roosting at one of the plot next to the main road! My Sabah Big Year 2022 now at 125 species. 375 birds to go!

We did the Asian Wetland Census as well and the list below:

1. Wandering Whistling Duck x 100++
   
2. Black-winged Stilt x 49
   
3. Pied Stilt x 4
   
4. Curlew Sandpiper x 1
   
5. Temminck's Stint x1
6. Red-necked Stint x 15
7. Marsh Sandpiper x 5
8. Great Egret x 4
9. Intermediate Egret x 1
10. Little Egret x 21
11. Black-faced Spoonbill x1

 

Used to be common migrant, it gets harder every year now... Brown Shrike

The Pied Stilt! My last sighting at Tuaran a few years ago

Check my birding tours in Sabah: https://birdersofborneo.blogspot.com/

Happy birding!