Birding With Colin And Pam

17th - 23rd April 2009

Had a great time birding with Colin and Pam at Kinabalu Park, Kinabatangan River and Tambunan Rafflesia Centre for a week and during that time, managed to see 182 species with 28 endemics for Borneo.

Key species seen :

• Bornean Ground Cuckoo - Twice seen within 2 days in row at the river ! Thanks to Kecil, the boatman who navigated along the river perfectly for this species.
• White-fronted Falconet - A pair along the river.
• Red-breasted Partridge - Few individuals seen and then crossing the trail.
  
• Whitehead's Trogon - 2 males and 1 female.
• Giant Swiftlet - Saw twice in a day at Timpohon Gate flying very low and my lifer too hahaha :p
  
• Bornean Barbet - 1st bird seen at Tambunan.
  
• Whitehead's Broadbill - Nearly gave up on this. Thanks for the help from Andy and Cameron :)
• Fruithunter - Saw the nest and while walking on the other trails after breakfast, saw a juvenile being fed by the parents.
• Everett's Thrush - No luck at the usual stack out trail, on the way back from Power Station in the evening, saw 1 hopping on the side of the road and Colin managed to get a record shot hahaha :p
  
• Whitehead's Spiderhunter - Seen twice in flight only ...

Some of the shot taken during the trip, digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn adapter and Fujifilm F31D

View of Crocker Range from the Timpohon Gate

Mt. Kinabalu in the evening from Kundasang Town

Nice hotel with excellent rooms and wireless Internet too :p



Juvenile Fruithunter

Whitehead's Trogon

Whitehead's Broadbill on nest

Kecil, the boatman has an Eagle eye !

Cruising along the longest river in Sabah, Kinabatangan


Scarlet-rumped Trogon digiscoped along the access road to Gomantong Caves


Buffy Fish Owl, the commonest species found on the river


Gunung Alab road


Happy birders, Colin and Pam from England

My next trip would be in Sepilok for the Bornean Bristlehead from the 27th April until the 1st of May.

Happy birding eveyone :)

Birding With Kontiki Group From Finland

3rd - 6rd April 2009

Went to Tabin Wildlife Reserve one day earlier before the group arrived, I did not waste any opportunity to search for fruiting trees and birding around the restaurant and at Tomanggong Road the next day with Maldin.

The big surprised was, when I checked in to my room, Malaysian Blue Flycatcher greeted me with a smile hahaha :p

Malaysian Blue Flycatcher

But it rained the whole afternoon until 5pm, but few birds still active that time such as Lesser Green Leafbird, Black-winged Flycatcher Shrike and this Buffy Fish Owl suddenly perched not far from the restaurant and back to to forest after few minutes.

Buffy Fish Owl with one eye opened

The next morning, started early in the morning with Maldin and birded until 10am before I met with the group at Lahad Datu town together with my best friend, Osman who are leading the group from Mt. Kinabalu then to Kinabatangan River.

Maldin


My favorite hill for Raptors !


Hehehe enjoying bird from the pickup and this is me with new lifer, Tiger Shrike !

On the way to the lodge, saw Oriental Darter, Crested Serpent Eagle and Brahminy Kite with a pair of White-crowned Hornbill, Lesser Coucal and Bornean Pygmy Elephant as a warmth welcome to the group as we were approaching the resort.

After tea break, drove to Tomanggong Road and walk back to the lodge around 6pm. After dinner, searched for Brown Wood Owl and Barred Eagle Owl did not yield any result.

Using a truck as the main transportation between the lodge to Tomanggong and Core Road

Access road to the Core area

Looking for Green Imperial Pigeon

Next morning, more birds were seen such as Lesser Cuckoo Shrike, Little Bronzed Cuckoo, Purple Throated Sunbird, Rhinoceros and Wrinkled Hornbill with Verditer Flycatcher and Fiery Minivet.

Black-capped Babbler and Black and Crimson Pitta really gave the group something to cheered up after waited nearly 30 minutes for both species to appeared hahaha and then my first Hose's Langur was spotted by Osman as another addition for the group :)

A pair of Black Hornbill

Rain ...


Asian Fairy Bluebird with Cicada

Raffles's Malkoha enjoying the morning sun

On my last day with the group, saw Wreated Hornbill, heard Helmeted Hornbill and a pair of Changeable Hawk Eagle with a juvenile. The smallest raptor in the world, White-fronted Falconet was another bonus for one of the birder which he did not see when they were at Poring Hotspring.

Stopping at the lake, Lesser Adjutant seen soaring high up on the sky then drove to Lahad Datu town in rain.

Crested Goshawk

Diard's Trogon

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha

Good birding as usual at Tabin Wildlife Reserve. The management did a very good job maintaining the lodge after big flood that happened in early February. Thanks to the Manager, Fernando and other staffs for ensuring the enjoyment while birding at Tabin hehehe.

I will be birding with the group again this Friday for their target, Malaysian Plover and my friend recently informed me, the parents has 1 chick now ...

Happy birding !

Grey-streaked Flycatcher

30 March 2009

Busy with work, met with Ben and Karim at Sugud Forest Reserve yesterday morning after sending my brother to the airport.

When I arrived, they were busy shooting a very tame Red-bearded Bee Eater and by the time I've set my kit, the bird was gone ! What the heck ...

But it did returned in the afternoon and only managed to get record shot of this beauty

Hohoho :p

Because of the breeding season at this moment, less birds seen, mostly heard from the distance. Found this Grey-streaked Flycatcher after I missed the Red-bearded Bee Eater earlier.

It might be gone anytime now back to its breeding place ...


Can anyone guess this person ? Find the answer here

I will be off to Tabin Wildlife Reserve this Friday with another birding group from Finland. Hope can see the Clouded Leopard while on night drive after 3 unsuccessful trips at Danum Valley Forest Reserve !

Happy birding everyone :)

Common Moorhen Chicks

22nd March 2009

With migration season coming to the end, I stopped for few minutes at my favorite patch to check for any uncommon migratory birds around the lake. Nothing special except for single Chinese Pond Heron assuming breeding plumage and another 2 Pond Heron sp. preening and enjoying the late sun ...

Then these chicks emerged from the tall grasses together with the parents and it was my first time I saw the juvenile and it looked a bit similar like the juvenile White-breasted Waterhen except it has a small red colour on its crown.

Hehehe hope the new ones will get through !

Digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-Griturn and Fujifilm F31D

Patiently waiting for food from the parents

Pied Triller

Striated Grassbird

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Pond Heron sp.

Almost sunset taken from the paddy field nearby

Happy birding !

Blue-throated Bee Eater Territory

20th March 2009

Visited one of the empty lot around Likas and seen at least more than 10 Blue-throated Bee Eater perched on the electric cables and few trees around it. Suspected they are breeding now because the plot itself is covered with sand soil, good place for the birds.

Some of the shots taken on different days and digiscoped with Nikon Fieldscope ED82, SRB-griturn Mk II adapter and Fujifilm F31D

After the rain

Winter visitor to Borneo

The owner of the lot has covered it with blue zink, sign of new building is going to be construct soon ...

Happy birding everyone and thanks to Eugene for the birds hehehe :p

Birding With Sander And Ben

16th March 2009

Had fun with Sander and Ben birding for a day around Kota Belud, Tuaran, Kota Kinabalu and Lok Kawi with Tanjung Aru Beach. Seen 24 out of 33 target species for Sander and the main highlight was 2 Little Egret (race nigripes has black feet), 1 Temminck's Stint and my lifer, Red-legged Crake hahaha seen at Tempasuk Paddy Field.

Birds seen :

• Purple Heron
• Cattle Egret
• Pacific Reef Egret
• Great Egret
• Intermediate Egret
• Little Egret
• Javan Pond Heron (assuming breeding plumage)
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Rufous Night Heron
• Yellow Bittern
• Cinnamon Bittern
• Wandering Whistling Duck
• Osprey
• Black-winged Kite
• Brahminy Kite
• Red-legged Crake
• White-browed Crake (Sander missed this)
• White-breasted Waterhen
• Common Moorhen
• Purple Swamphen
• Grey Plover
• Pacific Golden Plover
• Little Ringed Plover
• Kentish Plover
• Malaysian Plover
• Lesser Sand Plover (assumming breeding plumage)
• Greater Sand Plover (assumming breeding plumage)
• Grey-tailed Tattler
• Ruddy Turnstone
• Marsh Sandpiper
• Common Greenshank
• Wood Sandpiper
• Terek Sandpper
• Common Sandpiper
• Temminck Stint
• Long-toed Stint
• Black-winged Kite
• Oriental Pranticole
• Whiskered Tern
• White-winged Tern
• Little Tern
• Pink-necked Green Pigeon
• Rock Pigeon
• Spotted Dove
• Zebra Dove
• Blue-naped Parrot
• Lesser Coucal (immature)
• Glossy Swiftlet
• Common Kingfisher
• Collared Kingfisher
• Barn Swallow
• Pacific Swallow
• Pied Triller
• Yellow-vented Bulbul
• Magpie Robin
• Oriental Reed Warbler
• Straited Warbler
• White-breasted Wood Swallow
• Brown Shrike
• Asian Glossy Starling
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Olive-backed Sunbird
• Dusky Munia
• Black-headed Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Mt. Kinabalu

Ready for next planting

Whiskered Tern

Ben Wisla and Sander Pietrese

Lok Kawi Beach

Collared Kingfisher

By the way, Sander Pieterse is the administrator for xeno-canto website specialized in Bird Songs throughout Asia and South America. Their website is a good reference for birders searching for specific bird songs for research purpose ec

Check the website at www.xeno-canto.org

They are currently at Tambunan Rafflesia Centre searching for montane species and if time permitted, I will be joining them on the 24th at Poring Hot Spring for the Hose's Broadbill.


Good birding !