3rd Borneo Bird Festival 2011

14th - 16th October 2011

It was a huge success with more than 3000 visitors came during the recent Borneo Bird Festival aka BBF at Rainforest Discovery Centre, one of the best place to see the endemic Bornean Bristlehead, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Great Slaty Woodpecker and many more !

Had a great time with the gang displaying some of the bird and mammal pictures for visitors at the same time, we received a good response in regards with Digiscoping ~ The uses of spotting scope coupled with compact or DSLR camera via adapter by explaining to them the benefits etc in capturing images and videos while birding.

Thanks to Tee Nikon Malaysia, Irene from Sandakan Foto, Roy and Winston from Celcom Malaysia and Brian Erwin at Think Tank Photo for the sponsors.

Some pictures are courtesy of Jollence Lee from Borneo Geographic © All Rights Reserved

Ben setting up for Nikon booth

My room at Hotel Ramai with the gang !

Obon Recycle booth selling high quality recycled products

 

Section dedicated to the late Chien, Seng and Isnadil ...

Tee from Nikon Malaysia unboxing the new Nikon Fieldscope EDG85 VR

Sabah Park booth

Setting up materials for display at BBC @ Keting2 booth

Kadaiku from Sri Pelancong Sabah

Renowned photo journalist David, Noredah and Diana from Sabah Tourism Board, one of the main organizer for BBF

Sandy testing the new VR scope !

Sandakan Foto / Nikon Malaysia ready for action !

The latest Nikon V1 / J1 mirrorless camera and I want it !

My best buddy Tee from Nikon Malaysia ...

BBC @ Keting2 booth at Day 1

 

Think Tank Photo, one of the sponsor for the booth and preferred brand for photography and birding by the gang 

Alphon and Gary, Borneo Bird Club president

Think Tank Photo bags on display

The supportive wives !

 Ron explaining quality pictures taken with Digiscoping and Lens

From left to right; Dennis, Jollence, Ghaffar and Azami

See you all next year !

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax)

9th October 2011

Uncommon winter visitor to North Borneo and this is my 2nd time seeing this beauty at the paddy field mixing together with Long-toed Stint, Wood Sandpiper, Javan Pond Heron and Whiskered Tern yesterday.

Plus new lifer when my friends saw the Oriental Plover, a rare migrant to Borneo and 1st record for Sabah in the morning, it was worth the wait in the evening making up my Borneo list to 454 !

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

 

Good birding and will try to get good pictures of the Oriental Plover before the 3rd Borneo Bird Festival at Sepilok :)

Birding With Chris Kehoe

19th - 21st September 2011

Spent few days birding with a good friend of mine and his client Brian and Corrine at Kota Belud, Mt. Kinabalu and around Kota Kinabalu city for some migratory waterbirds and endemics at the mountain.

The journey started from Kota Kinabalu to Tempasuk paddy field at Kota Belud district about an hour drive up  North. Considered one of the best birding site for visitor birds from North Asia and some of the species seen there such as Long-toed Stint, Watercock, Marsh Sandpiper, Buff-banded Rail and Little Ringed Plover. Then up to Kinabalu National Park for Bornean Treepie, Fruithunter, Jambu Fruit Dove with Chestnut-crested Yuhina and Mountain Tailorbird.

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

I will be at Borneo Bird Festival from the 14th - 16th October in Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sandakan. Hope to see you there :)

Migratory Season Has Started

18th August 2011

As expected few species from North Asia has arrived at Lok Kawi beach, one of the place where I normally do my yearly counting. So far, common species has been seen and photographed such as Pacific Golden Plover, Curlew Sandpiper, Grey-tailed Tattler and Greater Sand Plover.

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

 

This is how they were enjoying the evening breeze hehehe

More images at Nikon Digiscoping Group Flickr

Happy birding !

Little Tern

12th August 2011

While driving to one of the beach in my local patch yesterday, saw a pair of Tern from a distance flying high and low at a used to be a watermelon farm next to the mangrove but now covered with soil roughly about an acre and there were cows with Cattle Egret too.

Upon careful inspections, saw 2 juvenile Little Tern on the ground guarded by one of the parent while the other one was busy distracting few Cattle Egret nearby by swooping on top back and forth. The next 1 hour spent taking pictures in flight of the Tern !

Little Tern is a common winter visitor but arrived in my place only in small number from September - April. It could be seen at Likas Mudflat and Lok Kawi beach together with the other waterbirds and considered the smallest in the region.

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

Happy birding !