RTM Old Telecommunication Field

21st June 2020

There were at least 30 to 40 species of birds seen and heard on this particular location especially the Eastern Grass Owl (dipped) after trying for several days and nights. It is also one of the best place to photographed the majestic Mt. Kinabalu in the morning!

Bird lists (will be updated in the future):

1. Wandering Whistling Duck
2. Purple Heron
3. Great Egret
4. Cattle Egret
5. Oriental Darter
6. Brahminy Kite
7. Black-shouldered Kite
8. White-breasted Waterhen
9. Little Tern
10. Spotted Dove
11. Zebra Dove
12. Pink-necked Green Pigeon
13. Greater Coucal
14. Large-tailed Nightjar
15. Glossy Swiftlet
16. Edible Nest-Swiftlet
17. Collared Kingfisher
18. Blue-throated Bee-Eater
19. Common Flameback
20. Sunday Pygmy Woodpecker
21. Common Iora
22. Pied Triller
23. Long-tailed Shrike
24. Pacific Swallow
25. White-breasted Woodswallow
26. Yellow-bellied Prinia
27. Yellow-vented Bulbul
28. Asian Glossy Starling
29. Oriental Magpie Robin
30. Striated Grassbird
31. Pied Fantail
32. Orange-backed Sunbird
33. Copper-throated Sunbird
34. Olive-backed Sunbird
35. Brown-throated Sunbird
36. Black-headed Munia
37. Paddyfield Pipit
38. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Images taken with Swarovski Optik STX95 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Sunrise... 

Long-tailed Shrike, subspecies of bentet, locally common on the East Coast of Sabah and has expended throughout the state

 

Spotted Dove

Excellent habitat for the Eastern Grass Owl which was seen early in the morning by others

 

Some building in progress

Morning view of Mt. Kinabalu

Happy birding!

Kg. Indai Paddy Field

9th June 2020

I was hoping for the Long-tailed Shrike here, but upon arriving at the same spot where I saw a pair yesterday, one flew off and the other one was quite a distance for a good pics tru the scope. There were some activity by the farmers too, a few plots has been ploughed with the machines and medium sizes group of Little, Great and Cattle Egret was tailgating around the farmer.

Plus saw two nests still under construction by the Baya Weaver just next to the main road!

Birds seen:

• Purple Heron
• Little Egret
• Great Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Cinnamon Bittern
• Buff-banded Rail
• Watercock
• White-breasted Waterhen
• Common Moorhen
• Plum-toed Swiftlet
• White-breasted Wood-Swallow
• Asian Glossy Starling
• Yellow-vented Bulbul
• Pied Triller
• Long-tailed Shrike
• Zebra Dove
• Spotted-necked Dove
• Striated Grassbird
• Olive-backed Sunbird
•  Black-headed Munia
• Eurasian Treesparrow

 Images taken with Swarovski Optik STX95 + Nikon V1 and Huawei 10 Mate Pro. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Paddy field

Olive-backed Sunbird

Pied Triller

 Baya Weaver

Black-headed Munia

Long-tailed Shrike

Happy birding!

Birding at Bukit Payung Wetland

6th June 2020

Spent a few hours with the gang yesterday for the uncommon resident Ruddy Kingfisher at the same time managed to get a few sound recordings such as Collared Kingfisher, in flight Great Egret and juvenile Ashy Tailorbird begging for food from the parents. The Kingfisher itself came in the open only after I left and it was a lifer for Khairul hahaha after more than 15 years trying!

Birds seen and heard:

• Oriental Darter
• Lesser Adjutant
• Purple Heron
• Great Egret
• Little Egret
• Brahminy Kite
• White-bellied Fish-Eagle
• Whiskered Tern 
• Little Tern
• Pink-necked Green Pigeon
• Collared Kingfisher
• Ruddy Kingfisher (heard)
• Stork-billed Kingfisher 
• Blue-throated Bee-Eater
• Common Flameback
• Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker
• Green Iora
• Pied Triller
• Germain's Swiftlet 
• Plume-toed Swiftlet
• Pacific Swallow
• White-breasted Wood-Swallow
• Olive-winged Bulbul
• Ashy Tailorbird
• Oriental Magpie Robin
• Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
• Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
• Brown-throated Sunbird  
• Dusky Munia
• Black-headed Munia

Images taken with Swarovski Optik STX95 + Nikon V1 and Huawei P10 Mate Pro. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Part of the Mengkabung River

Mangrove forest

It is important to have a spotting scope for a long distance observation (Swarovski Optik STX95 with TLS APO 30 adapter for Digiscoping with Nikon V1)

Plenty of death trees here and saw many birds perched on top and some of it were chased by others too!

Low tide around 1630 hrs with Mt. Kinabalu among the clouds after the rain

Fiddler Crab

This White-breasted Wood-Swallow looks pretty but aggressive against the Collared Kingfisher!

  

Great Egret

Sound recording of the juvenile Ashy Tailorbird at Xeno-Canto https://www.xeno-canto.org/565892

Stay safe everyone during this pandemic COVID-19.

Happy birding!

Backyard Birding at Bantayan Tamparuli

26th May 2020

On the 3rd day of Hari Raya, during the Conditional Movement Control Ordered, I went to Oliver's place after he posted the uncommon to rare Yellow-vented Flowerpecker feeding at one of the Cherry tree opposite his house. Besides, there were also the residents Wandering Whistling Duck, Cinnamon Bittern in breeding plumage, the super active Violet Cuckoo and other garden birds such as Pied Triller, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker, Eastern Crimson Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird and also Brown-throated Sunbird. Didn't wait for the Brown Boobok as it was getting late though.


Images taken with Swarovski Optik STX95 + Nikon V1 ~ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

A few Wandering Whistling Duck

With Eugene while waiting for the Slaty-breasted Rail

 Dragonfly (Brachydiplax chalybea) 

Asian Glossy Starling

Uncommon and seldom seen, this Yellow-vented Flowerpecker resembled a bit like the endemic Whitehead's Spiderhunter on the white breasted with black streaks and yellow coloured vent

Violet Cuckoo

 Cinnamon Bittern in breeding plumage

Good to be back on the field again enjoying birds and other wildlife during this difficult time because of the pandemic Covid-19 virus...

Happy birding sand stay safe!

Timpangoh Buayan LSD Walk

15th February 2020

Did a 20km walked with the gang yesterday at Penampang area for the upcoming Four Feathers Ultra Marathon next week. During the walk, I heard and saw many birds too without binocular! It was on the mixed type forest allocated for a small scale agricultural projects for the locals on the surrounding areas.

Birds seen and heard:

• Blue-eared Barbet
• Whiskered Treeswift
• Barn Swallow
• Pacific Swallow
• Black-capped Babbler
• Bold-striped Tit-Babbler (endemic subspecies)
• Asian Paradise Flycatcher
• Oriental Magpie Robin
• Crested Goshawk
• Jambu Fruit-Dove
• Pink-necked Green Pigeon
• Olive-winged Bulbul
• Streaked Bulbul
• White-crowned Forktail
• Great Argus
• Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
• Olive-backed Sunbird

Happy birding!

Tempasuk Kota Belud

8th Decemebr 2019

On the recent strong wind from the Philippines, I went to Tempasuk in search for some rarities, but unfortunately, there weren't any even for the Broad-billed Sandpiper and Little Stint sighted by the gang a few weeks before which I missed it too.

Birds seen:

1. Yellow Bittern
2. Pond Heron sp.
3. Eastern Cattle Egret
4. Grey Heron
5. Purple Heron
6. Great Egret
7. Little Egret
8. White-breasted Waterhen
9. Black-backed Swamphen
10. Common Moorhen
11. Black-winged Stilt
12. Little Ringed Plover
13. Kentish Plover
14. Pacific Golden Plover
15. Black-tailed Godwit
16. Marsh Sandpiper
17. Common Greenshank
18. Wood Sandpiper
19. Common Sandpiper
20. Temminck's Stint
21. Long-toed Stint
22. Curlew Sandpiper
23. Oriental Pratincole
24. Whiskered Tern
25. White-winged Tern
26. Black-shouldered Kite
27. Yellow-vented Bulbul
28. Barn Swallow
29. Pacific Swallow
30. Long-tailed Shrike
31. White-breasted Wood Swallow
32. Wandering Whistling Duck
33.  Olive-backed Sunbird
34. Common Kingfisher
35. Crested Myna
36. Oriental Reed Warbler
37. Yelow Wagtail
38. Black-headed Munia
39. Eurasian Tree Sparrow 

One of the best place in Sabah for migratory birds!

Happy birding!

Asian Bird Festival 2019 Post Tour

1st -10th October 2019

Delegates from China, Taiwan, Canada and Costa Rica spent for a week in Sabah after the Asian Bird Festival in Kuching Sarawak. We covered Mt. Kinabalu, Sepilok, Kinabatangan River and Danum Valley with highlight species such as Helmeted Hornbill, Large Frogmouth, Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Bornean Falconet and Crested Jay. No Pitta was seen during the trip including the rare Bornean Bristlehead!

Images taken with Swarovski STX95 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Digiscoping the Blue-naped Parrot with Swarovski BTX95 at Tanjung Aru Beach

My 8x30 CL, excellence performer in a small package!

 Morning cruise at Menanggul tributary, Kinabatangan River

 Blue-throated Bee-Eater at Sepilok Bed & Breakfast

Watching the endemic Bornean Falconet on its favourite death tree next to the restaurant at INFAPRO, Danum Valley

We got the Large Frogmouth roosting on the road side at Danum Valley 

Group photo at Kinabatangan River

Recording of the Wallace's Hawk-Eagle at Menanggul tributary, Kinabatangan River with Tascam DR44-WL on Sennheiser ME66/K6 mic https://www.xeno-canto.org/502306

Happy birding!