Rainbow Bee-Eater

1st August 2020

Brief stop at Tanjung Aru Beach 3 with the gang for the vagrant Rainbow Bee-Eater sighted by Hie and Bong a few days ago. Got it after scanning around 30 minutes and the cloudy weather didn't help much with the pics. It is considered the 1st record for West Coast after a group of this birds were seen at Silam Coast Conservation Area, Lahad Datu on the East Coast in 2017 during the same Austral migration period.

Bird list:

• Great Egret
• Black-crowned Night Heron
• Little Tern
• Germain's Swiftlet
• Asian Palm Swift
• Spotted Dove
• Zebra Dove 
• Green Imperial Pigeon
• Pink-necked Green Pigeon
• Long-tailed Parakeet
• Blue-rumped Parrot
• Blue-naped Parrot
• Collared Kingfisher
• White-breasted Woodswallow
• Common Iora 
• Dollarbird
• Yellow-bellied Prinia
• Asian Glossy Starling
• Dusky Munia
• Black-headed Munia
• Eurasin Tree Sparrow

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

Rainbow Bee-Eater

Blue-rumped Parrot

 

Long-tailed Parakeet

The famous beach for sunset with Tunku Abdul Rahman Park at the background

With Ali etc

Road leading to the Rainbow Bee-Eater spot. You can get other species here too such as the Lesser Coucal and Olive-backed Sunbird

Recording a short video of the Blue-rumped Parrot while waiting for the Bee-Eater

 Blue-rumped Parrot

Happy birding!

Birding + Camping at Kalangadanku

5-6th July 2020

While waiting for the KB4WDC gang, I took several hours to look for some rarities at Tempasuk Plain as well on the beach at Kuala Abai, Kota Belud. Didn't see much except there were juvenile resident Peregrine Falcon and also 1st winter Gull-billed Tern with adult in breeding plumage. Then spent the night at Kalangadanku Eco Camp next to Nahaba River and saw a single Barn Swallow but no sign of the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch at the semi ripen paddy field

Bird list:

• Wandering Whistling Duck
• Cinnamon Bittern
• Javan Pond Heron
• Purple Heron
• Little Egret
• Intermediate Egret
• Great Egret
• Cattle Egret
• Oriental Darter
• Brahminy Kite
• Black-shouldered Kite
• Peregrine Falcon
• Common Moorhen
• Black-backed Swamphen
• White-breasted Waterhen
• Black-winged Stilt
• Whiskered Tern
• Gull-billed Tern
• Zebra Dove
• Spotted Dove
• Lesser Coucal
• Edible-Nest Swiftlet
• Glossy Swiftlet
• Collared Kingfisher
• Common Iora
• Pacific Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Yellow-vented Bulbul
• Yellow-bellied Prinia
• Striated Grassbird
• Asian Glossy Starling
• Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Black-headed Munia
• Dusky Munia
• Eurasian Tree Sparrow

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

Common Moorhen

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Javan Pond Heron in breeding plumage

 Wandering Whistling Ducklings

 

View of the famous Mt. Kinabalu

Using the Swarovski Optik BTX95 for the juvenile Peregrine Falcon perched high on the hill

Was hoping for the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch here

  

Refreshing water from Mt. Kinabalu!

Camping and gathering with the Kota Belud Four Wheel Drive Club for a night at Kalangadanku

Happy birding!

Frog's mouth galore at Sayap Substation

26-28th June 2020

My 2nd overnight visit to Sayap Substation, Sabah Parks with John, Adrian and Roger for the Bornean Frogmouth, Bonaparte's Nightjar and the elusive Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler. But luck was not on my side again this time. On the first evening, while looking for the Frogmouth and Nightjar, we saw at least five different species of nocturnal frogs in different sizes.

It was a good birding on Saturday morning with Mt Barbet, Whitehead's Broadbill and Hill Blue Flycatcher. Then rain came late in the afternoon continuously until we left on Sunday morning after breakfast that causes flash floods at few districts in Sabah including Kota Belud itself!

By the way, I got the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch as my lifer for Borneo number 514 :D


Birds list for Sayap Substation and Tempasuk Plains:

1. Wandering Whistling Duck
2. Black-crowned Night Heron
3. Cinnamon Bittern
4. Javan Pond Heron
5. Purple Heron
6. Great Egret
7. Little Egret
8. Brahminy Kite
9. Black-shouldered Kite
10. White-browed Crake
11. Buff-banded Rail
12. Watercock
13. Common Moorhen
14. Black-backed Swamphen
15. Black-winged Stilt
16. Common Sandpiper
17. Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
18. Whiskered Treeswift
19. Glossy Swiftlet
20. Edible Nest-Swiftlet
21. Rufous-backed Kingfisher
22. Mountain Barbet (E)
23. Banded Woodpecker
24. Whitehead's Broadbill (E)
25. Bornean Leafbird (E)
26. Scarlet Minivet
27. Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike
28. Sunda Cuckoo-Shrike
29. Black & Crimson Oriole
30. Ashy Drongo
31. Bornean Treepie (E)
32. Pacific Swallow
33. Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
34. Ochraceous Bulbul
35. Cinereous Bulbul
36. Bornean Bulbul (E)
37. Yellow-vented Bulbul
38. Yellow-bellied Warbler
39. Grey-throated Babbler
40. Erpornis
41. Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush (E)
42. Oriental Magpie-Robin
43. Bornean Forktail (E)
44. Hill Blue Flycatcher
45. Verditer Flycatcher
46. Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher
47. Black-naped Monarch
48. Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
49. Bornean Flowerpecker (E)
50. Olive-backed Sunbird
51. Temminck's Sunbird
52. Bornean Spiderhunter (E)
53. Little Spiderhunter
54. Dusky Munia
55. Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
56. Eurasian Tree Sparrow

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

Bailey's bridge is common throughout the state

 

Comfort is essential while camping!

My trusted gear for night birding; Swarovski Optik EL 10x32 Fieldpro and Nitecore P30 torch

Taking pictures of the unID frog

UnID frog

Juvenile Horned Frog

 

Horned Frog

Back view of the Horned Frog

UnID frog

Looking at the Western Plateau of Mt. Kinabalu with Swarovski Optik STX95

Adrian and Roger along the access road

Kg. Sayap is one of the producer for sweet Pineapple in Sabah!

John and Adrian on the ridge while looking for raptors

 

Crested Agamid, seen from the Nikon V1 screen through the Swarovski Optik STX95

Lunch time while waiting for the rain to stopped

 

Top, middle and bottom pictures view of the hill forest around the substation

It was still raining heavily on Sunday morning 

Spot where John spotted the Pin-tailed Parrotfinch on the right side of the road

Great Mormon

Crested Agamid Lizard

Bornean Bulbul seen daily 

 Female Bornean Flowerpecker on the Medinilla fruits 

On rescue mission with KB4WDC 

 

 Tempasuk Plain with Mt. Kinabalu at the background

Happy birding everyone!

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!