Sabah 29Mar-10Apr08

From Con

Saw (or heard) about 170 species of birds in Sabah and several mammals, but dipped on Black and Crimson (Garnet) Pitta despite trying three days, fellow was calling very close, but wouldn't show himself.

For me, the bird of the trip was the Whitehead's Trogon, endemic to a few high mountains in Borneo. Here's one attached, more to come :-)

No ticks, only 1 leech bite. No leeches on Mt. Kinabalu!

For the first time that I'm certain I've really seen Greater & Lesser Sand-plovers, see this series of photos. Notice the obvious size difference. Taken in Likas Bay, Kota Kinabalu.

From the left, what I think we have got are: Common Sandpiper, LSP first winter, LSP assuming breeding plumage, GSP, LSP first winter.

Female Oriental Cuckoo seen at Mt. Kinabalu.

Here are two views of a Bornean Whistler we saw one morning at Mt Kinabalu, it was feeding on insects or caterpillars, about 7am near the cabins we were staying in at park headquarters about 1500 meters altitude.

There is also this very interesting website on birds of Sabah: http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/om/om052.pdf