Kinabatangan 08Jun18

From KH

We reached Myne Resort in time for lunch with our guides Robert Chong and John Nair.

The first birds we saw here were munias, both Dusky and Chestnut. Here's a Chestnut Munia.

After a nice lunch, we had a siesta and then tea break! Only then did you get our first boat ride. The first mammals were saw were Orangutans - a mother and her young - feeding on figs.

Next, Silvered Leaf Monkeys.

Other monkeys seen included these macaques.

A thirsty Long-tailed Macaque

A couple of playful Southern Pig-tailed Macaques

We got a few flybys.

Slender-billed Crow

Green Imperial-pigeon

Male Black Hornbill

Immature White-bellied Sea-eagle

A pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills (female left, male right) came close.

Blue-eared and Stork-billed Kingfishers are common here. Here's a photo of the latter.

An adult Lesser Fish-eagle (left) and a male Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot wraps up the birds on the river.

An Estuarine Crocodile was stealthily keeping its eyes on us.

Then, the guides got news of Pygmy Elephants showing along the main river, so off we went.

So we ended out first boat ride with a few key mammals under our belt. No sign of our target bird, Bornean Ground Cuckoo, though.

Back at the restaurant, it was about time for dinner, and to our surprise, a Black-and-red Broadbill was roosting on the eaves of the restaurant! We saw it earlier hanging out at the restaurant, but we didn't know it intended to roost here for the night. None of the locals knew either. Amazing.

After dinner, we realized that Bearded Pigs were showing up at the carpark area!

1. 2 Purple Heron
2. 3 White-bellied Sea-Eagle
3. 1 Lesser Fish-Eagle
4. 1 White-breasted Waterhen - Heard
5. 2 Little Green-Pigeon
6. 10 Green Imperial-Pigeon
7. 1 Greater Coucal - Heard
8. 2 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo - Heard
9. 5 Plume-toed Swiftlet
10. 30 dark swiftlet sp.
11. 12 Rhinoceros Hornbill
12. 1 Black Hornbill
13. 2 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
14. 1 Blue-eared Kingfisher
15. 1 Stork-billed Kingfisher
16. 2 Blue-throated Bee-eater
17. 1 Dollarbird
18. 2 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
19. 1 Black-and-red Broadbill
20. 1 Banded Broadbill - Heard
21. 1 Black-naped Monarch - Male
22. 8 Slender-billed Crow
23. 5 Pacific Swallow
24. 2 Ashy Tailorbird
25. 1 Yellow-bellied Prinia - Heard
26. 2 White-chested Babbler - Heard
27. 1 Oriental Magpie-Robin (Black) - Heard
28. 1 White-rumped Shama (White-crowned) - Heard
29. 1 Malaysian Blue Flycatcher
30. 5 Eurasian Tree Sparrow
31. 5 Dusky Munia
32. 2 Chestnut Munia

Sepilok 07Jun18 late afternoon

From KH

After a good afternoon siesta, we headed back to RDC.

The Wallace's Hawk-eagle put on a great show this afternoon. First, we noted a nest on a tall tree between the two towers.

Then, we saw the juvenile flying in looking very excited. We soon found out that one of the adults caught a rat!

The juvenile on the right was seen looking intensely at the rat.

The adult did not feed the juvenile, but went on to feast! The juvenile was later seen flying to another nest.

While this was going on, an adult Brahminy Kite did a fly-by.

And Dollarbirds were having a gathering.

A pair of Black Hornbills (female left, male right) to close the day's birding.

Pulau Ubin 01-02Jan17

Con, Danny and JS were back on Pulau Ubin on both days.

1-Jan

From Con

Got the female Black Hornbill!

From JS

Got the Mountain Imperial Pigeon.

From Danny

Got the Imperial Eagle perched on the botak coconut tree as yesterday.

2-Jan

From Con

Male Cinnamon-headed Green-pigeon. There were up to 12 birds!

From Danny

Black Hornbill at Pekan Quarry.

Pulau Ubin 31Dec16

From KH

Knowing that the Imperial eagle has been hanging around Pulau Sekudu (aka Frog Island), Con, Danny and I went to Pulau Ubin. JS was still in Korea, so he'll have to make another trip. We waited for a couple of hours at the jetty overlooking Pulau Sekudu, but the eagle didn't show... This bird had first been found on Frog Island by LKS on the 19 Dec 2016 and was since sighted at Changi too.

Nevertheless, it was good to see Grey Plovers, Whimbrels, Common Sandpipers, Great Crested Terns and Grey Herons roosting on the rocks of Pulau Sekudu. Brahminy Kites and White-bellied Sea-eagles also visited the rocks.

Mixed flock of Grey Plovers and Whimbrels

Con left for the female Black Hornbill. After a while, Danny and I left for the mangrove boardwalk, but there were nothing much here.

Soon it was lunchtime and we headed for the main jetty to meet up with Con. When we were reaching, Con informed us that LKS had spotted a Mountain Imperial Pigeon and the female Black Hornbill on the fruiting tree at the HSBC Hub at about 11 am!

Seeing that there were only Pink-necked Green-pigeons, Oriental Pied Hornbills and Asian Glossy Starlings around, we decided to fill our stomach first.

After lunch, I spotted the Mountain Imperial-pigeon and Danny and I quickly spread the news. Fortunately, Con and friend hadn't left the island. See Toh and friend weren't so fortunate as they were already back on the mainland by now, so they quickly took the boat back to Ubin.

After Con left, the female Black Hornbill showed up!

We also solve the mystery of the "Ubin squirrels". There were indeed squirrels on Ubin. Here's a Plantain Squirrel near the HSBC Hub.

Soon it was going to be low tide and time to head back for the imperial eagle. We reached the jetty overlooking Pulau Sekudu at about 4-something. As there were nothing much going on, I spent some time counting the number of Great crested terns. There were about 100 of them.

Then a Great-billed Heron flew past and landed on Pulau Sekudu.

The Eurasian Wild Pigs were also out for dinner.

At about 5:30 pm, the Imperial Eagle flew out from the Ubin mangrove! It has been hiding in the mangrove forest on the Ubin side all this while. After some time, it flew to Pulau Sekudu and that was the closest it got to us before flying back into the mangrove forest at about 6:30 pm. Game over and time to head back.

It's been awhile since I last wrote a list, so here it is:

1. Red junglefowl 5
2. Great egret 42
3. Grey heron 12
4. Great-billed heron 1
5. Imperial eagle 1 juvenile
6. Brahminy kite ~5
7. White-bellied sea-eagle ~5
8. Grey plover ~20
9. Whimbrel ~40
10. Common sandpiper ~5
11. Great crested tern 100
12. Mountain imperial-pigeon 1
13. Pink-necked green-pigeon ~10
14. Oriental pied hornbill ~10
15. Black hornbill 1 female
16. Large-billed crow 2
17. Straw-headed bulbul 5 heard
18. Olive-winged bulbul 2
19. White-rumped shama 5 heard
20. Asian glossy starling ~20
21. Crimson sunbird 2