Crocker Range 13Jun18

From KH

After some overnight driving, we reached Crocker Range in time for the sunrise.

First stop was Rafflesia Information Centre. Guess what, it's closed again. The first bird that got us excited were the endemic Bornean Bulbuls.

The Ashy Bulbuls were also here.

So were Chestnut-crested Yuhinas and a Grey-throated Babbler.

Then, an endemic Mountain Barbet showed up, but it was high and backlit...

An endemic Bornean Barbet also came, suddenly, but it also went suddenly, so no photos...

Here's a pretty spider.

And a pair of Little Cuckoo-doves (male left, female right).

Then, there were some commotions - some Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikes (left) were attacking a male Black-and-crimson Oriole.

Some other birds also came.

Maroon Woodpecker. Indigo Flycatcher

Male Bornean Leafbird

Moving on to Gunong Alab Resort, we had our mee soup ayam and photographed the nesting swiftlets. Depending who you talk to, these would be Plume-toed Swiftlets or the endemic Bornean Swiftlets.

After mee soup, we drove up the 2-km track to the power substation. There wasn't much going on, but we did get intel that Whitehead's Spiderhunters visit the trees at the substation when they flower. This marked the end of our Sabah adventure and it was time to head to KK Airport.

1. 1 Red-breasted Partridge - Heard
2. 4 Little Cuckoo-Dove
3. 10 white-bellied swiftlet sp.
4. 1 Brown Barbet
5. 1 Bornean Barbet
6. 2 Mountain Barbet
7. 3 Maroon Woodpecker
8. 1 Golden-bellied Gerygone - Heard
9. 1 Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike
10. 2 Bornean Whistler
11. 1 Blyth's Shrike-Babbler - Male
12. 1 Black-and-crimson Oriole
13. 2 Ashy Drongo
14. 5 Pacific Swallow
15. 2 Bornean Bulbul
16. 3 Ochraceous Bulbul
17. 2 Ashy Bulbul
18. 1 Mountain Tailorbird - Heard
19. 1 Sunda Bush Warbler
20. 1 Yellow-breasted Warbler - Heard
21. 20 Chestnut-crested Yuhina
22. 4 Black-capped White-eye
23. 1 Gray-throated Babbler
24. 5 Sunda Laughingthrush
25. 2 Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush - Heard
26. 3 Indigo Flycatcher
27. 3 Bornean Leafbird
28. 2 Black-sided Flowerpecker - Heard
29. 1 Olive-backed Sunbird - Male
30. 1 Temminck's Sunbird

Kinabatangan 12Jun18 pm

From KH

A short walk around Sukau revealed some common birds: White-breasted Waterhen, Collared Kingfisher and Brown-throated Sunbird.

Green Imperial-pigeons were very common here.

Some Maroon Leaf Monkeys were seen.

Fancy a small scorpion in your bathroom?!

This Buffy Fish-Owl came back a few times despite the disturbance from boats going out for night ride.

1. 1 White-breasted Waterhen
2. 4 Green Imperial-Pigeon
3. 1 Greater Coucal
4. 1 Plume-toed Swiftlet
5. 20 dark swiftlet sp.
6. 4 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
7. 2 Collared Kingfisher
8. 1 Blue-eared Barbet - Heard
9. 1 Common Iora - Heard
10. 3 Pacific Swallow
11. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul - Heard
12. 1 Dark-necked Tailorbird - Heard
13. 1 Ashy Tailorbird - Heard
14. 2 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - Heard
15. 1 Yellow-bellied Prinia - Heard
16. 1 Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker - Heard
17. 1 Plain-throated Sunbird - Female
18. 2 Olive-backed Sunbird
19. 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrow
20. 2 Dusky Munia

Kinabatangan 12Jun18

From KH

The Malaysian Pied-fantail are still brooding the chicks.

Black-and-red Broadbills also nesting.

Slender-billed Crow and Crested Serpent-eagle fly-by.

Hooded Pittas are often heard, but today, they also showed really well.

The pair of White-fronted Falconets are still at the same place.

Oriental Darter drying itself. Not much feathers left!

Common birds: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo and Pacific Swallow.

Non-avian creatures: colourful millipede. Harvestman with cicada exoskeleton.

1. 1 Storm's Stork
2. 5 Oriental Darter
3. 1 Great Egret
4. 1 Crested Serpent-Eagle
5. 1 Changeable Hawk-Eagle - Heard
6. 1 White-breasted Waterhen
7. 2 Green Imperial-Pigeon
8. 2 Bornean Ground-Cuckoo - Heard
9. 1 Greater Coucal
10. 1 Raffles's Malkoha - Heard
11. 1 Plaintive Cuckoo - Heard
12. 10 dark swiftlet sp.
13. 1 Red-naped Trogon - Heard
14. 1 Diard's Trogon - Heard
15. 1 Scarlet-rumped Trogon - Heard
16. 1 White-crowned Hornbill - Heard
17. 1 Rhinoceros Hornbill - Heard
18. 1 Bushy-crested Hornbill - Heard
19. 1 Black Hornbill
20. 2 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
21. 2 Blue-eared Kingfisher
22. 1 Stork-billed Kingfisher
23. 1 Collared Kingfisher - Heard
24. 4 Blue-throated Bee-eater
25. 1 Dollarbird
26. 1 Blue-eared Barbet - Heard
27. 1 Red-throated Barbet - Heard
28. 5 Long-tailed Parakeet
29. 2 White-fronted Falconet
30. 4 Black-and-red Broadbill
31. 1 Black-and-yellow Broadbill - Heard
32. 4 Hooded Pitta
33. 1 Common Iora
34. 1 Green Iora
35. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
36. 4 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
37. 1 Black-naped Monarch - Heard
38. 1 Blyth's Paradise-Flycatcher - Heard
39. 10 Slender-billed Crow
40. 5 Pacific Swallow
41. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul - Heard
42. 1 Olive-winged Bulbul
43. 1 Red-eyed Bulbul
44. 2 Ashy Tailorbird
45. 1 Bold-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
46. 2 Chestnut-winged Babbler - Heard
47. 3 Sooty-capped Babbler - Heard
48. 4 White-chested Babbler
49. 1 White-rumped Shama - Heard
50. 2 Malaysian Blue Flycatcher
51. 1 Common Hill Myna - Heard
52. 50 Javan Myna
53. 1 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - Heard
54. 1 Temminck's Sunbird - Male
55. 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Gomantong Cave 11Jun18

From KH

We spent the late afternoon at Gomantong Cave. We each paid RM60 - RM30 for entry + RM30 for camera fee...

On the boardwalk to the cave, there were a few endemic Sabah Slender Skinks.

At the entrance of the cave, there was a dead Plume-toed Swiftlet, and a crab enjoying a guano bath.

Plume-toed Swiftlets are unable to echolocate, so they nest near the entrance, where there is still some light.

The Mossy-nest Swiftlets are able to echolocate and so nest further in. However, their nests are mainly made of plant materials instead of saliva, so they have no economic value and are not as sticky. As such, they generally nest on ledges. 2 eggs are laid in each nest.

The Edible-nest Swiftlets and Black-nest Swiftlets nest the furthest in and are told apart by the white nest of the former (saliva only) and black nest of the latter (being a mix of their feathers and saliva).

They share the cave with the bats and cockroaches.

As well as, Cave Centipedes. Fortunately, they stayed on the walls and we didn't see any on the cave boardwalk.

The cockroaches help to clear the dead, such as this bat on the boardwalk.

This is how the cave entrance looked like from the inside. A boardwalk looped inside the cave. The cockroaches roamed on the walls as well as the boardwalk, which is also somewhat littered with guano. All these, couple with the stench, moved us along, and we only spent 25 mins in the cave.

This male Oriental Pied-hornbill at the entrance must be up to something.

On the way out, we saw a millipede and a Spotted Fantail.

We also saw a few endemic Maroon Leaf Monkeys, and more Oriental Pied-hornbills (female, male and juvenile).

As well as, this young Orangutan and its mother.

While waiting for the bat show to start, these Verditer Flycatcher and Ashy Tailorbird kept us company.

At about 5:30 pm, the bats starting streaming out of the caves. These were mostly Wrinkle-lipped Bats.

Then, the Bat Hawks started appearing and the hunt ensued.

Soon, it was getting dark and time for us to leave. But, not before snapping a Swallowtail Moth to round up the day's activities.

1. 1 Crested Serpent-Eagle
2. 2 Bat Hawk
3. 1 Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo - Heard
4. 1000 Plume-toed Swiftlet
5. 100 Mossy-nest Swiftlet
6. 1000 Black-nest Swiftlet
7. 1000 White-nest Swiftlet
8. 1 Rhinoceros Hornbill
9. 2 Black Hornbill
10. 3 Oriental Pied-Hornbill - 1 male, 1 female, 1 juvenile
11. 1 Blue-eared BarbetHeard
12. 1 Yellow-crowned BarbetHeard
13. 1 Spotted Fantail
14. 2 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
15. 2 Slender-billed Crow
16. 5 Pacific Swallow
17. 1 Ashy Tailorbird
18. 1 White-rumped Shama (White-crowned)
19. 1 Verditer Flycatcher
20. 5 Dusky Munia