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

Kinabatangan 09Jun18 am

From KH

The Pygmy Elephants are more open today this morning.

Next up, an Estuarine Crocodile.

Then, a Water Monitor.

All the egrets we photographed turned out to be Great Egrets.

Long-tailed Parakeets and a Dollarbird on the bare trees.

This male Bornean Orangutan is so shy. First, he turned his back on us. Then, he covered his face with his palm...

A Crested Serpent-eagle flying away.

Noisy Bushy-crested Hornbills.

Oriental Darters are common here. Adult left, juvenile right.

So are Black-and-red Broadbills and White-chested Babblers.

Blue-eared Kingfishers were also common here, but the Bornean Brown Barbet was less common.

Malaysian Blue-flycatcher couple: male left, female with nesting material right.

A Plantain Squirrel joined in the fun.

Lastly, our only lifer for today - a pair of White-fronted Falconets: male left, female right.

1. 10 Oriental Darter
2. 5 Purple Heron
3. 15 Great Egret
4. 1 Crested Serpent-Eagle
5. 1 Gray-headed Fish-Eagle
6. 2 Greater Coucal - Heard
7. 5 Plume-toed Swiftlet
8. 30 dark swiftlet sp.
9. 4 Bushy-crested Hornbill
10. 2 Oriental Pied-Hornbill
11. 2 Blue-eared Kingfisher
12. 1 Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher
13. 1 Stork-billed Kingfisher
14. 1 Collared Kingfisher
15. 2 Blue-throated Bee-eater
16. 1 Dollarbird
17. 1 Brown Barbet
18. 2 Blue-eared Barbet - Heard
19. 1 Red-throated Barbet - Heard
20. 2 White-bellied Woodpecker
21. 3 White-fronted Falconet
22. 8 Long-tailed Parakeet
23. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
24. 3 Black-and-red Broadbill
25. 2 Black-and-yellow Broadbill - Heard
26. 4 Hooded Pitta
27. 5 Slender-billed Crow
28. 5 Pacific Swallow
29. 5 Ashy Tailorbird
30. 2 Yellow-bellied Prinia - Heard
31. 1 Bold-striped Tit-Babbler - Heard
32. 1 Chestnut-winged Babbler
33. 5 White-chested Babbler
34. 1 White-rumped Shama (White-crowned) - Heard
35. 2 Malaysian Blue Flycatcher

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