Sepilok 08Jun18

From KH

The strategy today is the same as last couple of days - stay at the tower to wait for the morning bird waves.

Firstly, a male van Hasselt's Sunbird.

And a female Ruby-cheeked Sunbird.

Then, a male Lesser Green Leafbird (left) and a Verditer Flycatcher.

Next, a Red-eyed Bulbul (left) and Asian Glossy Starlings.

A few Slender-billed Crows flew right above us.

So did Aerodramus swiftlets.

A Southern Pig-tailed Macaque (left) was descending a tree, while a squirrel foraged on.

Having had enough of waiting on the towers, Danny and I decided to take a walk down on the tracks.

We got a Rufous-winged Philentoma and a few Hairy-backed Bulbuls.

And a few other birds.

Black-capped Babbler in the undergrowth

Spectacled Bulbul with caterpillar in mouth

An unfriendly Purple-naped Sunbird

The Black-crowned Pitta was still around!

It was nice to see a Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel. The variant in Borneo has black upperparts, unlike the Peninsular Malaysia one, which is all creamy.

Soon, it was about time to leave RDC for Kinabatangan. On the way out, we got a few Little Spiderhunters and an Oriental Darter.

As well as an endemic Sabah Slender Skink to round up the morning's trip.

1. 1 Wallace's Hawk-Eagle
2. 3 Treron sp.
3. 1 Greater Coucal - Heard
4. 1 Violet Cuckoo - Heard
5. 1 Plaintive Cuckoo - Heard
6. 1 Brush Cuckoo - Heard
7. 30 Plume-toed Swiftlet
8. 30 dark swiftlet sp.
9. 1 Diard's Trogon - Heard
10. 1 Black Hornbill - Heard
11. 2 Dollarbird
12. 1 Brown Barbet
13. 1 Blue-eared Barbet - Heard
14. 1 Gold-faced Barbet - Heard
15. 1 Buff-rumped Woodpecker - Heard
16. 10 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot
17. 2 Black-and-yellow Broadbill - Heard
18. 1 Black-crowned Pitta
19. 2 Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike
20. 1 Rufous-winged Philentoma
21. 1 Green Iora
22. 5 minivet sp.
23. 1 Greater Racket-tailed Drongo - Heard
24. 3 Slender-billed Crow
25. 1 Pacific Swallow
26. 1 Yellow-vented Bulbul
27. 5 Red-eyed Bulbul
28. 1 Spectacled Bulbul
29. 2 Hairy-backed Bulbul
30. 2 Dark-necked Tailorbird
31. 2 Ashy Tailorbird
32. 2 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird
33. 4 Chestnut-winged Babbler
34. 1 Chestnut-rumped Babbler - Heard
35. 2 Black-capped Babbler
36. 1 Verditer Flycatcher
37. 2 Asian Glossy Starling
38. 1 Common Hill Myna - Heard
39. 5 Javan Myna
40. 1 Lesser Green Leafbird - Male
41. 1 Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker
42. 4 Ruby-cheeked Sunbird
43. 1 Van Hasselt's Sunbird - Male
44. 4 Little Spiderhunter
45. 1 Purple-naped Spiderhunter
46. 4 Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Sepilok 07Jun18 early morning

From KH

At Nature Lodge Sepilok, get saw/heard the common birds: Spotted Dove, Zebra Dove, Collared Kingfisher, Yellow-bellied Prinia, Black Magpie-robin, Javan Myna and Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Collared Kingfisher.

Spotted Dove. Zebra Doves.

At Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC), our first bird for today was the endemic Dusky Munia. This juvenile was still not able to fly. Hope it survives...

We saw this nest on a tree beside the security counter. I reckon this is its nest.

The first for two towers here is the Bristlehead Tower. It's at the canopy level, which gives a good vantage point to look out of the morning bird waves.

We had a pair of Black-winged Flycatcher-shrikes (left female, right male) up close.

A pair of Ruby-cheeked Sunbirds (left female, right male), also up close.

So did the male Green Iora and the Bornean Brown Barbet.

Male Green Iora

Bornean Brown Barbet

Even the endemic Bartlett's Flying Dragon dropped by to say hi.

Other birds, like this Buff-rumped Woodpecker, were farther away.

This resident Southern Pig-tailed Macaque was having his morning stroll.

Next, we headed to the Trogon Tower. Not many birds came close, except for this female Lesser Green Leafbird.

Others were far away like this green-pigeon, and high up like this Verditer Flycatcher.

On the ground, we got a Little Spiderhunter.

The star bird for the morning was a very confiding endemic Black-crowned Pitta.

Time to head back to the lodge for breakfast.

Sepilok 06Jun18

From KH

After a few hours drive from Mt Kinabalu, we reached Rainforest Discovery Centre.

The Canopy Walkway is a great place to see some of the common birds here.

Ashy Tailorbird


Chestnut-winged Babbler

Some of the Cream-vented Bulbuls here have red eyes! So care must be taken.

The Red-eyed Bulbuls actually have more orangey eyes here. Juveniles have dark eyes though.

The first endemic we encountered here was this male Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker.

Some of the sunbirds here included:

Juvenile van Hasselt's Sunbird


Female Brown-throated Sunbird

Some have split the Bornean Brown Barbet as a distinct species. It does look different from the Peninsular Malaysia ones, which are called Sooty Barbets after the split.

Saw this broadbill nest, but no idea who's it is.

Wallace Hawk-eagles were common here. This was a juvenile.

Another raptor we encountered today was this juvenile Brahminy Kite.

There were also a young Orangutan (right) and its shy mother around.

This Green Crested Lizard didn't want to show us it face.

Then, we heard a pitta call - Black-crowned Pitta!

1. 1 Wallace's Hawk-Eagle - Juvenile
2. 1 Brahminy Kite - Juvenile
3. 1 Greater Coucal - Heard
4. 1 Banded Bay Cuckoo - Heard
5. 30 Plume-toed Swiftlet
6. 30 dark swiftlet sp.
7. 1 Helmeted HornbillSensitive - Heard
8. 1 Bushy-crested Hornbill - Heard
9. 1 Black Hornbill - Heard
10. 1 Blue-throated Bee-eater
11. 4 Brown Barbet
12. 2 Blue-eared Barbet - Heard
13. 1 Maroon Woodpecker - Heard
14. 1 Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot - Heard
15. 1 Black-crowned Pitta
16. 2 Malaysian Pied-Fantail
17. 10 Cream-vented Bulbul
18. 6 Red-eyed Bulbul
19. 1 Spectacled Bulbul
20. 2 Dark-necked Tailorbird
21. 2 Ashy Tailorbird
22. 1 Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - Heard
23. 1 Yellow-bellied Prinia - Heard
24. 4 Chestnut-winged Babbler
25. 5 Asian Glossy Starling
26. 1 Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
27. 1 Van Hasselt's Sunbird - Juvenile
28. 50 Eurasian Tree Sparrow