Crakey!

This weekend I had a visitor from the USA; Zack, who is about to go on an organized Sabah birding trip and had some time to spare before heading to Kota Kinabalu where his tour starts next week. As he was keen to get of the beaten track I invited him over for some local Brunei birding. Before Zack arrived in Panaga he already had a very fruitful morning in Wasan, including a rare sighting of a Eurasian bittern; not a bad start!

I had initially intended to take Zack into the forest close to Badas to look for some of the local peat-swamp specialists: hook-billed bulbul, cinnamon-headed green pigeon, bristlehead and possibly grey-breasted babbler. Unfortunately most of the access to the Badas peat-swamp is fully flooded so we had to settle for some roadside birding along KB road.

On Saturday we did two drives along KB road, the first one late afternoon. It was relatively quiet, but we still managed to see a nice variety of species and even successfully called in a blue-winged pitta. I had brought my camera along, just in case (I find btw that the chance of seeing rarities greatly increases when you forget the memory card in your camera or have a dead battery...).

Black-and-yellow broadbills were ubiquitous and while this is a common bird we did get some excellent close-up views of a small party at eye-level next to the car.

Black-and-yellow broadbill (Eurylaimus ochramalus)

Black-and-yellow broadbill (Eurylaimus ochramalus)

As we drove on, I noticed a small bird scuttling along the roadside grass. Half expecting a white-breasted waterhen, I put my bins on the bird and saw something very different: a band-bellied crake!

Band-bellied crake (Porzana paykullii)

The light was already fading fast and with the bird continuously moving at a fair distance I only just managed to get a few semi-decent pics with low shutter speed and high iso. The band-bellied crake is a very secretive bird and described as a rare non-breeding visitor to Borneo. A very good lifer at the start of 2014!

Band-bellied crake (Porzana paykullii)

Band-bellied crake (Porzana paykullii)

It started raining after dark and the night drive did not produce too much: the customary buffy fish-owls were seen as well as a couple of large-tailed nightjars sitting on the road. The only mammal on show was a confiding small-toothed palm civet.

Folkert, 12/01/2014

Temburong

This weekend I treated my mom -who is visiting again- and myself to a small overnight trip to the Ulu Ulu resort in Temburong, the "other" part of Brunei. Temburong is only a short 2 hour journey from Bandar; a simple hop on a fast ferry to Bangar, followed by a small bus ride and another 30 minutes upstream by longboat and you'll find yourself surrounded by pristine jungle.

The last time I visited Temburong was well over 2 years ago and especially the canopy proved very rewarding then; a lot of species allowed very close views, like this velvet fronted nuthatch.

Velvet-fronted nuthatch (Sitta frontalis).

We arrived in Temburong around 4:30 PM and I spend the last hour or so of daylight around the resort. The white-rumped shama was impossible to miss.

White-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus).

During the evening we joined a short night walk up a tiny stream from the main river. 17 people on a night walk is really too crowded and I didn't have high expectations to encounter a lot of wildlife. Still I enjoyed this, as the stream proved a good place for frogs and I got a couple a great close-ups. As I am definitely not a frog specialist any correction/addition to my ID's are appreciated. I suspect the tiny fellow pictured below to be a Microhyla species.

Microhyla sp.

I think this is Hylarana megalonesa.

Hylarana megalonesa

The below frog is definitely a horned frog species!

Bornean horned frog (Megophrys nasuta).

The next morning we got up very early to be in time for sunrise at the canopy walk. Nowadays, you can only get to the start of the trail to the canopy by boat as the bridge crossing the river is in dire need of some repairs. After a half hour walk, scaling 290 meters elevation to the base and another 40+ meters to the canopy itself, you are rewarded with a wide 360 degree view over the awaking jungle. The rising fog and the morning calls of gibbons makes this almost perfect - next time I'll bring some warm coffee for a nice finishing touch!

Canopy walkway & tower, Temburong.

I spend a little over two-and-a-half hours at the canopy walk way listening to the gibbons and recording several different birds. This male black-and-yellow broadbill was seen and heard most of the time.

Black-and-yellow broadbill

A spectacled bulbul also provided some good views. Even though this is a supposedly common species of all primary forests type in Borneo, I don't see them that often closer to home and was therefore quite pleased with this individual checking me out at close range.

Spectacled bulbul (Pycnonotus erythropthalmus).

Besides the gibbons, the calls of both rhinoceros and helmeted hornbill seemed equally far carrying. A family of 4 rhinoceros hornbills flew by over the canopy, adding to the majestic scenery with the morning fog rising through the forest. One parent lead the way.

Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros).

 And was eagerly followed by two juveniles

Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros).

At 08:30 we decided to move down and try for some birds lower to the ground. I had expected to see and hear more babblers, but the only ones I picked up were chestnut-winged babblers, which seemed to be everywhere, and a small family group of scaly-crowned babblers.

Scaly-crowned babbler (Malacopteron cinereum).

An incessantly calling diard's trogon was already heard from the canopy-walk and at least 2 different males and one female were seen on the relatively short walk from the tower back to the river.

Male Diard's trogon (Harpactes diardii).

As my mom had not joined the trip to the canopy walk because of a weak knee I felt some social obligation to not stay out all morning and returned back to the resort close to 10 AM. Together we walked around the resort grounds looking for some resident wildlife. Fruitbats were easily seen overhead at the wooden boardwalks. I think this is the Sunda short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopteros brachyotis).

Fruitbat sp.

Flowering bushes close to the river were a good spot for both leafbirds and sunbirds. 

Male Lesser green leafbird (Chloropsis cyanopogon).

A nice surprise was this yellow-breasted flowerpecker. Just a small bummer that I failed to get a proper photo. Oh well.

Yellow-breasted flowerpecker (Prionochilus macalatus).

Just before heading back to Bandar this very bold pygmy squirrel seemed completely unbothered by our presence and I even had to stand back to get the animal properly into frame!

Plain pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus exilis).

Plain pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus exilis).

Around 1:30 PM we left again, back to Panaga. A great little trip and I am certain that with a little more dedicated effort some great species can be picked up in Temburong!

Folkert, 21/07/2013

KB road, again

As some of you may have picked up from previous posts, the Kuala Balai road can almost be considered as my local birding patch. A broad variety of birds, and some great mammals and reptiles have been recorded in the past along this road. Unfortunately the local bird catchers realize this too and every weekend a couple of people can be seen pulling up their cages to the treetops.

Still, the birding along this road is usually rewarding. I have lost count of the number of times I visited this road over the past 3 years, but even now I pick up new species.

Last week the weather was not too great and frankly the birding and photography was a little disappointing. Most exciting was to hear a few ruddy kingfishers and I also had brief views of one bird flying past. 

Luckily there are always some yellow-bellied prinias around to keep me entertained.

Yellow-bellied prinia (Prinia flaviventris).

This species was definitely not discovered in Brunei; most birds here only have a very faint yellow wash to the belly that gives them their name. I think the subspecies in Borneo is called p. f. latrunculus.

The male van Hasselt's sunbird can often be seen calling from an exposed branch in the top of the trees. This is a very small sunbird with some stunning colors. It was a little too early and foggy to get a proper picture of the bird below.

Van Hasselt's sunbird (Leptocoma brasiliana)

A little later I again heard the ruddy kingfishers, there were at least 3 birds calling. But again, no views...
The black-and-yellow broadbills, on the contrary, were not very shy today and a female and male were providing good views. My guess is that during the breeding period, or really just before, they seem more oblivious to their surroundings and only have eye for each other. The black breast-band shows that this is the male.

Male black-and-yellow broadbill (Eurylamus ochromalus).

There were a good number of hornbills heard and seen flying across the road. Of the four species seen this morning I only managed a quick snapshot of this female Rhinoceros hornbill.

Rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros).

A small family group of rufous woodpeckers was foraging next to the road as well. This is probably my best shot of this species so far and I was quite pleased - but it even got better!

Rufous woodpecker (Micropternus brachyurus).

When I was driving further I heard a scarlet-rumped trogon (Harpactes duvaucelii) calling next to the road and soon located this fine specimen.

Male scarlet-rumped trogon (Harpactes duvaucelii).

The scarlet-rumped trogon is one of the more common lowland trogons. I really find this a very pretty species and was very happy with the images I took home today. Even more so as I never had such clear, close and prolonged views along KB road before! And maybe, just maybe, that ruddy kingfisher will show itself like this one day...

Folkert, 03/04/2013.

Labi road, September 1st

Went for an early morning birding trip on Saturday morning together with Kolbjorn. We left Panaga around 05:30 and drove straight to Labi road. A first, very brief stop was at Luagan Lalak, a shallow fresh water lake roughly halfway between Labi and Sungai Liang. Luagan Lalak was very quiet and we soon headed off again. Our second locality was the side-road towards Kampung Rumah Panjang. As soon as we turned onto this my morning was instantly successful: a pair of large green pigeons was sitting high up in a dead tree. These birds are quite rare in Brunei and this was only the second time I've seen these largest of the Bornean green pigeons. As luck would have it we saw another pair (the same pair?) flying in front of a group of approximately 6 thick-billed green pigeons half an hour later. I wasn't quick enough to get any of the pigeons on camera though.

After driving on a little further we saw some hill myna's up in another bare tree. One of the birds looked suspiciously different and upon closer inspection it was a red-crowned barbet. The light was very bad and the bird high up in the treetop; the below (heavily cropped) snap was the best I could manage.

Red-crowned barbet (Megalaima rafflesii)

A couple of months ago on May 26th, and before the birth of my weblog, I got some more decent pictures at the same location of this barbet species enjoying a fruiting bonanza:

Red-crowned barbet (Megalaima rafflesii)

Red-crowned barbet (Megalaima rafflesii)

We walked up and down the road for a little while and soon spotted a flycatcher. We observed this little fellow for some time, as it returned to the same branch after each sally for insects. I am still not fully certain which species this exactly is; my guess is a dark-sided flycatcher but I am open to alternative suggestions (brown-streaked?)...

Dark-sided flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)

Dark-sided flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)

Dark-sided flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)

We continued to follow the road past the Kampung and as far as we could by car. In the past I think you could drive all the way to the river, but the road now stops roughly two kilometers short. After parking the car we walked probably a couple of 100 meters further into the forest. This is a very nice area. As it was getting a little later the activity did drop, but we still managed to see some nice birds including some babblers, a black-naped monarch and an emerald dove. I didn't get any great photo opportunities and most frustrating was a perfectly perched purple-naped sunbird at 1 meter, well within my minimum focus distance! This female black-and-yellow broadbill provided some reasonable views.

Black-and-yellow broadbill (Eurylaimus ochromalus)

The big birds stayed out and we didn't see a single raptor or hornbill this time. Still, we had a great morning with over 40 species recorded, and this side-road of the Labi road remains one of my favorite areas. The morning's list:

white-breasted waterhen, large green pigeon, thick-billed green pigeon, emerald dove, blue-crowned hanging parrot, stork-billed kingfisher, rufous woodpecker, brown barbet, red-throated barbet, red-crowned barbet, greater racquet-tailed drongo, crow-billed drongo, slender-billed crow, dollar bird, hill myna, blue-throated bee-eater, raffles' malkoha, chestnut-bellied malkoha, black-and-yellow broadbill, black-and-red broadbill, black-naped monarch, pied fantail, green iora, common iora, dark-sided flycatcher(?), fiery minivet, black-headed bulbul, red-eyed bulbul, cream-vented bulbul, sooty-capped babbler, scaly-crowned babbler, chestnut-winged babbler, olive-backed sunbird, crimson sunbird, purple-throated sunbird, little spiderhunter, spectacled spiderhunter, dark-necked tailorbird, whiskered tree-swift, white-breasted woodswallow, pacific swallow, chestnut munia.

Folkert, 02/09/2012

The regulars of KB road

A good birdwatching area close to our house is the Kuala Balai road. This road runs for roughly 16 km to the ghost town of Kuala Balai. The village/kampong used to be the center of the KB district and was an important trading place. The place is now completely deserted, most people having left to the coastal towns to pursue more lucrative jobs sourced by the oil and gas industry. Attempts to breath new life into the village as an eco-tourism attraction have thus far not been successful.

Map of the West Brunei, KB district.

The google map above shows the Kuala Balai road and surrounding areas. The road to kampong Kuala Balai offers some great birding and it is the spot that I frequent most on early morning and late afternoon birding trips. A good starting point for birdwatching along Kuala Balai can be found in an excellent document that Jeremy Moore put together: birdwatching and bird records in brunei.

I will first share some of my favorite regulars of Kuala Balai. The first one is the stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis). This magnificent kingfisher is seen, and heard (!), on most visits. It is the biggest kingfisher in Brunei and the one most commonly found along the second part of the Kuala Balai road. There is no mistaking this bird and the ditches next to the road (and the road itself) seem to be a favorite hunting-ground.

Stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis)

The second species, the black-and-yellow broadbill, is a lot smaller then the previous bird. The call of this broadbill species is arguably the most distinct of all Borneo's resident birds and they can be heard on most occasions. Despite their bright plumage they can be surprisingly hard to spot! The bird pictured is the same one pictured in the blog heading. It was very obliging one Sunday morning and allowed me to take some very nice pictures.

Male black-and-yellow broadbill (Eurylamus ochromalus)

Another bird with great presence is the greater racquet-tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus). This species is also hard to miss. They're loud and bold birds; at Kuala Balai I've seen a drongo bullying a pair of Raffles malkoha's and I once saw a drongo chasing off a brahminy kite. Note that the distinctive racquets are not always present.

Greater racquet-tailed drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)

The fourth and final species I'll share today is also a very common resident: the little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra). Most of the time they can only been seen whizzing by, calling as they do so. If you do see a flowering ginger- or wild banana tree, it's worth while to wait a while as you'll stand a good chance of seeing the little spiderhunter drop by for a little snack.

Little spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)

All pictures were taken at the Kuala Balai road. In a future posting I will share some more on the species diversity of Kuala Balai road.

Folkert, 03/08/2012