A short visit to the Borneo Highland Resort, Sarawak

Last weekend I went to the Borneo Highlands resort, close to the town of Kuching. The area around Bornean highland resort, including Mnt. Penrissen received IBA status a couple of years back. The few  web references I found (e.g. see digdeep and ron orenstein) had wetted my appetite and I was looking forward to see some good species.

After a short journey from Brunei I arrived around midday at the resort, with the weather still great. One of the first bird that greeted me was this Temminck's sunbird, feeding in the flowering bushes next to the resort. It was not at all shy and I got a couple of good pictures of this splendid little fellow!

Male Temminck's sunbird (Aethopyga temmninckii).

Unfortunately the sky was completely overcast a couple of hours later and most of my time was spend in thick fog with short showers thrown in between. Ashy drongo's were everywhere, typical birds found at higher elevation and therefore not that common for me!

Ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus).

Another Temminck's sunbird, a juvenile this time.

Another Temminck's sunbird (Aethopyga temmninckii), a juvenile.

The best bird of the afternoon was without a doubt this scaly-breasted bulbul, a long awaited lifer! In fact I saw at least 3 different individuals. "Canopy" appeared to be the theme of the trip, and against the grey & white clouds ID'ing birds turned out to be a real challenge without the aid of a scope.

Scaly-breasted bulbul (Pycnonotus squamatus).

This place is clearly very good for a couple of barbet species, and Bornean barbet is as common here as the blue-eared is in Brunei. As expected the birds were always too high up to get any decent pics.

Typical view of a Bornean barbet (Megalaima exidia).

Later in the afternoon the rain really came down and didn't stop until deep in the night. The next morning the clouds were still hanging low and visibility was only a few meters. After it had cleared up somewhat I walked the open area around the resort and golf course. Ashy tailorbirds are common here as well.

Ashy tailorbird (Orthotomus ruficeps).

The golf course was a good place for plaintive cuckoo's. While also common closer to home, the birds in Brunei are notoriously difficult to get on camera and far more often heard than seen. Not so here, the bird below was surprisingly approachable.

Plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantus merulinus).

Maybe it was my imagination, but the calls seemed distinctly higher pitched than its lowland cousins in Brunei.

Plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantus merulinus).

Later in the morning I walked the main trail in the forest. First bird on camera, a grey-headed canary flycatcher.

Grey-headed canary flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis).

There was plenty of activity and I was fortunate to add grey-headed babbler to my life list. While trying to get some pictures of a very active Horsfield's babbler, two green broadbills flew into view and were clearly checking me out.

Female green broadbill (Caloptomena viridis), a juvenile.

I soon lost the babbler and focused my attention on the broadbills. The birds were both juveniles and kept in contact with a soft continuous call that I hadn't heard before. And they weren't camera-shy!

Green broadbill (Caloptomena viridis).

After that encounter most of the activity was well beyond the reach of my camera. I had some good, though distant, views of two very loud crested jays. I had secretly also hoped for banded and blue-banded pitta, but unfortunately I could not entice any birds to respond.

After my afternoon siesta the sky had only turned a deeper shade of grey and soon the rain came poring down. No birding but I can now thoroughly recommend "de Velser affaire", a book detailing plots and schemes surrounding the Dutch resistance in and around my hometown of Velsen during the second world war (the book is written in Dutch though...)

Afternoon rain; the view from my room...

The weather improved slightly during the evening and a short night walk produced some frogs and a nightjar was flapping about.

Frog species

While there are only very limited online resources to help identify Bornean frogs, there is one website that is truly excellent: www.frogsofborneo.org. Even so, I have yet to ID both frogs... I'll need to do a little more digging.

Frog species

As luck would have it, the nightjar landed close by: another grey nightjar and I even managed a picture with my 85 mm lens.

Grey nightjar (Caprimulgus indica).

Not too bad! But not nearly as confiding as the grey nightjar that we regularly see closer to home. This individual is very attached to its little patch on the road, where it is reliably found on almost every night.  Last pic of this blog-entry, the grey nightjar in Brunei from 2 weeks ago.

Grey nightjar (Caprimulgus indica).

Despite the weather the total tally was just over 50 species when I left for Brunei the next morning. I dipped on the pygmy white-eye, one of my target species for the trip. I very much enjoyed this little get-away and thoroughly recommend the Bornean highlands resort. Not only is it easy to get to, the place seems to offer easy opportunities to 'score' species that are really difficult elsewhere.

Folkert, 19/02/2014.

More migrants in Brunei

A small overview of some encounters from the last two weeks. To start of 6 red-throated pipits were found around Seria's billion barrel monument by Zack during his visit to Panaga. The pouring rain did not provide perfect light conditions but I did get a few pictures in before we moved on for some tasty keow teow in Seria town.

Red-throated pipit (Anthus cervinus).

According to Phillipps' field guide this is the commonest migrant pipit throughout Borneo. For the area around our hometown in Brunei this is not the case. This was only my second sighting and the red-throated pipit is here an uncommon migrant at best; Richard's pipit is more common (even though it is easily confused with the resident paddyfield pipit).

Red-throated pipit (Anthus cervinus).

Another scarce migrant that was seen around the Seria grasslands was this common kestrel flying next to the road. The best I could do was this photo, shot from within my parked car at an impossible angle.

Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

This surely must be one of the worst shots ever taken of a common kestrel! At least I could count on this water monitor to keep still in front of the camera.

Water monitor (Varanus salvator).

A night drive last Saturday along KB road produced a number of civets. This red giant flying squirrel was seen foraging high-up in a tree.

Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista).

The main reason for the trip however was to attempt a close-up of a grey nightjar. Closer inspection by Kolbjorn of two birds he had photographed earlier in the week revealed that they were in fact grey nightjars, rather than the common large-tailed nightjars! Luckily the birds were easily found again: the individual that we had both already seen earlier (and photographed independently) was still at the same area we'd found it before.

Grey nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus).

The bird allowed a close approach (I was crawling on all fours on the wet tarmac) and I got a decent eye-level picture. The grey nightjar is listed as a scarce winter visitor that can turn up anywhere on migration. The subspecies that is seen here is Caprimulgus indicus jotaka.

Grey nightjar (Caprimulgus indicus).

We saw at least two more grey nightjars on the road. For comparison I have included a picture of a large-tailed nightjar. Besides the clear differentiation in wing pattern (note the 'droplets' on the grey nightjar), I also find that the posture is remarkably different. I checked against some other large-tailed nightjar pics and in general the large-taileds have a much more crouched position than the more upright posture of this grey nightjar.

Large-tailed nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus).

The difference between the two species is very obvious and I almost cannot believe I didn't notice this in the field the first time. In my defense I hardly paid attention to the birds earlier as I just assumed them to be large-tailed nightjars. I guess it goes to show that assumption is indeed the mother of all.... Ah well, we got it right in the end. Also, a word of apology to Zack, who was visiting 2 weeks ago: the nightjar we saw on KB road was with 99% certainty this grey nightjar rather than the large-tailed I took it for!

Folkert, 24/01/2014

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

Hello 2014

The last 2 to 3 weeks of 2013 have been very wet in Brunei - lots and lots of rain. Birding-wise it has been a little dull and I've only been on a few short drives along KB road during the evening. I did try to drive up the Badas road one day to find the area flooded and definitely too wet for a short walk into the forest. The electricity wires along the road are always good for dollarbirds, woodswallows and at times more exotic birds.
A casual look at a group of 15 starlings revealed this pale starling sitting flanked by 7 glossy starlings at each side. For a moment I thought it was another record of a daurian starling. But no, just a mere chestnut-cheeked starling. A female this time. Still, not a bad sighting at all and only my second ever encounter.

Chestnut-cheeked starling (Sturnus philippensis)

The electricity cables along the road also form a favorite vantage point for the resident hawk-eagles.

Changeable hawk-eagle (Nisaetus limnaeetus)

Both pale and dark morphed birds can be seen the lower Belait area. I am still undecided which I like better.

On the final day of 2013 we had a short drive during dusk on KB road. On our way back this bearded pig was seen standing on the road. In my first two years these sizable pigs were a relatively common sight on KB road, but I have to confess that this was only my first encounter in 2013 - not a day too soon!

Bearded pig (Sus barbatus).

After the 'all clear' was called four youngsters came out and joined mommy on the road...

Bearded pig (Sus barbatus).

to walk of into the setting sun...

Bearded pig (Sus barbatus).

Until recently bearded pigs were still frequently seen in one of the Panaga residential areas next to the forest. I am not sure if my lack of encounters on KB road in 2013 is just a bout of bad luck or an illustration of a further dwindling population size. Lets hope it's just my bad luck. 

Finally a picture of a juvenile black-crowned night heron taken on January 2nd. I noticed 5 of these birds very close to our house on my way to town. Whereas the two adults were very shy the juveniles hardly minded my car pulling up right next to them. 

Black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

This picture was taken without flash. Not too bad for my first pic of 2014. Happy new year!

Folkert, 10/01/2014

Malayan Night Heron 2013

Attentive readers may have discerned from previous posts that the Malayan night heron, or tiger bittern, is a regular winter visitor to the Panaga area. This year is no different and I am pleased to notice that the birds seem to have a knack for picking suitable gardens. Last year an adult was regularly seen in the garden of some of our friends. This year it has gotten even better with one bird picking the backyard of Kolbjorn, my Panaga birding buddy, as its wintering home!

Obviously I couldn't let the opportunity slip to get some better photographic records of these shy migrants; Malayan night-herons are notoriously skittish and this one proved no different. So yesterday, armed with some army netting, I stopped by at Kolbjorns house to convert the door to his garden into a make-shift hide. The testing was this morning and at 6:30 I stood almost leisurely inside Kolbjorns living room, with the door ajar, ready to get some pics of the heron. The heron dutifully performed and below are some of this mornings shots.

Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus)

Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus)

Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus)

Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus)

Malayan night heron (Gorsachius melanolophus)

Needless to say that I am quite pleased with the effort, even though the light was still a little too poor to get some action shots of the worm-catching.

Big thanks to Kolbjorn and his family to allow me in their house in the wee hours of the morning!

Folkert, 16/12/2013

A short trip to Danum valley

My mom is fully enjoying her retirement and is visiting again. This time I decided to show off a little and take her to Danum valley, in my view one of the best eco-tourism locations on Borneo: pampered to the max plus great birding and wildlife viewing. Below a short summary of our trip.

The drive from Lahad Datu to Danum takes around 2.5 hours through forested area. A couple of kilometers before we entered the conservation area we passed a group of pig-tailed macaques. When encountered on foot I find that the males of this species can be quite menacing. Safely tucked away inside the car I got a rare opportunity to try for some portraits:

Southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina).

This species is declining in population and currently listed as Vulnerable by IUCN. The main threat is loss of habitat. It saddens me to say that I've also seen a juvenile on sale at one of the local markets in Brunei a couple of months back.  

Southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina).

When the big guy started to growl it was time to go!

Southern pig-tailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina).

Danum valley is top of the bill when it comes to nature tourism in Borneo. The lodges are perfect, food is excellent and staff and guides go out of their way to make your stay unforgettable. Our guide during the stay was Lister (what's in a name...), who introduced himself during lunch. Fittingly, I provided Lister with my list of around 20 target species for this trip.

We stayed around our cabin in the early afternoon. A couple of flowering ginger plants outside our balcony were visited frequently by the resident little spiderhunters.

Little spider hunter (Arachnotera longirostra).

After the small midday siesta before we set out for some afternoon birding. A noisy group of sooty-capped babblers were the first birds to greet us.

Sooty-capped babbler (Malacopteron affine).

After about an hour, we had just reached the canopy, a sighting of a large elephant herd just outside the gate was called in and we joined the open truck to see them. The elephants were a little weary at first and we moved up the road to give them some space. A baby elephant was still suckling and under constant protection of its mom and two larger relatives.

Pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis).

Later, we moved down the road to get some eye-level views:

Pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis).

Sightings of elephants along the road to Danum are relatively frequent, primarily because the vegetation along road- and riversides forms a favorite food source for the elephants. Don't let that fool you into believing that these are common mammals, they're an endangered species with a dwindling population size on Borneo of around 2500 individuals.

There were very few males in the group, two young ones and a bigger adult, easily recognized by the tusks.

Pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis).

We stayed until dusk was finally setting in.

Pygmy elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis).

A nice cold beer was waiting for me when we arrived back at the lodge! No time for too much leisure though as the night-drive was already lined up and we had only time for a quick dinner (which was again excellent!)

The highlight of the night-drive was a sighting of this Western or Horsfield's tarsier. This was only the second time that I've seen this cute little carnivore.

Western tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus).

The next morning we first set out for the canopy walk. Along the way we heard Bornean wren-babbler and got decent views of a male rufous-chested flycatcher (a lifer for me).

A pair of bristleheads was the only noteworthy sighting at the canopy and we soon decided to head for one of the trails. Hairy-backed bulbuls were foraging close by, more exciting was a chestnut-capped thrush that was seen sitting on a log, another lifer!

Hairy-backed bulbul (tricholestes criniger).

A few noisy black magpies seemed to be following us on the trail.

Black magpie (Platysmurus aterrimus).

The yellow-bellied bulbul is a common forest species.

Yellow-bellied bulbul (Alophoixus phaeocephalus).

At around 11:00 AM things were quieting down and we headed back to the lodge for some lunch and an hour or two of rest.

This moustached babbler was the first bird we saw as we set out on our afternoon walk.

Moustached babbler (Malacopteron magnirostre).

Further down the jacuzzi trail a male scarlet-rumped trogon was very confiding and provided some great views from almost every possible angle. Even though this is a common forest species, I'll probably never tire of seeing these splendid birds.

Scarlet-rumped trogon (Harpactes duvaucelii).

A pair of giant pittas was heard, but our attempt to call them in went unanswered. As we trekked on the rain really started to come down and we arrived back at the lodge soaking wet. In the evening Lister and myself took out one of the 4WD to search for Large and Blyth's frogmouth. I can be fairly short about this attempt: no frogmouths.

The next morning we tried our luck with the giant pitta again and we soon heard the pair calling from jacuzzi trail. The birds proved very responsive and we had some great naked eye views of the birds hopping across the trail! The male showed itself only once, but the female kept close by for at least 45 minutes. My photographic intuition and judgement was a little out of tune and I missed one or two good photo opportunities. Below the one shot I managed that actually has the bird in frame. It's in the center, don't worry if you fail to see it...

Giant pitta (pitta caerulea).

This was a great birding moment! The giant pitta may not be the most colorful of the pitta's, but its size (larger than I had imagined), rarity and reputation give it amazing appeal.

On the way back to the lodge this large-billed blue flycatcher was a little more cooperative in front of my camera. Supposedly, this is a relatively common species, but one I'd never seen before!

Large-billed blue flycatcher (Cyornis caerulatus).

The remainder of the morning was spend on the hornbill trail. We were after banded pitta and any of the 3 lowland wren-babblers. No such luck with these, but this olive-winged woodpecker was a nice surprise; one of the rarer Bornean woodpeckers, this was another lifer for me.

Olive-winged woodpecker (Dinopium rafflesii).

After that, it was time to pack our belongings and head back to Brunei. Danum valley again fully delivered; great mammal sightings and a respectable 80+ bird species seen well with some great new ones. I hope I'll be back for the wren-babblers some day!

Big thanks to Lister, without him I would definitely have missed some species.

Folkert, 05/11/2013