Birdtour Asia Libertybird Sabah tour 2010

Sabah, Borneo

Liberty-bird tour

7th - 20th November 2010

Leaders: James Eaton and Jason Reyes

Rufous-collared Kingfisher

Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Danum Valley © James Eaton /Birdtour Asia

Borneo with its ideal combination of fantastic and varied habitats, exciting endemics, interesting mammals and comfortable accommodation is justly acknowledged as one of the ultimate Asian birding destinations and the reason behind our third tour with Swiss bird-tour operator, Liberty-bird. A great, fun mix of participants made for a most enjoyable tour. Bird-wise we recorded 265 species including 35 endemics and a bag full of amazing mammals. The avian highlights were many – a clean-sweep of hornbills including numerous sightings of Helmeted, jaw-dropping views of Black-crowned Pitta, every bird species on our night-cruise, though typically “bird-of-the-tour” would have to fall to a mammal –the Western Tarsier which thrillingly interrupted our dinner!

After a long flight from Switzerland, arriving at lunch-time, the group proved their keenness by venturing out for some light afternoon birding at the nearby Likas Bay marshes. A steady introduction included many birds familiar to us from home; Purple Heron, Garganey and a selection of egrets. Others were less familiar; Pied Triller, Common Iora, Pacific Reef Heron and a singing Striated Grassbird using the intersections lighting structure as his display post. A flock of Long-toed Stints were appreciated, as was the single Red-necked Stint amongst them, just as James finished telling the group that we wouldn’t expect this species in the marshy habitat! A White-browed Crake finally came out to feed just before home-time as the sun set over the bay.
We were to spend three nights at the foot of the mighty Mount Kinabalu, exploring the various trails and road that run through the gorgeous mossy forest cloaking the lower reaches of the mountain. Orchids, pitcher plants, bugs and animals were equally high on the agenda. Birding-wise it was nice, though at times it was a bit slow, as is so typical of this mountain. First biridng stop was the Rafflesia Reserve, en-route to the mountain. This roadside, mid-altitude site gives us a chance of plenty of species that are much trickier higher in the mountain. The main targets, the two endemic barbets proved easy, with plenty of Mountain and a tail-wagging Bornean Barbet showing nicely in the scope. In the roadside trees Bornean and Cinereous Bulbuls turned up, as did Bornean Treepie, Black-sided Flowerpecker, Bornean Leafbird, Rufous-hooded and Sunda Laughingthrushes, wintering Blue-and-white Flycatchers and, most excitingly, a Whitehead’s Spiderhunter feeding high-up on some canopy flowers.
Enjoying the general birding on Mount Kinabalu we got really great looks at many of the commoner species; Bornean Whistler, Temminck’s Sunbirds, Indigo Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Warbler all flashing vivid colours, though the same can’t be said for the confiding Sunda Bush Warblers! Birding along the trails led us to a few gems, a calling Whitehead’s Broadbill showed it self, a surprisingly responsive immature Fruit-hunter showed for as long as we needed it to, as did a pair of jumpy Bornean Forktail but a pair of vocal Mountain Serpent Eagles proved a little annoying, circling above the canopy. Pride-of-place was a tussle between the completely over-the-top ‘Bornean’ Green Magpies and Bornean Stubtail that sang totally unconcerned just feet away allowing video and plenty of photos.

Pale-faced Bulbul and Friendly Bush Warbler, Mt Kinabalu © James Eaton

A beautiful sunlit morning on the higher reaches of the mountain proved the most enjoyable outing of our stay here. A confiding group of Pale-faced Bulbul, Bornean Whistling Thrushes hopping about all over the place, an excited White-browed Shortwing, an exposed Sunda Cuckoo, pair of Mountain Black-eye, andafter a very short but steepish walk, the (ever-)Friendly Bush Warbler, creeping mouse-like around us, occasionally popping up to sing-away, quite an experience!

We enjoyed many other sightings during our stay here, a perched migrant Grey-faced Buzzard, roadside Long-tailed Shrike, Checker-throated Woodpecker, Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, Grey-chinned Minivet and for those that spent some time lower down around the Poring Hot Springs entrance, our first White-crowned Sharma and Short-tailed Babblers of the tour.

Back to Kota Kinabalu we spent a most enjoyable couple of hours around the Tanjung Aru sea-front to see the Blue-naped Parrot colony that now resides here. Though the birds are escapees, it doesn’t detract from their splendour as they allowed such a close approach and even better when a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills attempted to seemingly raid their nest-holes! It was surprising just how many birds we enjoyed here from the Peregrine perched on the balcony of a nearby apartment block, to the Chinese Egret delicately feeding along the beach, a pair of delightfully confiding Sunda Woodpecker and even a small flock of Long-tailed Parakeets perched quietly nearby, not to mention the small colony of Rufous Night Heron.
A short flight back over Mount Kinabalu saw us bedded into our comfortable surroundings at Sepilok (and Thick-billed Spiderhunter!) before venturing out to the magnificently-constructed canopy walkway that cuts through a section of lowland rainforest giving a beautiful panorama of the forest. Though the forest was quiet of bird-song we notched-up a variety of sundaic bulbuls, sunbirds and babblers. As dusk approached we were treated to Red Giant Flying Squirrels venturing out to feed, though these were eclipsed by the Black Giant Flying Squirrel that glided right over our heads and away to somewhere in the distance!
Our morning at Sepilok was simply wonderful. Fruiting trees around the car-park were full of Black Hornbills, Greater and Lesser Green Leafbirds, flowerpeckers, sunbirds, malkohas, spiderhunters and bulbuls.These were all eclipsed however as the first bird we found upon walking onto the walkway was Borneo’s most famous, and desired species, a pair of Bristlehead silently working their way through the mid-canopy. After they disappeared a pair of Bornean Black Magpie turned up, bellowing their bizarre calls, sat side-by-side, nodding up and down duetting. An Orang-utan was feeding by the walkway – our first view of the ‘Old man of the forest’, though this fella wasn’t so old.

After a fine, open-air lunch we departed Sepilok and headed for Gomantong Caves, via a pair of Bat Hawks, to witness the spectacle of tens-of-thousands of bats departing the caves. A pair of White-crowned Hornbill welcomed us – a big surprise, as they sat-up, drying from the earlier rains. A walk inside the caves was fun, attempting to avoid Swiftlet droppings and board-walk dwelling cockroaches! Huge numbers of Black-nest Swiftlet were overhead and we also found a handful of Mossy-nest Swiftlet. As the light was dropping a Cave Racer crept up the walls of the cave, looking for an early meal and a confiding Wallace’s Hawk Eagle sat waiting for prey. Most frustrating was just as we positioned ourselves for the bats and Bat Hawks the clouds closed in and it began to absolutely chuck-it down! An early drive to our lodge situated along the banks of the Kinabatangan was called for!

Bornean Stubtail

Bornean Stubtail, Mt Kinabalu © James Eaton /Birdtour Asia

Our two-night stay on the Kinabatangan was quite simply, wonderful. The day-time boat rides were filled with highlights – hornbills by the bucket-load – Wrinkled, Rhinoceros, Black, Oriental Pied and Wreathed all showed exceptionally well. We need not have worried about that once-mythical species, the Bornean Ground Cuckoo as we secured views within 30 minutes of looking (again!), as a pair perched up calling at length for us. Keeping up our exceptional record with finding this enigmatic species on the river. A Sumatran Pit-Viper was found curled up right next to the boat, fortunately (!), we noticed it after we found the ground-cuckoo!
Raptors filled the trees and sky – Wallace’s Hawk Eagles, Lesser and Grey-headed Fish Eagles, Rufous-bellied Eagle, White-bellied Sea Eagle and Crested Goshawk all performed but most excitingly so did a pair of White-fronted Falconet from their favoured look-out tree.
From the breakfast veranda a Hooded Pitta sat up calling in the scope for us, and a walk from the boat revealed a wintering Blue-winged Pitta too. A pair of Moustached Hawk Cuckoo typically flew back-and-forth across the river but proved tough to locate perched, a pair of Lesser Adjutant sat close-by and Storm’s Stork were out in force, this endangered species really does seem to be increasing along this particular river.
Primates were superb – playful groups of Proboscis Monkey, Sunda Pig-tailed and Long-tailed Macaques, Sunda Silvered Langurs and a huge male Orang-utan guarding his favoured fruiting tree.
The highlight of our stay here (and of the trip?), was our night-cruise. Even before jumping in our boats we were watching a pair of Brown Wood Owl perched just metres from us, sat on the washing line! Once in the boats we saw numerous confiding Buffy Fish Owls (I lost count, sorry!), a Colugo sat high above us before gliding away, plenty of Large Flying Foxes feeding low-down, feasting on the numerous fruits, roosting birds were regularly found and included Stork-billed Kingfishers, Common Kingfisher and a delightful group of 5 Black-and-red Broadbills squashed together. Finally a confiding Yellow Bittern was watched feeding on the riverside.

The final third of the tour was spent in luxury, in the heart of the Bornean rainforest, inside Danum Valley at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Wonderful chalets, fantastic buffets, some of the most hospitable staff found anywhere and on top of all this, some of the finest wildlife watching in all of south-east Asia makes for guaranteed success.
Where to start? Well, on top of all the expected sunbirds, flowerpeckers, bulbul, babblers, malkohas, cuckoos, pigeons, barbets and flycatchers we had plenty of notable highlights - Black-and-yellow Broadbill, is there a better looking, wackier bird around?! We also found a Banded Broadbill nest while observing a fruiting tree full of Thick-billed Green Pigeons and most of the hoped-for barbets, as a male Violet Cuckoo got a little excited attempting to woo a female in close proximity. A pair of Black-crowned Pitta put on a fine performance as they fed by the roadside though a Blue-headed Pitta proved more troublesome for most. One particular morning stands out when a family group of Bornean Ground Babbler proved unusually confiding and straight-forward to see (though it helps when there are 4 of them!), quickly followed by a Diard’s Trogon, Black-capped Babbler, inquisitive Fluffy-backed Tit Babblers, Siberian Blue Robin and the most confiding Rufous-collared Kingfisher I’ve come across! A feeding flock contained Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Spotted Fantail, loads of babblers and a Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher to finish off proceedings! Woodpeckers are usual were not abundant but we did get a manic party of Great Slaty’s, hanging, wings-spread from their tree.
Deep inside the forest the skulkers slowly gave themselves up – Black-throated Wren Babbler, Striped Wren Babbler, Banded Kingfisher, Bornean and Large-billed Blue Flycatchers though both Blue-banded and Giant Pittas frustrated. We were not to be outdone however as the finale – a male Great Argus scampering towards us, almost within touching distance as he circled us!
The real draw were the hornbills. Due to a nearby fruiting tree we had multiple daily encounters of the best of the lot, the Helmeted Hornbill, even while having breakfast on occasions. A family of Rhinoceros Hornbill also appeared every morning as they roosted by the lodge and a family of Bushy-crested Hornbill finished off the hornbills for us.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher and Western Tarsier, Danum Valley © James Eaton

The night-drives typically had their good nights and the not-so-good nights. Thomas’s and Red Giant Flying Squirrel were typically numerous. Malayan Civet and Colugo also popped up though the highlight was avian as a Barred Eagle Owl sat above the roadside. The highlight of the whole tour however was typically a mammal, as whilst in the middle of our dinner a Western Tarsier was located just 100m from the lodge, causing mass panic (particular for James – his biggest bogey primate!) as we all rushed through the forest in various forms of footwear to find the little cutie just 3 metres from us. His huge, ET eyes slowly peering round in search of food. After having our fill we even had time to leisurely head back to the lodge in time for the Breaded Pudding – what a night!

After all that excitement we headed back to Kota Kinabalu for a final morning visit to Manukan Island. Arriving onto the island in the early morning our very first bird surprised us all – A Tabon Scrubfowl was feeding by the entrance building! Our main target pecked around for a while, giving great looks, before venturing across the path and back into the forest. An Eye-browed Thrush was also feeding at the path-side though it would take us longer to find our other two targets – Mangrove Blue Flycatcher and, eventually, a pair of Mangrove Whistler. A perfect end to a wonderful tour…

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