Avian Field Report September 2018 - Birding from Sandakan Sabah

I have two trips lined-up  to Sandakan- Sepilok for last quarter of 2018. The first one  was in September by invitation from "Menace". This is my first dedicated birding excursion to Sabah for 4 days 3 nites. Sandakan is an ideal  Start Point to other birding sites namely the nearest one is Sepilok with RDC and canopy walk. It is also about  2.5 hours out to Kinabatangan Sukau, Danum site etc. I relied on my buddy Den to arrange everything from accommodation to car hire and makan makan in town. Thanks again buddy and  also  to his friends' hospitality of the locals especially Peter, Ong, Chui and Hou.

Travelling light on AirAsia with one checkin luggage (20kg), haversack and hand-carry tripod
I was good to go. Took the last Bus out to KLIA2 from Sentral reaching the airport terminal at slightly before 1 am. As usually we drop in  Plaza Lounge for free food but alas they is no easy couch to take a snooze unlike in KLIA main. Anyway we make a do what they offer. Check in starts at 4am plus and then it was  a waiting game.

Our flight out was on schedule for once...6.30am  and touching down 10 minutes early before 9.00 am at Sandakan International Airport. We took our pre-booked Axia for  4+3 days to go about town for makan-makan and transit  to our birding sites. Our wonderful Mark's Lodge (www.themarkslodgehotel.com)  is just 15 minutes from the  airport. It is in the new business district of Sandakan about 15-20 minutes to Sepilok. So plenty of food around and R&R.

The same operator  also own the Sepilok Forest Edge Resort which have cheaper hostel bed accommodation for budget contraint birders. It  is walking distance (1.5 km) to RDC Sepilok and the Orang Utan Sanctuary. They also have private chalets as shown in their brochure which are priced  reasonable for twin sharing 2 pax. SFE Resort have some good trail  where you may chance on star birds like the Giant Pitta,  Blue-crown Pitta, Black headed Pitta and  Chestnut Necklaced Partridge. On out outing we manage to see mousedeer too.

We birders are always on a budget we suggest that they provide free transit to RDC entrance on call as a free perk..... an electrical buggy for 6 seater will come in handy for the 1.5km.

Lifer 1 Sabah Partridge aka chestnut-necklaced 

If you are staying in Marks Lodge hotel  you can drop by SFE Resort to bird there which we did as they are affiliated. However  I suggest you contact the operator so that they have their local  bird guide to show you about and to get the latest sightings. Don't forget to tip them. There you can have a good lunch meal served in an open setting which you can bird in the surrounding especially the many sunbirds and endemic dusky munia.

Ashy Tailorbird 

Purple-naped Sunbird and Copper-throated Sunbird are easy catch here.

Trogon are aplenty like the Red-naped,Scarlet and Diard's.

Bulbuls like the Puff-throated and Buff-chested were also sighted. We did manage to see the Great Slaty Woodpecker but no photo to show. The pair we saw came down to 10 ft but were skirttish. Too bad...........















A rather worned grey-cheeked bulbul with a rather hooked beak.

The common Chestnut-winged babbler (below)

Reptiles and Squirrels are aplenty about SFE Resort so best you keep to their trails

Most of our lifers where from Sepilok RDC and a morning excursion to Sukau. I am happy to chalked up another 6 lifers on this trip.

Lifer 2 Black-headed Pitta

Lifer 3-Sunda Blue 

Lifer 4- Bornean Brown

Lifer 5-Black-faced aka Bornean Banded KF

Malaysian Blue Fc

Lifer 6-White-crowned

Woodswallow along the way to Sukau

Charlotte's Bulbul aka Buff-vented. I do not consider it a lifer but a subspecies

Avian Sighting October 2018 - Little Cormorant

The colony of Little Commorants at Malim Nawar irked the fish rearing farmers there. At one time they resort to placing fishing hooks to snare the poor birds like egrets. With the intervention by Perhilitan and my friend Q they were dismantled quickly or risked being fined. Nowadays from time to time  they use thunder crackers to scared them away. The passive netting over the pond seems to be their other solution to keep them away from their fish fries.

These Little Commorants have taken permanent residence in peninsula Malaysia  and can be seen year round in Perak.

WADER 49/60 - Swinhoe's Snipes 4/4

My  sifus says to be definate one must see the tips of the Snipes tail  to confirm whether it is the Pintail or the Swinhoe's. Basing on my "Bird bible" it longish flat tail and long billed and facial features I will take it as the Swinhoe's. There are sighting record in Malim Nawar

This is another bird roosting in the hot afternoon in the open .... do not know whether it is companion

Avian Field Report September 2018 - Flycatcher Galore at Awana

 It was a morning of flycatchers in  the last weekend of September. In the advent of the migration period  of Nov-Jan you can expect  visiting flycatchers to arrive soon to the low montane forest of Awana.  Indeed some have started their journey early maybe because of the  bad and wet weather  in Taiwan, China and Japan recently.

The first fc was the resident chubby looking male Snowy-browed Fc. This  was sighted up at Ulu Kali; not at the old post but instead popped at the Radar station side. It was missing for a good 6 months to a year. We were so happy to see that they are still around. The female was no where around though.

At Awana trail it was devastating to see trees and shrubs been cut down when Genting operator install now power lines and pole leading to their water treatment plant at the end of the trail. Good and bad you can go and see for your self. Bird life have been in the doldrum here for the past months.

However that weekend the flycatcher galore start.  The second fc I capture was the long missing Hill Blue. There was a pair of them. This is also a resident bird. I only wish to see the Pygmy Blue which is the rarest fc to see here. Alagan reminisced the time the thrill of shooting the bird as we walk pass the spot where it usually come out from the ravine. The Blue and White fc  ( Zappey's) can be spotted here during the wintering period up north. But today no such luck.

The Dark-sided

The third flycatcher  was a mature Little Pied. It was at the same side near the last gate. Later another one was seen upfront at the first ravine of the trail. The fourth  and fifth flycatcher is the migrants Asian Brown and a beautiful a juvenile Dark sided with its spotty  chest and crown. It keep us entertained for a good hour in the late morning.



While shooting the 2 birds,  the sixth fc  just popped out at the flowering  tree. It was a female Green-backed. It is probably in transit down to the lowland of klang valley.  It stayed for a few minutes and off it go and never returned.

The Mugimaki fc have yet to show itself maybe in the month of October onwards.

Asian Brown

 The Asian Fairy BlueBird, Long-tailed Sibia, Greater Leafbird and Sultan Tit are the other birds that made cameo appearance that morning in Awana.

Avian sighting September 2018 - Lesser Shortwing (female)

Finally when news from my birding group that the Lesser Shortwings are active again in September 2018 it was day of reckoning for me to nail my target female LS.  This a lifer in a sense that I have never shot the female bird in brown coat during my 12 years of birding.


Arriving at the post about 8 am there were about 8 birders already set up their spot. Squeezing in between Hafiz and Zakir the action starts soon enough for everyone. The LS was coming out in succession with its male companion quite frequent that after pass 10 am I got enough shots and excuse myself from  the gang to recce Awana trail............. now that is another story of flycatchers

The male  in blue coat ,came out 1  of 3 times the female appearance.