Birds, Beasts and Bugs- Trekking in Sabah, Borneo (1 Viewer)

[MKinHK]

Interesting to see the benefit of spending time out of the boats - there was very limited opportunity for this at Sukau, but seem to be much more at your lodge - and what great rewards! Crested Jay, Dusky Broadbill, Orange-backed Woodpecker, another Brown Wood Owl - great stuff!

Cheers
Mike

 

[kittykat23uk]

Well, we are in the Danum Valley now so there's plenty of opportunities to walk and night drives too! :t:

Over lunch we added blue-eared barbet to the birds seen around the restaurant. Sadly our afternoon walk was rained off. Over the course of the afternoon and previous evening we had chatted with several of the other guests. A few of them had been lucky enough to see elephants on their way into the reserve and a couple who had come from Tabin told me that they had been spoilt with views of a herd around the lodge there. So whilst I was rather gripped off by news of the former, I was also buoyed by the knowledge that Tabin was our last stop and we also had several drives within the Danum Valley ecosystem so surely our luck would change and we would see elephants eventually?

Below, White-crowned Shama, Litter Skink, Blue-throated bee-eater, Blue-eared Barbet and White-throated fantail.

 

[kittykat23uk]

We could still enjoy the birds around the lodge, such as the Yellow-rumped flowerpeckers and when the weather cleared we found some whiskered myotis bats roosting in furled leaves..

The weather thankfully cleared in time for our night drive. The colugo had reappeared on the bare trunk of a tall tree (well of course it might well have been a completely different colugo, but that's by the by). Despite it being high up in the tree we had a much clearer view and I was able to take a record shot of the weird-looking mammal.

Below, yellow-rumped flowerpecker, whiskered myotis, colugo and tree frog.

 

[hgalbraith]

Borneo

How are the leeches? I am due to be at Danum in a couple of weeks

H

 

[kittykat23uk]

To the colugo we added tree frogs, black giant flying squirrel and then a wonderful small-toothed palm civet (below).

After we got back we walked along the nature trail seeing a bright green angle-headed lizard and there one of the other guides pointed out a scorpion that scuttled further into a dead tree stump. Then all of a sudden I felt a stinging sensation on my toe! :eek!: Oh no! I thought I'd been stung by a scorpion!! But as a guide took a look he reassured me that it was just a fire ant that was crawling over my sandal. Phew!

 

[kittykat23uk]

How are the leeches? I am due to be at Danum in a couple of weeks

H

I got bitten several times by them, despite wearing leech socks!:C

 

[kittykat23uk]

Friday 27th March


We started with another stroll along the boardwalk nature trail before having breakfast, spotting a lesser mouse deer and oriental dwarf kingfisher and a beautiful whiskered tree swift. After breakfast I joined Aznil, but Paul hung back, preferring to do his own thing. We walked along the road, spotting a troop of red leaf monkeys. As we were enjoying their antics, a stunning Malay weasel ran out from the verge and stopped momentarily in the middle of the road. I had just clocked it and was readying my camera when everyone else also realised it was there and the weasel looked up at the onlooking crowd and then darted off into the trees!

As I didn't get a photo, I painted him instead using pastels.

We headed on towards the canopy walkway. A Diard's trogon put in a brief appearance before fluttering off into the forest. Then another beautiful bird, an Asian Paradise flycatcher was also seen flitting around. Aznil pointed out a Bornean ibon (pygmy white-eye) and crimson-breasted flowerpecker. I had expressed my desire to see pittas and I was not to be disappointed as Aznil picked up on the plaintive whistle of a black-crowned pitta and tracked it along the Sapa Berbandil Trail below the canopy walkway. With a lot of patience we were finally able to gain the bird's confidence and I was rewarded with crippling views of this little stunner!

After watching the pitta until it disappeared from view we then headed up to the canopy walkway where we managed to spy a banded broadbill, chestnut-breasted malkoha and green imperial pigeon.

Below are Whiskered tree swift, red leaf monkey, the Malay Weasel painting, black-crowned pitta and banded broadbill.

 

[kittykat23uk]

We then crossed the road as Aznil heard another pitta calling and we were soon treated to more crippling views of blue-headed pitta!! As we continued further along the trail a small group of people had gathered to watch a great argus pheasant strutting his stuff in the open. Hope as we might the bird did not dain to entertain us with a full on dance but he was beautiful nonetheless.

Video of great argus:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LIftbztZKQ


Below are oriental dwarf kingfisher, blue-headed pitta, Great argus pheasant and views from the lodge.

 

[kittykat23uk]

After our walk it was time to get ready to leave BRL, but not Danum Valley as we were just moving “next door” to Danum Valley Field Centre.

 

[kittykat23uk]

BRL made the transfer along the forest roads. Again I hoped we might chance upon a herd of elephants, but again we were not lucky. When we arrived we stopped in at reception and found that they didn't have our booking. But it was soon sorted out and we were on our way to where the chalet rooms were. DVFC has cheaper dorm rooms as well as chalets. As we got out of the car helmeted hornbills flew over the room, high up so too far to really get a good view but their tail streamers gave them away. We met a familiar face, a lady who we'd bumped into at both Kinabalu and Sepilok and chatted for a while.

After settling in we went for a walk and spotted red leaf monkeys near reception. There is a river with a rope bridge that leads over to a network of trails and I spent a bit of time around that area in the afternoon, spotting more whiskered tree swifts.

Over dinner I asked about the possibility of a night drive. We were in luck, there was one going tonight and space to join so I got ready for that.

Below, red leaf monkeys, whiskered tree swift, buffy fish owl and sambar.

 

[kittykat23uk]

A buffy fish owl was calling right near the dining area before we left and we soon spotted sambar deer as well. Three Malay civets, a red giant flying squirrel and a black giant flying squirrel were the highlights during the night drive.

Below are black giant flying squirrel Malay civet and a cicada.

 

[MKinHK]

There's just no let-up - an astoundingly successful trip!

Cheers
Mike

 

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks! There will now be a short interlude whilst I prepare another pastel painting of another mammal we saw but that I didn't manage to get any decent photos of.... :scribe:

 

[Chris D]

Awesome. Have been a few times. In the Danum Valley both 'Wet' and 'Dry'. The dry visit had 1 leech in 8 days. I wore shorts, sandals, and sometimes a shirt. Just thought I'd mention that because Terrestrial Leeches (during the Wet) can freak some out.

Great report. Sabah is magic.

 

[Chlidonias]

you got a lot of mammals!! I am impressed (and jealous!)

 

[kittykat23uk]

Thanks both, still several more days to go! :t:

Saturday 28th March


In the morning I took a walk across the bridge, spotting eastern crimson sunbird and a party of long tailed macaques and a short-tailed babbler.

Then I headed onto the nature trail and found myself staring up at the tree platform which is accessed by a very long ladder, after trying to climb it and not getting very far I gave up on the idea and decided to walk the river view trail instead. I didn't see an awful lot, and certainly nothing new. However, I did manage to lose the better beamer on my flash so when I arrived at the more accessible tower hide, whereupon I found Paul, I realised that I needed to double back and look for it. This proved to be rather fortuitous as, having found my better beamer I returned along the trail and spotted furtive movement on the ground in some undergrowth. This turned out to be a fantastic hooded pitta! What a score! B I watched him for a while until he disappeared from view and then headed back along the trail.

I also found a colourful lantern bug.

Below are eastern crimson sunbird, short-tailed babbler, hooded pitta and the lantern bug.

 

[kittykat23uk]

At the large fig tree by the bridge I spotted another little tree shrew though I am not sure of the identity of this one (Paul reckoned possibly slender or lesser). A sooty-capped babbler and rhinoceros hornbill was also noted.

 

[kittykat23uk]

After lunch all thoughts of heading out again were scuppered by torrential rain, so we spent the afternoon chatting to the guests. With the rain unabating I decided to try and have a nap, when I opened my eyes and looked out of the back door I spotted a Sambar grazing by the river.

As night fell the (rather soggy) buffy fish owl set up itself in the tree right in front of the verandah offering fabulous views.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Then it was time for dinner and we were joined at the restaurant by a spectacular rhinoceros beetle.

An American, Ryan was working there as a guide and planned to run a night walk that evening with one of the local staff which we were able to join. This proved to be an excellent evening as we first spotted a banded palm civet under the struts of the restaurant.

 

[Frogfish]

Really enjoy your drawings Kitty. Very lifelike. Excellent !