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Sabah, Borneo (independant) (1 Viewer)

D

David Roche

Well-known member
View attachment Borneo 2020-converted.pdf

Four weeks in Sabah, visiting Mount Kinabalu, Sepilok and Danum Valley (Field Centre) all done independently using public transport. 278 species in all (15 heard only) including 36 endemics.

Highlights including Great Argus, Crested Partridge, Large Green Pigeon, nesting Large Frogmouth, Whitehead's Trogon, nest building Whitehead's Broadbills, Blue-headed Pitta, 21 sp Babbler including Black-throated Wren Babbler, Everett's Thrush, 19 sp Flycatcher and seven Spiderhunters.

The Kinabatangan river would have been visited on my way back from Danum; which, yes, you can do on your own, contrary to what others will tell you (details of how, included within report) but was not possible due to recently imposed travel restrictions. Luckily for me, I didn't have to worry about missing Bornean Ground Cuckoo, thanks to a remarkable encounter I had, late one evening whilst walking the trails at Danum.

David
 
David, I've been vicariously birding my way around Borneo via your tweets, and have been eagerly anticipating your report - thanks so much for posting. I really hope to return at some point in the future, and Danum is more or less top of my list; I've been searching for recent gen on getting (and staying) there so appreciate the update. Cannot wait to read this - I shall saviour over the weekend.
 
And this is why I fell in love with Asian birding. If you don’t like spoilers, stop reading now:

“Determined to try and nail some Pittas, I decided to return to the lower waterfall trails for the last period of daylight where a calling Blue-headed Pitta remained typically invisible, as did a vocal Red- bearded Bee eater, half way along the return loop of the nature trail. Approaching 18:00, and with the light starting to fade beneath the canopy, I continued back along the trail, gradually turning the corner, where my attention was immediately drawn to a large bird, stood on a log on the edge of the track some 20-30m away. Naturally assuming it to be another Crested Fireback I raised the bins, only to find myself staring into the eyes of a BORNEAN GROUND CUCKOO. Seemingly in no hurry to move on, it remained on the log for close to one full minute, fully exposed with a side-on view, before slowly walking off to the right of the track, all the time still visible, and then turning and walking away along the path. The remainder of the evening was spent in some kind of mental haze, questioning reality and slowly trying to come to terms with what I had just seen.”

Fabulous stuff, David.
 
One thing I forgot to include was any mention of weather.

Mount Kinabalu would frequently be covered with fairly thick mist in the afternoons, though this would frequently come and go, and didn't seen to effect birding that much. My plan had been to spend a couple of nights at the nearby Poring hot springs, but changed things last minute, instead staying on in the park, where a number of potential targets were still to be had (and ultimately not seen) It was notably dry throughout, with rain once here overnight and on one afternoon at Sepilok only. This did have the small advantage of limiting the number of Leeches encountered, with a couple of days at Danum where none were encountered at all, despite spending several hours on the waterfall and/or grid trails.
 
Great report with plenty of useful gen. Sabah really is a fantastic destination. You will have to do Sarawak next!
 
Excellent report that once again whets my appetite - especially for Danum .

Congratulations on the ground cuckoo - the stuff of dreams!

Cheers
Mike
 
I can't ever, recall another sighting of BGC from Danum?

Rob Hutchinson and I were in Borneo in 2000, we dipped both endemic Pittas and the Rafflesia Park wasn't really known then as a site for both endemic Barbets so we missed them as well.

Highlights were Everett's Thrush at Mt Kinabalu, several sightings of Fruithunter, Bristleahd at Rainforest Lodge and Nicobar Pigeon on Pulau Tiga, really makes me want to go back too!
 
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There was another group of birders, staying at the Field Centre same time as me, one of whom flushed a Ground Cuckoo from one of the grid trails. There was talk about Giant Pitta being seen at a couple of spots but that would have just been greedy!

David
 
David Roche said:
There was another group of birders, staying at the Field Centre same time as me, one of whom flushed a Ground Cuckoo from one of the grid trails. There was talk about Giant Pitta being seen at a couple of spots but that would have just been greedy!

David
Click to expand...

When we were there, the spot for Giant Pitta was 'Rhino Ridge', I think it's been seen on the grid trail too IIRC, we didn't see it.
 
foresttwitcher said:
Nice report David - some great birds. Sounds very tempting.

Did you have many language problems getting around by public transport?
Click to expand...

None. All minivans have their route/destination clearly printed along the sides, which makes things easy, but even without that, English is widely spoken and I never had an issue in asking or explaining where I wanted to get to.

David
 
Well done on the Malayan Night Heron! A bird I've yet to see in Sabah - were you able to discount Japanese Night Heron? Latter is likely an under-recorded species on Borneo.

Andy - Bornean Ground Cuckoo has been quite well-known from Danum Valley area for some years now, it's at both BRL and DVFC, though a very hard bird to see.
Giant Pitta is definitely seen far less regularly, past 3-4 years than previously.

James
 
James Eaton said:
Well done on the Malayan Night Heron! A bird I've yet to see in Sabah - were you able to discount Japanese Night Heron? Latter is likely an under-recorded species on Borneo.

Andy - Bornean Ground Cuckoo has been quite well-known from Danum Valley area for some years now, it's at both BRL and DVFC, though a very hard bird to see.
Giant Pitta is definitely seen far less regularly, past 3-4 years than previously.

James
Click to expand...

Good point. Must admit that neither are species which I am particularly familiar with and Japanese Night Heron wasn't something I had seriously considered. A couple of brief flight views only (heading away from me) but from what I saw of it, the colouration of the upper wing, lack of Rufous tones, and obvious contrast against the dark border of the primaries and secondaries looked like good for juvenile Malaysian.

David
 
James Eaton said:
Well done on the Malayan Night Heron! A bird I've yet to see in Sabah - were you able to discount Japanese Night Heron? Latter is likely an under-recorded species on Borneo.

Andy - Bornean Ground Cuckoo has been quite well-known from Danum Valley area for some years now, it's at both BRL and DVFC, though a very hard bird to see.
Giant Pitta is definitely seen far less regularly, past 3-4 years than previously.

James
Click to expand...

Thanks,
I wonder why on both counts, when Rob and I were planning, I recall no mention at all of the GC. I can understand it being refound at Sukau because the chances of it being overlooked are far greater as there are almost no trails, or at least there weren't, which means little, birding on foot is possible. We stayed at a place which had a tiny, loop trail but that was it, you had to be on a boat.

Has Danum changed much, at all, enough to have an effect on GP? There are certainly more observations of other things there including rare mammals wich would suggest that if they were there, they would at least be heard?

Where do people see GP now?
 
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andyadcock said:
Thanks,
I wonder why on both counts, when Rob and I were planning, I recall no mention at all of the GC. I can understand it being refound at Sukau because the chances of it being overlooked are far greater as there are almost no trails, or at least there weren't, which means little, birding on foot is possible. We stayed at a place which had a tiny, loop trail but that was it, you had to be on a boat.

Has Danum changed much, at all, enough to have an effect on GP? There are certainly more observations of other things there including rare mammals wich would suggest that if they were there, they would at least be heard?

Where do people see GP now?
Click to expand...

I remember looking for the ground cuckoo in 2002 at Danum Valley (BRL), as it had just been refound there. I didn't see it at BRL until 2007 though.

Danum Valley itself, hasn't changed at all. The whole Yayasan forest complex (1m hectares) has changed quite a bit, as 20% has been converted from forest, but the rest remains intact.
More observations as there are a lot more visitors + social media allows for the sightings to be known about.

I haven't seen Giant Pitta anywhere for a while now, maybe four years since I last saw it (which was at BRL).

James
 
James Eaton said:
I remember looking for the ground cuckoo in 2002 at Danum Valley (BRL), as it had just been refound there. I didn't see it at BRL until 2007 though.

Danum Valley itself, hasn't changed at all. The whole Yayasan forest complex (1m hectares) has changed quite a bit, as 20% has been converted from forest, but the rest remains intact.
More observations as there are a lot more visitors + social media allows for the sightings to be known about.

I haven't seen Giant Pitta anywhere for a while now, maybe four years since I last saw it (which was at BRL).

James
Click to expand...

Thanks, interesting.
 
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