GREETINGS AND CLOSING YEAR 2010

**TO ALL READERS AND FRIENDS WISHING ALL OF YOU**

"A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL / PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR"

Will be back next year

Happy Birding.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

A new generation? Should we be happy or are we going to see another life that its future is in question. This was taken last April 2011 at a friend car park.
The young fledgling has flown by now and have not return this tree for anything. Maybe it too senses that it should find another sanctuary.

This adult stayed back and was looking out for any threat while the other was out for hunting food.

Male and Female preparing their morning ritual, taking care of their young.

The White-bellied Sea Eagle is the largest of all eagles here in Borneo island. Way back in the early 1970's you can actually see them soaring in numbers around the bay of Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu. But their numbers are declining (I do not have any data to support this) but the numbers are not often seen as in the early days. When the height of the fishing season is in full force the birds will come out in big swarm's and indicating there will be a bountiful harvest, enough to go around.

May they return again.

Happy birding.

Likas Birds

Olive-backed Sunbird / nectarinia jugularis

Been a slow week and today was my first birding for November after settling down with my new full-time job. My birding spot this time was at Likas Sport Complex, especially the jogging area and the lawn bowling area.
At the entrance there is a Coral Tree and it is flowering. This make the birding easier since the Coral Tree has a lot of nectar and also attracts the insects towards the flowers. So I choose a shaded area and waited. Earlier prior to this, a birder Karim @sinooorita took some picture of a Boobok Owl also known as Brown Hawk-Owl at the back of the jogging pathway.

Female Brown-throated ? maybe...

Brown-throated Sunbird / anthreptes malacensis

Grey-rumped Treeswift / hemiprocne longipennis

Pied Triller / lalage nigra

Happy Birding.

Shortwings

Male

Female

Shortwings are not that easy to see or find around Kinabalu Park but this time both pairs came out for this picture. Alim Buin one of the senior park ranger told me about this pair one day earlier but it rain so heavy that we could only see the birds hoping in and out from the shrubs.
Both birds were so active that I can only managed an ID picture for now. Will try again next visit.

Happy birding.

Borneo Parrots

Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot
(loriculus galgulus)

Worldwide c.332 species, 5 in Borneo. Tiny green parrot with blue crown-patch and crimson bib.
Usually solitary or in pairs. Fast flying and feeds on seeds, nectar, flowers, buds and fruit.
The dextrous bill and tongue sometime use as third foot and the feet are zygodactylic (the fourth toe is reversible, both these features allowing great agility. All species are cavity nesters.

Happy birding.

Perigrine Falcon

Peregrine Falcon / falco peregrinus

This bird apparently was stocking itself for a long journey. Luckily it made so much noise that it gave its position. This was crop heavily to see what was the prey and judging from the feathers falling down from the tree, a very unlucky Pink-necked Pigeon was the menu.

Happy birding.

RDC- Rainforest Discovery Centre (Sandakan-Borneo Sabah)

Crested Serpent Eagle / spilornis cheela

Friends, its been a great Bird festival this year. Everyone seem to agree. Including the birds.

Here are few pictures to share and enjoy.

Copper-throated Sunbird / leptocoma calcostetha

Juvenile White Crown Shama / copsychus stricklandii

Rufous-collared Kingfisher / actenodies concretus , just patiently waiting to be photograph.

It was a hot day (2nd day of bird festival) Rufous-winged Philentoma / philentoma pyrhoptera having a bath.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo / dicrurus paradiseus, posing but flew quickly when it was attracting a crowd.

Ruddy Kingfiher / halcyon coromanda

The prize bird this year. Birders with or without digiscope just could not stay away from the site it was perching, hoping to get a glimpse. Even professional and amateur photographer flock to get a picture. It was all worth the waiting.

Crimson Sunbird / aethopyga siparaja

This was photograph outside the visitor building of Sepilok Orang Utan Centre. Its a personal achievement for me because I can never get it with digiscope. Use Nikon D3oo with Sigma 70-300mm APO lens.

Black and Yellow Broadbill / eurylaimus ochromalus

This is a female, both sexes looks similar but can be differentiate with the female does not have complete breast-band.

On a final note, any one who are interested to visit Rainforest Discovery Centre especially birders and photographer. I can be contact as per my contact reference in my blog.

Happy Birding.

Jan Job Van Vulpen - Tabin Excursion

Diard's Trogon

Jan and wife (both formerly guide groups to South America and Africa)

Now enjoying life and doing what they like most, traveling and enjoying Borneo as much as they can. Jan wanted to see a Pitta or Trogon and their wish came true. I wish they will be able to remember my blog and write me back.

Wild-orang Utan - adult

This White-Crown Horbill was sighted at the back of the Riverlodge. But it was still shy and did not really gave us much time to photograph it.

The Black and Crimson Pitta that finally responded to my call. It was quite a sight especially if there were two of them calling back. But I only managed to photograph one of them.

Vekvet-fronted Nuthatch

Happy Birding

Dark-sided flycatcher

I am a dire situation here. Got this flycatcher few days ago but could not figure out which this one belong to. Thanks to some friends, it is now known.

Happy birding.

September 2010 collections

Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike - hemipus picatus

This are few pictures that I managed to document for this month birding. Enjoy.

Mountain-tailorbird - phyllergates cucullatus

A better picture this time - Chestnut-hooded Laughing Thrush (endemic)

One of my favorite flycatchers. Little-pied flycatcher

White-throated Fantail

Grey-throated Babbler - stachyris nigriceps

Happy Birding.

Balung Eco-Resort and Tawau Hills Park

This beautiful orchid was blooming at Tawau Hills Park located 24Km from Tawau town.

Puan Rohaya and Cik Roslina with a Tawau Hills Park Ranger showing the album of orchids and other plants and insects found around the area.
Puan Rohaya and Cik Roslina is the price winner of a lucky draw during the Matta Tourism Expo and their win brings them to Sabah - Tawau to Balung Eco-Resort and Tawau Hills Park.

Chestnut breasted Malkoha sighted just outside my accommodation.

This Grey-bellied Spider hunter was so quick that I can only managed to get the lower part of its features.

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker calling for its mate in the early morning hour.

A flock of Chestnut Munia feeding along the road to the Tawau Airport which note the end of my journey with Puan Rohaya and Cik Roslina.

A Black Shoulder Kite (correction) flying alongside is Pacific Swallow, which the former was sighted carrying twigs to build a nest just next to the road side. I initially wrote peregrine falcon..apology to all readers.

Happy Birding.