Taken with Minolta 500mm mirror lens - Frank Gardner

Got some pictures that I would like my readers to give comments on the mirror lens that is used for taking this pictures. You could say it was luck or faith to meet this gentlemen that gave me another reason to live my life the way I wanted (with God grace). He inspire me to see life further from it's context. Hardship is just another illusion for failure if we succumb to it.

Mr Frank Gardner is a journalist and a correspondent for BBC Security Correspondent.

Mr Gardner also the author of Sand and Blood *best seller ( a story how he and his cameraman was gunned down during their work as journalist in Riyadh, Saudi Arab. He was shoot six times but miraculously survived the ordeal. However he needs a wheel chair or supporter to move around this days but this has not deter his determination to live as he has lived before.

With his courtesy and kindness he gave some shots for memories.

Little Pied Flycatcher - common resident of Mt Kinabalu

Chestnut Hooded Laughing Thrush - Mt Kinabalu endemic

Bornean Whistler - Mt Kinabalu endemic

All the shots was taken with Sony Alpha DSLR / Minolta 500mm mirror lens

Happy Birding.

Ochraceous Bulbul - criniger ochraceus

Common resident at Mt Kinabalu and Borneo mountains and hills. One of three common mountain bulbul (Ashy and Pale-faced)

Digiscope with Kowa TSN603 attachment TSN-Cm3-N for DSLR and Nikon D300

Long and Slow Week

The weeks were slow in birding and here are some shoots that I managed to get.

Pied flycatcher just drop from nowhere. But did not wait long enough to get a better shot of him.

This Eyed-browed flycatcher was seen sitting on the same place as last year. But maybe not the same bird I think? Anyway it was quite obliging.

Rain just stop around the city and this Little Green Heron was trying to balance itself to fish.

After the rain some of this birds (Scaly-breasted Munia) was busy drying themselves and trying to resume their meals as it was almost 6pm when I took this last bird flying away.

A juvenile Pied Thriller was trying to find a tree to perch but could not find a near tree and end up resting nest to me. But it was a quick sudden landing that i did not get a sure shot on it. What a big miss..

Rufous Night Heron and this Black Cap Night Heron was busy flying back and forth collecting nest material. It was about 7am and they were seem to be unperturbed with me presence. I think they know that I was quite far from the nest and it was quite a spectacle to see them both on the same tree trying to build the best spot on the mangrove tree near by.

Happy Birding.

Japan 17-24 May 2010. Part 3

The two birds ( i mean the feathered ones) was getting freebies from this 2 girls, the Black-tailed Gull and Black-headed Gull (juve) at Ueno public park lake.

Great Egret that is found through out the year.

Rock Dove - feral variant

Black-tailed Gull winters locally in N. Japan but fairly common in Central and South Japan. Frequents parks (ref: Mark Brazil - Birds of East Asia)

Large-billed Crow, a common bird but not in numbers. Seen it flying around rice fields, mountains, lakes and city. Split has been proposed, giving Japanese Crow c.japonensis (including connectens and osai) and Large-billed Crow c.macrorhynchos (including mandschuricus and colonorum)

Eastern Spot-billed Duck (anas zonorhyncha) having a nap. Formerly considered a race of Spot-billed Duck a.poecilorhyncha and also known as Chinese Spot-billed Duck.

Japan 17-24 May 2010. Part 2

Ueno public park, very close from the train station. Besides this Spot-billed Duck, I spotted the Black-tailed Gull swooping across this lake and saw an individual resting on a floater. Took some picture of the Gull and sighted Grey Heron, Straited Heron, Great Egret and Black Headed Gull (which was in the middle of the lake and could not take it's picture - unfortunately). And Yes Eurasian Tree Sparrow..they where everywhere.

The Black-tailed Gull taking rest on the railings. What a difference?

Saigo-san, one of the revered figurine in Japan History. I was told that he played an important role to build the New Japan Era.

Japan 17-24 May 2010. Part 1

This strange signboard belongs to Asahi Beer Company. The beer is No.1 in Japan and taste good too.

The famous Nagamise Street of Asakusa. Tourist all over the world flock at this street to look for handicraft or something from Japan to bring back home. This street also leads to Senso-ji, one of the oldest temple and undergoing major renovation when I visited it (the background is the temple). I bought my Yukata (Japanese pajama) here.

Yet to be completed New Japan Tower. Replacing the old. This tower will have a height of 600m.

Tsukuba railway station. Latest addition to Tsukuba prefecture and it is also direct from Tokyo.
Expected to bring more tourism, domestic and international alike. I took the train from this Station and return the same way. My Yutakari-kun (hotel or resthouse) is almost 1 hour drive from this station. Very convenient if you want to stay at the country side especially the Tsukuba mountain park. This moutain range is only 877 meters but the birding and vegetation is a delight to visitors. Unfortunately I came when the birding was slow and flowers are gone and replaced by young new leaves after the winter season.

Mantanani Island Trip 7-9 April 2010

This a long over due posting. Firstly I take this opportunity to thank Mr Octavious owner of Mari-Mari Resort for inviting us to do a bird survey at both of Mantanani Islands. We were welcome with warmth atmosphere by the resort staff. The survey group consists of C.K. Leung, Naseri @Jason Bugay, Thomas Foo, John Prudente and myself.

It was a fruitful trip and our focal point of this survey was to determine the Mantanani Owl could be sighted every night if there is any birder who would like to bird at this island. I did not managed to get any picture of the owl but that will be the next group ( 11-13 May) task.

Cheers and happy birding.

Waiting for the boat to take us back to the resort. There was no real jetty to disembark or embark from the boat. It was best to wait low tide.

Taking a break and look out for Metallic Pigeon. It's the highest point of the Manatanani Kecil island and also serve as the mobile phone reception to make calls

View from Mantanani Kecil Island (background is the Mari Mari Mantanani Resort with big hump) The mari-mari resort is on the left.

Female Blue-rock Thrush. One of the birds sighted at big island. It was standing right in the middle of the village field. Did not even bother me when I came as close as 3 meters to it. Unfortunately the male was not sighted

Peregrine Falcon - a visitor. This guy was determine to get his meal before the sunset. It was him that made the birding harder on the smaller island. The bird was seen everyday when we were there.

Likas Wetlands Drying Up

Drying Pond

Great Egret

Black-back Swamphen

Purple Heron

Black-back Swamphen

It's been a while birding around Likas Wetland, left the house at 0600 am this morning. Visibility was marred by heavy haze and the birds was not that many in the pond. Despite the numbers this are some pictures to share.

Happy Birding.

Unidentified Subject

While walking back to my car this curious bird was turning leaves looking for something or insect. Well not sure what it was really trying to do but caught my attention and without hesitation set up my digiscope gear and took some hasty pictures. I have yet to figure out which bird is this.

Anyone welcome to id it.

Happy birding.

Sukau-Bilit Feb 28/March 1 (3days 2nights)

After the flood last year, the Kinabatangan river suffers some of the worst after floods effect. I was told by our boatmen Joel, that the width of the river has encroached more than 20 feet into the main land.

After check-in into our rooms, we head for the lover part of Kinabatangan after hearing that the elephants was around the south of Sukau village. The boat ride took us almost an hour before we got the sight of the Bornean Pygmy Elephants. It was an awesome sight to watch them feeding and trumpeting while having their tea break. It was almost half past five and we were told to make back to the lodge before it became too dark. We did manage to sight a lesser adjutant stork, a couple of rhinoceros hornbill, a couple of pied hornbill, few numbers of brahminy kite, a few numbers of oriental darter and 1 salt water crocodile( 2 feet long).

The next day, we took the earliest river cruise and the first bird was a roller, white-fronted falconet, blue-eared kingfisher, stork-billed kingfisher, pied fantail, black and yellow broadbill, a juvenile brahminy kite, perrigrine falcon, lesser adjutant stork and it was time to return to the lodge for our breakfast.

As the sun start to rise higher, so did the temperature. We decided to take rest for the rest of the morning. Later in the afternoon continue our birding to the ox-bow lake and we started from the river and then do a loop to reach the lodge. It was a quite afternoon however we managed to spot the black and yellow broadbill, common iora, yellow vented bulbul (commonly sighted), white crowned shama, chestnut wing babbler and the asian paradise flycatcher.

Happy birding.

Chestnut Wing Babbler

Black and Yellow Broadbill

Peregrine Falcon