Borneo; Day 18 - Mantanani Island

   For our only full day on Mantanani Island, I woke up at 07:00 and set off for a short walk in the islands forest. I could hear many of the Philippine Megapodes calling, but none seemed interested in the playback. Eventually I spotted a pair distantly feeding in a coconut plantation, meaning I finally got nice views of them. There was limited other birds on the island, but Pacific Reef Heron and Emerald Dove were both nice to see. 

  Most of the rest of the day was spent relaxing or snorkling. The latter was very productive, with another Moorish Idol seen, as well as Picasso Triggerfish and most importantly my first Common Clownfish! But the highlight was swimming alongside sea turtles! Other guests had said they had seen them whilst swimming off the beach, so we watched for surfacing animals before heading into the water, since we knew where they were. We had fantastic views of at least two but possibly three different turtles under the water, as we swam alongside them. The only animals we identified were Green Sea Turtles, but Hawksbill apparently also occurs in the area.

  At 16:30, after chatting to a young Dutch birder, we set off for a walk around the island. This was very productive, and we landed several good birds. First we spotted a distant perched up Grey Imperial Pigeon, which is a rare species found on the island. Next we had two Pied Imperial Pigeons fly past us, another new pigeon for me, and then as we were walking back we found a group of five Metallic Pigeons feeding on a fruiting tree, my third new pigeon of the afternoon. Additionally we enjoyed more views of several Phillippine Megapodes and a large Water Monitor. 

  We arrived back at the lodge at sunset and spent the next half an hour filtering through the hundreds of Frigatebirds flying overhead to roost. Most of them were Lesser Frigatebirds, but we picked out a couple of Christmas Island Frigatebirds as well. Having seen the owl yesterday, we were able to relax this evening. Before heading back to the mainland tomorrow.

Borneo; Day 17 - Mantanani Island

   From Kota Belud, we drove half an hour north to a riverside jetty, from where we would take the boat to Mantanani Island, a small forested island offshore from Borneo, which would offer us a nice chance to relax and a couple of new bird species. From the jetty, we took a boat with the company Arunava, which specializes in day-trips for snorkling near the Island. Our hosts on the island had arranged for us to partake in this activity, which was very generous of them.

  The snorkling itself was fun, and we got the best part of an hour. It was sad to see much of the coral had been damaged by the anchors of the numerous tourist vessels, but there were still quite a few healthy sections and here we spotted a few iconic fish, such as Moorish Idol, Humbug Damselfish and Sergeant Major Damselfish. We returned for lunch with Arunava at 13:00, before a small fishing vessel collected us and took us round to the Greenhouse Ecolodge, where we would be staying for two nights.

  During the afternoon we did some more snorkling, although most of the fish could not be identified. A short walk at the end of the afternoon got us the first of our targets, the Philippine Megapode, but it was only a flushed bird. Most importantly, we enjoyed our first real relaxation time of the trip.

  At night, after dinner, we set off looking for the islands main target, the Mantanani Scops Owl, which can only be found here in Malaysia. Before we even left the lodge grounds we could hear several, and it took about five minutes before one flew across the torchlight and sat perfectly nearby. It was a relief this process did not take too long, as the mosquitos were really quite vicious.

Borneo; Day 16 - Danum Valley

  Our final morning in Danum! We had a 90 minute walk along the road trying to pick up some last species, which landed us Grey-cheeked Bulbul, but otherwise it was similar species to the previous evening. In the end we had enjoyed our time here a lot, although the birding was slower than we anticipated and the cost was still astronomical! We boarded the vehicle back to Lahad Datu, and at 09:30 we left the Danum Valley Field Station. 

  We reached Lahad Datu at 11:30, a little earlier than anticipated. This was great, as we had a long days drive ahead of us. On paper it was almost seven hours, but with the trucks and the state of the road we anticipated it to be longer. Fortunately it did not take us that long, thanks to fewer trucks than expected and some frankly daft driving from me! It was nice to drive past some of our previous stops on the trip, including seeing Mount Kinabalu again. We stopped at a restaurant near the mountain, where I thought I might have heard the Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, but it did not come back to playback. We finally arrived in the town of Kota Belud at 19:00, but having already eaten and completed necessary errands, meaning that we could head straight to the hotel and crash! 

Borneo; Day 15 - Danum Valley

   For our second full day, we started again on the grid trail. There was a little more activity than there had been in the afternoon previous, but it was still quite a slog. I added one more new species before we returned for breakfast, with a Horsefield’s Babbler, although it did not show especially well and it scuttled away before more pictures could be taken. 

  After breakfast we headed back to the area we had birded the previous morning. This was quite a productive session and we encountered several interesting species. On the forest edges we added another Bornean endemic with Cream-eyed Bulbul, and once inside the forest there were several new species for me which we encountered. Scale-crowned Babbler and Moustached Babbler were both nice to see and showed well. Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker and Rufous-winged Philentoma were also good to see and we had excellent but brief views of a Black-crowned Pitta sitting on the path before heading to cover. We landed another key target with Bornean Blue Flycatcher, but it did not show well despite singing relentlessly in response to playback. In the end we had to leave it with a few really poor views, with the song confirming the identification. 

  In the afternoon, under the gloom of an impending thunderstorm that somehow never arrived, we birded along the main road. The more open habitat gave us better chances of finding canopy birds, and so it transpired as we managed to find a group of six Bornean Bristleheads that lingered for some time. Additionally finally found our first lowland Trogon species with Diard’s Trogon, a very handsome male that seemed to prefer lingering in the gloom rather than sitting in the open. We finally found the endemic Yellow-rumped Flowerpiercer, probably the most silly endemic we had not yet found, and I also had a new species with Chestnut-rumped Babbler. 

  For our final night we once again decided to do the night drive offered by the site. Although it never reached the highs of the previous evenings effort, we had a great time. Both Malay Civet and Small-toothed Palm Civet offered very intimate encounters, with the latter containing a family of adult and two offspring. We distant canopy views of both Giant Red Flying Squirrel and Thomas’s Flying Squirrel, the latter being another new mammals for us. Brown Wood Owl was once again the bird of the evening, although a sleeping pair of Malaysian Blue Flycatchers were very much enjoyed also.

Borneo; Day 14 - Danum Valley

   Myself and Jonathan set off into the forest at 06:00, for a short walk before breakfast. This turned into quite a productive venture. Although we were not searching for it specifically, it was great to see a Blue-headed Pitta jumping around the understorey, with its neon blue head giving it away. Additionally we saw Black-throated Wren-Babbler again, this time much better than the previous day, and had nice views of Striped Wren-Babbler. 

  After breakfast, we all went out to try and track down the Great Argus pheasant. Sadly, despite hearing the bird close many times, we were never able to see anything on it, and the bird did not seem to move. It is undeniable that the birding was very slow during this walk, with only a handful of species seen, albeit a selection of new ones for me; Whiskered Treeswift, Maroon-breasted Philentoma and Purple-naped Spiderhunter. We also ended the walk with a nice Bornean Green Pit Viper. 

  After lunch we birded a bit on the Grid Trail across the river. There had been a short rainshower but it had passed and we were ready to go. Sadly, the afternoon birding was extremely slow, and we saw very little in the trail. A few flyover Hornbills were about the best that we could muster, with Wreathed Hornbill and Rhinoceros Hornbill. A Helmeted Hornbill was calling close but never came. It was actually a very frustrating afternoon. Fortunately, at the end of our walk, we stopped on the bridge over the river and here I had two new species, both Barbets that I had previously not really searched for; Golden-whiskered Barbet and Black-cheeked Barbet. The highlight however, was a Whiskered Treeswift that came and perched on the bridge about a half a meter away from me, giving incredible views. 

  At night we did a night walk as opposed to a night drive. This meant we spent more time within the confines of the forest, where we found several sleeping birds. Most of these were common species, although a male Bornean Crested Fireback was nice, as well as a really fluffed-up Hairy-backed Bulbul. The mammals were great once again however. There was a very obscured Greater Mouse Deer in the understorey, which we got terrible views of. As we got back to the field centre we spotted a Malay Civet on the lawn, but it scuttled away before we could get some nice photos. However, as we walked away I scanned behind with the thermal and spotted that it had returned. However, once we got the lights on it we realized that it was infact a different civet, a Philippine Palm Civet, which was new for us! 

Borneo; Day 13 - Lahad Datu & Danum Valley

   Although the plan for the day was to travel to the famous Danum Valley, we had a bit of time before breakfast, so I took the opportunity to visit a couple of places around Lahad Datu to try and find the Nankeen Night Heron. My first location, a channel flanked by mangroves but opposite a harbour was incredibly busy and with the high tide, I decided not worth the effort. So I travelled to the other side of town, where there is a heronry. Here I was able to find an adult Nankeen Night Heron on a nest, as well as a juvenile. However, the area felt a little sketchy, so I did not linger too long once was mission was completed.

  At the hotel we packed and had breakfast, before heading to the offices of Danum Valley. We arrived a little early, but since we were the only clients going to the field station today we were able to set off at 09:00, as opposed to the originally scheduled 09:30. It took two-and-a-half hours to reach the field centre, and once there we had a good few hours to unwind before our first activity in the afternoon at 15:30. The only thing we saw of any note was a rare Asian Forest Tortoise, sat in the road as we headed to Danum. 

  In the afternoon we met our guide Jonathan and we set off into the forest on our first trail. The target for the afternoon was Blue-headed Pitta, although we did not find it. Instead we found two other great targets, the first being the iconic Bornean Bristlehead, which gave us the run around in the canopy before we got good views. The second gave us an even bigger run around; the Black-throated Wren-Babbler. Despite singing seemingly right in front of us, even with the thermal it remained out of sight, until a great eyes-only view of the bird as it emerged in front of us, before it once again flew away.

   The backup cast was not bad either, with a new mammal for us with Red Leaf Monkey, and a smattering of other new birds. First was White-crowned Forktail, the local subspecies of which is in-line for a split. We then added Thick-billed Spiderhunter, Olive-backed Woodpecker and Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler. On our way back to the lodge we added Buff-necked Woodpecker and had nice views of the White-fronted Falconet again. 

  At night we did a night drive along the forest road. This involved getting into the back of a wagon, which had been fitted with seats, and then driving for about 90 minutes. The spotlighting was done by a member of the site team, although we positioned ourselves right behind the spotter, from where I was able to use the thermal to see things.

  And it was a great success. We enjoyed two fantastic mammals, with a Malay Civet running in the road, but also a surprise Sunda Leopard Cat! For the cat, we had already stopped to look at some sleeping Black-and-red Broadbills, when it walked across the road in front of us. Additionally, we saw Sambar deer, as well as Brown Wood Owl and a sleeping Malay Fireback. 

Borneo; Day 12 - Kinabatangan Bird Hide & Menara Kayangan

  Because Laura wanted a day to relax before Danum Valley, we had ended with a full day around the city of Lahad Datu. Consequently, I had arranged a visit to the Taliwas River Conservation Area hide to see the Bornean Ground Cuckoo that was visiting, which would be insurance if we could not find it in Kinabatangan. However, the previous afternoon the hide manager messaged me to tell me the cuckoo had not been seen for four days. Having now seen the bird, and not wanting to shell out the money for a bird that might not come, I quickly changed plans and decided to visit the Kinabatangan hide 75 minutes from Lahad Datu where the normally erratic Giant Pitta had been visiting for a week. 

  I arrived at the hide at 06:00, and with a team of other birders we settled in for our watch. It started very well, with a Black-crowned Pitta showing well followed by several Bornean Crested Firebacks showing well on and off throughout the morning, including a spectacular male displaying. Then came the Kingfishers, first with Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher, then Rufous-collared Kingfisher, first a female and then a male, followed by two new ones for me. First Ruddy Kingfisher dropped in, and then finally about midway through the morning a Banded Kingfisher finally appeared. All continued to appear after their first visit. 

  Around the feeders there was a nice selection of Babblers, starting with Leaflitter Babbler, then Bornean Black-capped Babbler and then the new ones I had hoped for. First was Black-throated Babbler, a very nice bird, followed by Ferruginous Babbler and then finally a brief visit from a Grey-headed Babbler. The final birds to appear at the feeders were a pair of Sabah Partridge and then two Banded Broadbill. 

  Note that I did not mention the Giant Pitta, because despite staying until 11:15, the bird did not come. Having agreed to return to Laura for midday, leaving at 11:15 was already pushing it and the bird could still turn up at any point. But having checked the eBird lists of the other birders at the hide, it appears I dodged a bullet by leaving early, as they did not report the Giant Pitta.   

  Once I returned to Lahad Datu, we grabbed a bite to eat and then headed to the Menara Kayangan hill, where the same birder who I contacted about the Bornean Ground Cuckoo also had a hide for the stunning Blue-banded Pitta. This was much less of a sure thing, but seeing this species could save us so much time in Danum. We arrived at 15:00 and waited for an hour with just a fat White-crowned Shama to show for our efforts. But then, in response to the relentless playback, the bird responded. About 15 minutes later it appeared! It scoffed worms for about five minutes and then it was gone! Since we had been told that the bird really was difficult, and had not been seen that very morning, I had hardly been optimistic about our chances, so I was over the moon with that.

  So at 16:45 we left the mountain and returned to Lahad Datu to relax and celebrate an ultimately successful day, before we headed off to Danum Valley tomorrow. 

Borneo; Day 11 - Kinabatangan River

   For our final boat trip with Romzi we concentrated on finding the few remaining targets that we had not yet bumped into. We started with the rare Straw-headed Bulbul, which we had tried for on both previous days. This time however we got a response, with a showy male sitting out in the open singing. We that seen we concentrated our efforts on trying to find the Bushy-crested Hornbill. We had to travel quite far upstream before we eventually encountered a flock of six individuals, our final hornbill species for the trip.

  At this same location we had a great bonus species when we encountered a White-fronted Falconet. This Bornean endemic is easiest to find at other locations, but we had so far missed it, so was very excited to see it here. Even by Falconet standards it seemed very small, and we enjoyed watching the bird being mobbed by Ornate Sunbirds. Also at the same location we could see a distant Orangutan in its nest, although it descended from the tree fairly shortly after.

  We returned to the hotel at 10:15, where we spent a bit of time relaxing, but also sorting our plans for the following day as they had a small problem whilst we had been on the boat. Still, we were able to reach a solution which hopefully will result in more birds. At 13:00 we set off for Lahad Datu where we would spend the next couple of nights before Danum Valley. 

Borneo; Day 10 - Kinabatangan River & Gomantong Caves

   Laura stayed in bed this morning, so Romzi and I went out alone to try and track down some of the birds around the river that we had not yet found. There were several rare targets, top among these was Helmeted Hornbill and Bornean Ground Cuckoo. We headed downriver to try to find these, departing by 06:00 and by 06:30 we had heard them both responding within the same stretch of river.

   We started with the Ground Cuckoo, since it sounded close. The bird came after some effort and we saw it fly up within the understorey, but sadly it then immediately flew back down and despite our best efforts we could not get it to return, not for lack of trying. Our frustrations were quickly relieved however, as a couple of hundred metres further down the river we heard another individual, and this one did the right thing and sat for us to admire for an extended period. Although always obscured by some form of vegetation, we did get great views of the bird singing. Mission success.

  Next we returned to the Helmeted Hornbill, which was singing from a forested hillside. We did manage to spot the bird but it was extremely distant, although even at this range we could appreciate its size. Satisfied the bird was not coming closer, we switched our attention to finding Sabah Partridge, which we ultimately failed despite hearing a couple of birds that sounded close. The best of the rest for the morning were nice views of both Lesser Fish Eagle and Grey-headed Eagle.

  Once the morning boat trip had finished, we headed back to the Gomantong Caves, this time armed with a torch, to try find the swifts we had missed before. With the torch we could see the nests of the swifts, and found many Black Nest Swiftlets, and a few Mossy Nest Swiftlets, but I could not find any Edible Nest Swiftlets, despite my best efforts. Chatting to Romzi afterwards, it sounds like I did not dedicate enough effort in the correct place. Outside the cave, I had another new species with Scaly-crowned Babbler.

  After lunch and a quick nap, we headed out with Romzi again. Our main target for the afternoon was once again Sabah Partridge, and it did not take long at another site to track down a responsive bird that showed excellently. With the targets now all but wrapped up, we spent the rest of the afternoon looking for Hornbills, and managed the same Helmeted Hornbill still at a distance, as well as great views of White-crowned Hornbill that flew over us at the end of the afternoon. We also enjoyed fantastic views of several male Proboscis Monkeys, including a group of bachelor males, finally getting the encounter with these animals that I had hoped for.

  At night we spent the best part of three hours searching upstream for mammals, with some results. In the end we found three different Sunda Slow Loris, including one that was very low down in some reedbeds. Additionally, we encountered a Malayan Civet and a good number of Saltwater Crocodiles. It was not bad for a night cruise.

Borneo; Day 9 - Kinabatangan River

   For our first full day on the Kinabatangan River with Romzi we had a good selection of species that we wanted to target, both birds and mammals. Fortunately we were in good hands, as instead of a general wildlife cruise offered by most of the lodges and companies, we had a private bird specialist and a boat all to ourselves.

  We started the morning by heading downriver, before checking out a few tributaries. Late morning we headed back upriver a little before checking out a final tributary and being back at the hotel for 10:00. The birding was excellent, with several targets seen on this first morning, notably the rare Storm’s Stork and the Bornean Swamp Babbler. Additionally I had new species with Malaysian Blue Flycatcher, Black-headed Bulbul, Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike, Brown Barbet and White-bellied Sea Eagle. It was quite the selection to kickstart our birding along the river.

  Mammals were also on the agenda, and we had three species of primate which were new for me ands the trip. The highlight of these was obviously the Proboscis Monkey, which looks fantastic with its odd shaped nose. Sadly we only saw one male with a full nose, and he was quickly off before I could manage a photo. We saw plenty of females and a few babies however. The Silvered Leaf Monkey was also common and a good species to see. Finally there was Long-tailed Macaque, which was another species of Macaque and not much else to say.

  After a rest and lunch, at 15:00 we headed out with Romzi again. This time our main target was Bornean Pygmy Elephant, and we assumed it would be an easy task. We did a little birding first but it was too hot, and we saw little, so raced downriver to an area of Palm Oil plantation where two elephants had been seen. We could just about see them, but dozens of boats soon arrived and the animals moved off, meaning we were a little disappointed with our encounter.

  Still, the afternoon continued and after two encounters with Saltwater Crocodiles, one of which was probably 2.5 metres long, we again raced off upstream to find a group of 10 Elephants bathing in the river, with babies in tow. It was a fantastic encounter, probably my best ever elephant experience. And to wrap it off, a bull elephant was walking in the forest behind us, although he never came out into the open. Very happy with this, we headed back to the hotel for 18:30 where we had 90 minutes to prepare for our night excursion.

  Our night excursion did not bring the mega mammal rarity that we hoped for, despite spending just over two hours searching. There were two mammals that we found which were not rats, but both of them were Common Palm Civet. Still it was enjoyable if not a little slow. We got back to bed at 10:30, ready for the next day.