Borneo; Day 21 - Kilas Peat Swamp & Departure

   After three weeks our Borneo trip final reached its end today. Our flight was not until the evening, so we had the morning to explore. Laura opted to stay in bed, so I drove the 90 minutes south to the Kilas Peat Swamp Forest, which is known destination for a few specialized species, but which had become much harder within the last year. 

  Setting off at 05:30, I made good time and arrived at the site at 06:40. The gate was open and staff were around, so I paid my entry and then started exploring. The boardwalk was in a sorry state, with many sections broken by falling trunks and many loose panels throughout. It was a bit of a minefield, but I still enjoyed the forest and the birding here, even though I ultimately missed the main target species.

  I got four new species in the three hours that I birded here, with Red-billed Malkhoa, Chestnut-bellied Malkhoa, Rufous-tailed Tailorbird and Thick-billed Green Pigeon. Sadly none of them posed for pictures and I didn’t get anything of the two non-Malkhoa species. Bornean Black-capped Babbler was nice to see again, and there were nice views of several other species I had become familiar with over the preceding three day. Additionally it was nice to see Proboscis Monkeys again, although they were distant and there was very limited visibility through the trees.

  At 10:00 I set off back to the hotel to prepare for checkout and our flight home. Once again I made good time and was back with time to pack and shower. We left the hotel at midday, and headed for lunch, then souvenir shopping and then to the airport. A little early for sure, but with few other options, it was nice to be free of the responsibility of the car and allowed us an afternoon break before we flew. Thus draws to a close our trip to Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. 

Borneo; Day 20 - Crocker Range

   From our base in Kota Kinabalu, we were able to strike at several sites with species we had missed out on during the regular part of our trip. For the first of our mornings here, we decided to return to the Crocker Range, where we hoped to catdch up with some of the birds we missed out on a Mount Kinabalu and Trus Madi. It was a 90 minutes drive from our hotel, so we set off at 06:00 and arrived to start birding at 07:30. 

  We started our birding on the Gunung Alab Substation Road, where we had birded before. However, we did not travel as far as on our previous visit. We birded here for an hour, but for the most part could only find familiar species. A pair of Mountain Blackeye was nice, as was a smart male Temminck’s Sunbird. But the highlight came as we walked back to the car, when we picked out an immature male Pygmy Flycatcher as part of a mixed species flock. I certainly did not expect the birds constant wing flicks, which were very quirky. It was not a species we had anticipated finding here, so was a good one to get back for the trip! 

  At 08:30 we set off slightly further down the mountain to the Rafflesia Information Centre, where we hoped to find some more birds, as well as see one of the Rafflesia flowers. What we did not realise was that a guide was mandatory, and we could not explore the forest here by ourselves. Still, we wanted to see the flower so paid our entry, drove down to another area of the site, met our guide and then hiked to see the flower. Although it was only 600 metres from the car park, it was an incredibly steep descent down concrete stairs. At the bottom was waiting for us a 6-day-old Rafflesia pricei, not the enormous flower but one of its smaller relatives. 

  We did not see many birds on the trail down to the flower, although Spotted Fantail was an unexpected new species for me. However, without a guide we could explore the open area around the car park so we spent about an hour doing this. Indeed this was very productive. No sooner had we returned to the car than two Mountain Barbet responded to our playback, offering excellent views. Then we continued birding and found a brief pair of the Pygmy Heleia (or White-eye), before finally catching up with the Bornean Barbet, which did not show as well but was still very much appreciated. Sadly the gloomy conditions did not help our chances for Mountain Serpent Eagle, and Whiteheads Spiderhunter was always a long shot, but to get back three species was a great reward for the morning. 

  At 11:00, with the clouds already gathering, we headed back down into the city and our hotel, arriving at 12:30. The rest of the afternoon was a complete washout, although we had a short look at the beach adjacent to our resort during a short break in the weather. There were no waders but a couple of Little Terns flew past, which was quite unexpected. We ended the day drinking cocktails, watching the geckos whilst the rain fell down outside. 

Borneo; Day 19 - Mantanani Island

   In the morning I had one last birding session on Mantanani Island, accompanying the three young Dutch birders I had met the previous day. I was unable to add anything new, but we had nice flybys from three Grey Imperial Pigeons as well as another Pied Imperial Pigeon. The Philippine Megapodes were once again abundant, with several seen scratching around in the leaflitter across the island. 

  Because we had to checkout of our room at 10:00, but could not leave the island until 14:00, the rest of the day was essentially a write-off, not helped by cloudy weather and occasional downpours. Once 14:00 came around, we boarded a small local vessel, to take us back to the Chinese day visitors, with whom we got a lift back to the mainland. The boat back played several songs over their speaker, including MCR Welcome to the Black Parade!

  Once we returned to the mainland at 15:30 we reunited with our car and headed off south to our next destination, a beach resort just south of the city of Kota Kinabalu, the final destination of our trip. Thanks to traffic and incredibly heavy rainfall, it took us almost three hours to complete the journey, so we were glad once it was over and we could finally relax. 

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.