Borneo; Day 8 - Sepilok, Gomantong Caves & Kinabatangan River

   For our second and final morning at the Rainforest Discovery Centre, we once again entered the reserve at 06:00 and headed straight for the canopy walkway. The birding was better than yesterday, but perhaps because we had an idea of what we wanted to do, we were better able to manage our time. Many of the species were the same as the previous morning, but in addition we added the Bornean Black Magpie and had great views of a Spectacled Spiderhunter. The mornings highlight however was a Bornean Gibbon, which we spotted feeding at eye-level in the canopy. It then proceeded to swing from tree to tree, again at eye level, offering simply incredible views. For some reason it had escaped me that this species could be found at this location, so we were buzzing with this.

  After an 08:00 breakfast we decided to walk the Ridge Trail until the end, and then back again. The forest was fairly quiet, but we encountered a nice selection of species. An Orange-backed Woodpecker showed well, and we were able to get another Bornean endemic when we found the truly unspectacular Charlotte’s Bulbul. We finished off our morning here by walking back along the canopy walkway. It already being 10:00 by now it was quite hot so we did not see much, although I was able to add another of the Bornean non-descript Bulbuls with Spectacled Bulbul. We finished our visit to the site with a Horned Flying Lizard displaying next to the walkway. After this, at 10:30 we made our move, driving 2 hours to the Kinabatangan River. 

  We planned to visit the Gomantong Caves during the afternoon, stopping off as we drove past. However, it turns out the caves were closed until 14:00, so we first headed to our accommodation in Sukau and relaxed for a little bit before returning to the caves. Initially, we stopped and birded a bit along the entrance road to the caves, where the forest was nice. We had another Orangutang here, and this individual was much shier than the ones at Sepilok, as it immediately retreated to the canopy. Also on the entrance road we saw our first Wrinkled Hornbill and Sooty-capped Babblers.

  Once we reached the cave, we found another Orangutang being watching the car park, which also kept to the tops of the trees. The cave itself was spectacular, but arguably more spectacular was the smell of the thousands of bats and swiftlets! Maddeningly I had forgotten the torch, so the only swift I could identify was a single Mossy-nest Swftlet than a passing group illuminated. Outside the cave the birds kept coming, with another new bulbul in Cream-vented Bulbul. 

  We returned to Sukau around 17:30, had lunch and then coordinated with our guide and boatman for the area, Romzi, about a night activity. Although the weather looked a little dodgy at first, by 20:00 Romzi still was able to take us out and we had a fantastic time tracking the areas nightbirds. The main nocturnal draw here is the Large Frogmouth, and we had great views of two different individuals. Oriental Bay Owl is another big draw, and Romzi also found that for us, with better views than in Sepilok. Buffy Fish Owl was common along the river, and we had a bonus Brown Wood Owl. Our first Saltwater Crocodiles came this evening, although they were only small individuals. All in all it was an excellent evening, the only drawback was being stung by two wasps that came to the light!

Borneo; Day 7 - Sepilok

   Today would be our only full day birding and exploring the Rainforest Discovery Centre in Sepilok. In order to make the most of it, the previous afternoon we had purchased an early morning birding ticket, allowing us to enter the site before the official opening time, so we were able to access the site at 06:00 and then went straight to the canopy walkway.

  We had been on the walkway less than five minutes when we found our first major target of the day with the White-crowned Hornbill sitting in the canopy, in the gloom of a dense tree. This is possibly the most tricky Hornbill on Borneo, so we were thrilled to get it so quickly. Sadly the rest of the morning on the canopy walkway was much slower. Although I got an excellent selection of new birds, all were common with notable highlights including Green Iora, Blue-throated Bee-eater and Raffles’s Malkhoa. The highlight of this early morning was a Sunda Colugo, which was roosting on a tree adjacent to the walkway with its infant, offering much better views than we’d had the previous night.

  After breakfast, at 08:30 we started walking the trails. We of course started on the Pitta Trail, but it was extremely quiet and we saw very little. After a short break to take Laura back to the hotel for a rest, I continued by walking the Ridge Trail and then the full Pitta Trail. Here I had a bit more luck, with a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills in the canopy overhead, and I managed to tape out the stunning Black-crowned Pitta, which is one of the main birding attractions at this site.

  At midday I returned to the accommodation for a short break during the heat of the day, before both Laura and I returned to the RDC to have lunch at the restaurant there and then continue birding. During lunch we had a great view of a Water Monitor Lizard sat in the middle of the path, before we were shown two different Bornean Green Pit Vipers. After lunch we returned to the walkway and found it a little more lively than earlier. We added Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike, and from the tallest tower we were able to see the nest of a Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle. Yesterday the adult bird had been hunched down and facing away so impossible for me to identify, but today it was stood up offering excellent views.

  For the final hour we walked the Kingfisher Trail and then back to the canopy walkway. The forest was quiet, although Yellow-eared Spiderhunter and Hairy-backed Bulbul were both nice new species. The evening really peaked however when we were leaving, as a ranger told us about a mother and infant Orangutan in the trees at the car park. We headed straight there and were treated to really nice views of them as they made their nest for the night, all whilst being mobbed by a troop of Pig-tailed Macaques. Not as good as yesterdays encounter but still very enjoyable. 

Borneo; Day 6 - Telupid Forest Reserve & Sepilok

   Today was a very special day, as we would travel to the Telupid reserve to see the Bornean Peacock Pheasant. This species had been missing in Sabah for 50 years before it was discovered at this location during the lockdown. Since then a hide has been set up where the bird comes daily, and hundreds of birders have been to see it. We arranged our visit with Elfean, who manages the guests. We met him early morning at a restaurant on the main road, before we drove into the forest, jumped into 4x4s and then hiked a kilometre before reaching the hide.

  After all that we were pretty knackered given the humidity. Now all we had to do was wait for the bird to appear. Which it helpfully did within five minutes of our arrival. The fog of the morning meant visibility was not great, despite it already being 07:45. However, the bird returned several times before we departed at 09:30, allowing for excellent views of him calling and foraging. Only on one occasion did he perform his display, and sadly the angle was against us so we could not appreciate it at all. We were told by David, who was also there with his clients, that the presence of the Bornean Crested Fireback pheasants meant that the females would not come to the hide, thus he had nobody to display to. Still, we had an incredible performance throughout the morning.

  Other birds were thin on the ground. The aforementioned Bornean Crested FIrebacks came and went throughout the morning, with two males and a female. They were noticeably more timid than the Bornean Peacock Pheasant (who stood metres away from one of the guides whilst he threw additional corn out, without a care). Bornean Black-capped Babbler and Leaflitter Babbler were two more species that were new for me, as well as being Bornean endemics, but neither stopped for an especially long time. There was also an abundance of squirrels, with a few new species for us. Finally, there were our first real leech experience, with at least two attached to me during the morning.

  As we were leaving Elfean suggested visiting a new hide they had set up for Western Hooded Pitta. This had apparently only being going for a couple of weeks, and since the price was very good, we decided to visit. Because it was so new, they were still using playback as well as worms. The bird made us wait a little before he finally came, but in the end there were two individuals, and they showed phenomenally well, especially considering it was already 10:30 in the morning!

  All wrapped up, we headed on our way. We had to drive almost three hours to our next stop Sepilok, but it ended up taking much longer as we had to endure quite the trial in order to acquire cash! No ATM in Telupid had cash, and three others we tried on the way would not work. By the end, we did not reach Sepilok until 15:00. That gave us enough time for a quick shower and rest, before heading out again to the Rainforest Discovery Centre, where we would spend the next two days.

  For the afternoon, or what was left of it, we went into the Rainforest Discovery Centre and began exploring. We decided to spend the evening on the canopy walkway, which was magnificent although fairly quiet on the bird front. I still managed two new species with Rufous Woodpecker and Orange-bellied Flowerpecker, but otherwise not much of note. On the mammal front it was much better. The Giant Red Flying Squirrel which lives in the reserve was sat of its roosting hole, allowing us to see it clearly, and we had great views of several Pig-tailed Macaque.

  But all of this was blown away by our encounter as we walked back to the car along the walkway. Walking along the banister towards us was a Orangutan! Either a female or an immature male, it walked slowly right up to us without giving a care, then proceeded to walk past us, before sitting down and pondering the world. It then lumbered into the forest and off it went. For a first experience with an Orangutan, it does not get better than that! 

  At 20:00 we returned to the Rainforest Discovery Centre to go on a night walk through the area with a guide. We were a bit put-out by arriving to the sight of maybe 30 – 40 people also waiting for the same activity. Despite this, we took the plunge. In the end we were divided into groups, our group being 10 people, but we had a great night with several goodies seen.

  On the mammal front we had two interesting species, with a Sunda Calugo and a Western Tarsier. They both showed nicely near the start of our walk. Rarer mammals were presumably put off by the number of people in the area. The birds were even better, with three species of kingfisher seen, including the much wanted Rufous-collared Kingfisher, as well as Blue-eared Kingfisher and Rufous-backed Pygmy Kingfisher. Then, at the end of the walk, the guide somehow spotted two Oriental Bay Owls sat deep in cover. A brilliant way to round out a brilliant day! 

Borneo; Day 5 - Mount Kinabalu

   For our final day at Kinabalu we had a clear plan of how we would try to connect with our remaining targets. Sadly, it did not transpire as we had hoped. We arrived at the bottom of the Power Plant Road at 05:30, and set off walking up in the hopes of finding an Everett’s Thrush. There was a dense layer of fog shrouding the forest, and bird activity was much reduced to the previous day. This issue was compounded when joggers started running up the road at 05:45, followed by the first cars at 06:00. Since the road was not supposed to open until 07:00, this was rather perplexing and a great hinderance to our cause. There was one possible thrush that we found, based on its behaviour in the thermal, but sadly I never managed to get binoculars on it before it moved away into the vegetation. 

  Once we reached the head of the Mempenning Trail we decided to return back the way we came, but the activity in the forest remained very subdued and we ultimately saw nothing new. Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher was nice, and a superb Brown Wood Owl was unexpected, but there was not denying the frustration at not finding the thrush. Once we reached the car we began driving up the road to reach higher elevations where we could continue to search for our outstanding birds. 

  A few hundred metres past the gate and our luck finally changed. A group of birders pointing their cameras into the forest was a good sign, and they revealed to us a female Whitehead’s Trogon! Finally! She showed extremely well in the gloom, allowing for excellent views. The guide, David, who showed us the birds was also extremely helpful, and while he conceded that some of our targets were just not possible given the time of year, he gave us some clues as to where to find the others. Specifically, he mentioned to ascend the road and use tape for the Bare-headed Laughingthrush. This failed to yield results, but we did have a heard only Sunda Owlet, and a very unexpected Jambu Fruit Dove. This rare species has less than 15 records for the mountain on eBird, so it was a real treat to see. 

  We finished off the morning by birding the Mempenning Trail again hoping for Mountain Wren Babbler, but this didn’t yield anything different, apart from a female Sunda Cuckoo. Otherwise, although the flocks were enjoyable, our remaining targets went unseen. Since it was already nearly midday, we decided it was probably time to start hitting the road. However, before we left we made on final attempt for Mountain Wren Babbler not far from the gate, and by luck one started responding from a gully heading uphill. At this point I could not face missing this target, so I clambered up the ravine to find the bird. This turned out to be a worthwhile decision, with a pair of the birds showing phenomenally well, providing walk away views.

  Feeling relieved at this final development, we set off on a two and a half hour drive to our next stop, the town of Telupid. The weather on the drive was absolutely horrendous, and our stop at the White-fronted Falconet stakeout once again was unsuccessful. Still, we reached our lodging for the evening in good time, the IPS Telupid which was surrounded by secondary woodland ideal for an afternoon stroll. This turned productive with a few commoner species seen, as well as a group of Long-tailed Parakeets and a pair of Black Hornbill. 

Borneo; Day 4 - Mount Kinabalu

   For our second day in Mount Kinabalu we knew a little bit more about what to expect and so knew exactly how we were going to approach the days birding. To start with, we arrived at 05:45 and immediately began walking up the Power Plant Road. Using the thermal we could easily pick out birds using the road, even in the half-light. Sadly we still did not find the Everett’s Thrush, but we found a couple of Bornean Whistling Thrushes, Bornean Forktails, Bornean Shortwings and a new target seen with Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher, of which we spotted several sitting by the side of the road in the gloom.

  Once the road was open for the vehicle at 07:00 we drove all the way to the top, to the Timpohon Gate, where we hoped to clean up on the targets higher up. On our first visit we had not walked through the first entrance gate, so decided to this time. It added another 150 metres which we could explore before the closed off gate only for hikers. At the gate there was a nice veranda and café, so we sat here for a short while watching for birds and we were rewarded with excellent views of Pale-faced Bulbul and a host of other species that we had seen before during our time up here. 

  At 09:00 we headed down to the Mempening Trail, which we decided to walk in its entirety, before returning via the Silau-silau trail. On the way down we made a short stop of the Kiau Gap Viewpoint where we had our first Bornean Treepies, before starting the trail. Despite the improved weather from our visit the previous day, there was noticeably less activity. However, this was all soon forgot about when about halfway along the trail we finally encountered one of the Whiteheads trio, and arguably the most spectacular; the Whiteheads Broadbill. A hulking great vivid green bird with incredibly plumage sat at eye level off the trail. We were thrilled to finally see this species! 

  Topped up with adrenaline from our encounter, we completed our circuit. By now it was late so there was less activity, but we still had a nice group of three Bornean Green Magpies on the Silau-silau Trail, as well as more Bornean Treepies. The walk along the road back to the car yielded nothing at all, and since it was midday we headed to the Liwagu Restaurant for lunch. Even then the birding did not stop, as two Bornean Leafbirds came to one of the trees from the restaurant veranda, another target species connected with! 

  After lunch the weather, as per usual, became cloudy and rainy. Surprisingly however, it cleared up again shortly after, allowing us to spend a bit of time exploring the bottom of the Power Station Road, but with very little to show for it. We had another Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher, but little else. The clouds returned at 15:30, so we headed to the hotel, ready to rest up and prepare to give it one final go tomorrow! 

Borneo; Day 3 - Mount Kinabalu

   Today would be the first of three full days that we would spend in the Kinabalu Park. Armed with our birders pass and a whole bunch of new species to find, we set off early morning to work our what we could find. We arrived at the main entrance gate at 05:45 and began to work out what the craic was. We assumed that the gate to the substation road up the mountain would also be open at that time, but apparently it only opened at 07:00, and since we knew these early hours were when we needed to find the rare Everett’s Thrush, we were at a bit of a loss. We spent the next 90 minutes birding around the lodges not seeing too much, but hearing plenty. It was not in vain however, as we were able to find our first Bornean Forktail.

  Once the gate was open we drove up the substation road to the Timpohon Gate, which is as far up the mountain we could go. From here we birded and slowly walked down the mountain for the duration of the morning, sticking to the main road rather than birding any of the trails. Near the top we had a lively group of Sunda Laughingthrushes, as well as Sunda Bush Warbler, Sunda Cuckooshrike and our first Mountain Leaf Warbler. Talking to a birding group, we just missed a Whiteheads Spiderhunter, which would have been a great species to see.

  As we continued down the road, passing the Kiau Gap Viewpoint, it became apparent just how difficult birding here could be, as we saw very little throughout the morning. As we descended the only target we managed to add was a Bornean Whistling Thrush, although we also added another Bornean Forktail. Otherwise the only new species we added was a smart Checker-throated Woodpecker.

  We retuned to the bottom of the road at 11:00, but since we couldn’t have lunch at the Liwagu Restaurant until 12:00 we spent an hour birding around the lodge. Here we encountered a surprising number of species, although mostly common species. That said, we added Yellow-breasted Warbler and Black-capped White-eye to our list of targets seen, and had our best views yet of Black-sided Flowerpiercer.

  After lunch, we decided to return up the mountain and bird along the Mempening Trail. It was already drizzling when we set off, but decided to make the most of it and we had the best part of an hour before the heavens truly opened. During this time we found the train quite lively, with several mixed-species flocks passing through, albeit with species seen earlier in the day. It was not until our final mixed species flock when we struck a key target when we spotted a Bornean Green Magpie in tow. It never showed well, but it was great to see this rare species! Additionally, we saw the rare Kinabalu Squirrel, an unexpected bonus for our afternoon walk in the rain.

  As mentioned, at 14:30 the heavens truly opened, so we beat a hasty retreat to our hotel to see what would happen. It carried on raining is what happened, so we spent the evening relaxing and recovering from our jetlag! 

Borneo; Day 2 - Trusmadi Bird Station & Mount Kinabalu

   Jet-lag meant I was awake at 01:00, and didn’t get back off to sleep after that, which meant when 05:30 rolled around, our time of departure, I was gnawing at the bit to get out and birding. Our first destination of the morning was the hide of CP Song, which we arranged through Calvin NG. This hide is one of two famous hides for Bulwer’s Pheasant, a species once mythical but now reliable. Sadly we knew there was no male visiting at the time of our trip, but a female was still being seen, so we had hopes that we would at least see the species. 

  We turned up at the hide at 06:00 just as light was starting to break over the forest. It was dark and gloomy in the hide but there were birds and ample squirrels already scuttling around. It took about an hour for the Bulwer’s Pheasant female to appear, but she did not linger long, just a few minutes in total. The star of the show was a superb Bornean Banded Pitta which came and went throughout the two hours we spent in the hide.

  There was an excellent supporting cast of birds, with highlights including a lively flock of Crested Partridge and a small group of Rufous-breasted Partridge. There were a few endemics visiting, such as Grey-hooded Babbler, Dayak Blue Flycatcher, Penan Bulbul and White-crowned Shama. In addition to the birds, the hide was alive with squirrels and treeshrews, but working them out will take a bit more effort. 

  By 08:00 the activity in the hide had died a death, so we spent the next hour birding along the adjacent road. It was quiet with no traffic and activity was not bad. We found several Bornean Bulbul, a species which we hoped to find here as it is difficult at other sites. A chance find of another hide not far away on the other side of the road turned up trumps with a Crimson-headed Partridge feeding there when we walked in. It was a great morning. At 09:00 we set off headed to Mount Kinabalu, a little earlier than expected but grateful for the extra time we would have to find birds there. 

  It took about two hours for us to reach Mount Kinabalu, although we made a short but unsuccessful stop at a stakeout for White-fronted Falconet. Once we had sorted ourselves out with a birders permit, which was very straightforward to organize, we headed to the restaurant for lunch. From the balcony here we had our first Black-sided Flowerpecker and a flock of Chestnut-crested Yuhina. The highlight of this lunch break was an excellent Prevost’s Squirrel, which was around throughout. 

  After lunch, we drove up the road and started birding the upper area of the Silau-silau Trail, before reconnecting with the road and walking back up that. It being early afternoon, it should not have been a shock that the activity was slow, but it was very slow. We recorded less than 10 species in about two hours walking, although we started to make slow work on our targets, with Golden-naped Barbet and a superb performance from a pair of Bornean Stubtail showing less than a metre away! We were also treated to a Whiteheads Tufted-eared Squirrel, which was one of the mammal target highlights of the trip and did not disappoint! 

  At 15:00 I was happy to keep birding the road, but Laura wanted to drive up to the Telepon Gate to see what was happening up there. This was a fortuitous event, as no sooner had we got into the car than the heavens opened and it did not relent. Although we went to the gate, we saw very little in the downpour, except for a small flock of showy Chestnut-headed Laughingthrushes. Tired and jetlagged, we decided to call it a day at 16:00 and headed to the hotel, very satisfied with our first day in Borneo! 

Borneo; Day 1 - Arrival & Crocker Range

   Finally we come around to my first independent trip of the year, this time with my girlfriend Laura to the stunning island of Borneo. Specifically we would spend three weeks exploring the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, where most of the islands endemics can be found, as well as an excellent array of other goodies.

  The flight was long, and not ideally timed to deal with jetlag. We arrived in Kuala Lumpur at 06:00 which was almost exactly the time to sleep in Western Europe. Still, we persevered and arrived in the city of Kota Kinabalu at 10:30, where we had a smooth experience picking up the car, then we were on our way.

  We started our trip by driving the two hours to the town of Tambunan, where we checked into our hotel, took showers and caffeine, before double-back on ourselves half an hour to the Crocker Range or Gunung Alab Substation Road, where there was some upland forest and we could make a state on our altitudinal targets. There is supposed to be a hide here, but even with the grid reference we could not locate a trail that led to it. We did find an open area clearly used for bird feeding, but it was void of activity when we arrived. It did not help that it rained a considerable amount during the two hours exploring the site. 

  On the bird front we made a steady start to our birding despite the conditions. Our first target to fall was a particularly tricky Bornean Shortwing, followed by Bornean Whistler and an absolutely sodden Indigo Flycatcher. Exploring around the substation itself got us a few goodies, including our first Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes and a pair of very showy Mountain Blackeyes. Sadly the weather never relented and given our already exhausted condition, we decided to cut our losses and give ourselves a bit more time to recover for the subsequent days birding. 

Soil Hill

  I had completed my route around Soil Hill and was just on my way back home at around 07:20. As I passed the Entrance Copse my attention was caught by a high-pitched call. Over the past couple of weeks there have been many high-pitched calls which made me think of Treecreeper, but they always turned out to be fledgling birds of one species or another, normally tits. Consequently, I did not expect this to be any different, but tried to spot the culprit regardless. It was quite the shock when I tracked down the source of this call to find that it was indeed a Treecreeper! And more than that, the bird showed very well perching in the open for excellent views and nice photos.

  This is a species I had often considered for a Soil Hill tick, and summer often seemed like the best time as juveniles disperse from nearby breeding woodlands. Hence my increased interest in the various high-pitched calls I had encountered over the last week or so. However, it still caught me off guard this morning, being my 135th species for the Soil Hill!

-Treecreeper

-Broad-bodied Chaser

Soil Hill

   I was slightly delayed in starting my morning on the 5th June thanks to sporadic rain showers that continued on and off throughout the early morning, a continuation of the previous days' downpours. My morning visit to Soil Hill finally commenced at 08:00, when I predicted that it would be safe to venture out without the risk of becoming thoroughly sodden.

  As I headed up Taylor Lane I heard what sounded like the song of a male Quail, with the classic ‘whet-my-lips’ phrase uttered once. Unfortunately the song was faint and I could not hear it clearly with the other birds in full song around me, that and the fact that it had caught me completely off-guard.

  I waited, anxious that I may have let the bird slip by me, but after 10 minutes I heard the song again. After refreshing the Merlin App so many times to try and get a recording, I was frustrated that the app had not picked up the song. But at least I was now clear that I had a Quail on my hands.

  What I did not expect was that I would see the bird, but I caught it out of the corner of my eye as it flew across the road, crashing into the fields on the other side. From there, it continued to be extremely reluctant to sing, normally only uttering the single sequence of three notes. On only one occasion did it start to sing with any regularity, but during this period I was able to get several recordings of the bird. On my way back down the Hill an hour later, it was still sporadically singing, but it had once again crossed the road.

  Sadly the Quail was not heard by birders visiting in the afternoon, nor by me when I visited that evening. The following day was very wet but once again there was no sight or sound of the Quail, and now that a few days have transpired, I feel comfortable posting the record on here. 

  Because of the tall grasses in the hay fields around Soil Hill, Quail has long been a species I have imagined finding here. But its rarity in Calderdale always made it an unlikely prospect, one that I am overjoyed to have fulfilled. This was not only a Soil Hill and Calderdale tick for me, this was no less than a full British tick! I never thought I would have one of those on Soil Hill ever again!

-Quail

Chateau Greifenstein

   After my return to the UK I flew back to France, but this time Lauras parents place in Alsace, on the German/France border. It makes an excellent change to urban Paris, with the stunning woodlands of the Vosges mountains less than an hours drive away, and the general area covered by small patches of woodland and open fields.

   We spent the afternoon walking near the Chateau Greifenstein near the town of Saverne. It being a Sunday afternoon I was expecting it to be busy with not much bird activity, but I was pleasantly wrong. There were not too many people around and birding was quite good. Granted it was mostly commoner species for the region, but that still involves Firecrest and Crested Tit, two species I do not see at home.

  But the highlight of the walk was an unexpected bonus bird for my France list; a superb Black Stork that flew over. This is a rare species in France, with only a small breeding population and while I knew there were a few in the Vosges I did not expect this encounter. It circled once over us before heading off north. Hopefully it has luck breeding wherever it sets up shop! 

-Black Stork

-Common Firecrest

Soil Hill

   The very handsome male Ring Ouzel that has been at the bottom of the North Slope continued into its third day today, although the second bird from yesterday seems to have moved on. It is not an especially cooperative bird, always mobile and far more often heard than seen early in the morning. 

  Other goodies in recent days have been more limited. A scattering of Wheatear have been around, although there were none that I could find this morning. Willow Warblers are now up to five individuals and the first Whitethroat was seen by JJL yesterday morning, but I have not yet laid eyes or ears upon it. 

  In addition to the Ouzel, it was nice to have a flock of four Crossbills fly north this morning. It seems to have been a lively April for finches, with Siskin and Redpoll recorded on most days on Soil Hill. A Golden Plover also flew over this morning, and the resident Grey Partridge have put in a couple of appearances in recent days. Two male Stonechats have taken up territories at the bottom of the North Slope. This species does not usually breed on Soil Hill, my last recorded attempt was back in 2020, so watching these birds with interest. I have not been looking for Jack Snipe every day, but on my last check two days ago there was still at least one individual present. 

-Ring Ouzel

-Jack Snipe

-Stock Dove

Soil Hill

   After only arriving at Leeds/Bradford Airport late last night, it was a bit of a struggle to motivate myself to get up early and out to Soil Hill this morning, but it was well worth the effort. It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning in superb birding conditions. The only unpside of landing late into the evening was that as I was leaving the airport, I was able to heat two flocks of Common Scoter flying over calling.

  The highlight of the morning was a distant Osprey that flew north at 07:55 up the Ogden valley, before continuing over Thornton Moor Reservoir. This is my 7th Osprey on Soil Hill, and my 5th in the Spring. It has been an excellent spring for the species in Calderdale, with another two birds also reported later in the day. Given there had been five during the previous week, I was optimistic I might bump into one whilst I was home, but to get it on the first morning was really something! 

  There was not a huge number of migrants around, with the last few Fieldfares still lingering in the fields on Taylor Lane representing the winter species still hanging on. Another winter species still present is Jack Snipe, with two individuals seen today. This included a rather conspicuous individual that I was able to spot before it got away, without using the thermal! Common Snipes were also present, with a scan from the bottom of the North Slope revealing at least four displaying birds. A Jay on Taylor Lane is always a good species to record for Soil Hill.

-Osprey

-Jack Snipe

-Oystercatcher

Soil Hill

    Last night there were a few reports of Common Scoter migrating over Lancashire, with reports indicating it was quite the movement of birds. Most of the reports came at around 20:00 but I was not aware of them until already 21:30 by which time those flocks would have had ample time to reach Calderdale and continue towards the North Sea.

  However, from Bradshaw, I did some listening and at 21:40 a clear flock of Scoter was heard passing over. Buoyed by this I grabbed my thermal imager, jumped in the car and set off for Soil Hill. There was not much activity however, and during the hour I stayed on the Hill I only recorded one clear flock of six Common Scoter flying over, with just a few calls heard. A very distant large flock of birds flying in formation were probably also Scoter but without calls it's impossible to be sure. A few solitary birds I picked up in the thermal could have been anything! 

  This morning was once again very pleasant, but with little in the way of standout species. I managed to locate two Jack Snipe this morning but sadly one of these was deceased. A Jay was a nice surprise, initially in the North Slope Tree-Line before flying north. It, or another individual, was spotted flying SW a little time later. A late Common Gull flew north. 

-Common Scoter

-Jack Snipe full of life

-Sadly expired Jack Snipe

-Meadow Pipit

Soil Hill

   I’m back home for the week, so I wasted no time heading up to Soil Hill this morning, hoping for some Whooper Swan migration. I didn’t manage to pick up any flocks flying past, but from the vantage point of Soil Hill I was able to distantly spot a group on Mixenden Reservoir. From the photos I have I was able to count 22, but being so distant it could easily be more. DJS went down later and counted 23.

  However this Whooper Swan action was thoroughly trumped when I reached the bottom of the North Slope. I was just scanning the area of The Shay for Wheater (no joy there) when I turned around to see the bright white crescent of a male Ring Ouzel looking back at me! This is my first March record here, and caught me completely off guard. I was able to approach the bird but it was then flushed by a patrolling police helicopter. It remained in the area after, but was quite mobile. Sadly JJL was not able to re-find the bird late morning, so it may have moved off.

  In addition to these two highlights, there was a nice supporting cast. A single Raven flew over heading SE. Lots of wader activity with two Oystercatchers on The Shay and another three flying north, plus at least two Snipe in full display. Two male Stonechats were at the bottom of the North Slope and a female Bullfinch was on Ned Hill Track. A mobile flock of 30+ Fieldfare was still present on Taylor Lane.

A very rewarding return to the Hill after a few weeks away.

-Ring Ouzel

-Northern Raven

-Whooper Swans

Abberton Reservoir twitching Canvasback

     As per usual on my journey back and forth from Paris, I stopped in to see my good friend David Darrell-Lambert and we spent the day birding together around London. Our destination of choice was Abberton Reservoir, a large water body in Essex that at the time of our visit hosted a good number of interesting species, including a potential world tick with the long-staying Canvasback.

  We arrived mid-morning and headed first to the Billets Farm viewpoint from where the Canvasback was seen. Unfortunately a strong backlight, blustery conditions and the flocks of ducks being distant meant that we were unable to spot the bird during this first visit. However, it was not a complete bust as were able to pick out a distant drake Smew.

  Next we continued around to St Andrews Church Viewpoint, which had the benefit of being with the light but the birds on the reservoir were distant. From here there had been a pair of Lesser Scaup and a small group of Greater Scaup but again we were not able to pick them out as we filtered through the distant flocks of birds. A Sand Martin flying overhead was the highlight of this location, my first Hirundine of the year.

  Moving on, we next stopped at the Layer Breton Causeway, where there had been a flock of 12 Greater White-fronted Geese. Finally we had some luck, with the birds showing nicely in a field at the side of the road. Also at this location we had a small group of Spoonbills, as our day began to turn a corner.

  Now early afternoon, we headed back to the Billets Farm viewpoint, where our visit immediately started well with a flyover Great Egret. We continued scanning the birds and eventually one of the other birders present managed to pick out the Canvasback from a very distant group of Pochards. It was extremely difficult to keep track of however, with the bird sleeping most of the time, whilst the plumage features we could see changed with the variable conditions. Not a classic bird to have twitched!

  To round out our day, we tried once again to see the Lesser Scaups, except this time we chose to view from the Lodge Lane viewpoint. Once again, the birds were very distant from here, but after much scanning we finally managed to pick out both Scaup species. The flock then had the discourtesy of flying around, so we had to once again filter through the flock for the birds. At this range, distinguishing between these two Scaup species was not an easy prospect, but we did manage to find them both. The highlight from this section however was a nice close flyby Peregrine and two Little Gulls over the water!

  After a very satisfying day, we headed back to London, with all the birds in the bag. My train that evening took me back to Halifax. 

Lac de Créteil

   There is not a huge abundance of birding sites within Paris, and having a car means those of the periphery of the city are often too much of a hassle to reach to consider worthwhile. However, with a little time on my hands this week, I decided to explore some sites within an hour on public transport of the apartment and had a really good time at the Lac de Créteil. Although it takes the best part of 45-minutes to reach, it certainly seems to have excellent potential that warrants investing a bit of time to travel to. 

  I’ve now got two visits wrapped under my belt, and I enjoyed both very much. The lake is home to several common wetland species, but the potential is there for rarer species (reinforced by several eBird records of interest from years gone by). Perhaps the standout is the population of Red-crested Pochards on the lake, with double figures seen on both days. These handsome ducks were not at all shy, allowing for excellent views. In addition, there is an Egyptian Goose present, which has not been recorded on eBird at this site previously. 

  In the vegetation around the lake there are a few species of interest. There had been no records of Cetti’s Warbler before yesterday, according to eBird again, so it was a bit of a surprise to find three singing males. Commoner species that are of interest to a birder from the north of the UK include Firecrest and Short-toed Treecreeper. And to round it off nicely I picked out a Pied Wagtail with two White Wagtail feeding on a cut grassy area, a nice little flavour of home for whilst I am over here. 

-Cetti's Warbler

-Egyptian Goose

-Pied Wagtail

-Red-crested Pochard

Faversham twitching Pallas's Warbler

   With some time left during our day, we decided to check out the Pallas’s Warbler near the small town of Faversham. It had not been reported for eight days, but David decided it would still be worth checking, so that’s where we headed. The specific location was just behind a sewage farm, and it was alive with Chiffchaffs, with possibly as many as 20 different birds moving around, including some suspiciously grey individuals.

  Fortunately the gamble paid off, and after 20 minutes waiting we got on to the Pallas’s Warbler moving among the ivy. As is typical for a warbler of this ilk, it was very mobile and difficult to keep track of, but we managed to get some very nice views. It was especially pleasing when it would hover, picking insects off the leaves whilst showing its pale rump and crown stripe. We lost it for possibly as long as half an hour before we managed to get on it again. It is a shame we could not see it close, but since it has been such a long time since I saw this attractive species, it was still very enjoyable. 

-Pallas's Warbler

Undisclosed Location searching for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

  Although there were a few scarcities dotted around the southeast at this time, David and I had agreed to spend the morning targeting the most outstanding omission from my British list; Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Having dipped the species in six counties on numerous occasions, my quest for this species in the UK had become a bit tiresome. Combine that with the woodpeckers dramatic decline across the UK, and it added another layer of urgency to the mission.

  We arrived at our woodland of choice at around 09:00 and began to search. The wood was incredibly lively with commoner woodland species, but also with a few other goodies such as a smart male Brambling among the hundreds of Chaffinches. It was very enjoyable, and our woodpecker count make good progress, several Great Spotted Woodpeckers were seen and a Green Woodpecker was heard on few occasions.

  After about 40 minutes of searching, and hearing a few promising drumming notes, we managed to locate a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in the canopy! Mission accomplished! Sadly it was distant and as we approached it moved off. We tried to follow it, but it kept moving and eventually we lost it. About 20 minutes later we managed to locate it, or another, nearby low down, but it was too quick for me and moved away rapidly before proper views could be had. It called a few times from the canopy but we were unable to follow it.

  After so many dips over the years, it was quite the relief to finally set eyes on this beauty! 

-Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Waxham twitching Glaucous Gull & Iceland Gull

  As usual on my way back to France, I spent a bit of time with my good friend David Darrell-Lambert doing some birding around London. Due to train issues, I did not reach London until midday, but our plan for the afternoon was to drive the two-and-a-half hours north to the north Norfolk coast to the small village of Waxham. Here a Glaucous Gull and Iceland Gull had been seen on the beach, and, given the scarcity of both species, and David fancying the trip, we made this our destination. 

  It was already late afternoon when we arrived so we had only a limited timeframe to find the birds. Fortunately the directions we had were absolutely spot on, and we found the Glaucous Gull reasonably quickly as it fed on the beach. The Iceland Gull was a little further, but again, once we were in the right area we were able to find it without too much hassle. There were a lot of large gulls to filter through, but both of the white-winged species were quite conspicuous. Sadly they were not approachable at all, and we never managed to get close to them.

  In addition to the gulls, we had fantastic time with the areas many seals. We counted hundreds of Grey Seals hauled out on the beach right next to us, as well as a few pups. I scoured through the animals for Common Seals, and eventually spotted one in the water just before we left. On the birding front, there were a couple of other nice species; Common Scoter, Rock Pipit and a Turnstone being the best of the rest. 

-Glaucous Gull

-Iceland Gull

-Common Seal

-Grey Seal

Soil Hill

  It being a blustery morning in late February, I was not anticipating a morning of anything particularly notable on my visit to Soil Hill. The rain had cleared and there was no fog, so despite the wind I hoped for a pleasant walk where most of the regular species would be recorded. This was particularly important since it was a new week in the eBird bar charts!

  As I began my descent on Perseverance Road towards Ned Hill Track at 08:40, I spotted a large gull slowly moving in a southwesterly direction. Whilst I anticipated a Herring Gull, I was in for quite a shock when I got the bird in the binoculars to see that it had creamy-white primaries; a white-winger!

  Given the paucity of Glaucous Gull records in the UK, I was fairly confident the bird would turn out to be an Iceland Gull. Still, my priority in that moment was to take as many photos as I could, which was fairly straightforward given that the bird was not moving particularly quickly.

  Once it began to fly away from me I switched to following the bird in the hope that it might land on one of the nearby reservoirs. Simultaneously, I tried to get the news out so birders lower down the valley might be able to connect.

  In the end, the Gull headed for Ogden Water, where I lost it as it dropped behind the trees in the plantation there. Sadly however, BS and JJL checked the reservoir shortly after found no sign of the bird.

  A quick check of the photos confirmed my suspicions that it was an Iceland Gull. Scenes of celebration followed! This is my 133 species for Soil Hill and represents the first Halifax area record since 2022! It was not seen again at any other locations! Also of note, the long-staying bird at Roundhay Park in Leeds was not recorded today!

-Iceland Gull

-Stonechat