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.