Steve Happ Photography Ramblings and dissertations

Sabah Birding.

I was at Poring Hot Springs for two days and did not see many birds. The place was super packed out with Malaysian tourists, but. I went for a walk along the edges of the park, following the river to the camping area.

Yellow-vented Bulbul

I came across this weird worm looking thing with a hammer head. So I named it the Hammer-headed Worm.

Hammer-Headed Worm

This Common Sandpiper was lurking around on top of a bridge covered in muddy water. I have no idea what he was feeding on.

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

I think this is a Plain Sunbird, but I really have not much idea. My books are totally crap.

Plain Sunbird, maybe ?

Grey Wagtail

And last but not least, a chocolate tree. I did not know they grew cacao in Borneo. doh!

Chocolate Tree

Poring Hot Springs bird list

Yellow-vented Bulbul
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
Oriental Magpie-Robin
White-breasted Waterhen
House Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Lesser Cuckooshrike ???
plain sunbird ???
Chestnut-crested Yuhina or White-bellied Erpornis (Erpornis zantholeuca) no.
Asian Brown Flycatcher

Mount Kinabalu Birds.

The last day at Mount Kinabalu. I just went for a walk along the road from the lodge. Down in the garden, I was lucky to spot this Bornean Treepie.

Bornean Treepie (Dendrocitta cinerascens)

The Bornean Treepie has a rufous face and underparts with pale grey cap and back. The wings are black with white patch. It has a very long grey tail with black tips. It is a Borneo montane endemic.

Swift or Swallow ?

I am not sure what this is. I cannot find it in any of my books. Tearing my hair out.

Scarlet Minivet

I found this track off the road and ventured down this hill near a nursery. Luckily I found a couple of nice birds.

Chestnut-crested Yuhina (Yuhina everetti)

I am not too sure what this is. Is it a Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter (Aracnhothera affinis) or Whitehead’s Spiderhunter ??? Edit: Whitehead’s Spiderhunter. Thanks to Chai Thiam Lau for the ID.

Whitehead’s Spiderhunter (Arachnothera juliae)
“Unique to the Bornean highlands, this remarkable and highly-sought-after spiderhunter, with its bright white streaking and yellow rump, is utterly unmistakable. Forages actively in the canopy, often singly or in pairs, but sometimes with mixed flocks, frequently probing into flowers and mossy vegetation. Gives a clicking nasal call, “bu’chuk-yih-WEEEE”, or just the nasal “WEEEE”.” (wiki).

Mt Kinabalu birds
Whitehead;s Spiderhunter (Arachnothera juliae)
Bornean Treepie (Dendrocitta cinerascens)
Scarlet Minivet
Chestnut-crested Yuhina (Yuhina everetti)
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
Spotted Dove

Borneo Birds

Another walk up the hill to the park. This time I went along the Liwagu Trail and then went back along the Silau Silau Trail. I did not see anything. Near the Botanic Gardens I spotted a bunch of woodpeckers and just managed a photo.

Checker-throated Woodpecker (Chrysophlegma mentale)

The Checker-throated Woodpecker is distinguished from Banded and Crimson-winged Woodpeckers by the lack of red on the crown and by the throat pattern. Found in lowland hill dipterocarp and lower montane forest up to 1600 meters.

A creek in the jungle

Along the road back to the lodge, I spotted a Chestnut-crested Yunia. Lighting is really shocking but I wangled it somehow.

Chestnut-crested Yuhina (Yuhina everetti)

The Chestnut-crested Yuhina is found in Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia where it is endemic to the island of Borneo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Back at the lodge, another Black-capped White-eye.

Black-capped White-eye (Zosterops atricapilla)

Mt Kinabalu birds

Checker-throated Woodpecker (Chrysophlegma mentale)
Chestnut-crested Yuhina (Yuhina everetti)
Ashy Drongo
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Black-capped White-eye

Birds of Kinabalu.

Breakfast at 7am this morning. While waiting for breakfast, I spotted a few birds in the garden at the lodge. I have no idea what this first bird is. I thought Ashy Minivet but no. Was it a white-vented whistler ? no. Finally I have no idea what it is. edit.: Asian brown flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)

Asian Brown Flycatcher

In the distance these hornbills flew past. They turned out to be Wreathed Hornbills.

Wreathed Hornbill (Rhyticeros undulates )

Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus)

Then I trudged up the hill to the Kinabalu Park. The clouds had parted enough to see the top of the mountain. It was very rugged.

Rugged mountain

Paid my 15 ringgit entrance fee and walked down the hill towards the Botanical Garden. I had a tour of the Botanical Gardens with the ranger and spotted this Bornean Whistling-Thrush.

Bornean Whistling-Thrush (Myophonus borneensis)

Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)

I was not sure if this was a Black-capped White-eye or a Everett’s White-eye, but I think the black cap did it for me. The yellow stripe down the tummy was a bit of a dummy pass.

Black-capped White-eye(Zosterops atricapilla)

And finally, a Kinabalu Squirrel, spotted near the lodge.

Kinabalu Squirrel (Callosciurus baluensis) tupai, in malay.

Kinabalu Birds

Yellow-vented Bulbul
Spotted Dove
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Olive-backed Sunbird
Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus)
Black-capped White-eye(Zosterops atricapilla)
Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis)
Bornean Whistling-Thrush (Myophonus borneensis)
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
Wreathed Hornbill (Rhyticeros undulates )

Kinabalu Squirrel (Callosciurus baluensis) in malay tupai.

Fish Markets and Wetlands.

This morning I woke up early at 6am, had a kopi-o down the road and headed to the harbour.

Me at harbour

There were heaps of fish being sold and bundled around here and there. The floors were slippery with fish slime and you had to be very careful or you could go arse over tit real easy.

Selling Fish.

The bad dudes wanted me to take their photo, so I obliged.

Bad mofos

Lots of trawlers were docked in the harbour.

Master of all I survey.

After breakfast, I arranged for a taxi to come take me to the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands. The tide was high so it was not the best time to go there I think.

Mangroves.

I managed to get at least one tick, the Ashy Tailorbird. This one is a juvenile which is paler and has a whitish throat. They are found low down in mangroves, scrub, riverside bush. They range from Burma to Palawan and Java.

Ashy Tailorbird (Orthomotus ruficeps)

Mangrove Skink (Emoia atrocostata), Bengkarong in Malay.

The Mangrove Skink has smooth and brownish to greyish metallic skin. Eyelids are movable and the tail detaches easily. Retreats at night in bases of the tree buttresses. Active at dawn whilst foraging for insects. Most active when the body temperature is between 25-27 degrees Celsius. Most skinks lay eggs but some bear live young.