BORNEO & MALAYSIA PENINSULA: JULY 19 – AUGUST 6, 2018

June 28, 2018 greg

What originally began as a 7 day scouting trip to Sarawak (Borneo) for a possible Extension to our regular Borneo tour quickly expanded into an 19 day trip, which included 12 days of scouting in Peninsular Malaysia for a full set departure which we will be offering again in 2019. The last trip that WINGS offered to Peninsular Malaysia was over 10 years prior (and was led by Dennis Yong) and was a joint trip that also included Borneo.

For the Sarawak portion our main targets would be Black Oriole, Dulit Frogmouth, Hose’s Broadbill, Whitehead’s Spiderhunter, Bornean Frogmouth among other things. We were successful in finding all of these birds as well as Malaysian Rail-babbler, a highly sought after ground dwelling bird which is incredibly stunning and equally shy.

Thursday, July 19, 2018: Arrived into Kuala Lumpur around midday and quickly made my way to the domestic terminal and through security in order to catch a connecting flight to Kuching (Malaysia Airlines flight 2536 departing 02:05PM, arriving 03:50PM). Met Susan Myers shortly after passing through security with about 20 minutes to spare before boarding the flight. Upon arrival in Kuching we were met by a representative of Cat City Holidays (Mr Rosli) who transferred to us to our hotel and would be our driver the following day. We set a pick-up time of 06:00AM for the following morning to the Borneo Highlands and then proceeded to the hotel restaurant for a beer and dinner. After a rather long series of flights I was done after dinner and ready for a good nights sleep. Night at Dorset Boutique Hotel.

Friday, July 20, 2018: Woke around 3:30AM which was well before our departure to the Borneo Highlands (06:00AM) so I took care of some email and did a bit of repacking before it was time to leave. By 05:30AM I was nearly ready to fall back asleep and if hadn’t been for the excitement of new birds it would have taken multiple cups of coffee to get me out the door. The drive from our hotel to the highlands took roughly 1.5 hours and the scenery once we left the outskirts of the city got better by the minute. Surrounded by limestone cliffs draped in forest as a bright red sun burned its way through the clouds while at the same time a blanket of mist rose from the forest floor set the most wonderful scene. Once through the gates of the Highlands Resort it was another 15-20 minutes until we made it to the lodge. We had breakfast at the Borneo Highlands Resort around 08:00AM (we were the only people dining) and afterwards drove to the very top and birded the overlook.

Overlook at the Borneo Highlands Resort

This was probably the most productive site we would visit throughout the day with a few new bird trickling in every few minutes, keeping things interesting. After birding the top we walked the road down while our driver (Rosli) followed behind. The first intersection on the way down proved to be the most exciting stop with multiple Asian Paradise Flycatchers, Green Broadbill, Buff-rumped woodpeckers, and a Scarlet-rumped Trogon being the highlights. Continuing further down we would pick up Temmink’s and Brown-throated Sunbird among other things. We stopped just before the guard gates which is supposedly good for Spiderhunter, and while we did spot one moving through the flowers, the highlight was a nearby Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle which Susan spotted perched in a snag. After grabbed a few distant photos we moved tried to move closer but in doing so flushed it from its perch. Fortunately, it didn’t go far and ended up circling overhead before streaming out over the ridge. By 10:30AM we were on our way back to the hotel to pack up our gear for the 1:00PM checkout. The midday Friday traffic was rather heavy and we made it with a few minutes to spare. After checking out we left for the Riverfront for lunch then made our way to Kubah National Park. The park looked interesting but it was extremely hot and the birds weren’t moving so we didn’t pick up much. The main highlight was a bunch of Nepenthes ampullaria (pictured below) that Susan discovered alongside the road on our walk back towards the entrance. In 2010 researchers discovered a new species of frog (Microhyla nepenthicola) breeding in this species of pitcher plant in Kubah NP. Microhylids are known as some of the smallest frogs the world which is likely why this species evaded detection for so long even in such a heavily trafficked place as Kubah where these plants are found just a few feet from the roadside. Adults of this species measure no more than 13cm.

Nepenthes ampullaria – Kubah National Park

After about an hour in Kubah the heat became a bit much and with no bird activity whatsoever we called it a day. On the way back to Kuching we made a quick detour to visit the Matang Wildlife Refuge where we saw a half dozen hornbills going through rehab and one rather large and old orangutan, which would likely never be returned to the wild. We were informed that the hornbills oftentimes call in other wild birds and since we weren’t having any luck at Kubah our driver Rosli thought it worth a try. Just a short drive from Kubah we were again stopping at the hottest part of the day so it was no surprise that the only things moving were the dragonflies and lizards. As we were about to leave Susan spotted a small flock of Grey-breasted bulbuls, which we spent a few minutes observing. After a total of about 30 minutes we once again had enough and were ready to return to Kuching and eventually the airport. We arrived at the airport 2 hours before our flight and within minutes of checking in our bags the sky let loose and it began pouring rain. Apparently it hadn’t rained in almost 2 weeks and many were saying that it was desperately needed. Just before I left on this trip it hadn’t rained in Tucson for over 6 months, which set a record for one of the longest dry spells ever recorded for the city. The flight later in the evening to Miri was uneventful and after collecting our bags we walked across the street to our hotel for the night, which would be one of the nicest during our scouting trip. Night at Jinhold Hotel and Serviced Apartments. Ebird list: 1, 2, 3

Buff-rumped Woodpecker – Borneo Highlands Resort

Banded Demon -Notocrypta paralysos varians, Borneo Highlands Resort

Scarlet-rumped trogon – Borneo Highlands Resort

Blyth’s Hawk-eagle – Borneo Highlands Resort

Bamboo Orchid – Borneo Highlands Resort

Saturday, July 21, 2018: After a quick breakfast at 06:30 AM we checked out and caught the shuttle for the short drive to the airport (literally to the other side of the street) for our MASWings flight to Ba’Kalalan. Ba’Kalalan is classified as a “Rural Airport” and we were directed to a different check-in area where we were weighed along with our baggage. The airplane was a Twin Otter and there were roughly 8 others onboard, 2 of which were with World Wildlife Fund. Just prior to boarding I spotted my first seabird of the trip a Lesser crested Tern. The flight from Miri to Lawas took roughly 50 minutes and as quickly as we were ushered off the plane we were back on and cruising down the runway and off for the last leg to Ba’Kalalan. As we left Lawas for Ba’Kalalan the flat lowlands, mostly covered in Palm Oil plantations gave way to hillier terrain which was more forested. Upon arrival we were met by Yeo and two other birders who had just finished a trip with him and were taking our plane back to Lawas and then homeward. After collecting our bags we walked to the other side of the airport and through the village to our homestay. After a quick lunch we heading up the road and out of town to start scouting. It was incredibly hot and we picked up a few things here and there but for the most part it was quiet, just as it had been in Kubah National Park the day prior. Walking down the road a ways we ducked off down a primitive trail and began our search for Hose’s Broadbill. While a few were heard we were unable to draw any in for good looks. We would pick up a few nice birds including Maroon Woodpecker and Chestnut Breasted Malkoa. I would also pick up three new squirrels, Black-banded, Whitehead’s-tufted, and Giant Squirrel. After about an hour working this spot we walked back up the trail and to the road where we met our driver. After a quick stop at the homestay to grab our lights we were off to look for Dulit’s Frogmouth. While waiting along the roadside for it to get dark we picked up a few Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers, Ashy Drongos, and Rufous Cuckoo-doves. By 07:00PM it was mostly dark and bats were taking flight. After a few minutes of tape a Dulit’s Frogmouth dropped over our heads and perched a 25 feet up in a small tree. A lifer for Susan and myself, this bird seemed almost too easy. As not to disturb the bird too much we took a few photos and quickly left it to resume it’s evening activities. Night at Ba’Kalalan Homestay. Ebird list: 1, 2, 3

Dropping in – MASWings Twin Otter flight (Miri-Lawas-Ba’Kalalan)

MASwings Captain & Co-pilot, James Tan

Arrival into Ba’Kalalan

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker – Ba’Kalalan

Dulit Frogmouth – Ba’Kalalan

Sunday, July 22, 2018: We left the homestay this morning at 04:00AM to head up the hillside to look for Bornean Frogmouth. As the previous couple of nights I was up by 03:00AM, we before my alarm. The area that we would visit was the same area we tried the day before for Hose’s Broadbill. While there was a sliver of moon shining it was mostly pitch dark in the forest and so we walked slowly to the beams of our headlights. Just before the end of the trail Yeo had Susan and I stand a few feet off the trail while he proceeded a bit further to start calling. After no more than 2 minutes an individual responded and a few minutes after a second chimed in. With such a busy understory and canopy I had the feeling our chances of seeing these birds was going to be extremely low. One of the birds would come within roughly 30 feet of us but it was impossible to get a visual. BY 08:30AM the sun had come up and the diurnal birds were beginning their chorus. Just as we were leaving a Barred Eagle owl began calling so Yeo spent a few minutes calling and trying to locate it. Just as we made it back to the top of the top and the road, the Owl flew down from the other side of the road, chased by a few Bornean Treepies and Yellow-vented Bulbuls. After waiting a few minutes in hopes that it might return we started walking down the road. As much of the birding was by ear Susan was able to get in some macro photography while I followed Yeo rather closely for fear of missing something. Today would mostly be an introduction to the more common birds on the hillside. Birds such as Bornean Leafbird, Bornean & Mountain Barbet, Black-thighed Falconet, and Black and Yellow Broadbill would all be seen rather well this morning. After we had our fill of roadside birding we moved to a site roughly 30 feet off the road where Yeo has been seeing Blue-banded Pittas. After roughly 20 minutes of taping the Blue Banded came in and while it didn’t stay long enough for photos I was afforded some great views. Susan mentioned that these birds were getting harder to find in Sabah and seemed to be much more common here as she had heard a few earlier in the day. After our success here we returned to the homestay for a quick lunch and siesta. By 3:00PM we were back on the hillside and this time looking for Banded Pitta. We returned to the forest trail we had used earlier and walked to the end before getting set up. Yeo mentioned that the Banded Pitta here is much more wary and so we kept further back from the locations where he was expecting it to make his appearance. This bird definitely took a lot longer to draw in though once I was able to find it, it was worth the wait. After the pitta left the plan was to stick around until dark to look for Bornean Frogmouth. We had a few other birds as we waited for nightfall such as Rhinocereus hornbill, great views or Crested Jay, and Dark Hawk-Cuckoo. By 07:00PM it was dark and once again we heard multiple frogmouths rather close but were never able to get visuals. While seemingly common I was quite convinced this would be a bird we’d probably never see due to its size and the difficulty of seeing through the mid and upper level canopy. Night at Ba’Kalalan Homestay. Ebird list: 1

Monday, July 23, 2018: After our failed attempt at seeing the frogmouth the previous night we declined the offer of searching again this morning and instead opted for a more relaxed start with breakfast at 7 and an 08:00AM departure. The morning was much more overcast and think there were differing views as to how the day might unfold. I was of the mind it would be good for birding while Yeo thought it might make things more difficult. Fortunately, I was right and we would have a spectacular morning with great views of Red-bearded bee-eater, Oranged backed Woodpecker, and Orange breasted trogon. Scimitar and Temminks babbler were also found within minutes of each other. Night at Ba’Kalalan Homestay. Ebird list: 1, 2

Tuesday, July 24, 2018: After a quick breakfast of Nasi Lemak we packed our bags, said our goodbyes to our host, then walked over to the opposite side of the airport terminal where our truck and driver were ready and waiting. As the road to Paya Maga is extremely dusty during the dry season all of our bags were wrapped in plastic then covered in a plastic tarp. While it seemed like overkill at first, 20 minutes into the ride I was glad they had taken the extra precaution. Along the way to Lun Bawang (Long Tuyo) we made one birding stop in hopes of better looks at Hose’s Broadbill, but wound up leaving empty handed. We arrived in Lunch Bawang (LongTuyo) around 12:30 PM and quickly began repacking our gear for the hike into Paya Maga. We would be staying 2 nights and would need to carry all of our gear into the site. Borrowing a pair of rubber boots from our host I decided I only needed one change of clothes and a pair flip-flops. The rest of the space in my bag was nothing but rain gear a couple cameras and lenses. After about 15 minutes of repacking we were ushered to the dining table where our host had prepared a full course meal. Running short on time we ate as quickly as possible and thanked our host for watching over our belongings. The Night at Paya Maga. Ebird list: 1