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Birds, Beasts and Bugs- Trekking in Sabah, Borneo


kittykat23uk

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kittykat23uk

Saturday 22nd March



We woke to the whooping call of Bornean gibbons in the forest behind camp. I tried for ages to track them down but they remained hidden. A crested serpent eagle was having an early breakfast and was really approachable. Then Paul spotted one of the gibbons hanging from a distant tree, but it was too far to get a decent photo.



Our first boat trip was at 6.30 so we had a light breakfast before we headed out. We were on a mission to find some good birds this morning. Stork-billed kingfishers shot along the river, hugging the bank. A straw-headed bulbul posed on a dead tree. A flock of pink-necked green pigeons adorned a bare tree and we also saw a black-headed bulbul.



13742422083_b5d777e307_c.jpgP3213309 adj Crested Serpent Eagle by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742393245_6317b9409f_c.jpgP3213315conv66 Crested Serpent Eagle by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742396285_6b818e80a0_c.jpgP3213319conv58 Straw-headed Bulbul by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



Troops of proboscis monkeys and long-tailed macaques were making their way through some thick cover and we didn't linger long as Robert wanted to get us down to one of the tributaries to look for Bornean ground cuckoo, amongst other avian wonders. A Wallace's hawk eagle soared overhead and a white-bellied sea eagle posed regally on top of a tree.



13742441513_8b4a527913_c.jpgP3213329 Pink-necked Green Pigeons by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13745637593_7c04ea8bcb_c.jpgP3213345 White-bellied Sea Eagle by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



We watched an anhinga fishing as Robert tried in vain to call out a ground cuckoo, “wooo-wooo” he went, “woooo-woooo!!” but of the bird, nerry a whisper. We did see black and yellow broadbill, black winged flycatcher-shrike and dollarbird. A bright green bird with a dark head and bold white wing patched flew across the river- our first hooded pitta! Violet cuckoo was too brief to really appreciate when it was sighted by Robert. Long-tailed parakeets noisily passed overhead in small flocks as we waited hopefully for a ground cuckoo to appear.



13742819664_f20796fc14_c.jpgP3223347 Anhinga by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



Several species of Malkoha were seen over the course of the morning, including black-bellied, chestnut-breasted and Raffles's. These birds were nearly always too far for a photograph and/or enjoyed thwarting our efforts by hiding in vines and other vegetation growing on the trunks of the tall trees. Only the black-bellied was good enough to allow me a record shot!



13743379415_79870350e7_c.jpgP3223354 adj Black-bellied Malkoha by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



When he wasn't unsuccessfully imitating a ground cuckoo, Robert was busily pointing out the calls of other birds. He managed to briefly locate a scarlet-rumped trogon, but this bird flew off before I could get a shot. Little green pigeon, white-bellied babbler, Malaysian blue flycatcher and black backed kingfisher were all seen, whilst wreathed hornbill flew overhead. Of raptors we saw Jerdon's baza,crested goshawk and changeable hawk eagle. Officially the boat trips were due to end around 09.30 but we were frequently out for much longer than that, I don't think we got back until around 11.00.



13743513534_26d0c91dc9_c.jpgP3223381 Jerdon's Bazas by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742412955_871b60341e_c.jpgP3223384conv57 Estuarine Crocodile by kittykat23uk, on Flickr


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kittykat23uk

We enjoyed a relax at the lodge watching the comings and goings from the deck. Our friendly Storm's storks were there, one seemed to be sunning itself, despite the heat of midday.

A Prevost's Squirrel, thankfully not the subject of the serpent eagle's breakfast, appeared as lunchtime approached. Later on, a herd of bearded pigs arrived to snaffle up the leftovers from the kitchen that were tossed to them, they had a bit of competition from the large water monitors though!

13745601344_c8dea4c5f2_c.jpgP3223387 Storm's Stork by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13745224075_3b712a37c7_c.jpgP3223394 Storm's Stork by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13745595145_3c58a1b5d2_c.jpgP3223408 Storm's Stork by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13743434895_712cac75df_c.jpgP3223415 Prevost's Squirrel by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13743849464_2b8d36d82d_c.jpgP3223418 Prevost's Squirrel by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13743447125_2a1e25277f_c.jpgP3223419 Prevost's Squirrel by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742419765_072346e8b4_c.jpgP3223422 Butterflies feeding on pee.. by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742474813_8994ffccbb_c.jpgP3223437 Bearded Pig by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742490713_39f83db8f7_c.jpgP3223463 Bearded Pig & Water Monitor Lizard by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742459915_6711614d2a_c.jpgUntitled by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742505843_ecac5c0d64_c.jpgP3223490 adj Bearded Pig & monitor by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742511113_5cb0d46c9a_c.jpgP3223494 adj Bearded Pigs & Monitor Lizard by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13742477955_d776950c6e_c.jpgP3223532 Bearded Pigs & Monitor Lizard by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

13742523403_27645f7665_c.jpgP3223536 adj Water Monitor by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13742902654_37ba5a6aec_c.jpgP3223547 Bearded Pigs by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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kittykat23uk

We headed out again at 15.30. A blue-eared kingfisher glowed in the afternoon sun. We were on a mission for the ground cuckoo again and Robert continued in his efforts to call the bird to us. We spent a long time just calling, listening, waiting, calling some more, listening for any response and waiting some more. As we drifted along we spotted a maroon-breasted philentoma. To me the name of this smart blue and maroon coloured bird sounds like some kind of medical condition! Then a calling Diard's trogon distracted us from our quest as we moored the boat and headed into the jungle. Soon we were marvelling at this gem of a bird as it peered at us suspiciously before fluttering between different perches. Wrinkled hornbill again made sorties overhead and again were too distant to be photographed. Silver leaf monkeys and both long-tailed and pig-tailed macaques were also spotted along the river. Our last sighting was a wonderful Rhinoceros hornbill.



13742506665_2a784d5ee2_c.jpgP3223569 Blue-eared Kingfisher by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742513705_65a7d1fdc3_c.jpgP3223605conv adj Diard's Trogon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742930554_5f5fdd773d_c.jpgUntitled by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743167823_a86bd09e3d_c.jpgP3223623 Long-tailed Macaques by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743545724_747c55c26b_c.jpgUntitled by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743182663_9b4508e181_c.jpgP3223629 Long-tailed Macaque by kittykat23uk, on Flickr


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kittykat23uk

We returned to the lodge for dinner. One enthusiastic member of staff too to bringing bugs over to the table for us to see, including a stick insect. After dinner we had a guided walk around the jungle bordering the lodge. We were looking for bay owl, but first I unfortunately found my first leach actively trying to get a grip on my stomach! Urgh!! I also felt one land on my head and for some reason they also seemed to take a shine to my camera. Paul told me later that leeches will try and assault you from the forest floor, so one couldn't have landed on my hair. But I contend that when the vegetation is almost as tall as me, then a leech attack can come from any angle, including above! I have read that leeches also don't come out at night. Well I can categorically state that this is a complete fallacy!!



In any event, we first spotted a buffy fish owl and then a small as-yet-unidentified toad or frog was found. Paul decided to wander off on his own for a bit whilst I stuck with the guides who were going off piste to try and track down the bay owl that was hooting in the thickets. The bay owl is quite a sought-after owl so they were keen to prove their worth and we were not to be disappointed! We bravely followed through the leech-infested jungle and were rewarded with a sighting of a bay owl plus dinner! Looks to be a grey tree rat or similar (soon to be an ex-grey tree rat!).



13743280534_611f10799b_c.jpgP3223639 Bat in flight by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743287094_fcdff82ff9_c.jpgP3223652 Stick Insect by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742924343_fe1d0f3fd0_c.jpgP3223656 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743299694_ff6a67fe06_c.jpgP3223658 adj Bay Owl with (possibly) a Grey Tree Rat by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743306804_c6b2299e4d_c.jpgP3223664 Bay Owl by kittykat23uk, on Flickr


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kittykat23uk

With our quarry found, we headed out of the woods and back to the lodge. Robert had offered to put on a boat trip following the walk and not wanting to miss a single chance to sight that elusive leopard (or elephant for that matter) I was the only one who was still up for it so we headed out, spotting a speckle-headed vine snake on the boardwalk. Another buffy fish owl was spotted and then the trip went quiet for a time, marred by mist that made spotlighting difficult. Then, on our way back my guide spotted something in the river. As we got closer we saw that it was actually a Malay civet. This was the first time my guide had seen a civet swimming in the river, we felt it was taking its life in its paws as we had seen the size of the estuarine crocodiles that lurked in the murky water. For a moment I felt like Jimmy Carter as the civet came directly towards us and looked like it was going to jump in the boat! After snapping a few pictures we left it alone and headed back to camp. I was very glad to have taken the opportunity of the boat trip as that civet was a wonderful sighting. I called on Paul before turning in to let him know about the snake on the boardwalk which was still there. He'd continued spotlighting while I was gone and had his own brief civet sighting on one of the tracks.




13745567034_5717e91113_c.jpgP3223678 Speckle-headed Vine Snake by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743405363_46c5caf97d_c.jpgP3223684 Malay Civet swimming in the river by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743411823_b8ca997dd1_c.jpgP3223686 Malay Civet swimming in the river by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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SafariChick

Aw, cute and brave little civet!

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Kitsafari

What a great picture of the bush pigs eating beside the water monitor lizard. The lizard looks stunning! Your bird pictures are gorgeous. But I shuddered to see how long that Vine snake was!

 

Forgot to add - those were fab pictures capturing the jumps of the proboscis monkeys. Love the monkey in mid-flight.

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kittykat23uk

Thanks all. Here is a short video from the 22/3

 

 

I should mention that I really didn't use the camcorder as much as I have with some of my other trips. Mainly because unlike in Madagascar I didn't have a guide who was keen to shoot video for me while I was taking photos and also shooting video from the boat really was difficult- the boat is just not a stable enough platform. Finally the lens steamed up several times, and I think that also meant that some smudges and dirt accumulated on the lens. So some of the footage is really dire! Sorry about that.. :(

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kittykat23uk

Sunday 23rd March

 

As we were having breakfast, Robert got very excited as he spotted a pair of rare white-crowned hornbills behind the lodge in the forest. These guys look like 80's punk rejects with their spiky white crests. Then as we headed to board the boat we were distracted by a Bornean gibbon who was swinging through the trees just by the jetty. As always our quest for Bornean Ground Cuckoo encouraged us to leave the gibbon behind and I reluctantly joined the others on the boat. Crested serpent eagle and brahminy kite were again in evidence as they flew along the river.

 

We turned into our favoured tributary and Robert began his usual ritual of imitating the cuckoo's call. We passed three blue-eared kingfishers and a few pig-tailed macaques. Then Robert picked up on a red-naped trogon that was calling so we moored the boat and headed out on foot. We were rewarded with some great views of this beautiful little bird. A dark-throated oriole followed. We then spotted some movement at the base of a tree which turned out to be a plain pygmy squirrel.

 

13744497445_03344da8e2_c.jpgP3223717 adj Red-naped Trogon by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13743819284_033b6c1d82_c.jpgUntitled by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

 

Robert then got us onto a flighty scarlet-rumped trogon which did not wish to pose for the camera. A streaky breasted spider hunter was equally uncooperative. A Himalayan cuckoo was another new addition to the bird list and we saw more long-tailed parakeets and a pied hornbill. We continued to search for birds and spotted stork-billed kingfisher, Malaysian blue flycatcher, oriental dwarf kingfisher, little green pigeon, black and yellow broadbill, grey and buff woodpecker and greater racquet-tailed drongo.

 

13743309924_53b3a7d53b_c.jpgP3233732 adj Himalayan Cuckoo by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13743358225_2e097502c2_c.jpgP3233739 Malaysian Blue Flycatcher by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13742950163_619918c62a_c.jpgP3233750 Pied Fantail by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

As we headed back onto the main river towards another tributary I saw movement on the left hand bank and shouted “otters!!”. We turned and slowly approached the bank to watch two smooth-coated otter romping along the bank. One of the otters came down for a dip in the river whilst his friend remained in the reeds. Once they disappeared back into the undergrowth we continued on.

 

 

 

13744568415_97e29f0bba_c.jpgP3233758 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13745537184_1e9f57fc60_c.jpgP3233785 Smooth-coated Otters by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13745176233_62abeb8c8d_c.jpgP3233787 Smooth-coated Otters by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13745183633_4b41914062_c.jpgP3233788 Smooth-coated Otters by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

We spotted a grey-headed fish eagle as we motored along the main river. Turning into a tributary, Robert found us a white-bellied woodpecker. We also spotted a common sandpiper, another stork-billed kingfisher and yellow-vented bulbul. Paul spotted a plantain squirrel and a striated heron was fishing along the river. Birding was brought to an abrupt halt when a squall came over and temporarily drenched us! The sun returned as we headed back to the lodge, spotting pig-tailed macacques on the way. The breeze had pretty much dried me off by the time we arrived back.

 

13743346214_c777f9df09_c.jpgP3233798 Lesser Fish Eagle by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13745187215_273edb05e4_c.jpgP3233815 Stork-billed Kingfisher by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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kittykat23uk

Here's the vid for the morning:

 

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kittykat23uk

We had lunch and then it was time for the Dutch couple to leave. We had agreed with Robert that we would go with them to Gomantong caves and then they would leave for their next destination and we would return to the lodge. The Gomantong Caves are an intricate cave system inside Gomantong Hill. The hill is the largest limestone outcrop in the Lower Kinabatangan area. Situated in a Sabah Parks forest reserve, the caves and the surrounding area are a protected area for wildlife, especially orangutans.



13742959245_7d4cb6a648_c.jpgP3233826 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



The main cave system is divided into two parts: the more accessible Simud Hitam (Black Cave), and the larger Simud Putih (White Cave) which lies above. The names refer to the main type of nests produced by swiftlets in each cave. For centuries, the caves have been renowned for their valuable edible swiftlet nests, which are harvested for bird's nest soup. The most valuable of the nests, the white ones, can sell for very high prices.



13743027055_c0e8e46413_c.jpgP3233844 Edible Nests (swiftlets) by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



The birds' nest collection is an ancient tradition, and the trading of these nests has been done since at least 500 AD. Twice a year, from February to April and July to September, locals with licenses climb to the roof of the caves, using only rattan ladders, ropes, and bamboo poles, and collect the nests. The first collection takes place early in the breeding season before the swiftlets lay their eggs. The birds then make another nest in which they finally lay their eggs. After the young have fledged, the second collection is made. Care must be taken to assure that the nests are collected only after the young swiftlets have abandoned these nests. These individuals are very much in demand by the people and communities that hold the Government's harvesting licenses. Edible birds' nests are protected and heavy fines and penalties are imposed on unlicensed collectors.



13743502284_c334ff7d12_c.jpgP3233853 Gomantong Cave by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743509334_fe256a2f94_c.jpgP3233854 Gomantong cave by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



We arrived mid afternoon and entered the cave system on a rather slippery boardwalk. The atmosphere in the cave was oppressive. The floor crawled with cockroaches as guano was piled up all around. Creepy-looking cave centipedes clung to the cave walls. We could see swarms of bats (mainly wrinkle-lipped I believe) and mossy-nest, edible nest and black nest swiftlets.





13743015813_db2e68fcb5_c.jpgP3233828 bats & swiftlets in Gomantong Caves by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13742992715_258e35586e_c.jpgP3233830 bats & swiftlets in Gomantong Caves by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743000845_da8b16f34f_c.jpgP3233838 bats in Gomantong Caves by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743009465_ebbd53ae35_c.jpgP3233839 bat sp. by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743057523_480f1656ab_c.jpgP3233843 pacific swallow by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743442064_e4f9ec6662_c.jpgP3233846 cave centipedes by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13743484034_c554e91913_c.jpgP3233851 bats & swiftlets in Gomantong Caves by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



I tried to photograph the bats and swiftlets but I had a problem with my flash and it just wasn't giving out enough power. I tried changing batteries but that didn't work either. Having been in the cave for a short while, getting increasingly frustrated with my camera, I decided that I'd had enough and made for the exit.


We had timed our visit to see the bats inside the cave. But really if I were to return or do a similar trip elsewhere I think I would prefer to come just before dusk. This is because every evening, over 2 million resident bats spiral out for their evening feed. As the bats leave, the swiftlets are usually beginning to make their way back to the caves after a day's foraging. There are also bat hawks that linger not far from the scene and prey specifically on the bats as they leave their roost. We had the option of waiting for this spectacle, but to be honest it was so hot that the prospect of hanging around there for a further two or three hours, versus the prospect of another boat trip, was not all that appealing at the time.

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Atravelynn

There must have been something much better on the other side of the river for that swimming civet. I remember that Jimmy Carter incident, thanks for the reminder, very funny. Leeches at night are creepier than during the day. Such tiny subjects you managed to get. The bat flying in front of the sign is rather funny.

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@@kittykat23uk

I have enjoyed catching up on your report

You have some great bird shots - and wonderful flying monkey!

The river trips sound great - I enjoyed seeing the otter.

The cave sounds fairly unpleasant!

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kittykat23uk

Thanks @@Atravelynn and @@TonyQ yeah the cave is pretty unpleasant and all I could think about was a book I read called "The Hot Zone" in which someone visited a similar cave in Kenya and caught ebola! :P They warn you to keep your mouth closed in there, but it might also be worth bringing some kind of face mask..

 

While we were taking the trip to the caves we heard that one of the local villagers had gone into the forest some days ago and had not returned. There were search parties out looking for him but so far they had failed to find any sign of him. At the time of writing I still don't know if the villager has been located.

We boarded the boat at Bilit and headed down the river. We headed down a channel to look for some birds. Our guide heard a Black-crowned Pitta whistling plaintively in the jungle so we moored the boat and headed in to try and find it. After a lot of bush-bashing we finally managed to get clear views of this beautiful bird, but there was too much vegetation in the way to get a clear shot. I was delighted! Pittas were a group of birds that I really wanted to see and we had now seen two species, one really well!

We encountered more proboscis monkeys and had some lovely views of a troop of silver leaf monkeys feeding in the trees. Then our guide spotted a black and yellow snake curled up on a branch and further on, another one in a much better position for a picture. These are mangrove cat snakes. This is an nocturnal colubrid snake that is considered to be mildly venomous- the venom has been known to cause intense swelling in humans but apparently there have been no confirmed fatalities.

The rhinoceros hornbills were in the same are as the previous evening as we headed back to the lodge. We didn't have a night boat trip this evening so we just relaxed around the lodge.

 

13744578353_6dbfdfae8c_c.jpgP3233867 Silver Leaf Monkey by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13744560045_15dce5042d_c.jpgP3233873 Silver Leaf Monkeys by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13745204493_ff164f8c2a_c.jpgP3233916 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13743326314_128304bee7_c.jpgP3233921 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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Kitsafari

i love all those insect and bat pictures, especially the centipede. i'm terrified of worms and snakes and centipedes, but that cave centipede is almost lovely.

 

i've not heard that leeches catch only around the leg areas. i read somewhere that a guy found one on his armpits. i'm thinking of using the leech socks as arm bands as well....

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kittykat23uk

@@Kitsafari Tucking your shirt in might also help protect against leeches.

 

Monday 24th March

 

The next morning was our final boat trip before heading on to Lahad Datu, gateway to the Danum valley. We saw quite a few birds, but as my flash was causing me problems I actually didn't photograph much at all because the birds were either in dense jungle, or too far away. The birds we saw included several species that we'd seen previous days such as stork-billed kingfisher, common sandpiper, anhinga, white-bellied sea eagle, brahminy kite, Raffles's malkoha, blue-eared kingfisher, long-tailed parakeets, yellow-vented bulbul, Malaysian blue flycatcher, black-naped monarch, Asian paradise flycatcher, white-bellied babbler, rufous piculet and dollarbird. To this we added new species yellow wagtail, bold-striped tit-babbler, olive-winged bulbul, and ashy tailorbird. We also saw plain pygmy squirrel. We headed back to the lodge to pack and grabbed some sandwiches for the journey. On the boardwalk Paul spotted a gliding lizard.

 

14132608163_7407641675_c.jpgP3243962 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

14132601823_97da1b4e31_c.jpgP3243965 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13925907260_34940904d8_c.jpgP3243983 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13925878939_9fd2ab0f93_c.jpgP3243980 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13742990743_7fa1c2bbde_c.jpgP3244016 Gliding Lizard by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

We took the boat back to Bilit and then drove on a way to somewhere we could get a ride down to Lahad Datu. Robert spoke to some locals and told us that they would take us to Lahad Datu if we wanted. I think the cost was about 150 or 200 ringgit. There seemed to be only one car available at the time. Emblazoned on the side of the car was a sticker proudly announcing that the car had been “designed” by a local custom shop. The extent of this “design” seemed to have involved stripping out pretty much all of the interior plastic, leaving all the metal in the doors and seatbelts exposed, the front passenger seat was gone too, replaced with a cushion and the exterior seemed to have been resprayed in rattle can black, The driver and his mate played some pretty lame heavy metal musing all the way down to Lahad Datu.

 

We arrived safely and checked into the Silam Dynasty for our overnight stop. We caught a taxi and headed to the Danum Valley Field Centre office and were able to arrange the four nights that we wanted there. I also downloaded a copy of the manual for my flash and found out that the issue I was having was not actually an issue at all and was quickly rectified. So I was rather relieved by that because there was nowhere locally that sold Olympus flash units! I also took the opportunity to get some more cash out- there are plenty of ATMs which take visa and mastercard. Then we had a look round the shops for a bit before grabbing some dinner and catching up on downloading photos and checking online.

 

Next stop, Danum Valley!! :D

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Atravelynn

And more bats in a more natural setting without signs! Shut your mouth is a good idea. Maybe don't inhale is also a good idea. I would not have thought you'd have such good otter viewing! Looking forward to Danum Valley.

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kittykat23uk

Yes the otters were a special sighting! :D

 

Tuesday 25th March

 

We had breakfast and checked out. A driver from Borneo Rainforest Lodge (BRL) arrived early and we were soon on our way to the Danum Valley. The 97 km drive from Lahad Datu to Borneo Rainforest Lodge, takes about two and a half hours. Only the first 15 km is on a sealed road along the main Lahad Datu - Tawau Highway. We soon turned off onto a gravel road and headed deeper into the jungle. We could see plenty of sign of elephant using the road but sadly we did not encounter any on our drive in. In fact the drive was pretty uneventful.

 

I imagine everyone gets the same warm welcome at BRL with arrival drinks then an orientation chat in the bar and we were soon introduced to Aznil, who would be our guide for the next two days. Aznil mentioned that there was a colugo right near to the lodge and asked if we wanted to see it now or later on. We were both so excited at the news that we agreed to go straight away to see it, in case it moved on. Unfortunately it was positioned in such a way that we could only really get a view of it's bum! Bit of a let down but it was still a new mammal for the list. We agreed a time for us to meet in the afternoon and Aznil said we would be with two others and would have a short nature walk.

 

The chalets are arranged along a boardwalk and a plain pygmy squirrel was feeding on the trunk of a tree as we walked along. After the orientation there was time to unpack and have a shower before heading to the restaurant for some lunch. There was plenty of choice on offer for lunch and a well-stocked bar meant I could actually indulge in a nice rum and coke. The restaurant has a nice view which overlooks the river and behind this the forest extends up to an escarpment. I had commented to Paul earlier that I was surprised we hadn't seen any bee-eaters. But they must all have been hanging out at BRL as behind the chalets is a meadow leading down to the river where flocks of blue-throated bee-eaters were hawking for insects. A pair also seemed to hang around on the trees in front of the restaurant along with white-throated fantail. Pacific swallows were also flocking around the restaurant, especially under the deck.

 

13762597144_b1be4e438b_c.jpgP3254042 Plain Pygmy Squirrel by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762619614_88097e1122_c.jpgP3254054 Plain Pygmy Squirrel by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762272883_2ecc19e040_c.jpgP3254068 Skink by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762685524_54a33fb105_c.jpgP3254074 butterfly I.d. Needed! by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762701104_4636f8e11b_c.jpgP3254085 Pacific Swallow by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762341005_6c0feb2c88_c.jpgP3254090 I.d. Needed by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762360373_97debb042b_c.jpgP3254100 Pacific Swallow by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762351795_48081f64ec_c.jpgP3254101 Blue-throated bee-eater by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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kittykat23uk

We had a short time to explore the area near the restaurant and the flowers there attracted little spiderhunters, ashy (red-headed) and rufous-tailed tailorbirds. A diminutive rufous piculet (a tiny species of woodpecker) was tapping gently at the base of one of the plants that line the verges. There were many flowering shrubs which also attracted yellow-bellied bulbul, yellow breasted and yellow-rumped flowerpeckers.



13762731904_3129fe310d_c.jpgP3254106 Yellow-bellied Bulbul by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13762565043_8d0cccc672_c.jpgP3254119conv adj Rufous piculet by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13762752964_0d4ebc32b2_c.jpgP3254129 red-headed (ashy) tailorbird by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13762669063_2bff247cc8_c.jpgP3254140conv71 Yellow-rumped flowerpecker by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13762548893_25c5826493_c.jpgP3254144 adj Little spiderhunter by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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kittykat23uk

We met up with Aznil and the other members of our group. We spotted a Bornean blue flycatcher. The plan for the afternoon was to take a short introductory walk to the canopy walkway, but we were soon taking a detour through the jungle as call to Aznil alerted us to a pair of orangutans that had been spotted by another group. After a sweaty trek we arrived to enjoy this male and female pair feeding and making their way slowly through the jungle. The orangutans here have been studied extensively by Japanese scientists and these two were designated by the researchers as Oni (male) and Yamato (female). Oni means “demon” or “troll” in Japanese and Yamato is both the name of a Japanese province and is also used to refer to the Japanese in general.

13762784064_b471cba7b1_c.jpgP3254148 Tiger leech by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13763030484_4f56aca9f9_c.jpgP3254151conv adj Bornean Blue flycatcher by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13763035194_0e4c4ab2fc_c.jpgP3254160conv72 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762431825_0bef862f14_c.jpgP3254167 Oni - Male Orangutan by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762439535_f87e794b6f_c.jpgP3254175 Yamato- female orangutan by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

 

13762470073_dd8fb68d92_c.jpgP3254178 Oni- Male Orangutan by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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kittykat23uk

After spending some time watching the orangutans Aznil led us back to the lodge. There was still plenty of daylight left so we headed out straight away to check out the canopy walkway. Paul stopped to check out some culverts for bats, spotting a lesser woolly horseshoe bat hanging inside the pipework. As he went to check another one further up the road, I tuned and to my surprise startled a sambar deer who froze and just stared at me for a while. Paul wandered back and I pointed the deer out to him too. Then we headed onto the walkway.



13762460615_266d393ca3_c.jpgP3254212 Lesser woolly Horseshoe bat by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13762665435_44a622fd02_c.jpgP3254213conv73 Lesser woolly Horseshoe bat by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



14093231646_3a43c5c535_c.jpgP3254219 by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



13762862384_d848fb997b_c.jpgP3254221 Pill Millipede by kittykat23uk, on Flickr



The walkway is a fair distance from the actual lodge up the service road and comprises of multiple viewing platforms, spanning approximately 300m in length and stands at 26m at the highest point. Unlike the walkway at Sepilok which is very sturdy, this walkway is designed and engineered to be ‘tree friendly’ without rigging any of the steel cables direct onto the five support trees. The spacious and sturdy platforms provide a safe and unobstructed up-close view of the 130 million year old virgin jungle’s canopy, but the rope bridges that connect them are rather bouncy when you walk along them. The suspension cables are hung between emergent dipterocarp and mengaris trees at 15-25m up the trunks – barely half the height of these enormous trees but within the rainforest canopy. At each suspension point there is an octagonal shaped observation platform which allows the user time to rest before the next airy bridge.



As we started up the steps we met someone coming the other way who told us it was very quiet. We set up one of the nearer platforms and waited in the hope of seeing some birds and flying squirrels. But we really didn't see anything much at all, except for the spectacular view!

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kitefarrago

I'm enjoying reading your report, Jo! I think your butterfly (in post #69) might be Moduza procris. At first sight this might not look like a good match, but if you lighten your image you'll see that the background is lighter, and much richer in patterning, than appears in the posted version.

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kittykat23uk

Thanks @@kitefarrago Yep I agree certainly looks like a good match. :)

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kittykat23uk

Here's a video of the orangutans and views from the canopy walkway.

 

 

We returned to the lodge for dinner and to discuss the plans for the next morning. When we arranged this stay we dealt with a lady called Christa,who provided us with an outline of their standard 2 night package. This included:

D1 : An introduction trek on the nature trail & canopy walkway followed by a guided night drive after dinner.

D2 : Wake up to the calls of the Bornean Gibbons and start your day with guide trek to the View Point, Kadazandusun burial site – Coffin Cliff. Take a short break by the Natural Jacuzzi pool for a refreshing dip before lunch at the Lodge. Afternoon optional activities: A Guided Jungle Trekking or if weather permits, Water Tubing session down the Danum River for an hour or guest’s own leisure.

Guided Night Walk on the Nature Trail after dinner.

D3 : Optional: An early morning walk and return to the Lodge for lunch before checking-out for transfer to Lahad Datu.

We had expressed our desire to hire one of their guides instead of taking this package (the full day of activities did not seem to be a good use of our time) but that request had some how gotten lost in translation. So we had a chat with the manager about what he could sort out for us as we didn't think it was fair for either us or the other members of the group if we didn't want to do one of the activities. We had offered to do our own thing without a guide, but realistically they are very safety conscious (especially since a tourist got trampled by an elephant whist out walking alone at Tabin) and you are only allowed to do the nature trial and the canopy walkway without a guide. The manager offered to put on another guide but with Aznil still being our main guide with the idea that we would all walk together but if we needed to stop for birding we could split the group. This still wasn't satisfactory because when I quizzed Aznil about walking to the viewpoint he advised that there wasn't really any wildlife on that trail that we couldn't see on the lower trails. So I was adamant that I did not want to do the hike to the viewpoint. Eventually the manager got the message and we were able to arrange to do some birding instead.


After another varied meal and a couple of drinks we were heading out on a night drive. This proved to be more productive than our stakeout at the canopy walkway and we were able to observe both Thomas's and red giant flying squirrels, lesser mouse deer (which is neither a mouse nor a deer!) and Sambar.

13762870764_aaec154788_c.jpgP3254228 Thomas's Giant Flying Squirrel by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13762877084_d6b700e548_c.jpgP3254229 Tree frog by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

13762541073_fedc15c6e6_c.jpgP3254230 Tree frog by kittykat23uk, on Flickr

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