Sandakan 2011 - #06 Nothing Short of A Splendid Morning

We actually stopped by another location in Sandakan town to get a specific bird after all the thrill with the Proboscis Monkey. However, as we went there twice (once again after finishing with the RDC) I shall combine both visits in another post later.

Let's start off with the following morning when I am beside myself with excitement to finally be able to visit the Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). We stayed at the closest possible means of accommodation, the Sepilok B&B which is about a 400 metre walk to the RDC. They have a variety of rooms and usually come with breakfast which is served at the small canteen at the reception. The canteen also has a simple a la carte menu for other meals.

I'm on my way!

As it had been drizzling intermittently overnight and for the past few days, the sky remained grey in the morning and looked like it would leak anytime. So after a quick cup of noodles, we started off as soon as possible to maximize the short time we have there. We did not progress more than a hundred metres from the resort when we were greeted by a large flock of Black Hornbills Anthracoceros malayanus feeding low in a fruiting fig tree. I think there were about 8-10 of them and they were certainly making a big ruckus this early already! They took turns to feed - about half of them would be foraging while the other half preened nearby in a few palm trees. After a while, an exchange would take place, their loud wing beats rushing to and from the fruiting tree.

What a lovely juicy breakfast!

I took as many shots as I could of any exposed bird and then told myself I have to leave soon because I don't want to miss the early morning show in the RDC! Along the way, I kept checking out every Starling or Myna, as David Bakewell reported seeing a Chestnut-cheeked Starling Sturnus philippensis somewhere outside the RDC too. I was duly rewarded for my persistence. I finally found it mingling with the commoner Asian Glossy Starlings Aplonis panayensis and it even stayed long enough for me to get one shot! Though it's a poor shot thanks to the dim lighting and slight mist, I was pleased that it turned out good enough for identification and record.

A poor shot but distinct record of my lifer! I only saw this one male, any females were nowhere to be seen.

The commoner species for comparison.

There were a few Javan Mynas Acridotheres javanicus too, and according to the field guide, this place is the one of the sites in Sabah where they can be commonly found. Must be a small feral colony. A pair of Little Green Pigeons Treron olax were also courting around, the male kept on chasing the female. This was the first time that I've seen this species so closely, and they even came down almost to the ground.

It's odd how I rarely take pictures of the Mynas at home, but here at Sepilok, anything goes!

A beautiful male at close range. Usually they're far, far away on the tops of bare trees.

My mum and I then hurried on to the RDC where we bought our entrance tickets for RM5 each (Malaysian adults). As my mum had been here before, she could show me around the place quite well. We headed straight for the canopy walkway as it was still early enough to hopefully catch a glimpse of the Bornean Bristlehead. From the ticketing booth, the path to the walkway skirts a small lake where we saw Brown-throated Sunbirds Anthreptes malayanus borneensis, Pied Fantails Rhipidura javanica longicauda and an Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps borneoensis.

I've never seen a Sunbird on the ground before. I wonder why she came down.

We finally reach the start of the canopy walkway. In the RDC, the canopy walkway is a sturdy solid metal structure about 20 metres above the forest floor. This makes it so ideal for birdwatching and also photography as we can stop and put our tripods down anywhere along the walkway without worrying about blocking anyone's path. They also have a small gazebo where we can take shelter in besides the two towers named as Trogon and Bristlehead Tower which allow visitors to have an even more commanding view of the treetops.

According to my mum, the previous time she came they only had the two towers connected by a lower walkway and it was only accessible by climbing up the steps from Trogon tower. Now, about a year later, they have added a short span which enables us to walk right from ground level on a gradually ascending ramp without having to climb up the stairs. This short span is one of the first places you will reach as you come from the ticketing booth and around the lake. Nearby, they have also built a small open-air cafeteria known as the Keruing Cafe, but at the moment, it is only used for catered functions, so no meals are available throughout the day. However, it serves as a good wide sheltered platform for birdwatching as it overlooks the forest too.

The moment I stepped onto the walkway, I gasped in awe and was just overwhelmed by everything before me. Wow. This is a birding paradise! We had hardly moved 10 metres when a certain distinct call was echoing in the forest. And sure enough for moments later, I saw a black bulky medium-sized bird in the trees to my right. Already with a hunch on my mind, I confirmed its identity when I raised my binoculars to my eyes. Fully black body with a really weird looking capsicum-red head and black bill, there it was, the Bornean Bristlehead Pityriasis gymnocephala! A lifer so early in the day! I could not have asked for more. This was definitely going to be a great day, I thought to myself. It was about 7am then. Sightings of these birds are usually reported early in the morning and late in the evening.

As it was rather far away, my mum passed the digiscoping setup to me and I tried taking a few shots of it. But it is superbly skilled in keeping to the foliage and hardly presents an exposed chance for a clear shot. It also moves very nimbly and quickly for a bird its size and we often lost it only to find it again somewhere else in the tree! After about 15 minutes, it flew away to a further tree where we then realized it had joined other members of its flock. They were much too far away for photography, but we still continued observing their antics until they all took off deeper into the forest.

Spot the Bristlehead!

We continued our way towards the first tower, the Trogon tower. We decided not to go up the tower yet as my mum wanted to show me as much of the grounds today as possible - a quick tour. So we passed the tower and headed for the Bristlehead Tower at the end of the walkway. I think it's really cute and appropriate that such towers be named after these birds. It's not often that towers or buildings and trails are dedicated to birds, but here almost every one of them is! Such is the charm of this place.

Along the way, I added a few more lifers to my list, both in species and subspecies. I heard this rasping bell-like call which sounded familiar yet different and followed it. Two large black birds appeared and I made them out to be Bornean Black Magpies Platysmurus aterrimus. Unlike the Black Magpies P. leucopterus in Peninsular Malaysia, these are fully black without the white wing stripe and sport a small crest too.

One more endemic species to add to my list.

Another black animal showed up, but this time it was a mammal. It was the Bornean variant of the Prevost's Squirrel Callosciurus prevostii. This race too was almost completely black, save for a bright rusty chestnut underbelly. It also seemed to be smaller than the ones I normally see in Merapoh.

Love the shiny jet black fur.

On our way to the Bristlehead Tower, a foreigner birdwatcher gave us a tip off that there was an eagle at the end of the walkway. We headed for the place and looked around only to find a Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela pallidus sunning itself in the morning rays. It's alright, for this is one of my subspecies lifers which I already saw along the Kinabatangan. I didn't mind looking at it for a longer time than I usually would with the usual peninsular race S.c.malayensis.

Hello there. You look pretty much the same.

After that, we decided to turn back and check out someplace else. I managed to see a male Van Hasselt's Sunbird Leptocoma brasiliana perched right atop a thin tree. At this height of the walkway, it was just slightly above my eye level. So just imagine the chances of seeing this bird if you're down on the forest floor! I tried to digiscope it, but as there was only a small window through which I could see the bird, my task was made more difficult as the tree was really thin and swaying in the wind. I couldn't get a stable image on the camera screen.

Back at the start of the walkway, a small red thing flashed in front of my eyes and settled in the bottle-brush flowers in front of me. A beautiful male Temminck's Sunbird Aethopyga temminckii. It started feeding on the flowers and did not keep still enough for me to get a decent shot. Finally it settled on a branch in front of a fully bloomed flower. And just sat there. For more than a minute it didn't move at all. It was a dream come true and I happily clicked away until it had enough of its rest and continued on its hyperactive rounds.

This would make a lovely greeting card.

We went back out through the front entrance and my mum brought me along the main road to what can be called the back entrance of the RDC. It is connected to the rest of the trails, but on her previous visit this spot had good birds too. A stream runs along one side of the trail and the other side was like a small arboretum where several trees of the same species were planted. When we reached the place, a Hooded Pitta Pitta sordida mulleri was already calling from the forest fringe. My mum decided to walk back to the resort to get the chairs and hide and asked me to hang around there for the moment.

While waiting, I saw a pair of Greater Racquet-tailed Drongos Dicrurus paradiseus brachyphorus and a few Spectacled Bulbuls Pycnonotus erythropthalmos. I then saw something strange fly by across the trail into the forest. It seemed like it had a long yellowish beak which reminded me of a banana somehow and the rest of the body seemed quite colourful. As it was gone in a split second, it left me stunned and surprised to say the least. I had no way to see where the bird could have gone and so, just passed it off and thought no more about it.

Not too long after, my ears pricked up when I heard this call I knew I had listened to on playback many times but never really heard it in the wild. It was a double-toned ascending whistle which repeated itself over and over again. Though it was faint and came from deep inside the forest beyond the stream, it was clear enough and I listened intently to it a few times over to be sure. Luckily, my mum had left the playback device with me. I took it out and started playing the same call of the bird I had in mind just to see whether it was the same. Yes, it was. I then switched it off as I thought there wasn't any hope in calling this sort of bird out.

You could say I was extremely startled when the bird started calling again, this time much louder and nearer! My heart thumped excitedly as I switched the playback on again to try my luck. It responded whenever I stopped and it really seemed to be coming closer. Its call then changed to the alarm call of a descending bubbly trill and I kept my eyes scanning the trees over the stream. By this time, my mum had returned and I alerted her to what I was doing. She too kept a lookout for the bird.

Finally, after a few more tries, I saw a movement and my binoculars were up at my eyes in an instant. By golly, a male Rufous-collared Kingfisher Actenoides concretus borneanus! It was still slightly hidden and we observed it for a while, not daring to make any sudden movements. It slowly made its way nearer and nearer until it stopped on a fully exposed branch to keep on trying to battle our intrusion. This was when we acted, getting all gear on hand focused on it and held back no more.

It was a stunning male. Its yellow beak and orange belly were the brightest hues against the dark forest background. While calling, it flicked its tail and kept its head raised, looking around for the intruder. After about 10 minutes of remaining in the same position, a small movement nearby caught my eye. It was another! But this one turned out to be a juvenile female, and this immediately explained the territorial display of the adult male bird.

Don't mess with me or my daughter!

The newcomer was almost fully developed, but still appeared vulnerable and rather inexperienced in the current situation. As we turned our attention to her, the male bird slipped away and remained hidden. Together, the father and daughter slowly made their way down the stream and back into the forest as he must have decided there wasn't any alarming danger about.

Its beak and legs have yet to turn into a bright yellow hue.

I finally breathed properly again after they disappeared from sight! It was a truly breathtaking experience to see such beautiful gems. So the unusual bird which flew by much earlier must have been the adult female of this family, considering the markings of this forest Kingfisher.

My mum and I happily moved on and we decided to try the Pitta Path. We did not go far as it looked to be a steep climb and a long walk. At the entrance of the trail, a White-chested Babbler Trichastoma rostratum macropterum was feeding close to the ground but it wasn't easy to photograph it either due to its skulking nature. A large Spiderhunter was also high up in a tree beside the trail. I was hoping that it was a Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter Arachnothera affinis everetti, but it turned out to be a Long-billed Spiderhunter Arachnothera robusta robusta. Good enough for me because I haven't seen it often too! We also heard a Banded Woodpecker Chrysophlegma mineaceus calling and eventually found it in a tree almost directly above our heads.

This was far away and really high up. But no mistaking its extra long bill!

I think I need to end this post here as it's getting really long! And that was just about 4 hours into my first day at the RDC. What a morning!

Just a beautiful Common Sun Skink Mabuya multifasciata to finish up this post.

Sandakan 2011 - #05 A Dutchman In Town

My eyes were half shut from a tiring whirlwind tour of Sandakan town by a hospitable local friend of ours. It was about 5 in the evening and we were stuck in heavy traffic at a busy intersection on the outskirts of town. All of a sudden my dad, sitting beside me at the back of the car, exclaimed excitedly at something I almost could not believe my ears were hearing. He hurriedly screened down the car window, rummaged around for his binoculars and brought them to his eyes. I tried to peer around him through any remaining gaps to see if it was indeed true. Lo and behold, we were looking at a large reddish-brown primate with 4-foot long ash-coloured tail on a tall tree overhanging a sort of ditch. Yes it was! A Proboscis Monkey Nasalis larvatus!

Check out the look on his face. Super displeased.

It was a young male, probably kicked out from its family as we later discovered. My dad quickly asked our friend who was at the wheel to pull over and then the still half-asleep me dug through my camera bag to pass my gear to my dad as he was sitting on the side closer to the monkey.

I think many other drivers must have honked at us for causing an even bigger stir at rush hour. But we just ignored them as this was truly an unexpected sighting. We had spent the whole of this morning searching up and down the Kinabatangan for this much sought-after primate to no avail and here it was smack in the middle of Sandakan! Apparently, it's easier to see them in the evenings.

Even our friend was highly intrigued with our behaviour. We passed her a pair of binoculars to appreciate better the characteristic appearance of the monkey. Over the past thirty to forty years she has been living here, she too has never seen this monkey so close to urban civilization. Tourists normally find them along the Kinabatangan or at the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.

After snapping away dozens of shots, we decided to turn into a nearby road to stop our car properly away from the traffic. My dad and I then got down and walked back to the spot to get even more record shots. Oh, the things we do in the name of nature. It's no wonder people think we're slightly off in the head.

Our local Dutchman did not seem to be pleased at all with our presence. Initially, he hissed and bared his fangs at us as a threat display. But after some time, he seemed to calm down and accepted that we were just a bunch of nuts who were not worth his time and effort!

"Get out of my swamp!"

Oh and the reason why I'm calling him a Dutchman isn't because I'm trying to be funny or even insult anyone from Holland! In Malay, this primate is known as 'Monyet Belanda' which means 'Dutch monkey.' According to them, this monkey resembles a Dutch man with its big belly and nose! The Dutch once colonized Indonesia and part of Borneo where this species resides. Hence, no hard feelings, I hope, about referring to this mammal as a Dutchman.

"I am woman Dutchman, hear me roar!"

We spent close to 15 minutes for just this one monkey. It was getting late and we were in a hurry to go to another birding site before dinner. So, thank you for your time, Mr Dutchman and we bade him farewell.

"Weird humans."

Sandakan 2011 - #04 One Last Quick Look Around Bilit

We finally had our breakfast at 10am in the morning. Most of the other guests who had arrived the previous day were starting to check-out, so we were the only ones left at the restaurant. The skies threatened to drizzle. Despite that, I persevered and went off with my umbrella and equipment once more to have a last look around Bilit Rainforest Lodge as I didn't really have a chance to do any proper birding there.

I have this habit of photographing almost everything I eat outside of home.

The cherry tree behind the restaurant seemed active. The same male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma dayakanum was there, busy gorging itself on the fruits, even the green ones. It would perch on a branch opposite a fruit it was interested in, then peck bit by bit of the fruit off. I like to watch how its beak moves when it's processing each bite of the fruit. It's so rapid and well-controlled that it's fascinating!

"I spy with my little eye..."

Chomp!

An Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps borneoensis was calling loudly and hopping around nearby but it was too fast for me. A small flock of Eurasian Tree-Sparrows Passer montanus malaccensis were frolicking about too. Since there wasn't anything else to photograph, and also because it was in a natural setting, I had fun snapping away.

Though almost always overlooked for being so common, this one was just too pretty.

On the way back to our chalet, a male Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja siparaja visited the flowering trees briefly but posed no opportunities for me. Not far off the ground, I was a little surprised to see a Brown Shrike Lanius cristatus lucionensis perched quietly. It is rather late in going home, as with the Egrets. But considering the recent catastrophes up north, I can see why it's still around!

The dragonfly in the centre of the photo did not seem to worry for its life being so close to the Shrike!

As I was engrossed with the Shrike, I happened to see a male Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis borneensis flying up to a tree at my eye level. I took a few hurried shots of it and dashed back to grab the digiscoping gear. My mum had already kept the camera so I dug it out and assembled it as fast as I could, knowing that Sunbirds do not stay for long! My dad helped carry the fieldscope to where I left my camera and I then took over. Thankfully the bird was still there, giving itself a good preen. I didn't quite like the lighting though, as the bird - being smart - chose a shady perch while the background was bright. But anyhow I stayed there for as long as the bird remained.

It's not often that a Sunbird can be digiscoped.

Sadly, it was getting late and I had to hurry back to pack. I was so torn to pack my gear for fear that something else might show up, which isn't uncommon. So I rushed to pack everything else and left my camera for last. Thank goodness for this as a male Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker Prionochilus xanthopygius came to say goodbye right in front of our chalet. It looks so much like the Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus percussus, but as the name implies, this had a bright yellow rump with only a faint reddish spot on its breast.

Its feathers look rather worn, or else a distinct white pectoral tuft should be visible too.

It was really time to go by then. A light drizzle seemed to be hurrying us off to our next destination. The boat ride across the river was again a wet and spray-ful one. So, goodbye Bilit! It was a short but sweet experience indeed. I still want to explore more of this place as I'm sure there are surprises lurking around the corner. I'll definitely be back one day for the Bornean Ground-Cuckoo Carpococcyx radiatus. I hope you're ready.

Sandakan 2011 - #03 A Morning On The Kinabatangan

As the sun rises earlier at one of the Eaternmost areas of Malaysia, up we were at 5 in the morning, the cockerels already beginning their morning call. We trundled down to the restaurant for a quick coffee and headed down to the jetty where our boatman was waiting for us. The skies were still cloudy and grey when we set off down the Kinabatangan River before 6.30am.

Looking forward to a bright morning.

Oh, the feeling of the chilly morning wind against my face was lovely. The river water was still a light brown shade but the level had gone down since the rain stopped the previous evening. The forest lined both riverbanks about 150metres across just beyond a thick boundary of elephant grass. I kept praying that the weather would be kind to us this morning!

Our boat had several rows of pairs of bucket seats and we were accompanied by not just a boatman but also a local guide. They were very helpful indeed whenever we spotted something and wanted to get nearer for identification and photographic purposes. The boat had both a diesel motor which was used for long-distance travelling and also a more silent electric motor for more delicate negotiating and manoeuvring. What I liked most about this boat was that it was stable and there was minimal splash, enabling us to remain high and dry throughout the entire trip. More importantly was that our equipment wouldn’t get wet!

One of our first sightings was a pair of Storm’s Storks Ciconia stormi flying directly overhead. Being still so early in the morning, it didn’t occur to me to remove my camera from the tripod and my tripod was also fixed too low. We were lucky that we saw 3 more storks perching further downstream. Although lighting was not much improved, it was much easier especially when our boatman cut off the engine and we came to an almost complete halt.

Still far, far away. The third was hidden from this view.

The next bird which caught our attention was a raptor. As the light was still dim, getting a good shot was challenging. After a while we concluded that it was a Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle Nisaetus nanus nanus. The leg feathers completely covered the tarsals and there were multiple tail bands. A short, sharp crest stood stiff and erect at the top of its head. It did not seem bothered to fly away even though we got quite close to it, probably because its wings were still wet from yesterday. We saw around two more of this species along the river. I like the way the crest sticks out, the feathers are usually separated from each other and makes it look rather cute!

Look at the crest!

Not far away on the opposite side, I spotted a colourful thing perched on a solitary bare tree partially submerged in the river. As we drew closer, I made it out to be a Black-and-Red Broadbill Cymbirhynchus macrorhyncos macrorhyncos and it flew to a mass of dried twigs on the same tree. A nest! We didn’t proceed nearer as to not disturb it and continued our journey.

Nest above the water. I'll bet it has a nice view. Unless the river floods.

Keeping a good watch.

Along the riverbanks, a mixture of breeding and non-breeding plumage Great Egrets Ardea alba pranced gracefully with their long slender necks held high above the water. The birds in breeding plumage looked stunning indeed with their jet black bills, red legs and bright cyan facial skin. Little Egrets Egretta garzetta garzetta were slightly less common and most of them were also ready for courtship.

Love the composition. And the plumes.

Another in transition to breeding plumage.

The grace of an Egret is not easy to translate into pictures.

Other notable species that we saw were a pair of Pink-necked Green Pigeons Treron vernans, a pair of Little Green Pigeons Treron olax, a pair of Crested Serpent Eagles Spilornis cheela pallidus and abundant numbers of Slender-billed Crows Corvus enca compilator. Here in East Malaysia, the Slender-bills are far commoner than the Southern Jungle Crows Corvus macrorhynchus and House Crows Corvus splendens. The opposite is also true in West Malaysia.

Purple Herons Ardea purpurea manilensis would fly over every now and then and once a lone Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax also flew past.

It was this lone Lesser Fish-Eagle Ichthyophaga humilis humilis which gave us a pleasant surprise. Normally, this species and also the Grey-headed Fish-Eagle Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus are superbly skittish and are so sensitive to the slightest movement we make. The moment its eagle eyes spot a single strand of hair moving, whoosh! Off they go! But this bird that we saw today couldn't care less if we were a troupe of monkeys using loudspeakers. Alright I might have over-exaggerated, but it just illustrates how different this one behaved.

The most cooperative bird throughout our entire trip!

When I first spotted it perched on a fern-covered tree, we were excited but took a very slow and cautious approach, for fear that we might spook it. Our boatman even used the electric motor to cut down the amount of noise we made. But after hanging about almost directly at the base of the tree for more than 5 minutes, it just continued standing there looking down on us. Our cameras didn't stop clicking from the moment we saw it until then. In fact, we had to give up shooting it when we found no better angle. Even our guide and boatman were surprised as they too had never seen this species stay for this long. And to top it all off, on our way back, it was still there!

On the next leg of our journey, we had magnificent views of a pair of Stork-billed Kingfishers Pelargopsis capensis cyanopteryx. Being a different subspecies from the one we get in Peninsular Malaysia (P.c.malaccensis), the first thing that struck me was how bright this one appeared. The crown of this subspecies is a buffish orange with only a slight tinge of dull brown towards the forehead, unlike the other which has a whole head of dull brown

Calling and fanning its wings and tail - to stake its territory and to attract a mate.

These Kingfishers were calling and displaying profusely from the top of a bare tree before coming lower to hunt. As the sun had finally made an appearance, the effect of the sun's rays hitting these magnificent birds was just breathtaking. They stood out like glowing embers in the morning sun. One of them was very obliging and allowed us stunning views at a pretty close range. Our guide was again astonished at how cooperative this bird was as this species apparently rarely stops for such wonderful views.

As beautiful as amber.

Not much further down, we entered the Ox-Bow Lake. To access the lake, we had to pass through a small inlet where there are warning signs of crocodiles along the banks. The trees hung over both sides of the inlet and their canopies formed an arch above us. At some points we even had to duck our heads to avoid the low branches. I relished every moment of this serenity and wished that more people could appreciate such beauty.

The calm and peaceful inlet into the lake.

The beginning of the Ox-Bow.

The main highlight of the Ox-Bow Lake was a fruiting fig tree with a large flock of Green Imperial-Pigeons Ducula aenea polia and at least a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills Buceros rhinoceros borneoensis (an adult female and a young male). The birds kept very well hidden and so we waited patiently for one to alight fleetingly on an exposed branch. Suddenly, a Crested Goshawk Accipiter trivirgatus microstictus appeared out of the blue, zoning in onto the fruiting tree and dove in, causing a big ruckus and explosion of Pigeons scurrying away. The Hornbills were nowhere to be seen.

Having a good feast.

However, this proved to be a blessing in disguise for us (despite it probably being a brush with death for the Pigeons) as they flew right over our heads to perch on a bare tree on the opposite side. The sun was in the right direction, bringing out their metallic green wings to full glory. It was just splendid.

Such a pity its right wing was cropped off.

To bask in the sun after escaping a near fatal fate.

It was about 9am by the time we finished. As we hadn't had our breakfast yet, we decided to head back. The best part of the journey back was a Saltwater Crocodile Crocodylus porosus, spotted by our boatman's keen eyes. It was basking in the shallows and it looked like it just had a good meal. When we tried to approach it, it slipped slowly into deeper waters, keeping only its eyes and nostrils visible.

"Never smile at a crocodile..."

We also said goodbye to our Lesser Fish-Eagle friend still solemnly watching over the river.

We couldn't have asked for more after such a wonderful morning with sufficiently kind weather. There weren't as many things to see already, partly also because we were so satisfied that we didn't really bother looking out for more. The sun disappeared behind the clouds as though closing the curtains on a great show and the sky turned gloomy again.

Back from a cruise not to be forgotten. It was worth every single minute!

Sandakan 2011 - #02 Bilit Rainforest Lodge

I practically slept throughout the whole journey to Bilit as there wasn't much I could see through the window. By the time I was jolted awake by the van maneuvering through deep muddy ruts in the road, the rain had reduced to a light drizzle. On both sides of the road, the forest floor was flooded.

I think this was what woke me up.

Upon reaching a small village, the van stopped and we transferred all our luggage to a motorboat which would bring us to the Bilit Rainforest Lodge (BRL). I think even the floating platform below the jetty was damaged by the rising water levels but they made a makeshift bridge for us to get into the boat.

First view of the Kinabatangan.

The boatmen provided ponchos for all of us but as we already had our own raincoats on we used them to line our seats instead. Some were also used to cover the bags. I looked out at the Kinabatangan River before me and saw this wide expanse of milk tea-coloured water which was currently very much swollen. Once the boat started down the river, the drizzle turned into a cold, sharp spray and I had to struggle to keep my hood on while straining to keep my eyes open to look around me.

We went downstream and across the river for several hundred metres in less than 5 minutes. Another covered floating platform, this one escaped any damage, awaited us as I finally beheld our first destination. We're here!

Right upon arrival at the reception, they welcomed us with a drink of cold Ribena, served with a little parasol and slice of watermelon skin. I had hardly finished my drink when I saw this male Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis borneensis perched on a low tree right in front of me. Oh how I dashed to get my gear out which was packed and buried so tightly to keep dry! It actually stayed for quite awhile but alas I was still too slow and my lenses were all fogged up. One endemic subspecies for me already!

Welcome to Bilit!

Checking-in at BRL.

BRL Restaurant. We spent most of the day here. Eating.

Some dishes in the buffet lunch. We were rather ravenous.

We were well fed!

I think BRL offers at lest 15 rooms, but I'm not sure as some of the chalets are split into two so there might be more. The chalet we stayed in could accommodate 5 people with 2 queen sized beds and 1 single bed. The washrooms are separated - one with just a toilet and another is the shower. Clean and comfortable - I like it.

The whole resort is fully connected by a wooden boardwalk and this is very useful indeed especially when it rains as the whole place can flood when the Kinabatangan bursts its banks. It's also good for us birders and photographers as we have a slightly higher vantage point! The boardwalk connecting the chalets forms a loop and so most of the birds I saw were in the trees in the middle of this loop. It was convenient to birdwatch from our balcony as it looked out directly into the trees in the middle. The older chalets on the right side of the loop are not so ideal for birdwatching as their balconies face each other. So even in the rain, I could stand at the steps of the balcony and look outside for anything that passed by.

The map is slightly distorted as the chalets on the left are only on the left and do not extend to the back.  The boardwalk continues as the jungle trail on the left corner, not the right.

The boardwalk from the jetty to the reception and on to the chalets.

These are the chalets on the left. We stayed somewhere around here.

It seemed to have stop raining awhile. I heard a Woodpecker calling nearby and even as I was showering a Plaintive Cuckoo Cacomantis merulinus threnodes was calling just outside the bathroom. I was just about to go look for the woodpecker when a movement outside our chalet distracted me. It was a Black-and-Yellow Broadbill Eurylaimus ochromalus. No, a pair of them! This time I was more prepared and managed a few shots of them. It didn't take long for me to realize that these two were looking for a suitable nesting site as they kept perching on typical branches that Broadbills use for nests.

I'm always fascinated by this Broadbill and its colour scheme!

"Do you think this is suitable?"

Then the rain started again. Despite that, a small flock of Brown Barbets Calorhamphus fuliginosus tertius came to visit us. They look so pretty with their rusty wash across the breast.

High speed power drill mode on!

Several Red-eyed Bulbuls Pycnonotus brunneus brunneus were also hanging around the area. A couple of Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrots Loriculus galgulus galgulus flew overhead. The first time I saw the common Yellow-vented Bulbuls Pycnonotus goiavier gourdini, I just brushed them aside. But when I soon went to check the field guide, I found that they too were a different and endemic subspecies! So I then vowed to not take any bird for granted.

Earlier when we checked-in, they informed us to meet at the restaurant for tea at 3.30pm and then leave for our scheduled Kinabatangan River Cruise. However when the time came, it was raining heavily and we decided to call it off as it just wasn't worth stepping out into the rain to get our equipment wet. Other groups who were on package tours braved the weather and went anyway, covered head to toe in their ponchos. We on the other hand just went for tea.

Yet another meal within a few hours!

There is a Computer Room just beside the restaurant and since it was still pouring outside my mum and I whiled away time there. We checked BBC Weather and it didn't look good at all. Looks like this trip was going to be a washout.

I then decided to slowly head back to our chalet, juggling an umbrella in one hand and my gear in the other. Just outside the restaurant there are the same cherry(?) trees as those found in Merapoh. A male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma dayakanum visited the tree briefly but my shots were poor. Further down the boardwalk, a small flock of Dusky Munias Lonchura fuscans were flying about in the grass but they were too far for me.

A rather poor shot of this active little bird.

I continued by taking the long way back to the chalet. A group of Japanese children did not seem to mind the rain at all as they happily ran about without any umbrellas or raincoats. They were wet through! I simply couldn't afford to do the same although it looked temptingly fun.

The rest of the way was quiet until I reached the back part of the loop which looked out into the forest where a large greyish-brown bird with white wing patterns flew silently and low at the forest edge. I tried searching for it and managed to find it in a tree, its face hidden from sight. It then flew off again and I tried to follow it but never saw it again. After checking the photos it turned out to be a Crested Serpent Eagle Spilornis cheela pallidus.

Such a pity it hid its face.

My mum met up with me and we headed to the end of the boardwalk where a forest trail continued from it to the ox-bow lake. We didn't step off the boardwalk as the ground was too wet. A Babbler was calling rather loudly and so we tried to call it out using playback. Within seconds it responded and revealed itself to be a White-chested Babbler Trichastoma rostratum macropterum. It kept flying in circles around us, over and under the boardwalk, but it was also very wary and did not stay long on each perch. We decided to stop so as not to confuse it further.

Even with the flash, this was about the most decent shot.

It was getting dark so we went back to get ready for dinner. After a good meal, we took a walk around the lodge as the rain had finally stopped. We found many tiny frogs/toads about 2-3cm long. They seemed to like the Heliconia spp. patches. Other creatures we found were a beautiful orange cricket, slugs and a milipede. There were also bats flying around, the common house gecko and a small cute white-and-buff little rodent which ran so fast up the tree!

Thank goodness we were only there for a night!

Any idea what this species is? They were almost everywhere.

It has metallic blue and green spots on its body and legs. Beautiful.

It wasn't that late by the time we got back but we were all still worn out from the long journey. So off to bed and hopefully the weather'll be kind to us the next morning!

The end to a long and rainy day.