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.