AWC 2010: Birdwatching at Go-cart and Curtin Lakes 9th Jan 2010

I woke up very early this morning. Thought of going birding as early as possible before the birds wake up, but if you are healthy it just a quick rise up from bed and off you go. With asthma, from which I have been suffering since the August 2009 , the business of "get going" is a tad more complicated.

I finally got the coughing stopped after administering the nebuliser and I finally left the house at 8:30 am, headed straight to the go-cart lakes.

The sandy road is Proton drivable and I went straight to the security house at the gate. I saw 2 Yellow-vented Bulbul flying on the side of the road as I entered the sandy road. On an arrival at th elakeside, I saw some 50 Eurasian Tree-sparrows.


Two Common Moorhen in the Lake.

I scanned the lake, the water level is significantly more shallow now. I only saw 2 Common Moorhens. There was no ducks to be seen anywhere. There was 1 lone Intermediate Egret to the north of the lake somewhere. Singing loudly from a nearby shrubs was a Yellow-bellied Prina, incessantly crying it's a small cat-like meows though the actual bird cannot be seen.


A lone Intermediate Egret.


The arrival of the Wandering Whistling Duck at exactly 9:14am.

At 9:14am, I saw a glimpse of a big bird coming into the lake from the west. It looks like a duck. When I pointed my scope towards the landing area, there was another duck already waiting. There were 2 shy Wandering Whistling Duck. The Intermediate Egret later flew and joined them.


A glimpse of the ducks and egret.


A zoomed-in of the two ducks just after the egret left.

I went out of the area at 9:30am and headed to Curtin Lake. Sighted a large monitor lizard crossing the road on the way out. Not far from it, a White-breasted Waterhen pecking for worms in the ground.

While passing the first feeder road junction to Curtin I saw the remains of burnt area where a fatal accident took a life of a friend last week. I took a second feeder road where we used to see the darters. I quickly scanned the area with my bino and the entire tall dead tree stumps hoping to see one, alas there was no darter to be seen. I really missed that beautiful long neck of darters.
I reached the road leading to the lake and parke my car next to another car that was parked on the side of the road. I saw a few people sitting down behind the car sorting out young fern leaves (Limiding) they were collecting.

I took out my camera and scope, move toward where we used to see those Wandering Whistling-Duck. I was wondering the ducks were doing, last we saw them was back in May during WMBD.

The smell strong acidic mud and peat aroma was all round around, it was slightly nauseating. This indicated that there isn't much water in the lake and that the lake is slowly drying up. It seemed that the moonson ended too early this year. The dry season will be with us soon, and people will be burning again soon too ... resulting in the all too familiar haze of Kuala Baram.

From a distance I saw a man exactly on the spot where the ducks used to hang out, somewhere near the tall reeds. There were two other two men waiting by their motorbikes a short distance away. I took some photos : he was bringing a black thing into the water.


The lake is drying up, soon the vegetation will catch fire when the reeds become completely dry due to lack of water.


Where are the ducks?

Initially I thought he was bagging the ducks. When I finally aimed the scope at him, I saw that he was catching catfish. His two-friends moved off and shouted “Pergi dulu mas!”, to his friend that was still thigh deep in the mud in the middle of the lake.

When they passed by I saw that they've got with 5 litres buckets full to the brim with catfish. Here, it is common for people to collect stranded fish in the dry mud. "Landas" season this year is definitely too dry to be called landas.


Thigh deep in mud.


Keeping an eye on catfish.

I scanned the whole lake ... only a single Wood Sandpiper was seen foraging.


Only a single Wood Sandpiper left foraging in the middle of the lake.

I was feeling rather disappointed, walked back to the car and left.

Bird Watching in Buri, Lambir National Park

We reached Buri junction at 4:30 pm. We reached the highest peak where we stopped and soaked in the beautiful view of the rainforest canopy below us.

There were many birds singing around us but none were seen. We saw 10 tree swifts perched on a wire. A few swiftlets flew criss-cross all along the path down the hill until we reached flat ground.

We drove in slowly as the metal gate were open. We sighted a brown bulbul peeking shyly from the foliage. As we stopped just above the culvert, I could smell the strong smell of either bats or flying foxes.

Not far from where we were parked hung a broadbill's nest. We heard some bulbul calling.

We went further to the end of the pipes where we got out of the car.

A black bird flew by fast. We heard woodpecker tapping on a tree trunk. The silence was sometimes broken by barbet's knocking calls.

A sunbird flew among the thick foliages. Another blackbird was seen jumping from tree to tree.

Another brown bulbul was seen skipping in and out of a tree nearby. A whiskered barbet flew into a bush.

The same barbet called again. Saw some white bellied swiftlet flying above us. A few sharmas were calling, but none seen physically.

A few monkeys were also calling close by but none seen.

Another sunbird passed by, then a squeak from a leafbird.

A lonely woodpecker quickly flew passed us with its up and down movement. A large malkoha sp flew by shortly after.

Around 6pm, two men came in a Ford Ranger. They stopped some 500-meter from us. We watched them, one of them brought out a shotgun. Steve gave a hefty shout that really took everyone by surprise, “TIDAK BOLEH MEMBURU!” We were sure the two men heard him.

The two guys approached us slowly, I was feeling rather nervous this being more their backyard than ours. This could be their playground, and we were encroaching on someone else's turf. I felt really uneasy.

They introduced themselves as a residence from Buri, and worked at the water treatment plant. They were today to pick wild durians in the jungle. They realised that we weren't too happy with the guns. But according to them it's a necessity as protection from unwanted elements. Sometimes they bumped into Indonesians wandering in the jungle apparently from a farm nearby.

“Shot gun bullets are not cheap, it’s not worth shooting birds or animals with the bullets. They are only allowed to buy 10 shot gun bullets per month which costs RM5 per bullet."

Thinking that we were satisfied with their excuses, they went back to their truck. They left the guns inside the car and locked up before making their way into the forest.

We heard a blue-eared barbet sound …trup trup trup. Another bluebird flew by. A shy flowerpecker flew between the trees.

Another bird flew by, flapping away.

Not too long afterwards, the two men came out with 5 durians. They gave us two durians. They even helped us open them. We ate the durians, it tasted a bit like banana.

The ment stayed a while and we chatted about birds, the topic revolved around the hornbill. According to them, “Belinsi”, the black hornbills are commonly found here.

“Kejako”, Asian Pied Hornbills are also very common, especially along the river. “Beruik” are the larger hornbill variety that are longer seen here. Our heart sank : they could very well meant Rhinoceros Hornbill, Wreathed Hornbill or Helmeted Hornbill ... all were once on the Lambir Hills birdlist.

A sparrow passed by and one of the men said, “Itu pipit!” We promptly checked our fieldguide, indeed it was.

The cicadas started whining on very high notes and were becoming very deafening. Steve saw a big bird flew passed but by then it was a little too dark to positively identify it.

By slightly passed 7 pm we moved back into our car and drove out. Just after the culvert, we thought we saw monkey sleeping, but it just something resembling a monkey with a tail hanging.

We drove up the hill on our way back to Miri, we heard crows settling on a tree nearby.

Participants: Steve, Musa (writer) and Rosie

Congregating Egrets in Sibuti, Bekeu

I am again Lucky today I found this congregating Egrets thousand of them.


This is in Sibuti, I am still keeping it a secret.

Bird watching at Off Marudi Road Jakat-Empaling, lambir.

Time and Date: 6:30am - 9am 20th December 2009
Place : Off Marudi Junction to about 5km along Jakat-Empaling road, Lambir
Weather : fine
Participants: Steve, Musa, Sara and Rosie


Friends of mine invited to come and join a night camping at Empaling an area to the left of Marudi road distributary’s. We went out there late evening and set up camp at eight at night. They set up camp with small wood as floor plank and plastic roofing. Mine was easily setup. I place the chicken on a gas burner with an aluminium foil, which I prepare at home.

The three kids that came with us are their children were running around. While waiting the food to cook, I scanned the area with my night scopes. There are plenty of moths flying around. Occasionally a lone huge firefly flew from tree to tree. At a distance tree I saw two sets of bright eyes of possibly a civet cat.

When the foods are ready all of us sat around a cut tree trunk as our dinner table. We enjoyed the food, though it only chicken but the surrounding situation makes all taste nice.

On the previous night Steve called to join him for a bird watching. I have invited him to come and join us. He is not keen to change his plan.

The night was cold and there is no wind blowing. They started fire to deter mosquitoes. The children are playing badminton, while we are discussing of what they are going to do the next day. I told them that my friends are coming to join us tomorrow.

I was already tired and enter my camp about 10. It was warm inside. I could not get into sleep because the children are playing around all night. I could not remember when they got to sleep. But, not until I get into a deep sleep I heard someone was coming to ask for help. He needed a transport to send him to a long house near by. One of my friends sends him there.

I do not remember when my friend came back. It was the sound of the woodpeckers that woke me up. The woodpeckers were scanning the tree above me for insects. When I came out of the camp the two birds flew off.

I boiled some water to prepare an instant mee. The only item for breakfast was not available as we forgotten to buy them yesterday.

My three friends are all sleeping on the wooden plank, while the children in the camp below. I wake up all the kids and the rest. Then we scanned the area for birds. I managed to see a black hornbill some 6 km away with my scope.

Few green hanging parrot call and a few flew by. A pair of Hill Mynas passed by. Steve called if I am in the camping area, and passed his hp to Sara so as to let her know where about we are. They are at this time still waiting for Rosie.

Not within half an hour my friend saw a white Dmax truck some two kilometres down the road. My friend told me that it could be Steve group. I pointed my scope to the truck; indeed it was Steve and the gang. They are stopping looking at a hornbill. According to Sara one of the hornbills had a white stripe down the eye to the nape on both sides, making a V-shape at the back of the nape

They arrived at our camp minutes later. Sara was shouting if there is any breakfast ready. I told her we have forgotten to buy our breakfast.

My friends have been burning the cut area, which they clear to plant Ginger. The land is belonging to his father for generation and has been planted with few Jackfruits and wild mangoes. The smokes from the burning are really suffocating me. Steve is not very happy about the burning.

We saw a Provost Squirrel still sleeping on a branch at a distance tree. Later we see two black hornbills too. Then we saw five long tailed parakeets perching high on a bare tree branches. Hill Mynas flew by.

Steve was not keen to enter a timber track in front of the farm. He suggested we go to Jakat junction road. I brought over my camera and binocular and follow Steve group to do bird watching along the road.

Rosie spotted a black birds like a crow just to the left of our car. Then we stop to find out what they were. We could hear bell like calls and other odd noises. I thought it was an Asian Koel at the first sight. We stop the car and slowly move toward them. We observe them for about 5 - 10 minutes, 3 of them were flitting from tree to tree across the road back and forth, one was somewhere down the ridge in the forest. The birds are totally black, displaying the crest. The birds came out into the open and were identified as Black magpies. Steve was surprised to see the birds here as the forest has been cut down several years ago and is only secondary with large areas already cut down for oil palm and fruit farming. They kept crossing the road into a small clump of bare trees and green bushes, had a good views of the red eye that are very obvious and having a small crest. The birds bowed when calling but no bell calls heard. We heard the low trrrrr. . . sound made by one of the birds. Then came another pair from lower down a wooded slope. This reminded Steve the birds of paradise. A rare encounter indeed


There are also few Little Green Pigeons feeding some fruits between two trees.

Then we went to look for Jakat junction. I thought I knew the area well, but miss the junction. We back track and found the junction. The entrance of the Jakat Junction is of very narrow steep clay road. The road look unpassable but Steve was keen to enter. We saw a flat area on the right some 500 meters from the junction. Not until a kilometre inside we encounter an area that is not passable. We turn the car and stop at the side of the road overseeing the tall tree below.

Then Steve dropped me back to my camping area and they went home.

Bird list
Dusky Munia
Jungle crows at nest
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Asian Black Hornbills
Eurasian Tree Sparrows
Long-tailed Parakeets
Black Magpies
Brown Barbets
Blue-throated Bee-eater
Little Green Pigeons
Dollarbirds
Barn swallows
Pacific Swallows
Red Eyed Brown Bulbul
Prinia
Unidentified small falcon flying away
Spotted Doves
Yellow Vented Bulbul
Wood Swallow
Hanging parrot
Rufous woodpecker

Mammal – Provost Squirrel

Asian Waterbird Census 2010

Come and join us for AWC 2010!

Birdwatching in Bakelalan

Bucolic view of Bakelalan from the one of the smaller hills across from Bakelalan airport.

Bakelalan wasn't meant to be a birdwatching trip, it was meant more as an introduction to Bakelalan, the place. It is more well-known for it's native community the Lun Bawangs, their buffaloes and apple (yes, apple) orchards.

We ended up doing limited birdwatching anyways. We took walks around the village, to the salt licks as well as the view point.

There seemed to be bubbling streams everywhere we look, looks an ideal habitat for forktails though we didn't see any on this visit. Another interesting observation this time around was that we did not spot a single raptor in the paddyfields nor surrounding hills.


Birding from the side of the hill, it was a big job hauling the tripod and scope up this slope, photographically it's an ideal spot providing eye level shots of the quarry.

Birds we saw:
A significant presence of Yellow-vented bulbul. A fair number of Oriental Magpie Robins and Orange-bellied Flowerpecker. These three species seemed to be everywhere we where.

There was also a high number of egrets, Cattle Egrets especially around the buffaloes, Little Egrets and in lower numbers Intermediate Egrets.

A family of Ashy Drongo was observed noisily hawking for insects at two separate locations. At one location by a gurgling stream a pair of Crimson-winged Woodpecker were also spotted quietly sharing the same tree as the Ashy Drongo.

A scattered number of White-breasted Waterhen was observed at the fringes of the paddyfields including a single Lesser Coucal.

Tricolor Munia were abundant in the paddyfields as well as in the village gardens. Less conspicious were the Dusky Munia, their sightings were limited to the edges of the paddyfields near the fruit farms.

A gregarious group of Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush were seen from eye-level vantage point hopping from tree to tree in a mid morning birdwave together with several smaller unidentified birds. Their calls were unmistakable.

Five Slender-billed Crow were sighted at the top of the hills returning to roost.

Other birds sighted were : Asian Koel (1), Wood Sandpiper (20), Yellow-bittern (2), White-breasted Woodswallow (2), Pacific Swallow (numerous), Red and black Broadbill (1 heard), Zebra Dove.

Summary birdlist from this visit:
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Oriental Magpie Robins
Orange-bellied Flowerpecker
Cattle Egrets
Little Egrets
Intermediate Egret
Ashy Drongo
Crimson-winged Woodpecker
White-breasted Waterhen
Lesser Coucal
Tricolor Munia
Dusky Munia
Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush
Slender-billed Crow
Asian Koel
Wood Sandpiper
Yellow-bittern
White-breasted Woodswallow
Pacific Swallow
Black and Red Broadbill
Spotted Dove
Paddyfield/Richard's Pipit
Eurasian Sparrow
Olive-backed Sunbird
Pied Fantail
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Ashy Tailorbird


Ashy Drongo taking a rest from hawking for insects.


Slender-billed Crow way yonder from a separate vantage point.


An Olive-backed Sunbird and his unidentified friend, whose markings is unfamiliar.

The lush vegetation alongside the rivers and the winding gurgling streams of Bakelalan seem to hold much more as far as bird life is concerned. The same potential holds for the forests surrounding Bakelalan highlands. Perhaps another visit is called for, perhaps during the harvest or paddy planting season.

Facilities in Bakelalan are better then some (Apple Lodge comes highly recommended) , there is ample accomodation options in the area which offers full board package for visitors. A few coffee shops are scattered in the center of the village, these are stocked with the usual grocery store items.

Till then ...

Hornbill at Jakat

We went to Jakat, near Lambir Hills NP yesterday. We sighted 4 black hornbills. We werent able to get any decent photographs because of the distance.

Today we went again and this time I was lucky to be able capture the hornbills, as well as a pair of hornbill in love making. They too were far away, so I only managed to capture these images.