World Migratory Bird Day 2010 in Miri and Kinabalu

Students lining up to register and pick up their WMBD souvenirs from Pustaka Miri staff. Pustaka Miri has been a staunch supporter of our WMBD activities since 2008.


Participants posing with their WMBD posters and Encik Ahmad Samsudin of Pustaka Miri.

This year on May 08th and 15th marked the 3rd year MNS Miri Branch celebrated WMBD.

Our first WMBD in 2008 was celebrated with bird photographer Choo Tse Chien from Penang with slideshows of Malaysian birds as well as endemic Bornean species at Pustaka Miri, several schools in Lutong as well as rural schools in Bekenu. We went birdwatching with our members in Lambir Hills and Similajau National Park.

In 2009, Nazeri Abghani from Miri Branch spoke about waders in Kuala Baram and Miri in general in conjunction with WMBD at Pustaka Miri and Kpg Tengah, Bekenu. Denis Degullacion from Borneo Bird Club spoke of Bornean birds at Similajau National Park to park staff and participating schools nearby. We conducted fieldtrips simultaneously in Miri and Similajau for participants and our members.

For 2010, we invited Khoo Swee Seng from Selangor to talk about migrating raptors and garden birds in Pustaka Miri as well as led fieldtrips for members and students to Lambir Hills National Park and Kuala Baram. For the first time this year we exported WMBD to Kinabalu National Park in conjunction with MNS 70th year anniversary. Collaborating with MNS Sabah Branch together with Alim Biun of Sabah Parks, Jimmy Omar of Sabah Foundation, Denis Degullacion of Borneo Bird Club and our staunch supporters we birdwatched with students from SMK Dato Paduka Mat Salleh Ranau at KNP.

"World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) aims to inspire people to take action for the conservation of migratory birds and encourages national authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), clubs and societies, universities, schools and individuals around the world to organize events and programmes, which help draw attention to migratory birds around a central theme each year.

This year’s theme is “Save migratory birds in crisis – every species counts!” It is closely linked to the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) declared by the United Nations for 2010.

The WMBD 2010 theme aims to raise awareness on globally threatened migratory birds, with a particular focus on those on the very edge of extinction – the Critically Endangered migratory birds.

In line with the International Year of Biodiversity, the 2010 WMBD theme also highlights how migratory birds are part of the biological diversity of our world and how the threat of extinction faced by individual bird species is a reflection of the larger extinction crisis threatening other species and the natural diversity that underpins all life on earth.

By focusing on “migratory birds in crisis” during the International Year of Biodiversity, World Migratory Bird Day 2010 is also highlighting the role played by birds as indicators, enabling us to clearly see and highlight the negative effects our current way of life is having on the planet and it’s biodiversity.

As one of the best researched taxa, birds serve as vital indicators for the state of biodiversity and the biological health of the ecosystems they inhabit. If a bird species becomes threatened with extinction it is often a clear sign that the conditions of the required habitats have changed and that other species that depend on them may also be affected." (1)

The events at Pustaka Miri on 08th May saw participants from 8 schools in Miri making up approximately 70 students, and teachers. Members of the public were also present. The presentation for the day focussed on common birds in Malaysia according to habitat as well as migrating raptors. Khoo Swee Seng spoke of his involvement and MNS yearly efforts with the Raptor Count in Tanjong Tuan.


Khoo Swee Seng speaking about common birds in Malaysia classified according to their habitats.


Raptors had the students in full concentration, Khoo spoke about the raptors in Tanjong Tuan and the efforts by Malaysian Nature Society with the studies there.


Khoo presenting a momento in the form of a framed WMBD 2010 poster to a representative from Pustaka Miri.

Our fieldtrip the next day, took students to Kuala Baram to see common open grassland habitat birds. The students had ample opportunity to identify several common species to the area.

At Kinabalu National Park on the 15th May, led by Alim Biun, Jimmy Omar, Denis Degullacion, forty students were taken around a loop trail to see some of Sabah's endemic birds common to the locality.


Group photo before the start of the birdwatching session.


Jimmy Omar going though the finer details of how to use a pair of binoculars, Alim Biun and Denis Degullacion led the second group of students.


Now, where did the Green Magpie go. Students peering into the trees to look out for the bird making the loud calls.

Here's another year for the birds and for WMBD!

Nazeri Abghani/MNS Miri/May 2010

Backyard OPH

As a resident in the Miri area the past 4 years, I have been most fortunate to regularly observe a nesting pair of Oriental Pied Hornbill (also known as the Malaysian Pied Hornbill).

Although our family travels far and wide in Borneo to view as much wildlife as we can, we feel incredibly lucky that some of the most impressive wildlife can be found in our own back garden. Each year we watched with great renewed interest as the pair repeat their nesting cycle, and their family graces us with regulat visits for a period of a few months.

Every 10 months or so, the female seals herself into her nesting hole in the base of a casuarina tree, and remains there for 2-3 months. The male provisions her with fruits, nuts, frogs, snails and other tasty morsels. When he is not off foraging for food for his family, he perches on a nearby branch and fiercely protects his brood. He has been observed dive-bombing nosy dogs, and squawking loudly when anyone approaches the nest too closely.

During the nesting period, a keen observer with binoculars can see glimpses of black and white feathers, or even a white and blue rimmed eye through the narrow entrance to the nest. Just who is watching who? At a certain point, red-rimmed eyes can be seen as well, a sign that the chicks have hatched and are somehow crammed into that narrow cavity with the mother hornbill.

One day, the female and fledglings emerge - almost always 2 offspring, with the exception of late 2008 when there were three! The fledglings are almost the same size as their parents when they emerge. How they all fit inside that tree cavity, and how they manage to fly after so many week of inactivity is a true wonder.

For the next several months, Mother, Father and offspring can be seen foraging around the area, raising a racket wherever they go. Something in my garden must be fruiting between the months of March and July, for this is when we see them most often, enjoying almost daily visits - a welcome distraction from work, but not so welcome when their squawking wakes us at 5am!

Extraordinarily tame, they congregate on cars, play equipment, and other man-made structures, allowing fairly close approaches for photographing and videoing. Some residents have even been startled by the unexpected figure of a hornbill peering in their living room window!

Over the weeks that they return to be photographed, the chick's development can be observed. Their bills, which start out creamy and translucent, grow and thicken, and differentiate into the male and female casques. The rims of their eyes become less red, and more white. After a few months of family foraging, the offspring of the year seem to disperse, and the female starts her nesting cycle again.

For a time, the area of observation is relatively quiet, as she broods her nest and the temporarily solitary male does his fatherly duty of foraging and protecting.

For many residents, these birds represent the best that their time in Borneo has to offer. I truly hope that we can all work together to ensure their continued survival in this small island of biodiversity in an ever-growing city!


14 November 2007 : Male provisioning female and chicks (left). Food provided included frogs and insects, as well as seeds and fruit Chick peaking out of nest (right). Experts claimed these were the only case of hornbills nesting at ground level that they had ever encountered.


28 January 2008: The female and chicks have emerged from the nest. Chick 1 (left) and Chick 2 (right) travelled with their parents and frequented gardens around camp, often perching on man-made structures like drain pipes and play equipment!


11 March 2008: Adult female and developing female chick (left). Male chick on the ground (right).


16 April 2008: Female chick (left) and male chick (right) and whole family of 4 (below). Still travelling as a noisy foursome. Seem to be comfortable with fairly close approaches for photographs.



By Dr Gianna Minton/MNS Miri/May 2010

Note:
Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthacoceros Albirostris has been noted as the most adaptable of all hornbill species. Their habituation around humans and human settlement has been well documented over the years.

Oriental Pied Horn Bills Update No. 02

It was almost a week that the birds didn’t show up and Fuad was quite apprehensive. However, he was so relieved when he saw the birds while he and his golfing buddies was at hole no. 3 on Thursday 20/05. At around 9 am the next day, Friday 21/05, they showed up. By then Fuad had stopped putting papaya on his balcony but the smart guys decided to help themselves on the fresh fruit right from the tree.

Bornean Bristlehead in Balingian

The emblematic Bornean Bristlehead, this time by Junis Sp of Nature and Science Society, Bintulu. Photo by Junis Sp.

Junis Sp stumbled on this rare bird in Balingian, nearby a logged forest. This is the first time this pecies have been recorded in Balingian. Based on previous records, two sightings were made in Kelawit-Tatau and Samarakan, both Acacia plantations. This time however it's in a forest area to be logged.

The area has been pegged for logging, where licenses have been issued and camps already built. The location is just past Selangau, to get to where the BBH is, one would have to drive for one hour through an oil palm plantation followed by a logging road, after that another hour of trekking through the forest.

BBH was recorded in Similajau NP a long time ago, recent records for Northern Sarawak have only been from Lambir Hills National Park, Kelawit-Tatau and Samarkan acacia plantations and this latest sighting in Balingian.

In Sabah, this bird has been a crowd puller for tourists, birdwatchers and photographers alike. One is most likely to see BBH in Danum Valley Conservation Area and recently the Sepilok Rainforest Discovery Center. At RDC, a tower within a network of canopy walk has been named "Bristlehead Tower" due to regular sightings of Bornean Bristlehead in the area. The Bristlehead Tower has been on many a birdwatchers itenarary of late.

Nazeri Abghani/MNS Miri/May 2010

Pulau Melayu Oriental Pied Horn Bills Update No. 01

My Friend wish to be a contributor to this birdwatching blog specializing on the Pulau Melayu hornbills. The original story featured on March 21 in this blog.

He will give us updates of any development about these birds.


The first time Fuad managed to shoot the 4 hornbills (2 pairs) in one photo.


The one-eye female hornbill is on the far right. The 3 egg jars that he placed on the balcony can be seen on this picture. Hopefully they may choose to lay eggs on one of the jars.




One of the hornbills seems interested on what is happening in his house.

Birdwatching Curtin Lakes and Kuala Baram Sungai Tujuh Area

Birdwatching Curtin Lakes and Kuala Baram Sungai Tujuh Area
25th. Apr 2010
Time 7:150 am – 12:00 am
Dry warm morning.
Participant: Ronald Orenstein, Nazeri and Musa (writer)


Today's birdwatching locations

Our first stop was South East Curtin Lake. Immediately we were greeted by an Asian Koel far on the south east of us, not a few minutes later a Slender -billed Crow flew above us.


Five ducks flew away from us.

When we reached the lake there were already 2 recreational fishermen there, trying their luck with the tomans and haruans that lurk in the shallows. They too saw the ducks that were there in the morning and the five that flew as we came in. At the farther end of the lake several Common Moorhen were feeding quietly with scant care for the human presence across the lake.


The two bird watcher nearly engulfed by the tall Lallang

We moved further in towards the larger lake, there were plenty of Tri-colored Munia (Chestnut Munia/Black-headed Munia) flitting about the tall grass. We also noticed a few more ducks in the area, an additional five Wandering Whistling Duck joined the five we already saw earlier. The ducks flew and they circled around before moving towards the east lake. All around us we can hear Yellow-bellied Prinia, White-browed Crake and White-breasted Waterhen, these were well hidden by the tall grass.


Missed the waders

Across the big lake, well over yonder on the tops of the tall bare trees we saw 11 Oriental Darter warming their wings, the highest number of OD we've seen in this area so far.

There were two instances of Purple Heron flying high towards the East.

At 7:41 we are off to Curtin Lake. Along the way we saw Collared kingfisher perching on the electric wire. The gate this morning is not locked and we went in the area. The Curtin Lake is already dried up. Tall grasses have grown in place of the water. We saw a Black-winged kite perching above the dead tree branch overlooking the area. A Blue-throated Bee-eater flew passed our car. Another black-winged kite fly high in the sky. Two lesser coucals were seen across the road. We went out of the area and proceed to Singai Tujuh, prawn farm.
Along the way we saw 8 tricolour munia and the crippling of grass-bird were heard along the road.

We reached the toll at 8:11 am. As we cross the toll 2 pied trillers welcome us. Plenty of grass birds chipping song are around us. A dollar bird flew on our right. Few wood swallows are seen perching on the wire. More than 10 Blue-throated Bee-eater flying and perching on the wire. Their flying remind me of like little a fairies in movie.

Happy anglers with two barramundi

We go along the road. A few pied triller and collared kingfisher are seen. We stopped at the junction of the prawn farm and off load our equipment and walk toward the farm.

Wood sandpiper that miss his boat

As we entered the area we saw 5 Intermediate and few little Egrets were seen at the east side of our path. As I was walking slowly behind Ron and Nazeri, I stumbled close to a yellow bitten and it flew off to a small bush not far from me. I saw a collared kingfisher. A prina with young cat cries is at our right part of our track, but a physical body is not seen. As I come closer to the farm gate I saw 7 little egrets.

Negotiating the narrow plank path

There are few angler at the gate area. It seemed they have caught 2 small barramundi. One of them have got frustrated because his 100 meter line have just been flush out by a strong fish.

Unidentified animal track

We tried to enter east track but the track is not negotiable due to uneven ground and tall grass. We saw a little stint and wood sandpiper. So we go along into the small village track toward the Beach.

A white-bellied sea eagle chased by wood-swallow

As we enter the area we saw a striated heron flew out of the bush startled by our presence. We saw another yellow bitten and a pied triller in the casuarinas tree branches. A lesser coucal flew cautiously into a bush to the right of our track trying to avoid our presence.

Fiddler crabs playing their symphony.

We passed few wooden house and came to a narrow plank walkway. The narrow plank walkway seemed it cannot sustain our weight and we decide to go one person per section. We finally reach the beach. We walk along the beach toward the prawn farm area. There we saw a single great egret hunting small fish at the river mouth.

A close encounter

We decided to back track toward the plank walk. We saw an animal track; we cannot identify positively what animal is this. The area is grown with 4 feet high grass. In a flash we saw a common Sand-martin flying crisscrossing us.

Then we saw a White-bellied Sea-eagle flying high in the East. It flew high circling trying to avoid the wood swallow that persistently chasing it away. The wood-swallow trying to keep the eagle away from it nest.

On our way back I saw a fiddler crap area. It been quite sometime I did not see them. The last I saw them in Miri river when I was young. Then it was while waiting for ferry to take us across river to the General Hospital there. Their synchronised swinging of their pincer always fascinated me. It seemed that they are swing their pincer with an audible musical.

The heat is unbearable and we went to a small kampong small coffee shop. While having coffee we saw a magpie robin and few house sparrow.

We went off to old Kuala Baram ferry landing. There we saw a little egret, we came close to it and took some photograph. We went toward the Marine School area. We passed a school field and saw two cattle egrets. On our way back we saw few spotted dove and Dusky munia. The marine school area look abandoned and empty.

We finished our bird watching session at 11:45am.

Bird List:

Asian Koel 1
White-breasted Woodswallow 2
Oriental Magpie-robin 2
Yellow-vented bulbul 2
Slender-billed Crow 1
Tricoloured Munia 12
Wandering Whistling-duck 11
Common Moorhen 2
Oriental Darter 11
Purple heron 4
Collared Kingfisher 6
Black-winged kite 3
Blue-throated Bee-eater 15
Little egret 1
Lesser coucal 4
Striated Grassbird 5
Pied triller 6
Intermediate egret 6
Yellow bittern 3
Unid stint 1
Common sandpiper 1
Straited heron 2
Common sand martin 2
White-bellied sea eagle 1
Cattle egret 4
Spotted dove 7
Dusky munia 5
House sparrow 3

Musa Musbah/ MNS Miri/ April 2010

Bornean Bristleheads in Lambir Hills National Park

2009 IUCN Red List Near Threatened Bornean Bristlehead Pityriasis gymnocephala at Lambir Hills National Park, latest sighting by Sara and Peter 0930hrs 02nd April 2010. This unusual species is likely to be declining moderately rapidly throughout much of its range as a result of forest loss and degradation. It is currently considered Near Threatened, and should be carefully monitored (Birdlife International 2009).

News from Sara after her trek at one of the trails in Lambir Hills National Park:

"This morning (2nd ) Peter and I hiked to Oil Well in Lambir Hills. At the Oil Well junction (on the Lepoh-Ridan Trail), at approximately 9:30am, we saw a group of 3 (possibly more) Bornean Bristleheads feeding in the trees right above us. At one point, one of them was only about 6 - 8m above me (see pic). They were flitting from tree to tree, branches to branches but didn't make a lot of noise.

There were also presence of other birds as well as squirrels including the Olive-backed Woodpecker running up a tree trunk. The trees here must be fruiting. We couldn't id the other birds and squirrels as I didn't bring bino and also we were busy looking out for the bristleheads.

Incidentally this was the place where I heard the Borneon Gibbon's song the other day about 2 weeks together with the trail maintenance team also at approx 9:30am, but today we didn't hear any.

All along the Oil Well trail, we heard Black Hornbills, Hill Mynas and wood knocking sound made by woodpeckers, plus many other bird songs which we couldn't ID. We did see some birds in the mid-storey and even on the ground, but too far to id them with our naked eyes.

We plan to go back to the same area tomorrow and try our luck again."

Similajau NP counted Bornean Bristlehead as part of it's birdlists (1986, 1995)), however there have not been any reported sightings there of late.

More on Bornean Bristlehead.