Birding in Borneo and Malaysia



	Birds (of course) - Lizards - Primates - Even Snakes! With the possibility of all those critters “flying” about (or at least, gliding and swinging), this trip was really calling to me. Even the prospects of leeches and 95/95 heat/humidity seemed surmountable - and so they were. It was a fascinating journey.
	Arriving in Kota Kinabalu, the largest city in one of two Malaysian States on Borneo, Sabah, I had terrific views of the islets and N. coast of Borneo. The landing took me right past the lovely waterfront resort where I would be staying, Tanjung Aru. My trip from Taipei was on a 737 and I could see a modest sized but apparently modern city below me. There were also several clusters of houses sitting on stilts over the water. I had arrived a few days early, hoping to overcome a bit of the 12 hour time difference, rest and recharge before setting off with my Victor Emanuel Nature Tour (VENT) group. I found myself in a delightful 4-5 star resort, and with a room overlooking palm-fringed lawns leading to the gently lapping waves of the South China Sea, complete with tropical islands dotting the horizon. The air-conditioning was welcome, but I headed out to the pool area right away, to absorb some sunlight (further to the effort of overcoming jet lag), begin acclimation to the heat and humidity, get a bit of exercise, and, oh yes, keep an eye out for birds. In the course of my few solo days here, and with the help of one of the resort staff whose job it was to lead the “birding on the grounds” (I was the only one who signed up - suited me just fine!), I saw 32 species of birds, of which 13 were lifers. “Hotel birds” have always been great fun as far as I’m concerned, mostly because it’s such a joy to stay amidst gardens which harbor new and different species, many of which I end up discovering and identifying on my own - this is especially satisfactory, though there’s nothing like an expert guide or two for the really difficult ones in the more pristine habitats.
	And that’s where VENT comes in. People often ask how I find my trips, if I go on my own, or how I organize them. Fortunately, there are many companies specializing in birding tours, each with perhaps a slightly different emphasis. VENT seems to offer trips of a moderate pace with comfortable accommodations and great logistics, but most of all with some of the finest leaders in the field. And it is, literally, in the field where they come into their own, for finding birds and showing them to a group of eager birders of varying skills and experience is certainly a challenge! Susan Myers and David Bishop have my greatest admiration for these abilities and more - staying cool while “under fire” from sometimes frustrated birders is a trait I’m sure I’ll never possess! Often it is necessary to first get the group to an area of habitat along a trail where a given species might likely occur, then to listen patiently for calls while watching for any motion in the area typically frequented by a given bird within habitat (on the forest floor, in the tall canopy, deep in a vine tangle?), and sometimes to be playing the proper call in hopes of getting the bird to call back or to come closer. For the real skulkers, it is often necessary to record a bird’s call and quickly play it back, so that bird will come in to investigate. This means carrying a lot of equipment, in addition to a spotting scope, and being facile and fast with it too. Even when the bird being sought is within sight, some may have trouble following the directions given as to exactly where the bird is, or may not be focusing deeply enough into the undergrowth and through the leaves, or may simply be unable to differentiate the shape and colors of the bird from its often camouflaging surroundings. This can be a very difficult challenge. “Birds fly”, as I have often opined after a tricky one has disappeared - the window of opportunity is usually fairly fleeting, and you know you won’t be coming back next week, so actually seeing the little blighters is in fact sometimes a pretty tense effort! However, it can be, and certainly is for me, a truly exciting and satisfying quest and the rewards are some of the most beautiful creatures to be found.
	Have a look at the Garnet Pitta, for instance: This bird is normally found hopping quietly about the forest floor in search of food, including leeches (a most endearing quality), though when it does call, it can be ventriloqual, making its exact location difficult to discern. We spent perhaps 30 minutes trying to move quietly off trail through the lowland jungle, thrashing through thorny rattan and foot-catching vines with as little noise as possible, following while Susan patiently tracked down this bird’s mournful whistle, and then, finally, found it perched up above us about 15', where we were able to revel in its gorgeous jewel-tone plumage as it sat and sang every so often. I found myself hoping there was another Garnet Pitta somewhere nearby to hear and hopefully find this seemingly solitary bird. It wasn’t easy to walk away from such a special experience, but we left him, or her, glowing deep within the forest.
	Okay, that gives you some idea of the reason why I might travel to such far-away places. Why Borneo & Malaysia?
	First of all, Borneo is the third largest island in the world, and islands usually offer a high degree of endemism. That is, the species, including plants and animals, which tend to evolve over the millennia in the isolation of islands, are often found nowhere else on earth. So too, the Malaysian Peninsula harbors a number of endemic birds. While the rainforests of Southeast Asia are fast disappearing, falling to logging and clearing for oil palm plantations, there are a few pockets of untouched habitat remaining, and it was to those that we were heading.
	As it turned out, the second reason to make Malaysia a prime destination is its overall comfort and security, of which I had been assured before deciding to join this trip, but which I only began to realize when I reached Tanjung Aru. As we progressed further, I continued to find not only a warm welcome and a delight in service unknown, to me at least, in the Western world, but excellent food and top notch accommodations too. I never felt threatened by being in a largely Muslim country, though I was often fascinated by the varying degrees of “cover-up” the women adopted. People were cordial, most spoke at least some English, and in Sabah, especially, they were very eager and proud to share their beautiful parks and reserves with us.
	I should really have titled this “A Bit of Borneo”, as we were only in the State of Sabah, one of two Malaysian states which comprise one third of the island of Borneo (the rest is Indonesian, plus the small but oh-so-oil-rich country of Brunei). Along with Singapore, they joined with the rest of the peninsular states to become the Malaysian Federation in 1963. Singapore later seceded. Most of the Malaysian states are headed by a hereditary ruler, a Sultan, and the country is nominally headed by a Paramount Ruler, which position is filled by 5 year rotation amongst the Sultans and other governors. There is a bicameral Parliament whose lower house is elected. Today’s total population is about 24 million, which includes a mix of Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous tribes. Thus there is also a fair mix of religions, including Islam, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Sikh and Christian, along with many languages. Malaysia has successfully transformed itself from a producer of raw materials into an emerging multi-sector economy, an economic growth driven largely by exports, especially in electronics. (For instance, Bill’s Hewlett-Packard Printer was made in Malaysia.) It appears to me that tourism, too, is a growth sector, as there are many attractive resorts and I observed Australians, Europeans, and many from the Middle East, the latter especially apparently enjoying the relative freedom of the Malaysian Muslims’ tolerance for less strict adherence to clothing and social constraints. The largest city is Kuala Lumpur, a modern, bustling metropolis with an excellent new airport, extensive shopping malls, and the world’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Towers. There is nothing “third world” about this city, and our hotel here was, again, thoroughly upscale, comfortable and with a spectacularly fine buffet. Even Malaysia’s more rural scenes often boast satellite dishes.
	Our time in Sabah was spent at three especially birdy places, in addition to the lowland coastal areas where some special birds such as Blue-naped Parrots, Javan Pond Herons and Bornean Leafbirds were spotted. While still in Kota Kinabalu we toured a water village, which on Borneo especially, with flat coastal land at a premium, is a common housing option. Another day was spent in the Crocker Range National Park. Here a few hearty enthusiasts, myself included, of course, hiked down a steep-sided valley to see a Rafflesia in bloom. This genus of flower contains the world’s largest species, and though ours was diminutive at perhaps “only” 14" across, it was spectacular, and all the more so for being insect-eating, completely without stem or leaves, and taking 18 months to bloom, and then only for a few days! In the process of climbing back up the trail, I managed to collect my first 8 leeches, as I had foolishly failed to wear my special leech socks, and thereby I learned a few valuable lessons: leeches are really no big deal, they don’t really hurt, but as they inject a powerful anti-coagulant while attaching themselves, the bites do bleed rather dramatically! However, they either become sated and fall off before you find them, or you learn quickly how to remove and flick them off into the forest (preferably not, in a panic-stricken moment, onto one’s fellow hikers!) They don’t carry any diseases, and though the bites can itch for a long while, they really aren’t a problem once the bleeding stops. Most of all, however, from that day on I learned to wear faithfully my rusty-trusty, soon muddy and wrinkled, leech socks.
credit Timothy Ojile	The day before we headed for Mt. Kinabalu, at 13,428' the highest peak between the Himalayas and New Guinea, we were fortunate to have clear views across the lowland rice paddies to its remarkably jagged, young peaks. We were looking forward to the cooler climate at 5,000', and so it was as we arrived the next afternoon at our small hotel just outside the park entrance, but we also were swept up the hill in front of a nasty storm which proceeded pummel us with wind and torrential rains for the next 36 hours. While there were a few hours of relative dryness which enabled some excellent birding, it was a bit frustrating, and we were forced to retreat to our rooms and/or to some excellent meals and not-so-excellent wine. In a Muslim country it is fairly amazing to be able to purchase any alcohol at all, but we were able to buy wine by the bottle and beer was fairly readily available, though both were very expensive. Finally a sunny morning dawned and that day, especially, was filled with extraordinary birds, such as the Indigo Flycatcher, Golden-naped Barbet, and the Crimson-headed Partridge.
	Best of all, however, were some stunning views of a pair of glowing, emerald green Whitehead’s Broadbills, which seemed to rocket through the forest as we followed them down the trail, pausing just long enough for us to see them in all their glory.
	Unfortunately, the bad weather so constrained our time here that we weren’t able to climb a bit higher up the mountain, where some more highly range-limited birds and huge pitcher plants can be found. That was a disappointment, but I’ve always felt that one should, if the experience has been truly good, leave with reason to return...
	Next up was a short flight to Sandakan, on Sabah’s east coast, and a quick tour of the moving memorial there to those who died on the Sandakan Death March, as well as a stop at the huge, new Chinese Temple, perched on a hilltop overlooking the town and expansive harbor. Of course, we managed to find a few birds along the way, before we headed up the Kinabatangan River by boat, to Sukau Rainforest Lodge. En route up-river, we spotted a herd of Bornean Pygmy Elephants, perhaps 30 or so, feeding along the banks, where we were able to nose our boat into shore to observe these delightful animals. These elephants have recently been discovered to be a unique species, not just a small version of the Asian Elephant, and thus are now protected and happily beginning to rebound a bit in numbers. Needless to say, it was an exciting stop along the way to our lodge! Though we arrived in a downpour (what’s a rainforest, after all?!), we were soon settled into our small but clean and comfortable rooms, with solar powered overhead fans helping to keep things coolish, and sarongs awaiting our attempts to “dress” for dinner, as is the custom here. It’s a neat trick learning how to fold and tuck these long, tubular “skirts” so that they don’t succumb to gravity at the wrong moment, but it was fun and festive and, with the help of a safety pin discreetly applied, I managed quite well.
credit Timothy Ojile	This small but rich area of lowland riverine forest is best explored by boat, so we split into two groups and headed variously to an oxbow lake or up the small, tributary Menanggol River. These explorations yielded wonderful sightings of 6 species of hornbill in one day, the premiere species being the Rhinoceros Hornbill. At almost 4', this is one impressive bird! This fellow is an older bird, as evidenced by the extensive wrinkling in his casque (honest!). At the other end of the size spectrum, a White-fronted Falconet was a personal favorite, small but mighty. He feeds on large flying insects (again, an endearing quality!), and isn’t much bigger than a Sparrow. Other wonderful birds seen in this area were the Buffy Fish-owl, Black-and-yellow Broadbill, and Violet Cuckoo.
	Further superb mammal sightings included a pair of Short-clawed Otters romping and foraging along the banks of the river one morning, and a spectacular encounter with a gorgeous Leopard Cat, seen both from the side and head-on in our spotlight as it hunted amongst the mangroves. This seems to be the most commonly seen of the small Asian cats, though it amazes me that it hasn’t been hunted to extinction for its beautiful coat.
	Everyone’s favorite primate in this area was the Proboscis Monkey, a Jimmy Durante look-alike! This species is found only in the lowland riverine rainforests of Borneo.
credit Hermann Staengle	With super experiences such as these, I was reluctant to leave the Kinabatangan area, but we pressed on toward Danum Valley and the Borneo Rainforest Lodge. Though the long journey took us through endless palm oil plantations, we did pass through a band of rainforest near the caves, where we encountered our first Orang-utans. This translates, literally, to “man of the forest” - you can see why! With great excitement, we all piled out of the bus to enjoy views of a pregnant female feeding peacefully in the trees by our single track road, and I was especially thrilled that this was a truly wild animal, not one stuck in a rehabilitation center and tossed bits of food by the tourist crowds. Later on we saw a very big male walking across the road in front of us - another special encounter.
	En route to Danum Valley, we stopped at the Gomantong Caves, which proved to be my least favorite venue, but also fascinating, in its own unique way. These towering limestone caves are home to perhaps a million swiftlets and even more Wrinkle-lipped Bats (alas, I did not discern the wrinkled lips!).
	Draped eerily from the cave ceiling is a primitive rope/bamboo ladder, used by the nest collectors to aid in the harvest of the coveted nests of 3 species of swiftlet (Mossy-nest, Black-nest and Edible-nest Swiftlets), the bulk of the harvest being shipped to the Chinese market for such delicacies as bird’s nest soup. The nest itself is a half-cup structure comprised of and glued to the wall with the birds’ saliva. Yum? I don’t think so! However, as this is the only place where one can distinguish the look-alike 3 species, i.e., when they are sitting on their distinctive nests, we were offered the opportunity to tour the main cave. Of course, I couldn’t pass that up, but it was perhaps the least pleasant birding I’ve yet done! Though there was a boardwalk which allowed a circuit of the cave floor, it, as well as the hand rails, was thoroughly covered in guano and slippery as could be, despite raised cross pieces to assist with footing on the slanted sections. Then there were the gigantic albino cockroaches covering the walls, and a few dead bats underfoot too, with water (I hoped) dripping down here and there... Of course, it was hot, humid and smelly (definitely a requirement for mouth-breathing only), just to add to the scene, which I silently labeled “Another Vision of Hell”. Ah, but I was warned about all this, as we were well briefed in advance of choosing whether or not to go into the caves, and I would probably make that choice again, but I definitely don’t need to make a return visit! I must give great credit to Susan, who led us in and out safely and scoped the birds too - she’s done it before and will do it again, I’m sure, and a return visit is a lot more than I could manage with a smile, I know!
	How to describe Danum Valley? It is surely one of the world’s special places, a Conservation Area comprising 12% of the state of Sabah, it is selectively and, most importantly, sustainably logged, but at its heart lies a large tract of completely untouched lowland rainforest, some of the oldest in the world. We were scheduled to arrive late at night, in order to maximize possibilities of seeing nocturnal birds and mammals on our way in. Thus we were rewarded with great views of another Leopard Cat, as well as a Malayan Civet, which sprang from a sitting position to snatch a large insect in mid-air, a memorable performance in the beams from our headlights.
	Since we had arrived at the Borneo Rainforest Lodge close to 1AM, we had a bit of a sleep-in the next morning, but I awoke to find a Black and Crimson Broadbill on the railing of my duplex cabin, surely a great way to start! Alas, I blew the photo in my excitement, but do have a look at this to get a view of this super bird (yes, the bill really is that improbable aqua blue!).
	Our days here provided some of the most delightful birding I’ve yet experienced. Much of the time we walked along the entrance road, as the towering dipterocarp forest canopy could more easily be observed from the bit of clearing provided by the dirt track. Here we found such goodies as the Bornean Bristlehead, Green Broadbill, Red-throated Barbet and many, many more. Strolling the grounds of the clearing around our lodge were Crested Fireback pheasants, as well as a huge Bearded Pig. Mammals abounded as well as birds, with Orang-utans and Red Leaf-monkeys on the boardwalk paths, Bornean Gibbons brachiating (i.e., swinging) through the trees across the river from our lodge, Greater and Lesser Mouse Deer (not much bigger than a hare!) readily visible in the entry circle. Night drives netted Thomas’ Flying Squirrel (deep cinnamon in color and about 18" long + another 24" of tail) and the Malayan Colugo, sometimes called a flying lemur. Of course, it neither flies nor is a lemur, but nonetheless, with its 16" long body attached head-to-hand-to-foot-and-tail by a membrane which enables it to glide as much as 450', it is a very strange animal! Here too we encountered our first “flying” lizard, which in fact also glides instead of flying, using a membrane that stretches from its front to its back legs. Our local guide located one on a trunk and after we had all had close looks, he gently rocked the trunk so that it “flew” for us. Despite this demonstration, there were a few times later on in the trip when I mistook a lizard flying/gliding by for some sort of strange bird - they’re quite good at their aerobatics, those lizards!
	After five full days in Danum Valley, we headed out to our final stop in Borneo, Sipadan Island, in the Celebes Sea off the east coast. At the port town of Semporna, we boarded a boat for the hour-long trip out to one of the world’s greatest scuba and snorkeling areas. Sipadan and its surrounding waters offer several dive resorts, and is itself surrounded by a large reef through which a channel has been opened to allow access for local water-villagers as well as tourists. Our desired destination the following day was to be Mabul Island, now completely uninhabited but for a Malaysian Naval Patrol base and a handful of special birds. Alas, the weather turned on us once again, with thunderstorms and choppy seas the following morning precluding our visit there. Nonetheless, I managed a few new birds and we enjoyed excellent views of Great-billed Herons & Lesser Adjutant Storks on our way back to Semporna.
	From there is was a short drive to Tawau, on the border of Sabah and the Indonesian portion of Borneo, where another modern airport allows easy jet transport back to Kota Kinabalu, and then on to Kuala Lumpur on the Peninsula. While in transit in Kota Kinabalu Airport, I ran across a box of Durian chocolates, which, it seemed to me, would perhaps be an easy approach to this popular Malaysian fruit which “tastes like Heaven and smells like Hell”. In fact, most public places ban Durian, and it certainly would never be allowed on an airplane, but with a Durian creme center surrounded by milk chocolate, I thought I’d be pretty safe. Wrong! It was simply dreadful, but hysterically so, and I happily passed them out to anyone else in our group who was brave enough to try them. For a full discussion of Durian, nothing beats this quote from William Beebe’s Pheasant Jungles (based on explorations 1909-1911): My second day in Malaysia was almost spoiled by an attempt to eat a durian. Eating durian, or, as in my case, essaying to do so, is an experience not soon lost to memory. Its achievements must be productive of a noticeable growth of ego. I often think how I should enjoy being able casually to boast, "I have eaten durians in the East," or, "This tastes as good as durian." The durian has a powerful personality. It is large and green, not unlike a breadfruit, and it is covered with unpleasant spikes. But these, I am told, are not deterrent to the man or beast who has once acquired the durian habit –– who, by complete suppression or mortification of the organs of smell, has succeeded in swallowing even a section of the fruit. It grows on tall trees, and natives will sit for days waiting for a ripening durian to drop. White children, once inoculated, prefer it to all other fruit; tigers will approach close to Malay villages, risking their lives to vary their carnivorous diet with a mouthful of durian. If simplicity in diction indicates strength, I will state tersely that the durian has an odor. In deference to passengers who are not durianivorous, Lascars are forbidden to bring the fruit on any tourist steamer. Yet if a stoker in the deepest coal-bunker has broken the rule and smuggled one on board, his brother on the lookout in the crow’s nest will soon know and become envious. With rotten eggs as a basis, if one adds sour milk and lusty Limburger cheese ad lib., an extremely unpleasant mixture may be produced. It quite fails, however, as an adequate simile to durian. The odor and taste of durian are unique, unparalleled, and they did not pass from my mind during my second Malaysian day. I am at a loss to explain why durian is not the favorite food of vultures and the exclusive preoccupation in life of burying beetles.
	Borneo was a great and very pleasant surprise for me, certainly versus preconceived notions and expectations. It was far more modern, safe and the accommodations far better than I’d anticipated. The food was very good, an interesting mix of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese, with new and different fruits and veggies, all of which were safe to eat. One day I hope to return to Borneo, perhaps to investigate Malaysia’s other state there, Sarawak, but also to return to Danum Valley, with its wealth of wildlife in all forms.
	A “day off” in Kuala Lumpur allowed time for a bit of shopping, to replace my watch which had stalled, and to get a brief taste of the city. There were two huge, multi-level shopping centers quite near our hotel, and they were stocked with anything one could want, and doing a brisk business. A bit of regrouping and laundry was also in order, and so I was set to launch into the second half of my trip, to two primary locales on the Malaysian Peninsula.
	First stop was Taman Negara, which literally means National Park, and covers 100,000 acres across three states. It is understandably a very popular destination for Malaysians as well as most foreign visitors seeking to sample Malaysia’s rainforests, and so our accommodations there were quite busy with people seeking adventures ranging from camping, climbing, and caving, to birding. Our large cabins were actually air-conditioned, which was most welcome as this was, truly, even hotter and more humid than Sabah had been. With about 100 cabins, situated at the park headquarters, and with a growing village just across the river to service all these facilities, I found it less appealing than Danum Valley’s more serene, much smaller and more isolated Borneo Rainforest Lodge. However, we were able to hike the trails out from the resort, and take boats up and down river to hides and more remote trails, which soon left behind the bulk of the crowd. We really only sampled a tiny bit of this immense park, but it yielded some excellent birds, such as the spectacular Banded Pitta.
	Another favorite was the diminutive Crested Wood Partridge, which we found scurrying about the forest floor off a trail not far from our cabins.
	Yet another very special, seldom seen bird, Malaysian Rail-babbler, was stalked successfully by Susan, as she followed its call and eventually succeeded in showing 6 of us this most difficult skulker. I have included a web link to its blurry photo so that you can get an idea of how ephemeral and tricky it can be to see it!
	Perhaps my favorite bird from Taman Negara was a little Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher. Thanks to a tip from a Canadian birder, we knew that this little guy was nesting under a bridge on one of the trails. Though I had seen a brief blur of him zooming by, I really wanted a better look, and so one afternoon during a bit of free time I hiked back to see if I might be lucky enough to catch him perched near his nest. Sure enough, I waited barely 30 seconds before he zoomed in to sit for perhaps 45 seconds before diving into his nest burrow. You can see why I was so thrilled to finally get a proper look at this 5" bird.
	The rafters above the open-air buffet at our lodge gave us excellent views of one of SE Asia’s prettiest snakes, which is also a “flyer”, the Paradise Tree Snake. The staff seemed quite used to seeing this fellow and not disturbed by it at all! In order to “fly”, it is equipped with a rib cage that can flatten enough to form an air foil for gliding, though in this case I was quite OK with missing that particular act!
	A journey up to our last stop, Frasers Hill, brought us to some cooler weather at last. At 5,000', this quiet resort area is spread over 7 hills surrounding a tiny village, all with an English flair to the huge “bungalows” and village architecture. While there are a few discordant buildings, such as our hotel overlooking the golf course, there is still the feel of a colonial retreat here, with quiet roads and forest on all sides. The roadside birding was delightful, with “bird waves” (mixed flocks) streaming up and down the slopes including such goodies as Blue Nuthatches and Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes. The Fire-tufted Barbet is delightfully common in this area, and was one of three species of Barbets we saw in and around Frasers Hill.
	The final “flyers” of my trip were two species of primates, which were readily seen around the area. These Spectacled Leaf Monkeys were part of a troop of 20 or so, feeding in the trees just around the corner from my hotel. The final “flyers” of my trip were a pair of Siamangs I encountered one morning at the outer edges of town as I was birding along a quiet road. These gibbons are the largest of the Lesser Apes, and at 3' and 23 pounds, they are quite impressive as they swing through the trees. Though we had heard troops of them daily, calling in the distance (a sort of joyful whooping which carries long distances through the hills), I had not seen one until that cool, misty morning. Suddenly, I became aware of a large motion to my right. As I turned, the smaller female was swinging onto the wires crossing the road, just 25' down the road from me! She paused to look me over, and then was joined by a big male, who also took a good long look. Both then swung down the wires towards me before moving into a fruiting tree, where they settled down to gorge themselves. It was a very exciting end to my Peninsula experience!
	The following day, I was driven back to Kuala Lumpur to spend a final night at the excellent Pan Pacific Hotel, which is conveniently located right at the airport. Once again the service was superb, smiling and accommodating, thus reinforcing my overall impression of the hospitality of Malaysia. The Malaysian Airlines flight back to Los Angeles extended that impression, with fully reclining beds in Business Class and delicious Satay served en route. While perhaps a touch less elegant than Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Air provides a very fine alternative and with lower fares too.
	Overall this trip great fun, exciting and most satisfying as to birds and animals. I was able to add over 200 new birds to my life list and to revisit many others, in many cases giving even better views than ever. Then too, there were all sorts of other flyers & gliders, and even a few creepy-crawlies - here are a few to finish up with.