Birthday Blues….BORNEO (29 June)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not usually one to celebrate my birthday. However, I do always hope for a good bird on this day if I am in the field. Over my years at Tropical Birding, I have been in the field frequently on this date, but frequently, through some dark twist of fate, I have rarely had much luck. I remember well being with Nick Leseberg in Papua New Guinea for my fortieth birthday, a landmark that deserved at least a beer as some kind of commemoration, but were stunned to find the normally well-stocked lodge was completely out of SP lager, or any other alcohol.

When I am on tour, I sleep very little, as I sit up thinking through the plans for the next day, and going over the avian targets in my mind. The night before this day, this was especially true, for we had a very special target bird in mind for our next day in Danum Valley. Not only is the BLUE-banded Pitta a rare, elusive and shy forest bird, it is one that is only found in Borneo, one that I have openly stated as one of the top two birds I have seen in the World, and what’s more the group knew this, and so some in the group had this chalked on their most wanted birds of the trip. Therefore, there was a little pressure riding on this year’s birthday plans! This species is also confined to the more hilly parts of lowland rainforest. What this meant was, the best site we had for it, was right at the top of the nearest hill. While a walk of just 4km or so sounds pretty trivial, this feels like much, much more in the energy-sapping heat and motivation-draining humidity of lowland Borneo, one of the most humid areas of the planet. My sleepless night was filled with thoughts of the hike up there, and how the group would take to it, or more likely, NOT take to it, and then, once the hill had been conquered, there was the small matter of finding the bird itself. A disaster in the making played around in my mind, all night long. The pitta occurs on steep, inaccessible slopes that are mostly carpeted in a layer of dense forest. This makes finding it already difficult, and then there is its call. Like most birds of the Bornean rainforest, it would be very hard to track them down without an intimate knowledge of their personal calls, and the strategic use of playback. What makes this species all the trickier is the nature of its call. Its call sounds near identical to another cohabiting pitta species – Black-crowned Pitta – which we had already seen well. So it is important to hear it well, to avoid the confusion (and potential disappointment), of finding out later you were chasing the wrong pitta! Furthermore, what makes this species particularly difficult to see, is that its signature whistle is given at very low volume, and is very ventriloquial. What this means is, the call leads many to frequently believe the bird is considerably farther away than it actually is.

The latest news on the bird was a mixture of good, and bad. The species had recently undergone a three-month hiatus of not being seen nor heard by anyone at this site; then, a month earlier, the reason for this seemed to have become clear, when a nest was found, indicating that they were busy breeding, and so not vocal. However, not a sole had been up that trail since, so it was hard to know whether our timing would be good –that they will have finished breeding and be ready to announce their existence vocally all over again, or bad - that they would still be breeding and continuing their period of self-induced silence.

The local guide Azmil and I had a “strategy meeting” the evening before; with the long, arduous hike needed, we would need to keep our eyes focused on the “pitta prize”, and not get needlessly distracted by too many other birds on the way up. This could cost us valuable, and probably necessary, time required to search for the pitta. This, however, is more easily said than done, as we would be walking up the trail right after dawn, when birdsong and activity is at its daily zenith. We did concede we would take at least a little time out however, to try for a couple of other key target birds on the way up.

We set out from the lodge after the usual hearty breakfast supplied by the exemplary Borneo Rainforest Lodge. As we were just passing the final lodge cabin, a large dark shape in the near trees revealed itself to be a roosting Barred Eagle-Owl! This was a good start. We continued on, and were soon engulfed by the rainforest as we entered it in earnest, crossing two swing bridges, and then began our climb. As we hiked up, we paralleled a shallow creek, which led us to sightings of two particularly striking terrestrial songbirds – both White-crowned and Chestnut-naped Forktails showing well along one stretch of the river. In this same area we stopped for our first major target of the day – Rufous-collared Kingfisher, which very quickly responded to my tape, by darting in and landing in a near tree, where we could admire it for some time, and note the body speckling that identified it as a female. At the very same spot came another very good bird, and a very scarce one – a pair of White-necked Babblers, which came in close before moving back on uphill, as we did too. So far, so good, it was already building up to something of a classic day. However, I knew well, that not only the hardest part of the climb remained, but also the hardest species to find, lie ahead of us. I also thought to myself that the Blue-banded Pitta, and how it treated us, could change the entire complexion of the day…we continued up the hill.

Finally, after much sweat and effort, we reached the so-called Fairy Falls, a pretty, in forest waterfall; and the home of the pitta. However, after a while there we were well aware that no sound of our chosen bird reached our ears. I decided the best plan might be for me to play the call at various points along the trail uphill from the spot we’d stopped at, and left the group within the capable hands of the local guide. 30 minutes or so later I returned to the group, who’d thought they heard me playing the tape 10 minutes earlier, but were shocked when I told them it could not have been me after all, as I had been well out of earshot at the time. Therefore, they had heard the pitta itself! The excitement was palpable among the group when this realization hit them. Quickly, we tried the call again, but were only met with stony silence. We moved a little up the trail and tried it again, and this time the low mournful whistle of a Blue-banded Pitta reached our ears. Azmil and I knew the trickery of the species well, and assured the group the bird was close, in spite of the muted sound of the call – this is its classic deception. We bobbed our heads this way and that, and remarkably my eyes landed on a bright red spot in the understory, so I hurriedly lifted my binoculars to my face, which confirmed my wildest hopes; the red spot was indeed a Blue-banded Pitta tucked deep into the understory. The angle and position of the bird meant that it was hidden from all but the one who could stand in the very position I was in. This led to some very nervous moments, as no one else could see it. The only solution to this was to quickly erect the ‘scope, and prey the bird stayed put long enough for the line of participants to all get the bird! Thankfully, the bird obliged, and soon enough a groundswell of relief ran through the group, followed by celebration, once the bird dropped off its perch and melted back into the forest! As some were hoping for better photos, we played the call one more time to see if the bird would return, although this time it landed on an open perch, where it seemed to be very self-aware of its own boldness, and so soon dropped down onto the forest floor, and was never seen or heard again. It was a fantastic sighting, as we got to watch it for nearly ten minutes on its first perch, and we all had the bird in the bag by 9am, most unexpected indeed!

After returning to the lodge for lunch, and a Tiger Beer for celebration, we hit the trails close to the lodge again in the afternoon. The use of radios amongst the lodge guides can be at once a boon and a burden. On hearing of a mother and baby  orangutan near to the lodge, we retreated back towards there on hearing the news. However, as we walked back, the radio crackled into life again – a Bornean Crested Fireback – a species that had oddly eluded until then, was walking around the staff quarters. We continued our trajectory as we were heading the right way for both, but would have to soon make a choice; left for the fireback, or right for the orangutan. Our steady pace towards the lodge was interrupted when we met another guide who informed us that he’d only minutes before watched a male Blue-headed Pitta hopping along the trail! This was too much to resist, we played the call, and this excitable male BLUE-headed Pitta came hopping right up to us, crossed the trail a couple of times, and even flew up and perched on an open rainforest vine, to ensure we all got cracking looks at what must be one of Borneo’s best looking birds.

Returning to our original quest, we continued on, and then the loud deep hoots of a Helmeted Hornbill reached our ears, and unlike usual, these were not frustratingly distant, but seemingly close to the road, just a short walk away. This was quickly confirmed over the radio-a pair was perched by the roadside. We quickened our pace in that direction, and away from the orangutan. The hornbills soon fell silent, and the radio again informed us of what we feared, they had taken off from their perch. However, just minutes later came the call that they had alighted in a large fruiting tree by the staff quarters, the same staff quarters hosting the patrolling group of firebacks. Our pace could not quicken any further, as we were already at full speed. Moments later we were on the road and racing towards the staff area. We arrived and quickly surveyed the tall trees for any sign of 2 very large hornbills in the treetops, but came up empty-handed. A change of angle though resolved the matter, and we got to see them feeding in the canopy for a short time, before they lifted off and disappeared into an impenetrable canopy of another tree. The fireback had gone from the area, but the hornbills were more than enough compensation. AND, on the way back to the lodge, we stumbled into a female Bornean Orangutan clambering from one tree to another, making quite a disturbance as it did so.

That night, some local rangers set out in search of another critter for us, the odd Western Tarsier, a mammal that I had put in a special request for. Some of the group were not aware of its existence, and asked me what it looks like, my simple answer was it is a real life gremlin! By the end of a long day, we all assembled for dinner, where we stocked our plates a little higher than was probably healthy – an all too regular result with such a good buffet on offer. Just as we all returned to our table, with not a mouthful of food yet taken, our local guide reappeared, with the news that the ranger had not only found the tarsier, but was waiting with it for us to join him! Dinner was quickly abandoned by all, we quickly donned forest footwear again and set off into the rainforest, only stopping once we had arrived – rather hot and sweaty again by that time – at the spot where a man lie on the forest floor with his torch trained on a cute, gremlin-like creature clasped to the side of a tree!

This, by all rights, should have been the final act of the day, but this group were nothing if not tenacious, and greedy for more, like me! After dinner, we set out into the rainforest again, this time to try and find the Gould’s Frogmouth seen by the few the night before, for the remainder of the group. As we re-met with our local guide, he played another trump card, when he showed us a roosting male Bornean Crested Fireback, which had chosen to sleep in a large tree just a short walk from our cabins. After that, we headed off into the forest, where the frogmouth gave us a hard time, but with some effort was tracked down sitting quietly in the forest canopy. That really was the final curtain, and we returned to the lodge after an exhausting, but absolutely thrilling day of birds and other animals. Birthday BLUES indeed.

(Thanks to Chris Sloan for his photos from this day) 

3rd night; 3rd Frogmouth!....BORNEO (28 June)

Four our second full day at the wonderful Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley, we changed tack. Rather than walking out from the lodge and into the forest, (as we'd done before), we drove out and birded the road and trails further afield. Our main aim for our starting port of call was to see the endemic White-fronted (Bornean) Falconet, which was said to be coming to prey on insects that were attracted to a small building that left its lights on overnight. On arrival at the building the insect harvest was not too impressive, and so may have explained the reason for a complete lack of falconet. We did however, pick up a pair of Diard’s Trogon as some form of avian compensation. Moving back towards the forest trails again our eagle-eyed local guide spotted a tiny bird sitting on a distant dead snag, which turned out to be the world’s smallest raptor, none other than a White-fronted Falconet! However, our local guide, Azmil, was not done just yet; as we peered gratefully at the falconet, he gestured up front, where our first Bornean Orangutan was foraging languidly in a tree ahead of us. Late in the morning, there was palpable relief when we finally connected with a cerulean-capped male Blue-headed Pitta, one of the most stunning endemic species on the island of Borneo, (that is home to more than 50 birds found nowhere else).

The remainder of the day was often like pulling teeth, with long periods of inactivity, with target birds calling at us, but remaining hidden (including the now daily taunt from one of the local Bornean Banded Pittas!), and studded with a smattering of new birds, like Long-billed (Large-billed) Blue Flycatcher and Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher, and another Bornean Blue Flycatcher. It was becoming traditional to see something spectacular over lunch from the lodge, (after yesterday’s Black-and-yellow Broadbill, and the day before’s Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker), and this day was no different, with a pair of Rhinoceros Hornbills interrupting the well-stocked buffet. In the evening, the group made different choices, some like Gary and Gail, headed out on another night drive in the hope of rare mammals, while Chris and I went in search of nightbirds closer to the lodge. We were hoping to add to the confusingly low number of sightings of Oriental Bay Owl on the lodge property, but heard not a peep from that locally rare species. However, we did find the regular Brown Wood-Owl hanging out near the staff quarters, which was new for the trip. As we left the owl behind some red eye shine revealed an absurdly confiding Leopard Cat, hanging around the same area too. I was determined to find some more nightbirds, which are only recently becoming better known at this site; however, Chris was done and headed back for bourbon and bed.

My personal goal was to track down an Oriental Bay Owl or a Gould’s Frogmouth. The former was, of course, highly unlikely, and the latter was known to be around, but I was informed “never” came in to playback. This was like a red rag to a bull for me. I only knew a rough area where it had been seen (i.e. the name of the trail and no more), and so set off there, and played the call hoping for this denizen of the night to respond. Amazingly, it only took a few tries to receive a reply. I began to feel cocky, instantly; this was going to be easy. However, 30 minutes passed and I felt no closer to seeing the bird, so maybe the local guide was right after all, (they usually are). I took a break from that and went off in search of other nightbirds, but, finding nothing, headed back. On the way back I heard, once again, the Gould’s Frogmouth taunting me all over again. I decided to have one last try, so I found a spot with some nice, close perches that were begging to be used by a frogmouth, and tried playing back its call again. Suddenly, this stubborn bird, which had previously seemed unmoved by my overtures, was calling right on top of me! I swept the near branches with the spotlight, and there it was glaring back at me with large cheek whiskers, and bold eyes. I was stoked, and quickly reeled off a set of photos, fearing it would swiftly return to its earlier, considerably more lofty perch. However, it merely remained there, glued to its branch, until I walked away. I got back to my lodge cabin after 10pm, sweat-drenched, and ready for a shower, but quickly noticed that Gary and Gail’s cabin lights were still on. Dare I ask them if they were interested in a sweaty 20-minute walk for a frogmouth which had likely moved on? Of course I did, as I so wanted someone else to see this bird! I was expecting, at this late hour, that a grumpy "NO!" would come back at me, but Gary quickly revealed his keenness to try and Gail was quick to follow too. Once leech socks were donned again, we returned to the spot, and to my utter shock, the bird was still sitting quietly on the very same perch, near eye level. The outcome: THREE nights, THREE frogmouths! (1 Blyth’s, 2 Large, and 3 Gould’s), a series I am unlikely to repeat too soon.

2nd Night; 2nd Frogmouth!...BORNEO (27 June)

This day at Danum Valley was the best and worst of Bornean birding all wrapped into one. That is to say, we heard some great birds, but saw much fewer of them than we heard, but when it came to the end of the day we had racked up some stellar species. Birding in the verdant jungles of Southeast Asia is a challenge for some; it is surely more demanding than say birding in the super diverse rainforests of South America, but arguably the rewards are greater; for me Asia still holds the World's best birds. I accept that this is a very personal view, but I knew this was my view when I came to pick my best birds in the World a few years back, and slotted two from Asia in at number one and two (China's Lady Amherst's Pheasant and Borneo's Blue-banded Pitta). My passion for Asia, and Oriental birding, likely comes from the fact my first big dedicated trip was in this region, and I have held a strong link with it ever since. Likewise, Borneo; I first came here in 2001, and I can honestly say that I enjoy each visit more each time, it never ceases to surprise and amaze me in terms of wildlife.

This could be said of this day too. I was shocked that one of the first close calling birds we were trying for, on walking from the lodge, was no less than the rare Giant Pitta. One thing that was not a surprise to me though, was not seeing the bird at all, which was tantalising close, but never showed. This begun a long list of species that did the same to us on this day (i.e. heard but not seen)-Bornean Ground-Cuckoo, Bornean Banded Pitta, Blue-headed Pitta, and Black-throated Wren-Babbler. However, this is merely part of rainforest birding, and while I did not handle this too well (bird guides are inherently greedy birders!), we did get some more uplifting moments through the morning. One of the best morning sightings was a particularly confiding Bornean Wren-Babbler, which participant Chris Sloan managed a great photo of here...

One of the recent developments at Borneo Rainforest Lodge, is the use of radios for the local guides, which means that sightings can be quickly relayed, and has got me and the participants a few killer sightings over recent years (not least a Clouded Leopard in 2011!). The radios relayed to us that one of our most wanted birds had been seen during the morning, and with other birds not performing as hoped, we decided to race after it. The bird in question was the Bornean Bristlehead, an endemic species, and an endemic, one-species, bird family confined to the island of Borneo. It was most people's most wanted on the trip (although a few had orangutan in this spot), and so we moved quickly over to the trail, and split up, so that we could cover more ground. Soon enough, our expert bird guide from the lodge-Azmil-announced that he had heard them further up the trail. We sped up there, sweating profusely along the way, in the 90% humidity, and were relieved when Chris picked one up in the trees overhead, and we were all soon enjoying them pre-lunch.

After lunch back at the lodge (with a Black-and-yellow Broadbill for company), the afternoon continued with more dastardly birds calling, but avoiding our gaze. However, we did manage to see a smart Banded Kingfisher, of the endemic subspecies with the lack facial mask, a potential future endemic species. We also lucked into our second group of 4 Great Slaty Woodpeckers in as many days, scored a female Green Broadbill, and also saw one of the smallest squirrels in the world, the teeny, tiny Bornean Pigmy Squirrel. Late in the day we made our way along a rainforest trail, and waited it out until darkness fell, and where we hoped to find our second frogmouth in as many nights. This one though was particularly special, being the largest Asian species-Large Frogmouth-and almost twice the size of the Blyth's we had seen the night before! It also, for me, possesses one of the great nightsounds of Asia. Shortly before dark, the 6 O'Clock Cicadas (a real species name by the way), started up their whining sounds, and shortly after dark the spine-tingling sound of a Large Frogmouth answered our call. There was some initial frustration as the bird landed by me, but flew off before everyone was in position to see it. Finally though, this colossal frogmouth landed heavily on a low branch, where it remained until we left...