Borneo - Part 1 (Kinabalu NP): December 2024

11th December

We departed Manila three hours late, which could have led to us missing our car rental as the office shut at 8pm. Rather astonishingly, the AVIS Car Rental kept their office open just for our rental by over 45-minutes and was very chirpy too, fantastic customer service which got us off to a flying start. We stayed close to the airport in an apartment ready for our next adventure to commence the following day. 

Manila at night!!

12th December

We awoke to many Plume-toed Swiftlets swirling around the building, in addition to an Osprey and Chestnut Munia. Instead of making a heading straight for Kinabalu NP, we opted to walk Kota Kinabalu Wetland Centre as an introduction to the region. Despite mostly mangrove, we did see a good number of birds including a highly sought-after Chestnut-winged Cuckoo! A group of Common Flameback, Brown-throated Sunbird, Ornate Sunbird, many Ashy Tailorbird and a Malaysian Pied Fantail was all we could muster. Therefore, after grabbing a hefty amount of supplies from a nearby supermarket, we headed for the hills along the bumpy highway until we ascended towards Kinabalu Mountain. 

We stopped at a cafe area to admire the views and do our first mountain birding where we found our first and only Scaly-breasted Bulbul and Bornean Bulbul of the trip, the former being absolutely stunning! Also here were Dusky Munia, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker and the rather dull Asian Red-eyed Bulbul. By the time we had reached our accommodation in Kundasang (10-mins away from Park HQ) after several market stops for general shopping purposes, it was too late to hit the park, but knowing we had three full days to cover it meant we weren't in a desperate rush. 

Common Flamebacks

13th December

We arrived at the Park HQ perhaps 45-minutes before it got light, paid our entrance fee and parked at the first barrier (remains shut except for mountain hikers getting taxied up) and walked almost flat out to the Kiau Gap viewpoint maybe 5km up the road from the closed barrier. Our thermal picked out a roosting Eyebrowed Thrush, a few Bornean Whistling Thrush and Eye-browed Jungle Flycatcher but little else, but in the dull gloomy light on the main road, out stepped a Banded Linsang - an awesome mammal sighting! When it got properly light, who were we to know this was going to be a quite sublime day and maybe one of my finest birding days abroad ever!! Bird flock after bird flock were found as we ascended, with significant highlights being Indigo Flycatcher, White-tailed Flycatcher, Blyth's Shrike Babbler, Temminck's Sunbird, Black-sided Flowerpecker, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush, Grey-throated Babbler and the stunning Checker-throated Woodpecker. Higher up brought in a host of new species, best being Pale-faced Bulbul, but on the way back down perhaps highlight of the day was the first of the Whitehead's, this being the Whitehead's Trogon (one down, two to go). 

With the weather turning slightly wet during the afternoon, we thought we had used up all of our luck, but instead along the Kiau Gap Trail we came across yet more awesome species, including a significant laughingthrush flock containing surplus amounts of Chestnut-hooded and Sunda Laughingthrushes, plus some Mountain Wren-babblers were very inquisitive! A rustling in the grass led us onto a pair of Crimson-headed Partridge and along a wet gulley was a beautiful Bornean Forktail! We finally emerged from the path and quickly headed to the car as the rain had well and truly set in mid-afternoon and therefore we retreated back to the accommodation having had a quite brilliant day. We stopped for some shopping at a local market stall for dinner. The rain stopped maybe 30-minutes before it got dark, meaning tomorrow was surely going to be another blinder... it was!!

Totals for today:

Crimson-headed Partridge - 2
Little Cuckoo Dove - 2
Mountain Imperial Pigeon - 2
Mountain Serpent Eagle - 1
Whitehead's Trogon - 1
Golden-naped Barbet - 2
Maroon Woodpecker - 2
Checker-throated Woodpecker - 1
Grey-chinned Minivet - 4
Blyth's Shrike Babbler - 3
Bornean Whistler - 10
White-throated Fantail - 15
Ashy Drongo - 5
Bornean Treepie - 8
Pale-faced Bulbul - 2
Yellow-breasted Warbler - 12
Mountain Leaf Warbler - 5
Mountain Tailorbird - 3
Aberrant Bush Warbler - 4
Chestnut-crested Yuhina - 8
Black-capped White-eye - 15
Grey-throated Babbler - 15
Mountain Wren-babbler - 4
Sunda Laughingthrush - 12
Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush - 10
Velvet-fronted Nuthatch - 4
Eyebrowed Thrush - 1
White-tailed Flycatcher - 2
Indigo Flycatcher - 2
Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher - 1
Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher - 5
Bornean Forktail - 1
Mugimaki Flycatcher - 5
Snowy-browed Flycatcher - 1
Little Pied Flycatcher - 1
Black-sided Flowerpecker - 1
Temminck's Sunbird - 4
Bornean Spiderhunter - 1
Bornean Leafbird - 2

Blyth's Shrike-babbler

Bornean Whistler

Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher

roosting Eyebrowed Thrush

Golden-naped Barbet

Grey-throated Babbler

Maroon Woodpecker

Mountain Wren-babbler

Sunda Laughingthrush

Whitehead's Trogon

Mountain Imperial Pigeon, taken by Em

Little Cuckoo Dove, taken by Em

Chestnut-crested Yuhina, taken by Em

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch, taken by Em

Mt Kinabalu from the Kiau Gap Viewpoint

14th December

We awoke even earlier today and set out to the Park a long time before it got light in order to walk up to the stretch of mountain road which had a few recent eBird sightings of Everett's Thrush. As we approached the kiosk to pay, it became clear there was no one about and therefore we sneaked the vehicle around the barrier and continued without paying. We marched up in army fashion to the Kiau Gap View area and from here used the thermal to spot any hotspots along the road. Bornean Whistling Thrush after another kept us interested, but after a while and in now good light, as we crept around a corner and scanned the road and banks, a stationary thrush was spotted facing away from us and it was only identified as it flew out of view as a passing car came our way... EVERETT'S THRUSH!! It didn't come back and so we continued up the road with no joy, but retracing our steps, the thermal again worked wonders and picked out a superb Everett's Thrush feeding in a gulley and coming out onto the road, coming within 20 metres of us as we stood stunned by having such an incredible view of this mega skulker. We also lucked into a trio of Sunda Cuckooshrike here.

Afterwards we descended and walked the Silau Silau Trail, which although ran parallel with a loud stream, we conjured up some brilliant birds. Towards the botanical garden area, a large bird flock moved through, which initially commenced with a family group of Whitehead's Trogon, but soon transformed into many great birds including Bornean Treepie, Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush, Grey-chinned Minivet, Bronzed Drongo, Chestnut-crested Yuhina, amongst other things. Em then drew my attention to a bird she had just found, which turned out to be the incredible Fruithunter!!

Once this flock has passed, a short while later brought us onto another flock, comprising a few Penan Bulbul and the spectacular Bornean Green Magpie. A coffee and snack was had but despite such an incredible list of birds, the lack of any large green birds was starting to aggravate me and therefore we kept on persisting without any luck, but finding a pair of Temminck's Babbler and a Yellow-bellied Warbler was some consolation. We walked around until 4.30pm and with light fading we gave in, but still knowing we had another full day tomorrow!

Totals for highlights today:

Sunda Cuckooshrike - 2

Bornean Treepie - 3

Grey-chinned Minivet - 7

Whitehead's Trogon - 4

Yellow-breasted Warbler - 4

Temminck's Babbler - 2

Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush - 10

Fruithunter - 2

Eyebrowed Thrush - 1

Everett's Thrush - 2

Penan Bulbul - 2

White-tailed Flycatcher - 2

Indigo Flycatcher - 4

Snowy-browed Flycatcher - 4

Little Pied Flycatcher - 1

Mugimaki Flycatcher - 4

Black-sided Flowerpecker - 3

Everett's Thrush

Bornean Green Magpie

Penan Bulbul

Whitehead's Trogon

15th December

Our final day and last chance of finding the Whitehead's Broadbill. Concentrating on the lower slopes seemed to be the best option and we therefore parked at our usual spot just as it got light and slowly walked the road uphill. In addition to the broadbill, we were planning a big day and so were going to walk the entire road up to the Timpohon Gate and walk back down again. It was slightly busier with birders today (in fact, the first day we had seen anyone) and one guide stood out as proving to be an expert of the area, and we got some good gen from him as he led two others. 

Anyway, our first bird flock comprised a Bornean Blue Flycatcher, and as we progressed I heard the call of a broadbill, although it was frustratingly distant. I played the call and slowly but surely the response got closer and closer, when suddenly an eruption of noise above us turned things mildly chaotic, but it soon was apparent it was the announcement of an arriving Whitehead's Broadbill!! Three of these stunning birds posed for us for a short time before melting away into the forest, leaving me almost shaking with excitement. It was a mission complete and I for one could now enjoy the day as the pressure was well and truly off. As we were waiting for the broadbills to potentially come back, I heard the mega high-pitched song of a Bornean Stubtail and one was soon coaxed into view and showed for a while. An ex-pat now living in Brunei informed us of a roosting Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel and we went and observed the hole, and sure enough, out popped one. A short while later a Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel was found. On the ascent we bumped into more flocks finding nothing different, although a brief spiderhunter was sadly just a Bornean, but we had pretty much given up on Whitehead's Spiderhunter due to the wrong season and no flowers. We had a much needed coffee and snack up at the cafe at Timpohon Gate, then descended into another excellent bird flock where Em found a pair of Long-tailed Broadbills - something of a local rarity, but sadly not Mountain Black-eye. From the viewpoint, a swiftlet was tentatively identified as a Bornean Swiftlet, but apparently these are impossible to tell in the field, so this was soon expelled from the notebook, despite it being very convincing in these higher climes. It was gentle walk down, enjoying the sunshine and plentiful birds on offer (Orange-backed Woodpecker the best) before we called it a day at around 4.30pm. 

Kinabalu NP was simply brilliant throughout, with not only excellent birds, but the mammal list was also special.

Totals for highlights today:

Mountain Serpent Eagle - 2

Crested Goshawk - 3

Golden-naped Barbet - 3

Orange-backed Woodpecker - 2

Checker-throated Woodpecker - 1

Whitehead's Broadbill - 3

Long-tailed Broadbill - 2

Sunda Cuckooshrike - 4

Bornean Green Magpie - 3

Penan Bulbul - 6

Pale-faced Bulbul - 3

Mountain Leaf Warbler - 13

Chestnut-crested Yuhina - 20

Grey-throated Babbler - 9

Temminck's Babbler - 2

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch - 2

Eyebrowed Thrush - 3

White-tailed Flycatcher - 2

Indigo Flycatcher - 3

Bornean Blue Flycatcher - 1

Mugimaki Flycatcher - 5

Snowy-browed Flycatcher - 2

Black-sided Flowerpecker - 9

Ornate Sunbird - 1

Temminck's Sunbird - 5

Bornean Spiderhunter - 1

Bornean Leafbird - 3

Whitehead's Broadbill

Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel

Bornean Stubtail

Indigo Flycatcher

Orange-backed Woodpecker

Pale-faced Bulbul

Kinabalu from our accommodation

The Philippines - Part 3 (Bohol): December 2024

30th November

On the 30th, we flew to Cebu and immediately got a taxi to the ferry terminal, knowing we'd missed our ferry due to our over optimistic timings. However, we clearly saw the right lady behind the desk as she charged us the equivalent of £1 to transfer our booking (in business class) to the next available sailing, only 30-minutes waiting time. We had the upper floor of the ferry to ourselves and enjoyed a gentle two-hour sailing (only terns seen) to Tagbilaran Port where a private taxi (via booking.com) was waiting for us. From the port to Camelo Farm (near to Bilar) was a 2-hour drive and we arrived in the dark where dinner was waiting for us on our porch... nice touch! Camelo Farm is a wonderful place, in the countryside and only a 45-minute swift walk to the nearby national park.

1st December

Due to our late arrival last night, we didn't emerge with much enthusiasm this morning, so we walked around the grounds comprising rice paddies, scattered trees and gardens. Brown Shrike, Collared Kingfisher, Brahminy Kite and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters were garden birds, while the paddies held both Common and Swinhoe's Snipe. 

We then packed a day bag and walked the 45-minutes or so to the Raja Sikatuna National Park entrance, passing Bilar where we grabbed food and drink. We had to negotiate more paddies where we found Whiskered Tern, Wood Sandpiper, Barred Rail, Paddyfield Pipit and Eastern Yellow Wagtail. At the entrance, we were annoyed to find out we needed a guide accompanying us, so we asked for the best bird guide and pay our debts. He actually turned out to be very good so we were glad to have him along and over the next four hours walking slowly through lush forest along some very slippery paths, we found the following:

Black-faced Coucal - 2
Philippine Frogmouth - 1
Philippine Trogon - 3
White-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Philippine Falconet - 2
Pied Triller - 2
Visayan Blue Fantail - 1
Short-tailed Drongo - 5
Philippine Leaf Warbler - 1
Visayan Babbler - 5
Brown Tit-babbler - 2
Metallic-winged Sunbird - 2

We also came across lots of the Philippine Colugo (or Flying Lemurs as they're described as here) and we also heard Philippine Oriole. Despite turning up at the entrance late morning, we had secured some good birds, but a return visit was very much needed. We ambled back to our accommodation finding some Nankeen Night Herons plus the usual waterbirds, having walked a whopping 26,000 steps (this number per day was to be repeated for our time here).

Philippine Trogon

Black-faced Coucal

Philippine Colugo

Philippine Frogmouth

Short chairs

The campground within the park

Em watching the Philippine Trogon

Rice paddies leading to Raja Sikatuna NP

2nd December

Today was another mammoth walk, this time heading east along the Loboc Watershed road, another ebird hotspot and best of all, no entry fees, no need for a guide and the forest was incredible, with just a single dirt track running through the middle which became our home for the next nine hours. We left much earlier today and again collected our supplies in Bilar. The forest from the off impressed with numerous Black-faced Coucal, Coleto, Short-tailed Drongo and White-bellied Munia, and over the course of the next few hours, we also found the following:

White-eared Brown Dove - 2

Black-chinned Fruit Dove - 1

Black-faced Coucal - 6

Philippine Coucal - 1

Philippine Swiftlet - 10

Ameline Swiftlet - 20

Pygmy Swiftlet - 25

Whiskered Treeswift - 4

Philippine Serpent Eagle - 2

Chinese Sparrowhawk - 1

Samar Hornbill - 4

White-bellied Woodpecker - 3

Philippine Hanging Parrot - 1

Mindanao Cuckooshrike - 5 

Short-tailed Drongo - 8

Brown Tit-babbler - 5

Coleto - 12

Purple-throated Sunbird - 1

Handsome Sunbird - 1

Metallic-winged Sunbird - 2

Garden Sunbird - 6

Paddyfield Pipit - 3

It was a relief to find the Samar Hornbills and these proved to be the only ones we saw on Bohol, plus our only confirmed sighting of Philippine Swiftlet and Handsome Sunbird, so today was very good and worth the effort. Just as we approached a village at the far eastern end of the road, a huge thunderstorm came over, therefore, I quickly got friendly with an old man and invited us in for coffee while the rain fell. As soon as we finished the coffee, the rain stopped and we released ourselves from the owner's property, feeling better after a sit down and light refreshment. Having seen lots, we were in two minds whether to scrounge a lift back, and rather fortuitously, a tuk-tuk bumped around the corner which we duly flagged down and got given a free lift to the starting point of the forest. We lingered for a short while before returning back to base, via our usual restaurant which served the typically disappointing quantity and quality of food, the latter we were now very used to in this country. We tried for a few owl species afterwards with no luck.

Black-bibbed Fruit Dove

Black-faced Coucal

Black-naped Oriole

Chinese Sparrowhawk

White-bellied Woodpeckers

The friendly man (Ronald) and his (now) coffee shop

Loboc Watershed Road

3rd December

As we still had many targets remaining in this area, today we arrived at the Raja Sikatuna entrance at first light, perhaps 5.30am, after a very early start to walk the three miles. In fact, too early for any staff to greet us and this meant we walked a long circuit without the mandatory guide! Our first two targets were ticked off almost straight away from entering the 'Broadbill' Trail, very aptly named as this is where we saw a trio of the quite spectacular Visayan Wattled Broadbill, although no photos, we obtained good views despite the low light levels. Also here we saw the stunning Yellow-breasted Tailorbird! We slowly walked the Trogon and Oriole trails but still no luck with any pittas, therefore we concentrated on the remaining few targets, and waiting within the camping area, a good view here enabled us to connect with Philippine Oriole and Philippine Drongo Cuckoo, plus the typical raptors being Crested Goshawk and Philippine Serpent Eagle. We even lucked into a beautiful Ruddy Kingfisher, this being quite unexpected here. Rufous Paradise Flycatcher was the final new bird during this successful session, though we did get repeat encounters with Philippine Leaf Warbler, Short-tailed Drongo, Mindanao Cuckooshrike, Philippine Trogon and both coucals.

We tried to escape without having to pay another extortionate fee but unfortunately the reception staff had arrived and another 750 in notes was taken from us, much to our dislike, especially as we didn't have a guide! Anyway, this didn't tarnish our quite excellent self-guided visit and we returned to Camelo Farm to relax and spend more time enjoying the grounds, and doing some washing etc. I went for a short walk out the very back and found two White-bellied Woodpeckers, heard a Plain Bush Hen which constantly refused to show and a few other nice bits.

White-breasted Woodswallow

Snake sp.

Nankeen Night Heron

dawn along entrance to Raja Sikatuna

Trogon Trail

Broadbill Trail

4th December

Our final morning before heading off from Bohol and continuing on our now non-birding part of The Philippines. We wanted to try the Bohol Biodiversity Complex as this area looked very good. It was again another walk from the accommodation but we made it, with the legs now severely stronger after only a few days on the island. Here we found a top target, this being the Northern Silvery Kingfisher and along the way we encountered a Cinnamon Bittern, but there wasn't a great deal else other than the typical species, so we called it and departed Camelo Farm to the ferry port, using a local bus and then a tuk-tuk for the remainder part of the journey. 

Our final week of travelling this terrific country was mainly on southern Luzon, via Northern Samar (awful island... no trees left) from flying from Cebu to Calbayog, catching a bus to Allen and then a ferry to Matnog and then catching a bus through the island. After a few nights at Donsol (excellent snorkeling, Streaked Shearwaters and two adult Pomarine Skuas the best here), we were going to get an overnight bus to Manilla, but thankfully withdrew this idea and opted to fly from Legazpi to Manilla, which worked very well. We departed The Philippines on 11 December, flying from Manila to Kota Kinabalu to continue our time away in what is now one of the best places I've been to, Sabah!!

Tomato Clownfish near Donsol

Sea Snake near Donsol

a street market in Legazpi

arriving into Manila on our penultimate afternoon