Part 2: Kota Kinabalu to Mount Kinabalu (October 3, 2018)
Part 3: Full day at Mount Kinabalu (October 4, 2018)
Part 4: Mount Kinabalu to Sepilok (October 5, 2018)
Part 5: Sepilok (October 6, 2018)
Part 6: Kinabatangan River (October 6-7, 2018)
Part 7: Kinabatangan River, Gomantong Caves (October 7-8, 2018)
Part 8: Tabin Wildlife Reserve (October 8-9, 2018)
Part 9: Tabin Wildlife Reserve (October 9-10, 2018)
Part 10: Danum Valley (October 11-12, 2018)
Part 11: Danum Valley (October 13-14, 2018)
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October 9, 2019 (continued)
Before we had even left for our night drive there were cool things to be seen around a pond by the main lodge. This first photo is of a Large Forest Gecko, a species that makes odd vocalizations and is much more frequently heard than seen.
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| Large Forest Gecko (Gekko smithii) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
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| Harlequin Tree Frog (Rhacophorus pardalis) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
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| Large White-lipped Frog (Chalcorana megalonesa) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
The night drive was awesome! While only a couple of Common Palm Civets appeared during the previous evening, we observed several more this evening, both on the roadsides and feeding in oil palms. But the civets were completely forgotten when a small spotted cat appeared at the edge of the oil palm plantation.
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| Leopard Cat - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
It was a Leopard Cat, moving slowly and presumably hunting for rats which feed on the oil palm fruit. Leopard Cats are not much larger than a house cat and like most wild cats they can be secretive and hard to find. However in situations like this, where a forest is adjacent to oil palm, they can apparently be reasonably common.
Another highlight from the drive was the discovery of a Sunda Frogmouth at a known stakeout location. These odd-looking birds look like a cross between a potoo and a nightjar and it was the first one that I had ever seen.
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| Sunda Frogmouth - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
I have no idea how, but Rafael somehow detected this Sunda Colugo hanging from a branch and well off the roadside. The head was tucked in which prevented any eyeshine (the easy way to spot many creatures at night). Colugos are one of the famous "gliders" found in Borneo, a group that includes several squirrels, geckos, frogs, snakes and even ants. While also known as flying lemurs, Colugos are actually much more closely related to primates.
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| Sunda Colugo - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Upon return to the lodge, one of the travelers noticed this awesome mantid on a railing outside her cabin. Fortunately I was in earshot so I quickly appeared to check it out.
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| Giant Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys desiccata) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
This species is known as Deroplatys desiccata, the Giant Dead Leaf Mantis.
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| Giant Dead Leaf Mantis (Deroplatys desiccata) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
October 10, 2018
For our last full morning of exploration Rafael directed the driver of the truck to transport us down a road deep into the reserve. We passed the area of secondary forest that we investigated yesterday and did not stop until the vegetation changed, signalling that we were in more mature forest with a different assortment of species.
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| Large White-lipped Frog (Chalcorana megalonesa) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
The plan for the morning was to walk the road while the truck would stay a few hundred meters down the road behind us. It would be close enough that it was accessible if someone needed water or anything else, but far enough back that it did not disturb the wildlife. We walked for about three hours until we reached the edge of a partially cleared area, at which point we called it a morning and the truck picked us up.
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| Rhinoceros Hornbill - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
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| Black-and-yellow Broadbill - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Flycatchers were well represented and three of the species were completely new for our group (Bornean Blue, Verditer, and Blue-and-white Flycatchers). Even a few migrant Arctic Warblers were around. At one point a dark shape glided overhead and was quickly identified as a Wrinkled Hornbill before it disappeared.
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| Chestnut-rumped Babbler - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
A Bartlett's Flying Dragon was spotted as it made its way up the side of one of the roadside trees, causing a bit of excitement. Even better, as we watched it suddenly lept from the tree, glided right over our heads, and landed on the other side of the road. Incredible!
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| Bartlett's Flying Dragon (Draco cornutus) - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
We finished our morning walk by listening to the incredible calls of two Helmeted Hornbills, representing our fifth hornbill species of the day already and a nice way to wrap up the morning.
The rains came shortly after lunch and it was late afternoon when we reassembled for another dusk drive.
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| Chestnut-breasted Malkoha - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Near the start of the drive we stopped on a few occasions to listen for White-crowned Hornbill since they can sometimes be found in the area. We were successful but spotting the bird would be another matter! Fortunately Rafael knew the areas where this species sometimes perches and fifteen minutes later we were looking at one, distantly perched beside a radio tower. We frantically tried to get the group on the bird and were successful, though photos leave a lot to be desired. The White-crowned Hornbill is the most carnivorous of Borneo's hornbills and also likely the rarest. It was the sixth hornbill of the day for us and was the eighth and final hornbill species for us on our trip - a clean sweep!
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| White-crowned Hornbill - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Crested Serpent-Eagles seem to be the default bird of prey along waterways, roadsides and forest edges in Sabah. We noted this species daily during our tour.
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| Crested Serpent-Eagle - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Around dusk we lucked out with a few more hornbill sightings. The first was a Wrinkled Hornbill which gave much better views than the individual from the morning, low light levels notwithstanding. We also saw a group of six Bushy-crested Hornbills flying to their roost, our seventh hornbill species in nine hours.
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| Wrinkled Hornbill - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
We stayed out well past dusk as it was our last night at Tabin and we wanted to make the most of it. This proved to be a good decision, as the next photos show...
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| Banded Civet - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
The animal pictured is a Banded Civet which is a poorly known species that is infrequently encountered. It was walking alongside the edge of the road and immediately I knew what it was when our flightlights lit up the distinctive striped pattern on its dorsum. The Banded Civet seems to be a species of primary rainforests where it can apparently be reasonably common. However the population crashes in logged forest and the species can not survive in secondary forest. Banded Civets are usually very shy which adds to their allure. I had longingly looked at this species pages in my mammal field guides on several occasions and so to see one in the flesh was surreal.
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| Banded Civet - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Amazingly, the Banded Civet stuck around long enough for everyone to have excellent looks and I even managed a few acceptable photos, which was not an easy proposition given the situation.
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| Banded Civet - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Other mammal highlights included both Red Giant and Black Flying Squirrels, many Common Palm Civet, and a Malay Civet just as we were turning into the lodge driveway.
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| Malay Civet - Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia |
Our time at Tabin was nearly complete as we would be departing early the next morning. But looking back, it is amazing all of the sightings that we had in such a short period of time thanks to Rafael. I can not wait to get back to Tabin in 2020!
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Part 1: Fly to Borneo, Kota Kinabalu (September 30 - October 2, 2018)
Part 2: Kota Kinabalu to Mount Kinabalu (October 3, 2018)
Part 3: Full day at Mount Kinabalu (October 4, 2018)
Part 4: Mount Kinabalu to Sepilok (October 5, 2018)
Part 5: Sepilok (October 6, 2018)
Part 6: Kinabatangan River (October 6-7, 2018)
Part 7: Kinabatangan River, Gomantong Caves (October 7-8, 2018)
Part 8: Tabin Wildlife Reserve (October 8-9, 2018)
Part 9: Tabin Wildlife Reserve (October 9-10, 2018)
Part 10: Danum Valley (October 11-12, 2018)
Part 11: Danum Valley (October 13-14, 2018)
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