The first Borneo Bird Festival was held at RDC ( Rainforest Discovery Centre ) in the city of Sandakan near the world's famous Sepilok Orang Hutan Sanctuary from 10 October to 15 October 2009. The occasion was graced by Datuk Masid manjun, Tan Sri Dr Salleh Mohd ( president Malaysian Nature Society), YM Tenku Adlin, Richard Grimmett, Head of  Conservation, Birdlife International, Dr Geoffrey Davidson, Sabah Tourism Board and Sabah Forestry Department of the Rainforest Discovery Center and other bird enthusiasts from the region. The event was also a platform for launching two new books on the birds of Borneo; Phillipp's Field Guide to the Birds of  Borneo by Quentin & Karen Phillipps and A Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo by Susan Meyers.  A wide range of topics were discussed during the seminar ranging from bird tourism, conservation, where to see birds in Sabah , bird watching ethics, how to photograph birds along with activities for the school children on conducted bird tours and art contest. Last but not least was the Borneo Bird Festival Bird photography contest with the winning prize of US$1000 for the top slot. I had the privilege to be one of the panel judges along with Cede Prudente and  Dr Geoffrey Davidson to pick the thirteen winners.

Why bird watch in Sabah ? The state of Sabah in Borneo has a record of 622 resident and migratory birds which 32 species are considered endemic to Sabah. The few sought after birds in Sabah are Whitehead's Trogon, Whitehead Broadbill, Bornean Brown Cuckoo, Blue-headed Pitta and the Bornean Bristlehead. RDC near Sepilok is considered a lowland rainforest. It is one of the known locations to see the Bornean Bristlehead. While I was in RDC, I saw the BBH a few times but did not have the chance to photograph it.

After spending a few days in Sukau at the Kinabatangan River photographing wildlife of the floodplain forest. I spent the next 5 days at RDC . There, I met many new friends coming from peninsula Malaysia, Sarawak, Japan, Taiwan, UK and local birding communities from Sandakan and Tawau just for the festival who had the same interest and preservation of the welfare of birds and wildlife in general.

Karen , Quentin Phillipps
(authors of Phillipp's Field Guide to the Birds of  Borneo ) & John Arifin at the RDC Canopy Walk

See more images of the
BIRDS AND NATURE
OF BORNEO

 

The Dulit Frogmouth, Batrachostomus harterti is an extremely rare bird sought after by many bird-watchers and currently, not much is known about its behavior. A submontain species belonging to the family ‘Podargidae’,
Dulit Frogmouths are curious-looking, intriguing nocturnal birds related to the nightjars, but are however adapted to live inside the forest. These birds were found in a few remote mountains of Sarawak.

Our team flew over mountains and cruised across rivers deep in the heart of Borneo’s tropical rainforest in our quest for this elusive bird. To date, only 7 known specimens of the skin have been collected in natural history museums between the years of 1950 to 1958. Reliable sources state that fewer than 5 people have actually witnessed the rare sight of the Dulit Frogmouth in its natural environment.

Indeed, by sheer chance, in the midst of our arduous night staking out in the Borneo rainforest, we might have very well been the first to photograph the rare Dulit Frogmouth in high quality digital images in the wild on night of 24 April 2009, during our photography expedition to Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo.

Is this indeed the Dulit Frogmouth ?

I have checked with a few prominent Borneo bird experts. They have given their opinion that it is highly to be a Dulit Frogmouth. If you have any information about this particular frogmouth, please contact me. 

Dulit Frogmouth April 2009

Bandhavgarh
Bandhavgarh National Parks is in the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India, the park is 448 square kilometers. It is situated in the Umaria district among the outlying hills nestled among the picturesque Vindhya and Satpura ranges. At the centre of the park is the Bandhavgarh Hill, rising 811 meters. The park claims to have the highest tiger density in the world. The vegetation is chiefly of sal forest in the valley and slowly changing to mixed deciduous forest on the hills which is typical of central India.  

Besides the royal Bengal tigers, large mammals such as the Gaur (Indian Bison), Nilgai, Sambar Deer, Barking Deer, can be spotted in the park. Other Carnivores animals include Asiatic Jackal, Bengal Fox, Sloth Bear, Jungle Cat and Leopard. There are more than 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds recorded within the park. The vegetation along the streams, ponds and marshes is rich in bird life. The common birds sighted are Little Grebe, Little and great Egrets, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Black Ibis, Owls, Crested Serpent Eagle, Black and Egyptian Vultures, Parakeets, Green Bee-eaters, Kingfisher, Indian Grey and Pied Hornbills, and Indian Roller. 

No record shows when the fort was constructed, the Bandhavgarh Fort is believed to be about 2000 year old, and it sits atop the sheer cliffs of Bandhavgarh Hill. Various dynasties have ruled the fort from the Maghas in the 1^st century AD, the Vakatakas from the 3^rd century, the Sengars from the 5^th century and the Kalchuris from the 10^th century. In the 13^th century, the Baghels took over until 1617 when the Maharajah Vikramaditya Singh moved his capital to Rewa. The fort was deserted in 1935. In the northern part of the park, there are 35 sandstone caves bearing Brahmi inscriptions dating from 1^st century BC. 

How to get there: The nearest airport is Jabalpur about 200 km a way. An 18 hour train ride from New Delhi will be the easiest way to reach this remote reserve. The nearest railhead is Umaria, about 32 km away. 

Best time to travel: The Park is closed from July to October for the monsoon season. The months of November to March will be a good time to see tigers in very pleasant cool temperature. However, take note that December and January are the peak holiday periods in India.  

Attraction: Besides having a very good chance in spotting tigers, Bandhavgarh offers good bird watching opportunities with unique historical backdrop that spans almost 2000 years. There are two main ways to explore the park; on jeep or on elephant’s back. Jeep safari is done in the morning at 6 am and the evening at 4 pm until dusk where most animals are active. Elephant ride for tiger tracking is done only in the morning by the Forest Department.

Accommodations: White Tiger Forest Lodge (www.mptourism.com), Tiger Safari Lodge (www.indiansadventures.com), Bandhavgarh Jungle Lodge ( www.tiger-resorts.com), Mahua Kothi by Taj Hotels and Resorts (www.tajsafaris.com)  

Online information:  Photographing tiger is a real challenge. The best way to see tiger is from the back of an elephant. For tips on how to photograph tigers visit John Arifin’s web site at: www.johnarifin.com

Photos by John Arifin