Longcanggou

Our first full day in Longcanggou turned out to be a really good day where we scored with a number of key target species, several of which often take a few days to find here. So we left the lodge at 5.15am and dove up in our coaster to our usual breakfast spot, and after an eighty minute bumpy drive we were just about ready for it. It was an overcast day and a little cool but this meant that bird activity continued right through to lunchtime, when the mist came in and we had drizzle that lingered for the rest of the afternoon. Anyway, we kicked off proceedings with a Brown Bush Warbler skulking at the edge of a small stand of bamboo. Then we hit the first of many flocks today that gave us our first Mrs Gould’s Sunbird, Yellow-browed, Green-backed and Coal Tits, Short-billed Minivet, Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, the first of many Large-billed Leaf-Warblers, Sichuan Leaf-Warbler, and best of all a pair of Fire-capped Tits. This latter species would be seen very well several times during the day. Whilst we were stood here watching the flock I heard a few more good birds just a little further down the track and sure enough we pulled out a confiding pair of Golden Parrotbills that gave repeatedly close views, plus Yellowish-bellied and Aberrant Bush-Warblers, and there was a flock of Brown Bullfinches flying overhead as well.

Brown Bush Warbler

After our picnic breakfast we spent the rest of the morning walking along a wide track that took us through great habitat with plenty of bamboo. We had a few attempts at seeing Red-winged Laughingthrush and little by little a few of the group managed tickable views, but boy they are true skulkers. Our walk was very productive and we saw several fine Grey-hooded Fulvettas, flyover Speckled Woodpigeon and Chestnut-bellied Rock-Thrush, Vinaceous Rosefinch, Darjeeling Woodpecker, Blyth’s Shrike-Babbler, Buff-barred, Ashy-throated and Claudia’s Leaf-Warbler, White-browed Bush-Robin, Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher, White-collared and Stripe-throated Yuhinas, a very showy White-bellied Redstart perched right out on an open branch of a small conifer, Elliot’s Laughingthrush, Collared Grosbeak, Olive-backed Pipit, and best of all a pair of Three-toed Parrotbills spotted by Julian and an Emei Shan Liocichla posing nicely in a small conifer.  

A poor photo of Emei Shan Liocichla

A distant Vinaceous Rosefinch

By the time we had returned to the coach it was midday and lunch already felt overdue, so after some hot noodles we all felt fortified enough to make another short walk. I really wanted to keep our hot streak going by nailing Great Parrotbill. As we walked along the track that passes through the bamboo zone we came across a big flock with Red-tailed and Blue-winged Minlas, several Golden-breasted Fulvettas, and another Golden Parrotbill. As we watched all of the action a Great Parrotbill was found feeding low down inside a stand of bamboo. It was really tucked in and obscured but for those in the right position it gave some decent views. So with the drizzle getting heavier we returned to the coach and drove lower.

We walked along a side trail through some great forest and found a few more flocks with Black-winged Cuckooshrike, Yellow-bellied Tit, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Chestnut-crowned Warbler and both Ultramarine and the rare Sapphire Flycatchers all in the first flock. We followed the trail but activity was quite slow but we still picked up Himalayan Swiftlet, Emei Leaf-Warbler, a Fujian Niltava, Eurasian Nuthatch and a confiding Pygmy Wren-Babbler. 

Pygmy Wren-Babbler

Once we were back on the main track we tried to get a view of a singing Marten’s Warbler, when all of a sudden a flock of Buffy Laughingthrushes passed by and we chased them along the track and were rewarded with good views eventually. As we continued down the track it was apparent that the drizzle had literally dampened bird activity so we hopped onto the coach and returned to the lodge, extremely satisfied with our day.

Sichuan Day 1

Our 7th Sichuan tour began in Chengdu with a walk around the nearby park where we picked up Black-crowned Night-Heron, White-browed Laughingthrush, Chinese Blackbird, numerous Chinese (Light-vented) Bulbuls, Black-throated Bushtits and Plumbeous Water-Redstart. It took a while to find Vinous-throated Parrotbill, but as we were waiting for this bird to appear a female Slaty-blue Flycatcher appeared – such a surprising find, but it is migration time after all. A seicercus warbler was also seen but not reliably identified as it wasn’t calling – it definitely wasn’t a Grey-crowned and I suspect it may well have been a rather out-of-place Alstrom’s Warbler….. maybe….

So after breakfast we left on the 2 hour drive to our first proper birding stop near Ya’an.  A quick stop at a service station along the way had some nice habitat and a pair of Swinhoe’s Minivets showed really well at eye-level, whilst Rufous-capped Babbler circled us a few times. From here it didn’t take us much longer to get to our birding site along a river and here we had repeated close looks at Rufous-faced Warbler, along with some confiding Ashy-throated Parrotbills, Collared Finchbills, Black Bulbuls, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, White-rumped Munia, Red-billed Blue Magpie, and some superb close views of a pair of Black Bazas. 

Black Baza

Rufous-faced Warbler was very common

Lunch at the nearby restaurant followed and then a shopping expedition for the next 3 full days at Longcanggou turned into a serious exercise in phaffing before we eventually left Ya’an at 3pm and drove to Longcanggou. I mean, how long can it take a bunch of guys to get some food for the next 4 breakfasts & lunches....?

Eventually we reached the approach rod to Longcanggou and checked out a few spots on the drive up to the lodge which gave us crippling views of Sulphur-breasted Warbler singing by the roadside. There was also Grey Bushchat and a pair of Russet Sparrows on the drive up as well. 

Sulphur-breasted Warbler

And we eventually reached our base for the next four nights around 4.45pm and enjoyed a nice couple of hours birding along the road. We began with a close Brown-flanked Bush-Warbler, followed a cracking Yellow-throated Bunting singing on the telegraph wires, a Little Bunting, Large Hawk-Cuckoo, a pair of Black-naped Orioles, Long-tailed Minivet, Grey-backed Shrike, and an extremely confiding Kloss’s Leaf-Warbler that flew down to the bush next to us and proceeded to sing its heart out – it was almost too close to focus on! 

Kloss's Leaf-Warbler

As usual, Chinese Bamboo-Partridge just called from the fields without being seen and we’d have to give that another try later.

Borneo - Last Morning Madness!

Our last morning along a leech-filled trail produced a wonderful finale just as it did on our last tour here. It started quietly with just a close Lesser Green Leafbird beside the truck. But once in the trail we were treated to a fine male Blue-headed Pitta and an all-too-brief Siberian Blue Robin. We stuck at it along here for an hour without getting much, when all of a sudden and totally ‘out of the blue’ Bornean Banded Pitta hopped down the slope in front of us and onto our life lists. 

Bornean Banded Pitta - rubbish pic of a moulting female. Who cares!

Oh I felt for the 3 guys who remained back at the lodge…! What a corker and a species I’d all  but given up hope of – pitta no 24 for your truly. A pair of Long-billed Spiderhunters at the same spot were also much appreciated as well. If that wasn’t enough just around the corned a Blue-banded Pitta hopped across the hillside in front of us but was too quick for most people, so we returned to the site we’d heard one a few days ago. Sure enough after quite a search we had it teed up in the scope and we were done – all of Borneo’s endemic pitta species on the list! Leaving here we walked along the main track only to find a pair of Helmeted Hornbills to round off another cracking trip to Borneo.

All that remained was to pack, have lunch, drive back to Lahad Datu and fly on to Kuala Lumpur where the tour concluded.

Danum Valley Day 2

Enjoyed seeing a Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker at breakfast almost as much as I enjoyed the omelette this morning! So we were off on the trails again this morning and we started with our first Ferruginous Babbler feeding alongside the main track, followed by Bornean Blue Flycatcher, Spotted Fantail and Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher. 

Record shot of Bornean Bristlehead

Spotted Fantail

Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher

Along the trails we walked for just over 4kms, some of it was quite muddy but on the whole it was pretty easy going with minimal leech contact – in fact my personal leech count was only 4! We saw both Scaly-crowned and Rufous-crowned Babblers, with our only  Moustached Babblers of the tour seen towards the end of our walk and a brief Chestnut-naped Forktail was also seen by a few of us. 

Blue-headed Pitta

But the undoubted highlight was a cracking Blue-headed Pitta that posed repeatedly for us to enjoy at leisure and what a bird this is. Just a shame the calling Great Argus couldn’t be located.  We also had a real treat when we came across the same mamma and juv Orang-Utan and large male as well during the mornings walk - and they gave crippling views. I admit I hung back and sat and watched these amazing animals for a few minutes on my own and felt incredibly privileged to spend a little time with them. In fact they weren't bothered buy my presence and moved around the canopy quite close to me before I backed away quietly and left them to it. There were also some Bornean Gibbons, a Grey-headed Fish-Eagle and a Black-and-yellow Broadbill in the garden spotted at lunchtime from the restaurant.

Bornean Orang-Utan - you gotta love these guys....

After lunch we met up at 3.15pm and headed over the river despite the light rain that eventually cleared and we found Striped Wren-Babbler, Hairy-backed Bulbul, Purple-naped Spiderhunter, White-crowned Forktail, both Dusky and Black-and-red Broadbill, and a superb Large-billed Blue Flycatcher.

Large-billed Blue-Flycatcher

Another close Black-and-yellow Broadbill

The night drive gave us Malay Civet, Sambar, Red Giant Flying Squirrel and a heard-only Sunda Frogmouth.

Danum Valley

Breakfast was at 5.30am and we were away in the truck at 6.15am to a distant trail. But first some excellent birding along the road gave us a pair of cracking Bornean Crested Jays which gave superb views although I was going to have ‘one of those days’ with the camera, getting lots of poor images of great birds. 

Bornean Crested Jay - record shot... Yep messed this one up a treat..

Then a Bornean Wren-Babbler began calling and appeared several times – what a bird. And we had the double-whammy when a Black-throated Wren-Babbler showed up as well.  There was also Scaly-crowned Babbler, Silver-rumped Spinetail, Whiskered Treeswift, better views of Bornean Bristlehead, but this time closer and really nice through the scope, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Scaly-crowned Babbler, Blyth’s Paradise-Flycatcher, and a Dark-sided Flycatcher. Just a shame we couldn’t locate a calling Helmeted Hornbill, but that would have to wait until later. Much Later..!

Then we hit the trail and it was dark and gloomy and full of leeches – I counted over 70 on me by the end of the 4 hour hike, during which we covered a tad over 2kms. A Red-bearded Bee-eater showed, along with Maroon-breasted Philentoma, Chestnut-winged Babbler, Spotted Fantail, Dark-fronted Oriole, and a Yellow-bellied Bulbul. 

Red-bearded Bee-eater

But it was particularly quiet along here and we spent most of the time trawling for pittas despite the ridiculously loud volume of cicadas here. Eventually they quietened a little and we could hear a Blue-banded Pitta but despite trying this for an hour we couldn’t locate it and it didn’t want to come in and show itself. Next up, a Blue-headed Pitta did the same, along with a heard only Banded Kingfisher. So the trail was hard and we’ll give another trail a bash this afternoon.

We walked the long way around the Hornbill Trail later in the afternoon, hearing Giant Pitta. There was a mum Orang-Utan with a young one and later on there was a large male sleeping high overhead. We also saw Rufous-tailed Shama, Abbott’s Babbler, Grey-rumped Treeswift, and not a lot else.

Gould's Frogmouth

A night time walk for some of us proved to be very, very good with walk-away views of Gould’s Frogmouth, as well as sleeping Horsfield’s Babbler and Rufous-backed Kingfisher to round the day off nicely.

Danum Valley Here We Come!

One final bash at the ground-cuckoo yielded zero returns but there was a fine pair of Rufous Piculets and a Maroon Woodpecker that actually revealed itself, contrary to the norm! There were also some showy White-chested Babblers, a brief Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Storm’s Stork, the usual two broadbill species, Green Iora, Indian Cuckoo, Blue-eared Kingfisher, and one final look at Proboscis Monkeys before we had to return to the lodge for breakfast, load our luggage onto the boat and return to our coach for the 2 hour drive to Lahad Datu.

White-chested Babbler

After lunch and registering at the lodge’s office we set out on the 2.5 hour drive to the superb Borneo Rainforest Lodge in famous Danum Valley. Along the way we saw another Bornean Pygmy Elephant crossing the track in front of us, a large tortoise, Monitor Lizard and Whiskered Treeswift. Upon arrival our local guide did his best to fill us with gloom as according to him there hadn’t been any Bornean Bristlehead sightings for over a week (and we really need to see that endemic) and the pittas were all breeding and not showing! What a lovely greeting – think you need a new job mate!

We were eager to get out birding as soon as we arrived at the lodge so we just got into our rooms, donned leech socks, which turned out to be unnecessary, and walked along the main track. Despite the drizzle we picked up Sooty-capped, Chestnut-winged and Rufous-crowned Babblers, Banded Broadbill, Rufous-winged Philentoma, and another Narcissus Flycatcher. However, we saved the best for last as a fantastic pair of Bornean Bristleheads were found by yours truly high up in a large, moss-encrusted tree. Through the scope we had decent views as they fed and bobbed around the branches. What a relief. Wow! So in your face Mr Local Guide – who actually turned out to be very good and a great help to us over the next few days, but not sure what all of the doom and gloom was about….. We returned to the lodge just after 6pm and there to greet us was a male Bornean Crested Fireback. Oh yes baby!

We did the night drive this evening but it rained (yet again) and we only saw Lesser Mouse Deer, an invisible Malay Masked Civet and a sleeping Black-crowned Pitta. Never had much luck with these night drives here, although just a few days ago a Bornean Clouded Leopard was seen……..