Birding by boat

May 1st

Today we took three different skiff rides (6 am, 9 am, 3:30pm) along the Kinabatangan River and its side streams. Sitting (albeit in hot sunshine) with space to spread out your gear was a big change after all our hiking the past few days (and weeks). We were warned to prepare not only for the heat and sunshine, but to expect to remain in the boat at all times: the shorelines have snakes and leeches, and the river has saltwater crocodiles. 

We are in Sakau, an area about midway along the 575 km long river. To the north and south, the forest extends for a mile or more back from the river’s edge, but here in Sakai the forest is more shallow. This means there is less forest ofor the birds and animals to hide in, and consequently easier wildlife viewing. 

It is well-known  that birds are most active at dawn and less so in mid-day, but here, as soon as the sun is fully up (by 9 am) the heat kicks in and the birds disappear. 

On our early morning ride we saw many birds, including some new species and a much better look at a tiny kingfisher. One of the new birds was the Straw-headed Bulbul, now in decline because of the pet trade. We also watched two elephants swim across a side stream. The rest of the herd has moved to another section of the river, so seeing these two was a surprise.  In the second morning trip we saw much less activity, but we did get good views of proboscis monkeys, as well as macaques and silver leaf monkeys. 

The late afternoon ride was “monkeys and hornbills”. We saw several troops of proboscis monkeys as well as the other two species. We saw four species of hornbills, in some cases 6-8 birds in a noisy group. As has been a theme for our whole trip, we saw some unexpected hornbill species and not the one that is very common along the river. Rain had been predicted but we only had light sprinkles, and a rainbow. 

After dinner, we went for a short night walk in search of the Large Frogmouth. He seems to have moved away. We did find fire ants (yikes), frogs, spiders, and a sleeping kingfisher. It’s always fun to be out in the woods at night. 

Pictured: male Proboscis Monkeys (one young, one mature), Bornean Pygmy Elephants crossing the river, Blue-eared Kingfisher, Straw-headed Bulbul, White-crowned Hornbill, Striped Bronze-back (snake), Saltwater Crocodile.