Singapore and Malaysia

Singapore has a reputation of being a great introduction to Asian birding. The city-state is actually a large island off of Peninsular Malaysia and is primarily well known as an economic hub akin to a city like Dubai. That reputation came at a cost, as a lot of awesome habitat, and animals that come with it, is gone. Despite that, there are some great spots and a state of the art public transportation system that make it really to get around and get familiar with different habitats.

 

After consulting with my companion for the week, the legendary Tom McKean, we also decided to gamble on Kuching, Malaysia as a second stop, in the state of Sarawak on Borneo. Sarawak is more economically developed, which means it has considerably weaker nature than Sabah, the other Malaysian state in Borneo, or Kalimantan, which is the Indonesian state that occupies Borneo. 

 

Probiscis Monkey

Sabah is home to legendary sites like Mt. Kinabalu, Sepilok, the Kinabatagan River, and the Danum Valley, but we did not have  enough to visit these places and do them justice. With only a few days, we opted for Kuching because it had some accessible sites right outside of town and neither of us had been to SE Asia before. It was either Kuching or Fraser’s Hill on the peninsula.

Crimson Sunbird

 

After a very late arrival, Tom and I slept in and got a late start to the morning at the Windsor Nature Park , where there is a canopy walk. The walk was closed for the day, but the trails below were still open. The humidity was unreal, but we still got great looks at Black-naped Oriole and and Olive-backed Sunbird. Sunbirds remind me of hummingbirds of the Americas, and I really wanted to see at least one, although my main target was Crimson Sunbird.

 

Black-naped Oriole

After a  rainy lunch at the Newton Food Centre we headed off towards the botanical gardens, which were pretty birdy late in the day. There were some major highlights, like Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, a Gray-headed Fish Eagle feeding on a fish in a tree, and a pack of Smooth-coated Otters chasing a water monitor lizard. I also got my first Crimson Sunbird of the trip!

Smooth-coated Otter

 

Chinese Fried Oysters

Our next leg started with a flight to Kuching, and we went to Kubah National Park the following morning. We arrived before they opened and killed some time by admiring a stunning Blue-throated Bee-eater. I found Kubah surprisingly not super birdy, but our pace was probably too fast. We also got into the forest, which made it much harder to observe birds. Tropical birding is TOUGH, and I think we would have been better served being on the road. 

Blue-throated Bee-eater

 

I jolted to a stop on the road at one point by a waterfall. My bird senses were tingling and even though the forest was quiet I felt like we had a good chance at seeing something. Sure enough a flash of red alerted to one of my top targets: Scarlet-rumped Trogon! Trogons are my favorite family of birds, and getting to see one made my day. It was at this point that we entered the forest saw little to know bird activity, although the scenery was incredible. On the way we also had a Crested Serpent Eagle soaring in the clouds. I was pumped to come back the next day!

Gray-headed Fish-Eagle

 

An ultimate highlight of the trip was later that night. Tom and I booked a sunset cruise to look for Probiscis Monkeys and Saltwater Crocodiles. But larger animals were not the only things out there. As we were driving 2 Rhinoceros Hornbills flew in the opposite direction. It was a quick view, but I was going nuts. I wasn’t expecting to see one, and it was the bird of the trip! Once we got on the boat Common Sandpipers were abundant in the low tide, and we got our first looks at Common Kingfisher that were quickly one upped by a Stork-billed Kingfisher with a bright orange bill. 

 

We slowed to a crawl as we scanned for monkeys, and within 5 minutes we got cooperative views of a large male. This was the nature highlight of my life. Probiscis Monkeys are all over National Geographic and are a staple of any show about rare or cool looking animals. Now we had one right in front of us. I was so slack-jawed that I outright ignored another Stork-billed Kingfisher. Probiscis Monkeys are extremely shy around people due to over hunting, but they do well on the coasts after Muslim traders converted coastal tribes hundreds of years ago. Eating monkey meat is haram, and therefore we are able to see them more on the coasts. 

 

What an unreal animal

We stopped seeing the monkeys around sunset, and at that point we switched to spotlighting for saltwater crocodiles. We wouldn’t see much more than eye shine, but the beasts were all over the water. It was a little unsettling due to the small size our boat and dock that looked like it was a strong wind away from being destroyed.

 

Gunung Santubong from the boat

Unfortunately the next day did not go as well. Rain caused Kubah to be closed, despite no rain at the lower levels of the park. Annoyingly there was no way of knowing until I got there, and by that point it was midmorning. In an effort to make something out of nothing, I ended up taking a boat ride to Bako where the rain was pouring. I got my first looks at Asian Fairy Bluebird and had the amazing experience of sitting 5 feet under a grazing Probiscis Monkey, but overall the weather made it very difficult.

Asian Fairy Bluebird. The humidity is what makes the pictures look hazy.

Our final place to stay in Borneo was the Permai Rainforest Resort. We stayed in a treehouse that made canopy birding very easy outside of the pouring rain. Still, there were some babblers and Common Ioras that were fun to look at. Permai was stunning, and our treehouse overlooked the South China Sea crashing against the rocks. The beach offered the best sunset I've ever seen. Tom and I went on a night hike to try to see if we chance upon any mammals and came up short, but that was first time I have tried to go mammaling so it was to be expected. We just liked being out there at dark. We did get something out of it, though. I looked up at the right time and saw a Sunda Scops Owl silently swoop by. That brief glance was breathtaking, and it has made me way more excited about future night excursions. The rain continued into our last day as well, although we got to see more Probiscis Monkeys and Silvered Langurs on our waterfall hike.

Silvered Langur

From a birding perspective I was crushed about Malaysia. We left a lot on the table, but it was out of our hands with the rain and park closures. If you're just birding, skip Kuching and focus on other areas of the island that can cater to birding better. But Kuching is still worth a visit. The food, culture, people and beaches were incredible. I am so glad that we got to experience the city. I fully intend on going back, whether that is Fraser's Hill or the Danum Valley. It was safe and English was widely spoken as well. There is no excuse to not go!

Sunda Giant Squirrel

I wound up only birding at one other place in Singapore, but I went both days. Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve is on the edge of the country, about a 25 minute drive from Little India or an hour on the MRT. This little reserve has amazing birding and other really cool animals, like fruit bats, snakes, and crocodiles. Walking in I had the bird of the trip: Buffy Fish-Owl. This sighting was extra special because I read Owls of the Eastern Ice earlier this year and learned about them. Local birders were casual about it but I was buzzing. The visitor center has a colony of fruit bats underneath the pavilion that were extremely cooperative, and my mind was torn away from them to see a Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker.

Buffy Fish-Owl

One of the cooler bird experiences of the trip was walking around the boardwalks and stumbling on a Pink-necked Green-Pigeon sitting on a branch. These birds are ridiculously common in Singapore, but the vibrant colors reminded me of why I came here. I wanted to venture to Asia or the South Pacific partially because of the fruit doves I saw in field guides and partly for the parrots and kingfishers. We equate pigeons to being boring, bland, and brown. Not all are like that. I also got up close to Collared Kingfishers, another thing that drew me over here. The kingfisher of the trip was a White-throated that I saw on the way to Sungei Buloh and unfortunately couldn't photograph. Shorebird migration was also popping off at the wetlands, and I got great looks at Intermediate and Little Egrets, Purple and Gray Herons, and Common Redshanks. Getting to watch a fishing White-bellied Sea-Eagle was also fascinating. All of this was happening in one of the most metropolitan areas of the world!

Pink-necked Green-pigeon

Collared Kingfisher

I tried, and failed to find a Mangrove Pit Viper, but I was undoubtedly looking in the wrong place. I got caught in a torrential but brief downpour as well on a bridge, and during that time a 12 foot long crocodile emerged in the river below me! This was yet another moment of the trip that was dumbfounding at nature that exists on this planet. 

Saltwater Crocodile

There was one final place that I had to get to. With little phone battery I tried to take the 2 hour MRT journey from the northwest side of the island, Sungei Buloh, to Pasir Ris Park on the southeast side of the island to look for Oriental Pied Hornbill. I had no clue where to find them, but eventually I asked around enough to get to a spot where I might find one. Sure enough, high up in a tree there were 2! The birds flew from tree to tree for about half an hour. After logistical nightmares and rain, here I was staring at a hornbill, the bird I wanted to see most. It was a fitting end to a fantastic trip.

Oriental Pied Hornbill

This trip was well worth it. The company was amazing, the birds were great, and SE Asia is a region I cannot wait to get back to. This was a trip that I learned a lot on. Foreign birding adds a layer of challenges, and the weather was a lot to contend with, but now that I know what to expect I can better prepare for it. While I did not see a ton of birds, the quality of hornbills, sunbirds, and owls was clearly there. The nature in general crushed expectations. The hikes were stunning, and the mammals and reptiles made up for any birding misses. Singapore is a great place to fly into and the food scene was great, but it is only worth a day or two. Unless I was using it as a connection to somewhere else (which it is really great for) I don't think I would go back, but that is more of testament to how amazing the region is. I could spend a month in Kuching, and that was definitely the better city between the two. As I wrap this up after months of writing this, I can't help but dream of the next SE Asian destination. 

The best sunset ever

BBQ Stingray