Some recent lifers from Tawau Hills Park

When you reach a sufficient number in your photographed bird list, it gets harder and harder to get a lifer, as the  commoner and easier birds have all been photographed, the harder birds are either too far away,  too remote or simply too difficult to approach.

I have photographed 385 species of wild Bornean birds so far, mainly from Tawau and nearby areas. Lately, we have not been able to produce any new bird from our usual bird photography playgrounds anymore.

We have no choice but to try out more difficult places for lifers, the nearest place in Tawau and relatively underbirded by us is Tawau Hills Park (THP). For reason stated here, we consider THP not very productive, but under these circumstances, THP seems to be the only logical choice if I want to up the number in my photographed bird list.

My first lifer for 2013, Blue-banded Kingfisher, was photographed in THP.

Male Bornean Blue Flycatcher Cyornis superbus, which has a song that is quite close to the later species is quite often seen, this one just refused to pose side way for me to take a profile shot. It can be quite indifferent to you while you take its photos. Its field identification mark is the lack of dark chin.

Male Bornean Blue Flycatcher

The male Large-billed Blue Flycatcher Cyornis caerulatus, which is a very similar looking and sounding bird to the preceding species, can be found here co-inhabiting the same habitat. It is distinguished from Bornean Blue Flycatcher by its dark chin, however, care must be taken not to confuse this with the male of Mangrove Blue Flycatcher Cyornis rufigastra, which also has a dark chin and happens to occur in THP as well.

Male Large-billed Blue Flycatcher



Striped Wren Babbler Kenopia striata, a rare and vocal skulker, a tough bird to photograph. I have to track 6 kms going up over 600 meters in THP's trail to Mt. Lucia to take an image which is just sufficient to positively put an ID tag on this elusive bird. Hope to go back there to take better shots in time to come.

Striped Wren-babbler



These three new birds make my photographed bird list go up to 388.

Happy birding.

Photodocument of Wild Birds of Borneo.

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