The Osprey Pandion haliaetus is a truly global bird found in all continents (except the Antarctic).  In Borneo, small numbers from Eurasia find their way here during the northern winter, instinctively settling near wetlands, fish being their main diet.  I have always being amazed by the sight of the bird howering and then plunging into the water and to emerge flying with a fish.

For visiting birders, there are birds here you have to get to know quickly and the Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier is one of them.  This is one of the most common garden and forest edge birds around and getting familiar with it will save you and/or your local bird guide a lot of anguish.  Happy New Year and let’s get on with it!

Mugimaki Flycatcher male

End of the year is on us and happily for the birders some migrants continue to stay with us.  Up on higher elevations, the Mugimaki Flycatcher Ficedula mugimaki displays its hunting ability from low perches.  Away from its Northern Asian breeding grounds, it is usually silent.  See you next year.

It got better.  While celebrating our encounter with the European Starling over breakfast, we got news of another starling at the same area in Penampang.  The light rain didn’t hamper procedure and the bird was a cracker.  A Red-billed Starling Sturnus sericeus.  It was feeding on an Okra plot and later flew to a banana plant.  Joy for all those with photo gear.

This starling is the first record of the species in Borneo.  Thanks to Eugene and the gang.

This morning’s outing to the rice paddies of Penampang didn’t go according to plan – it went way over.  While scanning for migrant shrikes (there were 2, the Brown and the Long-tailed Shrike), something much larger caught my attention.  Wait, it looks like a… yes a European Starling!  It may be very common in Europe and mainland Asia, even considered as a pest, it may be able to mimic speech or holler Mortimer or whatever else it is capable of.  What matters is that there is a lone European Starling in my scope, only the 2nd record for this bird in Borneo.  It does not get better than this.