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.

Ok, they may be common elsewhere but this particular Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avocetta is a mega for birders and birdwatching in Borneo!  Today at a small mangrove area in Tuaran, north of Kota Kinabalu, we had the second authenticated sighting of this bird in Borneo.  It was last seen in January 2009 in Kuching, Sarawak.  This wader has such striking black and white features when in flight and when feeding in the mud, the side-to-side movement of its upturned bill is wonderful to watch.  Enjoy!

Red-necked Phalarope with Black-winged Stilt

Even in its winter plumage, the Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus looks so elegant and alive.  When feeding in water, its “spinning” motion is a joy to watch.  When out of water, look out for its tiny webbed feet.

This picture was taken very recently at a pool of a prawn farm in the Tutong district in Brunei D.  Enjoy!

I missed it the last time it was seen here in 2007.  I was not going to miss out this time.  On my second visit to the Penampang rice fields to look for it, lady luck and 2 other birding friends made sure I was going to tick this rare migrant.  It was solitary, possibly a first year in non-breeding plumage.  But it was surely a Grey-headed Lapwing!

The White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus is a common rail in Borneo, found in a wide variety of habitat from padi fields to swamps to plantations.  It is actually a very handsome bird worthy of greater attention.  It has a series of wierd calls and this is also reflected in its local name Ruak-ruak.