The Sunda Teal Anas gibberifrons is a super rare duck previously only known from Kalimantan.  I would also mention here the Indonesian island of Sulawesi being the other location nearest to where I saw these ducks, at a disused (prawn farming) pond at the Tinagat beach near to the town of Tawau in south-east Sabah.  This duck has been making sporadic visits to this area since the beginning of this year.  On my visit here in October, I was rewarded with a flock of 14 birds!

Thanks to Kok On Ku, fellow birder and photographer who led me to this great spectacle.

A blue ribbon day for migrant ducks.  Today at a small fish pond in Tuaran, fellow bird guide Thomas and I spotted a small group of visiting Tufted Ducks Aythya fuligula feeding amongst the locals.  The residents, Wandering Whistling Ducks Dendrocygna arcuata and Common Moorhens Gallinula chloropus, have always been seen here.  More joy to follow when a female Garganey Anas querquedula joined the group.  Not to be outdone, two pairs of Northern Shovellers Anas clypeata with their big spatulate bills came out of the reeds.  No Daffy but it was already a grand day.

Tufted Duck 2 males with 1 female

Tufted Duck male eclipse

Tufted Duck & Wandering Whistling Duck

Garganey female

Northern Shoveler male eclipse

Northern Shoveler & Garganey

The locals, Wandering Whistling Ducks

Our little piece of marshland in Tuaran continues to attract visiting waterfowl. This male Northern Pintail Anas acuta seems to be quite at home amongst a group of Wandering Whistling Ducks. It only started feeding about two hours after sunrise. Later a brief visit by a couple of otters brought the whole duck community to a standstill. We were so captivated by the feeding industry of the Pintail that we quickly forgot about the Garganey and Northern Shoveler which were spotted earlier. Wonderful, these ducks.