I’ve just returned from a trip to Peninsula Malaysia, Borneo and Java and have a few notes for south-east Asian birding enthusiasts. I had done Malaysia before on an extensive trip so was looking for specialties I’d dipped on in the past. Highlights on the peninsula were Rusty-naped Pitta at Frasers Hill (a pair just after the first stream crossing on Bishop’s Trail) and Mangrove Pitta at Air Hitam Dalum, near Penang, where local birder Tan Choo Eng was very helpful. I went to Kuala Gula south of Penang where the reintroduced Milky Storks are free-flying and nesting, but are still being fed; a handful of truly wild birds remain in the area. On Borneo, I spent a week at the Danum Valley Field Centre. Highlights here include a male Bulwer’s Pheasant, a stunning Blue-banded Pitta, Black-headed and Blue-headed Pittas, great views of Bornean Wren-Babbler, a party of Pygmy White-eye, Helmeted Hornbill, Crested Partridge, Brown-backed Flowerpecker, Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo, Cinnamon-rumped Trogon and Rufous-collared Kingfisher. As I had visited Mt Kinabalu previously, I went to the Crocker Ranger near Tambunan, where nice birds included Bornean and Mountain Barbets, Red-breasted Patridge and Streaky-breasted Spiderhunter. On Java, good birds at Gung Gede Pangrangro included Javan Trogon, Javan Hawk-Eagle, Javan Cochoa, Spotted Crocias, Pink-headed Fruit-Dove, Waterfall Swift, Mountain Serin, Sunda Cuckoo, Salvadori’s Nightjar and Javan Owlet. At Carita I failed to see White-breasted Babbler in three mornings and fear they have all been trapped. This remnant of lowland rainforest is supposed be a reserve but I saw a constant stream of villagers on the track with guns, axes and bird-trapping gear, with the authorities doing zilch to protect the area. I did see Black-banded Barbet, Sunda Scops-Owl, Javan Frogmouth and Javan Sunbird here. At Pulau Dua I had Streaked Weaver, Javan Plover and White-headed Munia, and the first bird I saw at Maura Angke was a Sunda Coucal. Greg Roberts
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