17th October 2010:Borneo Bird Festival, Sepilok, Sabah

I opened my door at sunrise to this sight! Apparently there was a new 'happening' fig restaurant in town and it was just outside my chalet! This was one of a group of four orang utans who had dropped in for breakfast.

All the regular customers were there...









































Some male Black Hornbills.



Mrs Rhino spent a long time in an adjacent tree having a post-breakfast sunbathe.



Front and back!



A sudden look of annoyance...



A Black Hornbill gets a glare!



A bit of privacy please, while I pick my teeth! The right foot might have been an easier option though.



Not only mammals and birds were attracted to the fruiting fig.






















This is Apterygodon vittatus, a common skink in Sabah's forest.





A couple of fly-overs - Oriental Honey-buzzard and Violet Cuckoo.



I finally found where the Thick-billed Spiderhunters were feeding, but I only had time to grab a couple of shots before having to catch the shuttle bus to the Rainforest Discovery Centre.

At RDC it was the last full day at the Festival, and there was a good crowd, as yesterday.





The illustrators of a future edition of Birds of Borneo! I was amazed by the plumage detail and colour accuracy of some of the pictures in the kids' painting competition. Here are Red-naped and Whitehead's Trogon and Bristlehead - instantly recognizable!



Some impressive sculpting was underway as well!

After the last of the talks, I took Alan McBride, of Wildiaries to check out the Black-and-Crimson Pitta I'd photographed last March. It put on a fantastic show for us. Here are some of the many pics I took.



















































While we were watching the pitta, this Black-capped Babbler walked right up to us. This shot was taken with the zoom set at 100mm and at minimum focusing distance. At times I couldn't get the whole bird in the frame!



Eventually we had to walk away from the pitta, with the bird still hopping around in full view, apparently having forgotten that it is supposed to skulk in thick undergrowth!



This juv White-crowned Shama delighted festival-goers near the RDC entrance.











































A good way to end the day - at the fruiting fig restaurant!