Grand Borneo Sep 12—27, 2011
Posted by David Bishop
David Bishop
David Bishop loves his vocation and cannot imagine anything better than exploring wild and beautiful places in Asia and the Pacific in the company of friends and clients. H...Related Trips
This tour was without any doubt one of the finest natural history tours I have ever led—possibly even THE finest! Any tour to Borneo is by definition special, and this one was no exception. However, it was extra special in that it was graced by a delightful group of participants who made the trip a sheer joy to lead. It was a pleasure to lead a group who enjoyed and made the very most of whatever came their way, whether it be spectacular storms; electrically-colored millipedes; spiders of every size and shape; an amazing 23 species of reptiles photographed and identified; or some incredible mammals including my very first moonrat and some absolutely stunning birds. As if all that weren't enough, there were huge pitcher plants, ferns, fungi, and some exquisite orchids. Add to this some magnificent landscapes including vast primeval forests that are literally soul-rejuvenating; delicious food and good wine; and a charming, gracious, and genuinely friendly people, and you have all the ingredients of a very special tour.
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Blue-headed Pitta— Photo: K. David Bishop |
I think it safe to say that everyone enjoyed a superb tour with some truly outstanding highlights. How can you go wrong when you commence the tour with a total of eight of the elusive and spectacular Whitehead's Broadbills, and as many as four Whitehead's Spiderhunters? For the second tour running we encountered not one, not two, but three of the near-mythical Bornean Ground-Cuckoos along the lovely Menanngol River. A glowing male Blue-headed Pitta hopped all around us for us all to drool over at length. Thanks to the absence of hunting in areas such as the Danum Valley, primates and many other mammals and large birds are notably common and easy to see. This trip in particular was especially good for orangutans, thanks initially to some fine spotting by Judy, and later in the Danum Valley, thanks to the presence of a huge fruiting fig that day after day hosted a huge male orangutan, plus occasionally a female and her young. A very confiding binturong and numerous hornbills including both Rhinoceros and unbelievably close and prolonged views of a feeding Helmeted Hornbill were also special treats. Proboscis monkeys were almost de rigueur, and Bornean gibbons accompanied us with their evocative calls almost constantly.
And so it went, day after day of wonderful natural history/birding experiences. The Lang Cave in Mulu National Park was so incredibly beautiful that it brought tears to our eyes, while the immensity of the Deer Cave left us numbed. There were no more adjectives. Just when we seemed to have run out of spectacles, we enjoyed shorebird migration in full swing with 20,000+ shorebirds massing on the coast of Sarawak, while high up on the Indonesian border our last hurrah included the very rarely seen tufted-eared ground-squirrel and a Malaysian Rail-Babbler. It simply doesn't get any better.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize just how fortunate I am to return each year to this extraordinary island. VENT's tours of Borneo are among the finest natural history experiences anywhere on our planet. This is largely because Borneo is one of the most exciting, vibrant, and biologically diverse places on earth. The combination of immense forests replete with a fabulous array of towering trees, plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates serviced by some of the most comfortable and attractive accommodations to be enjoyed anywhere in the Tropics, together with some truly sumptuous meals, guarantees an unforgettable experience.
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Orangutan— Photo: K. David Bishop |
Recent genetic studies have underscored, more than ever, just how distinctive Borneo is. For example, new studies now indicate that the Bornean pygmy elephant is indeed a very distinct taxon; the Borneo population of orangutans should be treated as a separate species; and most recently, studies of the clouded leopard show that it too is a separate species from those of mainland Asia. And so it is with birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates too. Clearly Borneo exhibits more than its share of weird and wonderful creatures, and our experiences exemplify what a wonderful tour this is. Merely listing totals of 345 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, and 21 species of reptiles, in addition to a plethora of neat frogs, numerous gorgeous butterflies, and a wonderful collection of other invertebrates, not to mention some fascinating flowering and non-flowering plants, barely does justice to what was a truly delightful experience.
It was a real joy to share a place I love so much with such an appreciative group. My aim, as always, is for each and every client to see each and every species well and ideally on more than one occasion, and in this I believe we were very successful. Possessing an intimate knowledge of the calls of the birds and where to find them is a key to our success and has been built upon over many years of studying the birds of Borneo and the surrounding regions of Asia. I cannot wait until my next trip!