| Kinabalu Park had always been on my mine as a favourite birding/videoscoping
destination. Finally I had the opportunity to visit the park in June. Four
of us took an AirAsia flight from KLIA to Kota Kinabalu and then hired
a taxi to take us to the park headquarters (1500 m asl). We stayed at the
Peak Lodge which was conveniently located between the park headquarters
and the Liwagu Restaurant. For food, the Liwagu and the Balsam Restaurants
were within walking distance (if it is not raining) but food was expensive.
For cheaper food, one can walk just a little bit further to eat at a small
restaurant across the road outside the park. The kitchen of the Peak Lodge
had some basic utensils and we in fact prepared our own dinner most of
the time.
There is a high volume of visitor traffic as more than 30 thousand visitors
climb the summit annually. Hence anyone who wish to stay in the park would
need to book accomodation far in advance.
As we were not chasing after lifers but were digiscoping most of the
time, we did not record a large number of species. We had about 60 species
from Kinabalu Park (including birds from Kinabalu, Mersilau and Poring).
Bornean endemics seen includes Bornean Mountain Whistler, Chestnut-crested
Yuhina, Bornean Treepie, Black-sided Flowerpecker, juvenile Mountain Wren-Babbler,
Golden-naped Barbet, Black-breasted Triller, Mountain Black-eye, Bornean
Stubtail and Dusky Munia. All these were either digiscoped or videoed or
both. We did not see any of the Whitehead's trio of trogon, broadbill or
spiderhunter but did see the Whitehead's Pygmy Squirrel.
Itinery:
19 June - Landed at Kota Kinabalu at about 2 pm. Arrive at park
office at about 5.30 pm. No birding on this day.
20 June - Birding along the loop around the park (Peak Lodge
> Liwagu Restaurant > Park Office > Balsam Restaurant in morning. Birding
around Peak Lodge in evening. Following dinner, went to the visitor center
to watch a video presentation about the park.
21 June - Birding around Balsam Restaurant and trekking in Liwagu
Trail in morning. Around Liwagu Restaurant in evening.
22 June - Travel to Mersilau and birding in morning. Nipenthes
garden walk. Birding in Poring in afternoon.
23 June - Birding around Timpohon gate and trekking in summit
trail in morning. Around Hill Lodge and Peak Lodge in evening.
24 June - Birding behind Balsam Restaurant, mostly at the forktail
stream and fruiting tree.
25 June - Birding around Balsam Restaurant in morning. Return
to KK in afternoon. Birding at Likas Lagoon in afternoon.
26 Jun - Birding at Tanjung Aru in morning. Flight to KL in
afternoon.
Click here for a slightly more detailed
daily log.
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