Mulu National Park, Borneo

I'm almost ready to head out to another hot place, good old Woodie Woodie minesite east of Marble Bar for a 14 day fauna survey, after what seems like only coming back from hot humid Sarawak Borneo yesterday. It has really been a week since coming back after a great birding visit to Miri and it's surrounding areas. My wife had to work in Miri, but I did get to visit the great birding locations of Lambir Hills, Niah Caves and of coarse the famous Mulu National Park.

The Royal Mulu Resort is a wonderful place to stay with nice rooms and good food, but you do have to catch (and pay) for the little mini bus that takes you on the 3 km journey to the start of the national park.

Good walkways at the resort for birdwatching.

If you don't catch the mini bus (or walk), you can go by long boat to the park.

The national park has miles of  good walkways, but the rain which I had most days while I was there, can make them very slippery indeed.

The wet weather brought out lots of young and adult Giant Snails, which have a shell over 2 inches across.

The millipedes were also on the move.

The muddy walk to Paka Waterfall along the base of the limestone cliffs, was one of the best areas for birding.

Oops, that 'N' can be tricky. Maybe a Russian sign maker?

The huge tree butresses are home to a number of animals, such as this Three-keeled Ground Skink (Mabuya rudis).

A beautiful Blue-bellied Litter Skink (Spenomorphus cyanolaemus). A new one for me!

A friendly Rough-backed Ground Skink (Mabuya rugifera) along a walkway.

An amazing pair of Lantern Bugs.

A hard to see Giant Stick-Insect.

It's hard to make out, but it's the head with eyes.

One of the highlights for me at Mulu was a fruiting fig tree along the river trail, which was full of feeding birds, such as Asian Fairy-Bluebirds and Green Broadbills. Two birds my wife Liz has not seen yet - not happy!

Here is a list of the birds seen at Mulu National Park and the Resort Tuesday 12 - Friday 15 October 2010.

Black-capped Babbler


Black-throated Babbler

Chestnut-winged Babbler

Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler

Scaly-crowned Babbler

Short-tailed Babbler

Gold-whiskered Barbet

Red-bearded Bee-eater

Asian Fairy-Bluebird

Black-and-Yellow Broadbill

Green Broadbill

Grey-cheeked Bulbul

Red-eyed Bulbul

Spectacled Bulbul

Slender-billed Crow

Banded Bay Cuckoo

Lesser Fish-Eagle

Cattle Egret

Spotted Fantail

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Asian Paradise-Flycatcher

Green Iora

Black-naped Monarch

Dusky Munia

Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot

Rufous Piculet

Oriental Magpie-Robin

Common Sandpiper

Eurasian Tree-Sparrow

Little Spiderhuner

Thick-billed Spiderhunter

Asian Glossy-Starling

Plain-throated Sunbird

Purple-naped Sunbird

Purple-throated Sunbird

Pacific Swallow

Glossy Swiftlet

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird

Cinnamon-rumped Trogon

Orange-backed Woodpecker

Rufous Woodpecker

Chestnut-crested Yuhina