June and July I always sound like a broken record each year when discussing June and July. I was fortunate to have a lot of field work in 2024 which kept me occupied for most of these two months. But it's one of the best jobs in the world as I spend each and every day outside, surveying for birds, snakes and other wildlife.  One of my job sites was in the Blue Mountains and Laura joined me for a weekend in Collingwood; we had fun visiting the Thornbury cidery and swinging up to Wasaga Beach so that Laura could see her lifer Piping Plovers. I only managed one mothing sessions in June - late night mothing and early morning bird surveys do not go well together. My streak of 57 consecutive days of work came to an end in mid July, and we celebrated by spending a relaxing weekend with some friends who live on a lake near Gatineau, Quebec. I set up my moth traps and had a blast sorting through the various species, some of which I don't see where I live in southern Ontario. My work schedule remained fairly busy throughout the rest of July but I spent as much time as possible exploring on my own as well. One highlight was discovering a hybrid Viceroy x Red-spotted Admiral, a rare combo that isn't reported very often.   European Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus) Pawpaw Sphinx (Dolba hyloeus) Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) Piping Plover chicks Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Nais Tiger Moth (Apantesis nais) Reticulated Decantha Moth (Decantha boreasella) Cenopis ferreana Elasmostethus cruciatus Two-banded Catoptria Moth (Catoptria latiradiellus) Common Loon on a nest Virgin Tiger Moth (Apantesis virgo) Red-humped Caterpillar Moth (Oedemasia concinna) Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum) Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) Dusky Dancer (Argia translata) Otiocerus wolfii Anotia uhleri Harris's Three-spot (Harrisimemna trisignata) Red-spotted Admiral (Limenitis arthemis) x Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) August Laura and I flew to Nova Scotia for a quick trip at the beginning of the month to see her family. I love visiting Nova Scotia; the ratio of trees to people is much more acceptable there than in southern Ontario. My recent interest in dragonflies and damselflies spurred me to search for a few new species here including Martha's Pennant, while I also discovered a new population of Little Bluet. Laura and I also spent a few evenings at the moth traps which was very productive.  During the middle of the month I headed down to Chatham-Kent and Essex counties in far southwestern area to search for some localized dragonfly and damselfly species. Even though I found most of the species I was after, that wasn't the trip's highlight! It would have to be a leaf-mining moth that I found which is the first record of that species in Canada. I also found a new milkweed species for Ojibway Prairie (Green Comet Milkweed) and had a lot of fun searching for unusual plants and insects in the deep south of Canada.  Later in August, I headed north for a week-long solo road trip to far northern Ontario which included nights in Fraserdale and along the Detour Mine Road. There is almost nothing I love doing more than exploring remote corners of northern Ontario on my own. Though I was too late in the year for most of the dragonflies I was hoping to see, the trip was good for the soul. I also connected with a new butterfly for my list (Hoary Comma), spent hours tromping through beautiful bogs and fens, had a few productive mothing sessions and enjoyed quality time with American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Boreal Chickadees and other residents of the boreal forest.  American Black Duck Olethreutes melanomesum Great Blue Heron Nelson's Sparrow Draeculacephala robinsoni (blue morph) Praeclara Underwing (Catocala praeclara) Bald-faced Hornet Fly (Spilomyia fusca) Wetland in Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia Martha's Pennant (Celithemis martha) Little Bluet (Enallagma minusculum) Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth (Hypoprepia miniata) Lettered Habrosyne Moth (Habrosyne scripta) Flag-tailed Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spoliatus) Stream Bluets (Enallagma exsulans) Smoky Rubyspot (Hetaerina titia) Anarsioses aberrans leaf mine, a new species for Canada Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) Green Comet Milkweed (Asclepias viridiflora) Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis) Zabulon Skipper (Lon zabulon) Marbled Godwit Neotropic (left) and Double-crested Cormorants Green Heron Red-necked Phalarope American Kestrel Black Spruce skyline in Fraserdale, Cochrane District, Ontario Gazoryctra hyperboreus Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Red-eyed Vireo Semirelict Underwing (Catocala semirelicta) Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) Subarctic Darner (Aeshna subarctica) Orange-humped Mapleworm Moth (Symmerista leucitys) September Laura and I traveled to southeastern Arizona with good friends Dan Riley and Nikk Huculiak in early September. Despite being limited to 5.5 days, it was a fantastic trip! We found 7 rattlesnake species along with tons of other interesting herps, birds, moths and more.  Upon returning to Ontario, my September was pretty open work-wise and I went on a few overnight trips to locations in southwestern Ontario, including a few days at Point Pelee to twitch a rare butterfly, the Southern Dogface. I also spent a night mothing and searching for rare leaf-mining moths in Norfolk County. There are often a few rare birds kicking around at this time of year and I successfully chased a few of them, including a Marbled Godwit at Bellwood Lake, a Glossy Ibis in Cambridge and a Cinnamon Teal in Grimsby.  Regal Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma solare) Broad-tailed Hummingbird Five-striped Sparrow Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) Chrysoecia atrolinea on Equisetum hyemale  Canyon Wren Gambel's Quail Western Screech-Owl Chihuahuan Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi) Western Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) Lucifer Hummingbird Couch's Spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii) Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) Black-throated Sparrow Twin-spotted Rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei) Mexican Spotted Owl Lythrodes radiatus Loxostege albiceralis Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida) Laura and I in Hidalgo County, New Mexico Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) Marsh Wren Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia) Large Tolype Moth (Tolype velleda) White-throated Sparrow October In early October, Laura and I traveled to Sabah, Malaysia which is located on the island of Borneo, as I was leading a trip for Quest Nature Tours. It was Laura's first time on the island and many of the species we found were new to her. This is one of my favourite tours that I lead and it was extra special to share so many incredible moments with Laura. We also spent a few days before and after the tour to do our own explorations in Sabah. We visited hides for two rare pheasants - the Bulwer's Pheasant and Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - while we also experienced the best mothing of our lives at the Trus Madi Entomology Camp. On our way home, we had a long layover in Seoul, South Korea and got out of the airport for some very productive birding in a new corner of the world for us.  Blue-eared Kingfisher Bornean Mountain Ground-Squirrel (Sundasciurus everetti)  Mocquard's Eyebrow Lizard (Pelturagonia cephalum) Yellow-breasted Warbler Odontolabus sommeri Long-tailed Semi-slug (Ibycus rachelae) Black-sided Flowerpecker Whitehead's Spiderhunter Laura and I at Kinabalu Park Whitehead's Trogon Wallace's Hawk-Eagle Horse-tailed Squirrel (Sundasciurus hippurus) Horsfield's Tarsier (Cephalopachus bancanus) Proboscis Monkey (Nasalis larvatus) Storm's Stork Stork-billed Kingfisher and Glyphodes sp. Southern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina) Quest Nature Tours: Borneo 2024 Group Striped Wren-Babbler Moonrat (Echinosorex gymnurus) Sunda Leopard Cat (Prionailurus javanensis) Bornean Pygmy Elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) Blunthead Slug Snake (Aplopeltura boa) Sumatra Pit Viper (Trimeresurus sumatranus) Bornean Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus bornensis) Lyssa menoetius Black-and-yellow Broadbill Oriental Whipsnake (Ahaetulla prasina) Common Mock Viper (Psammodynastes pulverulentus) Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) Red-tailed Green Ratsnake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum) Bulwer's Pheasant Dayak Blue Flycatcher Crimson-headed Partridge Black-throated Wren-Babbler Orange-headed Thrush Sinna calospila Xylocopa tumida Barsine lucibilis Sunrise at Trus Madi Entomology Camp Oriental Whipsnake (Ahaetulla prasina) Malayan Night Heron Bornean Peacock-Pheasant Bornean Peacock-Pheasant Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher Red-bearded Bee-eater Fruit-hunter Pale-faced Bulbul Bornean Forktail Orange-backed Woodpecker Yellow-billed Grosbeak Vinous-throated Parrotbill November and December I am not going to lie, I had a hard time finding any motivation at all to go exploring in Ontario after returning home from Borneo, and so my photo highlights for these months are much reduced compared to previous months. It was nice to have some quiet time at home and work away at various projects, while also catch up with friends and family.  A few moments do stand out, such as the photoshoots I had with Cave Swallows in Toronto, with a Cattle Egret in Haldimand County, and with Purple Sandpipers at Rock Point Provincial Park. I added a few birds to my Ontario "winter list" including Red Phalarope, Black-and-white Warbler and American Redstart. In mid-December I visited Jeremy Bensette in Leamington and we had a very productive couple of days of birding, finding Northern Saw-whet, Short-eared and Long-eared Owls, and a surprise adult Black-legged Kittiwake at Wheatley Harbour.  On Christmas Day Laura had to work and so I had a very quiet Christmas on my own. An afternoon walk in search of owls did not turn up any, but I discovered a bright Pine Warbler at a local park which helped brighten the day. And as I write this now, I am in Nova Scotia visiting family and getting ready to ring in the New Year.  Thanks to everyone who has followed the blog over the year; I hope you all got something out of it. Wishing everyone health and happiness in 2025! Cave Swallow Western Cattle Egret Purple Sandpiper Black-and-white Warbler Northern Saw-whet Owl Short-eared Owl Long-eared Owl Black-legged Kittiwake American Redstart Pine Warbler Canada Jay

Another year has come and gone. As is tradition, I have written a couple of blog posts documenting some of my natural history highlights throughout the year.  January Pre-dawn on January 1, 2024 saw me heading south towards Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia in search of a Gray Heron, which is a rarity in Canada. As the sky began to lighten, a strange lump on the utility wire revealed itself as a Barred Owl! This is the first time I can recall starting my year list with an owl as Species #1.  The month of January was relatively low-key for me. I was based in Nova Scotia for the few days and Hamilton, Ontario for the rest of the month. My naturalizing was limited to a few birding outings, alone or with Laura. Highlights included two great birds found by others in Waterloo Region: a Harris's Sparrow and Harlequin Duck.  Barred Owl Gray Heron Harris's Sparrow American Tree Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Tufted Titmouse Red-bellied Woodpecker Bald Eagle February We planned to take the month of February off for a vacation somewhere sunny with lots of birds, snakes and bugs. This winter had been especially gloomy with very little sun, so we were more than ready for our trip when the calendar flipped to February.  We decided on northern Peru as we had unfinished business in this part of the country. In 2022 we visited Peru for almost three months, but we decided against exploring the north so that we could take our time and more thoroughly investigate other parts of the country. We figured we would return at some point to check out the north, and here we were, a year and a half later.  For the first sixteen days Laura and I rented a car from Chiclayo and completed a big loop in the north. Afterwards, we flew to Iquitos and visited several lodges deep in the Amazon.  The trip was absolutely incredible. We found some tantalizing bird species like the Long-whiskered Owlet, Marvelous Spatuletail, Wattled and Nocturnal Curassows and much much more. The herps and mammals were equally fantastic. It was just the break from winter that we needed! Selfie at Reservorio de Tinajones Sechuran Fox (Lycalopex sechurae) Giant Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla occidentalis) Superciliated Wren Great Spinetail Jelski's Chat-Tyrant Gray-winged Inca-Finch Yellow-faced Parrotlet Curve-billed Tinamou Sparkling Violetear Possibly a new species of whorltail iguana (Stenocercus sp.) Marvelous Spatuletail White-chinned Thistletail Gray-cowled Wood-Rail Little Tinamou (chick) Thestius meridionalis  Vermilion Tanager Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda) Emerald-bellied Puffleg Chestnut Antpitta Chestnut-crested Cotinga Long-whiskered Owlet Amaxia pulchra Poecilochlora minor Royal Sunangel Laura with an unidentified caecilian (Caecilia sp.) Cyrtochilum volubile Marañón Crescentchest Porculla Gray-chinned Hermit Tumbes Chat-Tyrant Whooping Motmot Fasciated Wren Guayaquil Squirrel (Sciurus stramineus) Franklin's Gulls Many-colored Rush-Tyrant Zimmer's Woodcreeper Leaden Antwren Dark-breasted Spinetail Apioscelis sp. American Pygmy Kingfisher and Gorgone sp. Pantropical Huntsman Spider (Heteropoda venatoria) Band-tailed Cacique Garden Tree Boa (Corallus hortulana) Wattled Curassow Black-skinned Parrot Snake (Leptophis ahaetulla nigromarginatus) Northern Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis) Slender Opossum (Marmosops sp.) Cream-colored Woodpecker Elegant Eyed Lizard (Cercosaura argulus) Pygmy Hatchet-faced Tree Frog (Sphaenorhynchus carneus) Ladder-tailed Nightjar March  The month's highlight was the opportunity to guide in Jamaica for Quest Nature Tours. I had never been to this island before and was looking forward to the food, the herps, and the relatively high proportion of endemic bird species. In all aspects the trip exceeded expectations. It was the perfect getaway during what is typically a pretty dreary month back home.  Back home in Ontario I only got out a few times to look for wildlife. I twitched the long-staying Bullock's Oriole in Toronto and on the same day re-found the Eurasian Green-winged Teal at Windermere Basin in Hamilton (a new Ontario bird for me). I also took part in a yearly tradition: spending some quality time with Northern Ribbonsnakes at a population that I have observed for decades.  Bullock's Oriole Northern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis) Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) Bahama Mockingbird Jamaican Mango (on nest) Northern Potoo Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius) Chestnut-bellied Cuckoo White-tailed Tropicbird Black-billed Streamertails Jamaican Tody Hypercompe nigriplaga Dysdercus jamaicensis Horama grotei Pine Pink Orchid (Bletia purpurea) Crested Quail-Dove Black-crowned Night Heron Red-billed Streamertail Least Grebe Graham's Anole (Anolis grahami) Orangequit Caribbean Dove April April is one of my favourite months of the year. The days progressively get longer, early wildflowers burst through the ground, new species of migrant birds are appearing daily and the songs of frogs are heard nearly everywhere. I was in Ontario for the entire month and soaked in this time of year. Highlights included the solar eclipse on April 9, a productive weekend of birding with friends at Point Pelee, finding some Harlequin Ducks at Port Stanley, and checking in again with the Bullock's Oriole in Toronto.  During the second half of the month I set up my moth traps locally on a few occasions, twitched a few rare birds (Loggerhead Shrike in Mississauga, Barnacle Goose near Peterborough), and stayed busy with my first consulting field work for 2024. During the last few days of April, the first pulse of Neotropical migrant birds appeared in southern Ontario.   Solar eclipse Solar eclipse Eastern Towhee Common Grackle Red-winged Blackbird Bullock's Oriole Cooper's Hawk eating an unidentified bird Variable Carpet Moth (Anticlea vasiliata) Barnacle Goose (centre) Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) Hermit Thrush Black-capped Chickadee Willets Double-crested Cormorants Long-tailed Duck Black-throated Green Warbler Carolina Wren May  Ah, the most glorious month of the year! I spent the first half of May at Point Pelee, Pelee Island, Long Point, and other locations along the north shore of Lake Erie. During many of these days I led private birding tours, while also leaving some days free for my own exploration. It was a wonderful way to spend a couple of weeks at this time of year. Personal birding highlights included a Loggerhead Shrike, a Piping Plover, Willets and hundreds of American White Pelicans at Fish Point, Pelee Island, a Blue Grosbeak and Yellow-breasted Chat at the southern terminus of Zion Road, and the highest number of White-eyed Vireos that I've seen at one time (5!) at Fish Point. I added a new bird to my Ontario list with a very exciting chase to Chatham-Kent from Point Pelee with Dan Riley, after Brandon Holden had discovered a Ferruginous Hawk near Port Alma. During the second half of May I had less time for my own naturalizing as my consulting field work took off. Starting May 17 I began a string of 56 consecutive days working. Luckily, my field work often involves surveying for birds, snakes, frogs and other wildlife so it is not a bad gig at this time of year.  Near the end of the month I checked out a vireo in the Holland Marsh that was originally reported as a Cassin's Vireo (which has no accepted records for Ontario). It was paired with a Yellow-throated Vireo and had some plumage and vocal characteristics that were similar to Yellow-throated Vireo. My thought is that it is a hybrid Yellow-throated x Blue-headed Vireo; an interesting combo.  Cape May Warbler Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Grasshopper Sparrow Scarlet Tanager White-eyed Vireo Piping Plover Blanding's Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) Great Horned Owl Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) Magnolia Warbler Black-bellied Plovers Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas) Barn Swallow Ferruginous Hawk American White Pelicans Loggerhead Shrike Black-throated Green Warbler White-crowned Sparrow Aurora borealis Sanderling White-faced Ibis Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum) Painted Skimmer (Libellula semifasciata) Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus) Wood Ducks  Io Moth (Automeris io) Harnessed Tiger Moth (Apantesis phalerata) Vesper Sparrow Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed x Yellow-throated Vireo (possible ID) My next blog post will summarize the highlights from June through December.

October 21, 2024 Laura and I had a long layover scheduled in Seoul, South Korea. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there were no visa requirements for Canadians and so we schemed how we could leave the airport to go see some new birds. Neither of us had explored this part of the world before and so even the common birds would be new.  I reached out to Birding Korea as they regularly accommodate "layover birding" from the Seoul airport. However, I was dismayed to see their quote was 650 USD to pick us up from the airport at 6 AM, take us birding for the day, and drop us back off in the afternoon. I also work as a fellow birding guide, so I understand the value that guides can provide and I also realize that you pay a certain price to have this expertise. But I've never been quoted a price even remotely as high as this. Obviously this company gets enough business regardless, so it must be a viable strategy. Or perhaps the guide didn't feel like guiding us that day, so they gave us a ridiculous price to make it worth their while? Regardless, Laura and I weren't going to pay that. We figured that we could find some birds on our own by taking the metro for a small fraction of the price! Oriental Magpie - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea And that is just what we did. It took a bit of time but eventually we were able to figure out payment for the metro (strangely, none of the machines accept card and so we had to take out cash). I had researched a few decent looking parks not far from one of the metro lines. We settled on Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park and braved rush hour pedestrian traffic on the metro. By 8:30 AM, we had arrived.  Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea We emerged from the metro station and were met by autumn in the northern hemisphere. It was familiar and comforting, and quite a contrast to the Bornean jungles we had just departed. There was something about the cool autumn breeze, the rustling of leaves just starting to change colour, the scent of the forest and the sounds of gulls and corvids off in the distance that made it feel like Canada in early fall. Even some of the weedy plants beside the road were familiar enough (the most common aster was Symphyotrichum pilosum, which is common where I live in Canada).  Symphyotrichum pilosum - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea But of course, a glance at a street sign, a vehicle or even a closer inspection of those gull and and corvid sounds made it clear that we were in South Korea and not Canada. It was a little strange to be somewhere so familiar yet foreign at the same time.  We quickly shook off the cobwebs from our overnight flight and made the thirty minute walk from the subway station to the park. We ventured over to an observation platform overlooking the Han River. I was glad that I had my scope with me; the tripod was in my checked bag that remained at the airport and so I rested it on the railing for stability.  Spot-billed Ducks - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea The Spot-billed Duck was one of several guaranteed lifers here. This is quite an attractive duck and we came away with excellent views of many of them. It may be an abundant duck in this part of the world, but it was one that I was happy to share a moment with for the first time.  Spot-billed Ducks - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Many of the birds here fill similar niches to "our" birds back home, but with some minor differences. Instead of Double-crested Cormorants, we watched Great Cormorants flying up and down the river. Instead of Ring-billed Gulls, there were far superior Black-tailed Gulls. Gray Herons replaced Great Blue Herons, while Vega and Mongolian Gulls were present instead of American Herring Gulls.  Great Cormorant - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Black-tailed Gull - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea This Gray Heron was swimming in the middle of the river, a behaviour that I don't think I have witnessed before.  Gray Heron - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea While scoping the river a group of five Tundra Bean-Geese flew over, while some dedicated scoping finally produced a group of Common Pochards, a Tufted Duck and a Great Crested Grebe. Tundra Bean-Geese - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Oriental Magpie - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Laura and I turned back inland and focused on the landbirds in the woodland patches along the river. This was exciting as almost half of the species were lifers!  Brown-eared Bulbul is a common and conspicuous resident in Seoul and we had fun observing our first ones.  Brown-eared Bulbul - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Tits and woodpeckers were quite common. We found dozens of Asian Tits, a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a small group of Marsh Tits. Woodpecker-wise, we noted Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Gray-headed Woodpecker.  Gray-capped Pygmy Woodpecker - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Long-tailed Tit - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea The day's highlight for me was finding and sorting through quite a few buntings (genus Emberiza). Here there is an interesting mix of resident and wintering species, and at this time of year they are in their nondescript winter plumages. In total we found over twenty buntings of four species. Black-faced was the dominant species, along with a few Tristram's Buntings and a single Reed Bunting and Rustic Bunting.  Black-faced Bunting - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Tristram's Bunting - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea The default dove type here is the Oriental Turtle-Dove.  Oriental Turtle-Dove - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea This insect was very exciting for me, as I immediately knew what it was; a highly invasive species called the Spotted Lanternfly which has recently started to colonize Ontario. They are invasive here in South Korea as well; their native range includes parts of China and Vietnam.  Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea As the morning progressed the occasional sprinkles of rain ended, and a bit of sun peeked through the clouds. This improved my photography efforts, while it also helped us find several species of butterflies and dragonflies.  Brown-eared Bulbul - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Arctic Warbler - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Asian Green-veined White (Pieris melete) - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Asian Comma (Polygonia c-aureum) - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Short-tailed Blue (Cupido argiades) - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Laura and I lingered in this area for an extra few minutes. I love this sign! It reads "The Area Where Snakes Appear". If only it was that easy... We found a nice mixed flock of birds in this area that contained mostly buntings but also an Olive-backed Pipit, while a Siberian Weasel provided brief glimpses as it slunk around near the riverbank! My photos of the weasel barely count as record shots so I will spare you.  Black-faced Bunting - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Olive-backed Pipit - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea It was around this time that the exhaustion from not really sleeping during our overnight flight was starting to catch up to Laura. While I was birding a mixed flock she was investigating the back of her eyelids while somehow staying upright. Impressive work! The birding continued unabated and we added several lifers in short order. First up was a flock of handsome Yellow-billed Grosbeaks. A few minutes later we connected with a band of gregarious, noisy Vinous-throated Parrotbills. Laura's Bird Of The Day was secured when the parrotbills appeared.  Yellow-billed Grosbeak - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Vinous-throated Parrotbill - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Vinous-throated Parrotbill - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Two species of magpies reside in Seoul and they are both rather common and easy to find. Oriental Magpies were everywhere. We only found a handful of Azure-winged Magpies towards the end of our walk.  Oriental Magpie - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Azure-winged Magpie - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Commotion at the side of the path grabbed our attention, and Laura noticed this female Ring-necked Pheasant trying to remain hidden in the low grasses.  Ring-necked Pheasant - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Another familiar species from back home. This is a Chinese Mantis, but here it is a native species.  Chinese Mantis (Tenodera sinensis) - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea We picked through one final mixed flock near the end of our visit. This one was extra birdy as it also contained a Daurian Redstart and Mugimaki Flycatcher. Laura also had a very brief view of a thrush that was almost certainly Naumann's Thrush, but it vanished before we had confirmatory views.  Mugimaki Flycatcher - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea Daurian Redstart - Gangseo Wetland Eco-Park, Seoul-T'ukpyolshi, South Korea We spent most of the day here, finally returning to the airport in the early afternoon. We didn't quite have enough time to make any more birding stops, but we added one final lifer with several Black-faced Spoonbills seen from the metro. All in all, an excellent way to spend the day. I am sure Laura and I will be back in South Korea in the future so that we can see more of what this beautiful country has to offer.

October 20, 2024     And just like that, it was our final day in Borneo. The previous afternoon saw Laura and I driving to the town of Kundasang which is the main jumping off point to visit Kinabalu Park. There remained several Bornean endemics that would be lifers for Laura here, including Bare-headed Laughingthrush, Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher, Bornean Forktail, Whitehead's Broadbill and Pale-faced Bulbul. I still needed the bulbul as well, despite having spent around ten days in this park over the years. In addition to the allure of potential new birds, we were also looking forward to the cool mountain air and birding mixed flocks on our own.  We were met with cool, foggy conditions upon our arrival. Vehicle access is now restricted to park vehicles and workers along the main park road beyond the Hill Lodge and so we parked at the Liwagu Restaurant, loaded up our day packs and began hiking up the road.  One of the first species we observed was not a bird, but this Small-toothed Palm Civet trotting along the utility wire alongside the road.  Small-toothed Palm Civet (Arctogalidia trivirgata) - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia We quickly found one of Laura's targets, the Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher. This species is a relatively common inhabitant of the understory of montane forests of Borneo. They often hunt alongside the road in Kinabalu Park, as this one was doing.  Eyebrowed Jungle-Flycatcher - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia We continued up the road towards Timpohon Gate which is the furthest that one can go unless they are signed up for an expensive, multi-day guided trek to the summit. Unfortunately, bird life was almost nonexistent other than a couple of small mixed flocks containing just the common birds. I kept an ear out for our other bird targets, but not much of anything was vocalizing. However, we came across another mammal highlight.  This Tufted Pygmy Squirrel is an endemic species to Borneo's highlands and it also happens to be one of the smallest squirrel species in the world. We had only seen one with the group earlier in the trip and Laura had missed it, so this was a big highlight for her. We watched the squirrel for a few minutes as it frenetically scampered around the tree limbs, stopping only briefly to scrape the lichen off the bark (delicious!).  Tuted Pygmy Squirrel (Exilisciurus whiteheadi) - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Eventually Laura and I reached the Timpohon Gate. We spent a couple of hours in the vicinity as the birding here is often great. Occasionally, Pale-faced Bulbuls can be found in the trees here but we had no luck. If only we were allowed to walk further beyond Timpohon Gate. Not only is the bulbul much easier beyond the gate, but that is the only way to see the Friendly Bush-Warbler or the Sundaic Island-Thrush, neither of which we had seen before. Oh well! Snowy-browed Flycatcher - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia The birding was excellent and we quickly found two endemic bird species that are often targeted by visiting birders here: Fruit-hunter and Mountain Black-eye.  Fruit-hunter (female) - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia The female Fruit-hunter, above, is clad in orange, tan and black, while the male has an interesting combination of slate gray, black and tan. These nomadic thrushes are endemic to the highlands of Borneo, where they move around altitudinally in search of specific fruiting trees.  Fruit-hunter (male) - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia A pair of Mountain Black-eyes were sneaking around some of the fruiting trees, allowing me to capture my best photos so far of this species.  Mountain Black-eye - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Mountain Black-eye - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Mountain Black-eye - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia I purchased some coffee from the shop at Timpohon Gate to prolong our visit by a few minutes, just in case a pair of Pale-faced Bulbuls decided to come through. It didn't work.  Gray-chinned Minivet - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Eventually, we cut our losses and began walking back down the road. We hoped that the occasional ray of sunshine and the slightly warmer temperatures would stir up some bird activity. Not 15 minutes into our walk Laura got on a couple of interesting birds in the canopy, which she identified as Pale-faced Bulbuls! They flew back from the roadside before I could see them well and ten minutes quickly passed without a reappearance. I was debating whether the fleeting glimpse was enough to count (I could see its pale face, after all), when suddenly they appeared in the shrubbery right beside the road! Pale-faced Bulbul - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia As much as I have a hard time getting excited about a bulbul, this one was a big highlight for me. It seemed everybody but me could find these things at Timpohon Gate and finally, on my fourth trip to Borneo, I connected. Laura and I spent about ten minutes with the bulbuls as they fed on fruits just a few meters from us.  Pale-faced Bulbul - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Pale-faced Bulbul - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Pale-faced Bulbul - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia And just a few more photos... Pale-faced Bulbul - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Pale-faced Bulbul - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Laura and I continued birding our way down the road, hoping for a Whitehead's Broadbill but coming up short. We turned off the road at the Mempening Trail to escape from from the occasional vehicle and other pedestrians along the road. The forest was beautiful.  We found a mixed flock right away but this was a special mixed flock as it contained a bunch of Bare-headed Laughingthrushes! These bizarre birds are actually a type of babbler, and they are only found in montane forests in Borneo. I had only seen one before (on my very first trip here in 2017) and never managed any photos, so I was pretty excited to have another encounter with this species. It was, of course, a new one for Laura. Though they were a little shy and I never managed the photos I had hoped for, we had an awesome experience with them.  Bare-headed Laughingthrush - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia We followed the Mempening Trail all the way back to the headquarters area, though bird activity was quite low. We saw a male Crimson-headed Partridge on the trail and I heard a distant Orange-backed Woodpecker, but mostly I occupied myself with investigating the plant life.  Heptapleurum bipalmatifolium - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Lindsaea oblanceolata - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Bulbophyllum sp. - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Medinilla crassifolia - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Rain was threatening upon our arrival at the park headquarters. However, before the precipitation arrived with earnest we were able to turn up a pair of Bornean Forktails, another lifer for Laura! Luckily, one perched on a rock in the creek for a minute or so which allowed prolonged binocular views. We had already seen White-crowned Forktail and Chestnut-naped Forktail in the Danum Valley, so this completed the Borneo forktail sweep for us.  Bornean Forktail - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia Bornean Forktail - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia And then the rains came. Laura and I took this time to have lunch at the Liwagu Restaurant and wait out the weather. The restaurant is quite over-priced compared to options just outside the park gate but we were willing to pay for the convenience this time.  The rain eventually subsided, allowing Laura and I to hit the trails once again. Our afternoon session was less productive as bird activity had dropped and the Whitehead's Broadbills remained unaccounted for. One final highlight was a pair of very cooperative Orange-backed Woodpeckers along the Silau-Silau trail.  Orange-backed Woodpecker - Kinabalu Park, Sabah, Malaysia And with that, we called it quits and began the drive back to Kota Kinabalu. The drive was uneventful and the rental car exchange went well, and we soon found ourselves in the airport waiting for our flight. It had been an incredible trip! In total, we found 313 species of birds on the trip, of which 110 were lifers for Laura and 19 were lifers for me. We also documented 31 species of mammal, 34 species of reptile, and 10 species of amphibian, along with countless insects.

October 19, 2024 Laura and I were up dark and early from our accommodations in Ranau. I filled my thermos with coffee, we quickly packed (though not quietly, as every dog in the neighbourhood began barking), and we headed eastwards to the town of Telupid where we had a very special bird on deck.  The Bornean Peacock-Pheasant has some similarities to the Bulwer's Pheasant which we observed just a few days ago. They are both species of pheasants, obviously, and they are both endemic to pristine forests in Borneo. But the Bornean Peacock-Pheasant is considered even more mythical with very few sightings ever by ornithologists or birders. Most of these encounters have occurred in remote regions of Kalimantan, Indonesia.  A few years, some of the people living in a small village, Kampung Bestaria, near the town of Telupid discovered Bornean Peacock-Pheasants living in the forested hills near the village. Eventually, one of the residents named Khairul Ikhwan was able to establish a hide in the forest that, amazingly, the pheasants started to use! In recent years the management of the hide is done by Bestaria Eco-Tourism, a cooperative of the village. Now, birders and bird photographers from around the world are traveling to Kampung Bestaria in hopes of connecting with this mega species.  I reached out to a friend of mine who is an independent birding guide in Sabah, and he gave me the phone number of Elfean Jahanin to help me coordinate my visit. By sunrise, Laura and I were in the Telupid area. We met Elfean (as well as another guy, Jolis) at a restaurant and enjoyed a bowl of fried noodles with an egg before setting off towards Kampung Bestaria.  Upon arrival, we parked our car in the village and hopped in the back of a 4x4 truck for the next leg of the journey. We enjoyed the feeling of the wind in our hair, knowing that soon we would be sweating and hiking up a slippery trail.  We drove through an oil palm plantation, then turned off the dirt track and crossed a river. From here the 40 minute hike began.  At one point we had to take off our boots and cross a creek, though at other times of the year the water is lower and you can keep your boots on.  Trail to Bornean Peacock-Pheasant hide - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Before entering the forest, the path took us through dense bamboo stands of which a human-sized trail opening had been created by machete.  Trail to Bornean Peacock-Pheasant hide - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Eventually we reached the better quality forest and we kept climbing. Soon, we could see the hide up ahead. Though the hike wasn't overly strenuous for us, I can see it being quite difficult to anyone who is out of shape or who has mobility issues. The heat and humidity do not help matters.  Bornean Peacock-Pheasant hide - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia There are two main seating areas at the hide: on the left (green tarp) is the upper area, while we walked down the slope to the right into the lower area. From what I had read ahead of time the lower area is better for photography since the birds are, more or less, at eye level.  We settled in and waited for the pheasants. The first few birds began milling about, including several Ferruginous Babblers that went straight for the mealworms.  Ferruginous Babbler - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Ferruginous Babbler - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia This hide attracts more than just birds. Several species of squirrels, treeshrews and even a Bornean Forest Dragon were taking advantage of the mealworms and rice.  Bornean Forest Dragon (Gonocephalus bornensis) - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia This Low's Squirrel was a new one for me!  Low's Squirrel (Sundasciurus lowii) - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia We did not have to wait long for the stars of the show to appear. Approximately half an hour after entering the hide, we heard a Bornean Peacock-Pheasant vocalize from somewhere up the slope. A few minutes later, a Bornean Peacock-Pheasant chick and its mother appeared at the edge of the clearing! Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Bornean Peacock-Pheasants - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia And then the male showed up. Looking absolutely ridiculous, he strutted into the clearing and mostly pranced around in front of his family. I have no words; here are some photos instead.  Bornean Peacock-Pheasants - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Bornean Peacock-Pheasants - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia I was absolutely thrilled to have an opportunity to take these photos. At the Bulwer's Pheasant hide, we were dealing with very low light levels and closer proximity to the birds, so that I couldn't quite fit the male Bulwer's into the frame of the image. Those photos were mainly just records shots (not that I was complaining!). But here, the light levels were higher and the birds were just a bit further away at times, allowing me to take the photos I was itching for.  Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia One of my dream photos would be of the male bending forward so that the light could catch the peacock-like feathers down his back. Eventually I achieved some worthwhile results.  Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia And here are a few final photos of the male. What an incredible experience.  Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia While the male Bulwer's Pheasant at Trus Madi only dropped in for a few minutes, we were graced by the presence of the three Bornean Peacock-Pheasants for much of the morning!  Obviously the visit was a smashing success and anything else at the hide would be a bonus. The birding was relatively slow otherwise and most of the other birds did not come in to the mealworms. A mixed flock passing through contained Short-tailed Babbler, Chestnut-rumped Babbler, Maroon-breasted Philentoma, Raffle's Malkoha, Malaysian Pied-Fantail and several bulbuls.  Sabah Slender Skink (Sphenomorphus sabanus) - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia This stunning Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher appeared at the hide for a few minutes.  Rufous-backed Dwarf-Kingfisher - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia We identified two species of treeshrews as well. The first one here is a Lesser Treeshrew which is a widespread species in the lowlands of Borneo as well as mainland Malaysia and Sumatra. The second one is a Long-footed Treeshrew, an endemic species to Borneo, and it was a new species for Laura and I.  Lesser Treeshrew (Tupaia minor) - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia While the Lesser Treeshrew (above) is rather arboreal, the Long-footed Treeshrew (below) is a strictly terrestrial species. Long-footed Treeshrew (Tupaia longipes) - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia By late morning we began our hike back out to the road, taking our time in case there were any birds or butterflies of interest.  Ideopsis vulgaris - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Iambrix stellifer - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Our best bird encounter was this Red-bearded Bee-eater perched just off the path. In my experience they can be rather confiding at times. These were probably the best photos that I have ever managed of one.  Red-bearded Bee-eater - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Red-bearded Bee-eater - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia Red-bearded Bee-eater - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia By lunchtime we were back at the start of the trail. The truck was waiting to transport us back across the river and back to Kampung Bestaria. We said our goodbyes to Jolis and Elfean and were on our way. What a spectacular morning it had been! For those wishing to organize your own visit to the Bornean Peacock-Pheasant hide near Telupid, one way you can do it is by contacting Elfean Jahanin on Facebook. Trust me, a trip to Borneo is worth it just to see these spectacular Bornean Peacock-Pheasants.  Bornean Peacock-Pheasant - Telupid area, Sabah, Malaysia