27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - BUFFY FISH OWL (Ketupa ketupu)

The buffy fish owl (Ketupa ketupu), also known as the Malay fish owl, is a fish owl in the family Strigidae. It is native to Southeast Asia and lives foremost in tropical forests and wetlands. Due to its wide distribution and assumed stable population, it is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004.

The buffy fish owl is distributed from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and the Sunda Islands. On Cocos (Keeling) Island, it is non-breeding. It inhabits tropical forests and freshwater wetlands near rivers, lakes and aquaculture sites up to an elevation of 1,600 m (5,200 ft). It also lives in plantations, and rural and urban gardens.

The buffy fish owl feeds foremost on fish, crabs, frogs, small reptiles and birds. It also forages on carrion. Stomach content found in Javan buffy fish owls included insects, winged ants and winged termites, goldfish (Carassius auratus), gold-ringed cat snake (Boiga dendrophila), immature false gharials (Tomistoma schlegelii), red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), black rat (Rattus rattus), and fruit bats.

It has been recorded consuming remains of a crocodile and a Sunda stink badger (Mydaus javanensis). The buffy fish owl does not produce firm pellets as do most owls. Instead, bones, and frog and insect remains are ejected in pieces and fall to the ground below the roost. Prey remains have only been found within the nest, never around or below the nest as is commonly recorded in other owls. The buffy fish owl hunts mainly from the bank, swooping down much in the manner of a fish eagle but never getting its feathers wet. It also walks into shallow streams and brooks, additionally snatching food in such locations.

6-7-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPINY TOAD (JUVENILE) (Bufo spinosus)

The spiny toad, spiny common toad, or giant toad (Bufo spinosus) is a species of toad native to the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, extreme northeastern Italy, and North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia). There is an isolated population in Jersey in the Channel Islands. For much of the 20th century, it was considered either a synonym or a subspecies of common toad Bufo bufo, but it is now classified as a separate species.

These toads feed on a number of invertebrates from earthworms to insects and woodlice.

 

6-7-2023 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - SPOTTED FLYCATCHER

Despite arriving relatively late, spotted flycatchers manage to rear two broods of young before departing at the end of August. The success of the second clutch is increased by fewer eggs being laid, meaning less mouths to fill. They will nest in gardens but the nest is usually well hidden on ledges or behind climbing plants.

Spotted flycatchers prefer large flying insects, including flies and butterflies. However, if the weather is cool and insects aren’t flying, they will take smaller invertebrates from leaves and branches. If poor weather persists, many nests fail as these smaller invertebrates tend to be eaten by the parents rather than fed to the young.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - WHITE CROWNED SHAMA

The white-crowned shama (Copsychus stricklandii) is a bird in the Old World flycatcher family. It is endemic to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.

The white-crowned shama is about 21–28 cm (8.3–11.0 in) in length (including a 7 cm (2.8 in) tail in adult males) and 31–42 g (1.1–1.5 oz) in weight. Mainly blue-black upperparts contrast with orange-rufous underparts. It has a white rump and black throat. It is largely similar in appearance to the white-rumped shama subspecies C. m. suavis, which replaces it in southern and western Borneo, and hybridises with it where the ranges meet.[6] It differs in having a white, rather than black, crown. The distinctive Maratua form C. s. barbouri is about 20% longer than the nominate, and has an all-black tail, rather than white outer rectrices.

White-crowned shamas are bred by local aviculturists in Borneo as cage-birds valued for their singing ability. They continue to be trapped as it is believed that wild-caught young birds are stronger, and better songsters, than those bred in captivity.

29-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - SULTAN DRAGONFLY (Camacinia gigantea)

 Camacinia is a small genus of dragonflies in the family Libellulidae. Species of Camacinia are found from South-east Asia to the Solomon Islands, Australia and New Guinea. There are three species.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - ASIAN SAPPHIRE FLUTTERER DRAGONFLY BLUE (Rhyothemis triangularis)

Rhyothemis triangularis (sapphire flutterer, lesser blue wing) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread in eastern and southern Asia.

It is a small blue colored dragonfly with bases of all wings have dark metallic blue patches. This species breeds in well vegetated ponds and similar habitats. From karyotyping it is known to have 13 chromosomes.

29-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - COMMON PARASOL DRAGONFLY (Neurothemis fluctuans)

 The Red Grasshawk, also known as Common Parasol, and Grasshawk dragonfly, (Neurothemis fluctuans) is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread in many Asian countries.

29-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - PEACOCK FLOWER (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to the West Indies, but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation. Common names for this species include poinciana, peacock flower, red bird of paradise, Mexican bird of paradise, dwarf poinciana, pride of Barbados, flos pavonis, and flamboyant-de-jardin.

 

26-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - JEWEL (Rhinocypha humeralis)

Rhinocypha humeralis is a species of insects with 90 observations

 

29-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - INDONESIAN RED WING DRAGONFLY (Neurothemis terminata)

Neurothemis terminata is a species of dragonfly in family Libellulidae. Neurothemis terminata is a widespread and often common species which can occur in man-made habitats, from Peninsular Malaysia and Japan to the Lesser Sundas in Indonesia.

Male N. terminata have red colour on its body and wings, while the female have yellowish colour. The adult has 8-11 cm body length.

 

16-5-2023 KOTA KINABALU NAT PRK, BORNEO - BLYTHE'S STRIKE BABBLER (Pteruthius aeralatus)

The white-browed shrike-babbler (Pteruthius aeralatus) is a bird species found in the eastern Himalayas and Southeast Asia from northern Burma to southern Cambodia. Like others in the genus it is found in montane forests. Males and females have different plumages and variations occur through its range with several populations being treated as subspecies. It is part of a cryptic species complex and was earlier lumped as a subspecies of the white-browed shrike-babbler. Clements lumps this bird into the white-browed shrike-babbler.

The white-browed shrike-babbler is sexually dimorphic. There are many variations between the populations and some are more distinctive than others but they may not be easy to diagnose in the field. In general appearance it is very similar to the Himalayan shrike-babbler but all subspecies with the exception of validirostris have the tertials of males partly coloured rufous and partly fulvous.

26-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - BORNEO WHITE LIPPED FROG (Chalcorana raniceps)

 Chalcorana raniceps, also known as the copper-cheeked frog, white-lipped frog, or Peters' Malaysian frog, is a species of "true frog" in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Borneo, including Brunei Darussalam, Kalimantan (Indonesia), and Sarawak (Malaysia), although it is likely to occur more widely. Previously mixed with Chalcorana chalconota (treated as a junior synonym or a subspecies) and believed to have much wider distribution, its range was delimited to Borneo in the revision of "Rana chalconota" complex by Robert Inger and colleagues in 2009.

26-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - MALAY YEOMAN BUTTERFLY (Cirrochroa emalea)

 Cirrochroa emalea, the Malay yeoman, is an Indomalayan species of heliconiine butterfly described by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville in 1843.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - CHOCOLATE PANSY BUTTERFLY (Junonia iphita)

Junonia iphita, the chocolate pansy or chocolate soldier, is a butterfly found in Asia.

The wingspan is about 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) and the female can be told apart from the male by white markings on the oblique line on the underside of the hindwing. The wavy lines on the underside of the wings vary from wet- to dry-season forms.

Individuals maintain a territory and are usually found close to the ground level and often bask in the sun.

 

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - GIANT GOLDEN ORBWEAVER SPIDER (Nephila pilipes)

Nephila pilipes (northern golden orb weaver or giant golden orb weaver) is a species of golden orb-web spider. It resides all over countries in East and Southeast Asia as well as Oceania. It is commonly found in primary and secondary forests and gardens. Females are large and grow to a body size of 30–50 mm (overall size up to 20 cm), with males growing to 5–6 mm. It is the second largest of the orb-weaving spiders apart from the recently discovered Nephila komaci. The first, second, and fourth pairs of legs of juvenile females have dense hairy brushes, but these brushes disappear as the spider matures.

The N. pilipes golden web is vertical with a fine irregular mesh. It is not symmetrical, with the hub usually nearer the top. Rather than egg sacs being hung in the web, a pit is dug which is then covered with plant debris or soil.

Nephila spp. prey upon only a few species. Nephila spp. will remove some specific insects from their webs. They avoid vespid wasps, alate ants, and other insects that secrete distasteful compounds. Due to Nephila’s large body size, it can prey on insects with a broad size range, from 2 mm to even larger size than themselves. They adopt different strategies for different sizes of preys. Small preys are directly caught and removed from the web. For larger ones, they inject venom and wait for the decease of their prey. However, Nephila spp. have a dramatic change in predation style from the spiderling to adulthood. During the spiderling stage, they feed collectively on a common web. Upon reaching adulthood, they construct their own webs. Nephila spp. also reserve food caches to deal with periods of food shortage. They wrap surplus prey in silk and store them in the hub of the web. The silk covering can significantly reduce water loss due to evaporation. Food cache can reduce weight loss during periods with limited preys.

It has been reported that some N. pilipes can adjust the ultraviolet radiation reflected by stripes on their body to attract preys that are UV light oriented. The bands on the legs and body of N. pilipes can reflect UV radiation, so they are more visible to flying insects. The contrast of colors makes them look like food sources for insects, rather than a predator spider.

 

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - COLLARED KINGFISHER (Todiramphus chloris)

 The collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium-sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white-collared kingfisher, black-masked kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. It has a wide range extending from the Red Sea across southern Asia to Polynesia. A number of subspecies and subspecies groups have been split from this species including the Pacific kingfisher, the islet kingfisher, the Torresian kingfisher, the Mariana kingfisher, and the Melanesian kingfisher.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - BRONZED DRONGO (Dicrurus aeneus)

The bronzed drongo (Dicrurus aeneus) is a small Indomalayan bird belonging to the drongo group. They are resident in the forests of the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They capture insects flying in the shade of the forest canopy by making aerial sallies from their perches. They are very similar to the other drongos of the region but are somewhat smaller and compact with differences in the fork depth and the patterns of gloss on their feathers.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - HORSFIELD'S BARON BUTTERFLY (MALE) (Tanaecia iapis)

The Horsfield's Baron is relatively common in Singapore. They are mainly found in the nature reserves, but at times adults can be seen flying in public parks and wastelands where the host plants are growing in abundance. Both sexes have the habit of resting on perches with wings open. The male exhibits territorial behaviour of chasing intruders in the vicinity of its perch. On rare occasions, the male have been observed to puddle on damp ground.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - PLANT HOPPER (Pochazia sinuata)

 Moth like planthopper.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - TRUE CRICKET (Nisitrus vittatus)

 Nisitrus vittatus is a species of insects with 164 observations

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - MALABAR MELESTONE (Melastoma malabathricum)

Melastoma malabathricum, known also as Malabar melastome, Indian rhododendron, Singapore rhododendron, planter's rhododendron and senduduk, is a flowering plant in the family Melastomataceae. Despite its common names, it does not have any connection to actual rhododendrons, and belongs to the Rosids clade as opposed to the Asterids clade. This plant is native to Indomalaya, Japan and Australia, and is usually found at elevations between 100 m and 2,800 m in grassland and sparse forest habitats. It has been used as a medicinal plant in certain parts of the world, but has been declared a noxious weed in the United States. M. malabathricum is a known hyperaccumulator of aluminium, and as such can be used for phytoremediation.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - ORANGE SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum testaceum)

 

Orthetrum testaceum, common names Crimson Dropwing or Orange Skimmer. is an Asian freshwater dragonfly species belonging to the family Libellulidae.

This common species is widespread throughout India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. These dragonflies may occur in various areas with standing waters, as in ponds, drains, marshes, around rivers, streams, lakes, and gardens.

27-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - SLENDER SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Orthetrum sabina)

Orthetrum sabina, the slender skimmer or green marsh hawk, is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is widespread, being found from south-eastern Europe and North Africa to Japan and south to Australia and Micronesia.

It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Adults are grayish to greenish yellow with black and pale markings and green eyes. Its abdomen is greenish-yellow, marked with black. It is very similar to Orthetrum serapia in appearance, with both species appearing in northern Australia. Pale markings on segment four of the abdomen do not extend into the posterior section when viewed from above on Orthetrum sabina. Females are similar to males in shape, color and size; differing only in sexual characteristics. This dragonfly perches motionless on shrubs and dry twigs for long periods. It voraciously preys on smaller butterflies and dragonflies.

 

25-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - PLUME TOED SWIFTLET (Collocalia affinis)

The plume-toed swiftlet (Collocalia affinis) is a small bird in the swift family Apodidae. It is found on some eastern Indian Ocean islands, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and lowland Borneo.

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It was previously considered a subspecies of the glossy swiftlet.

24-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - STICK INSECT (genus calvisia)

Calvisia is a genus of stick insects in the subfamily Necrosciinae (tribe Necrosciini). Species are known to be distributed in temperate and tropical Asia.

 

24-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - MALAY YEOMAN BUTTERFLY (Cirrochroa emalea)

Cirrochroa emalea, the Malay yeoman, is an Indomalayan species of heliconiine butterfly described by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville in 1843.

 

25-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - COLLARED CARPENTER BEE (Xylocopa dejeanii)

 Xylocopa dejeanii, or Xylocopa (Zonohirsuta) dejeanii, is a species of carpenter bee. It is widely distributed in Asian countries.

29-5-2023 TABIN RESERVE, BORNEO - BROWN WOOD OWL (Strix leptogrammica)

The brown wood owl (Strix leptogrammica) is found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, and south China. The brown wood owl is a resident breeder in south Asia. This species is a part of the family of owls known as typical owls (Strigidae), which contains most species of owl. It belongs to the earless owl genus Strix.

The brown wood owl is medium large (45–57 cm), with upperparts uniformly dark brown, with faint white spotting on the shoulders. The underparts are buff with brown streaking. The facial disc is brown or rufous, edged with white and without concentric barring, and the eyes are dark brown. There is a white neckband. The sexes are similar in appearance. 

22-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - PACIFIC SWALLOW (Hirundo tahitica)

The Pacific swallow (Hirundo tahitica) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It breeds in tropical southern Asia and the islands of the south Pacific. It is resident apart from some local seasonal movements. This bird is associated with coasts, but is increasingly spreading to forested uplands. The hill swallow and the welcome swallow were formerly considered conspecific.

The Pacific swallow builds a neat cup-shaped nest, constructed with mud pellets collected in the beak, under a cliff ledge or on man-made structures such as a building, bridge or tunnel. The nest is lined with softer material, and the clutch is two to three eggs. It is similar in behaviour to other aerial insectivores, such as other swallows and the unrelated swifts. It is a fast flyer and feeds on insects, especially flies, while airborne.

25-5-2023 SUKAU RIVER LODGE, BORNEO - GUINEA FLOWER (Dillenia excelsa)

Medium-sized riverine tree, up to 25m height, with bushy columnar crown.

Foliage Leaves medium-large (15-30cm long), glossy green, prominently-veined, with slightly serrate margins, lacking stipules at blade-petiole junction. Young leaves reddish. Species is deciduous in regions with seasonally-dry climates.

Flowers Large (8-10cm across) and showy, petals bright yellow, typically 5 nos., with pinkish recurved apical stigma in centre, contrasted by numerous dark to purplish-red taller inner stamens, surrounded by shorter and more reflexed yellow outer stamens. Produced singly or in few-numbered clusters, upward-facing. Unopened buds enveloped by fleshy dark red to reddish-green sepals. Flowers open early in morning and last for 1 day, with petals being shed by late afternoon or evening. Rich in honey and pollinated mainly by Apis dorsata (Honey Bee).