After 2 nights in Kinabatangan, we headed back to Sandakan and on to Kota Kinabalu. Taking the opportunity of a day with a car, we planned to try and see the famous Rafflesia flowers of Sabah, reputed to be the biggest flowers in the world….it just so happened that Gunung Alap, a well know birding location is very close to the Tambunan Rafflesia Centre…A 630am start meant we had a quick breakfast at the Lok Tien Dim Sum restaurant….very nice indeed before setting onthe road to Tambunan.
Just over an hour out of Kota Kinabalu(KK) we reach the little acute sharp left turn up Jalan Microwave(!), a 2 km potholed road to get to the transmission towers. We parked on the grass verge and set off off in search of the crimson partridge which is down a muddy trail behind this tower. A group of birders were already at the hide and after everyone settled down, we waited and waited…..Finally this charming fellow appeared…a male snowy browed flycatcherthe female snowy browed flycatcher also put in an appearanceFemale snowy browed FCThey kept us entertained for a few minutes but unfortunately the partridges did not show…we then walked over to the other transmission tower where on the right, there is a little hut next to a grassy glade….There were a few plastic chairs there that allowed us to sit and watch…a whole flock of chestnut-hooded laughing thrushes zipped aboutchestnut hooded laughing thrushchestnut hooded laughing thrushand then a flash of blueas the indigo flycatcher made an appearanceIndigo FC Female Little Pied FlycatcherLittle Pied FC female
So it was a fruitful hour spent on Gunung Alap, and the Rafflesia Centre in Tambunan was but 10minutes away…
The Natural Traveller 