Kinabatangan

It’s a strange fact that there are parallels all around the world. In a past life when I worked at Ranworth in the midst of Broadland, I could look out on usually murky water and watch the Swallows hawk insects for their young, swirling round twittering pleasantly as they did so. Here I am 15 years later looking out over the murky water of the Kinabatangan River in Borneo watching Pacific Swallows do just the same. They even look similar, sans tail streamers, and twitter happily in much the same way as do our prized spring visitors. What chiefly differentiates these scenes is the heat, here it is a strength sapping 35C whereby Ranworth would normally register 35F, especially when that easterly wind set in. Brrrrr!

Here in the heart of Sabah, Borneo we have swapped the high rise structures of modern steel and glass of Kuala Lumpur for high rise natural structures of wood in the form of primary lowland rainforest. I’m sitting on the verandah of a wooden structure that serves as the restaurant for our sumptuous lodge, looking out over the river which serves as a highway for local fisherman and boats full of tourists from all the eco lodges that dot its muddy banks. We went for a boat trip this morning, starting at 6am when the forest was shrouded in swirling mist, the canopy of its sentinel trees eerie silhouettes emerging from the gloom. Not surprisingly there was not much on show initially, but gradually the heat from the tropical sun burned away the grey murk to reveal blue skies and lush greenery. And consequently the wildlife appeared.

There are 8 species of hornbill to be found in this neck of the woods, it didn’t take us long to spot two of these perched proudly atop the highest boughs. We encountered Oriental Pied Hornbills quite often, mostly in pairs but sometimes in small groups. A Wrinkled Hornbill (that quite adequately describes me I think), let itself be admired, preening nonchalantly as we watched and took photographs. We saw several small, brilliantly coloured Blue-eared Kingfishers, much like our own species but much more vividly attired in a livery of cobalt blue. A pair of Red and Black Broadbills entertained us for a spell and a White-bellied Sea Eagle peered down through razor sharp eyes.

Once back at the lodge we walked along the boardwalk through secondary forest growth seeking whatever we could find. Many butterflies of various sizes and patterns fluttered around the humid understory, lizards jerkily chased after them. Above us, a large male proboscis monkey crashed through the canopy growling loudly to communicate his dominance of that particular patch. After a while the gong from the lodge rang out 6 times, a sign that a wild orangutan had been spotted. Sure enough we joined a group of guides and guests on the boardwalk overlooking a large fig tree that is a favorite haunt of this regular visiting ape. He was building a nest high in the canopy, no doubt having eaten his fill of fruit earlier in the morning. As we all strained to catch sight of the ginger haired old man of the forest, a Wallace’s Hawk Eagle, hitherto unnoticed, swooped from its perch a few metres above us and onto another where it sat in full view scrutinising the jungle for movement denoting its next meal. 

We have another river trip at 4pm, but in the meantime sit and watch the swallows feeding and chasing one another around the jetty. The clouds are gathering though, and if I’m any judge there will be one heck of a downpour before too long. Maybe this place is not so far removed from home after all.