The Malaysian Nature Society – Bird Conservation Council Waterbirds Group will conduct a survey of the entire coastline of the state of Sarawak to identify key waterbird sites and to identify and count waterbird populations during the northern winter period of October 2010 to March 2011.
Position: Field Coordinator
The Field Coordinator position (Part/Full Time) will run from Aug 2010 – July 2011 and can be based either in Kuching or Miri.
Primary duties:
1. Coordinate all aspects of the project, including specific responsibility for:
a) Plan aerial, boat and land-based surveys b) Set-up and deploy field survey teams c) Maintain a database of volunteers, survey details, community outreach and training programs d) Coordinate training and public awareness events e) Document project f) Coordinate, store and analyse data g) Create and maintain good relationship with community representatives within survey sectors h) Liaise with media and produce press releases, etc i) Write reports : weekly reports to BCC-WG, coordinate and input to interim reports, final reports j) Keep accounts for the spending of project funds
2. Answerable and report directly to BCC-WG Chairperson (and/or his representative) on all aspects of the project work
3. Liaise with volunteer bird group coordinators in Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu, Lawas, Seria and Bandar Seri Begawan ( Brunei )
4. Liaise with agencies, institutions and corporations and potential co-funders within and outside Sarawak (attend relevant meetings workshops, etc)
Requirements: -Previous experience in environmental field survey work, engaging agencies, institutions and corporations at the highest levels, preferably in Malaysia or Southeast Asia. -Very good strategic and planning/organizational abilities, with an aptitude to work on own initiative with minimum supervision and to stay on task. -Malaysian national resident in Sarawak -University degree in a related field or equivalent practical experience. Good written and oral communication skills in English and Bahasa Malaysia . Additional languages will be an advantage. -Good interpersonal and leadership skills, innovative thinking, versatile ability to work in a team and independently. -Willingness to travel and work outside office environments, as required. -Ability to work effectively at all levels, with above-mentioned institutions, governments and non-government agencies and build excellent working relationships. -Familiarity with and interest in waterbirds and wetland habitats an advantage -Experience in scientific report-writing an advantage -Computer literate -Use of GPS in field and storage of GPS data an advantage
Please send your CV to:
Anthony Wong BQ204, 1st Floor, Batu Kawah New Township (MJC), Jalan Batu Kawa , 93250 Kuching, Sarawak
Assorted waders flying in the morning from its roost.
Waders flying about looking for a suitable sandbar to rest during early morning rising tide.
Waiting out the high tide at Kuala Baram.
Red-necked Stints sporting breeding colors.
All pretty in a row.
A Great Knot at the back, still sporting his summer colors.
Waders spooked by a Collared Kingfisher flying past.
A Malaysian Plover, quite a few of them this season, 10 birds at one time just this week.
Little Tern taking off. We did not see any Great-crested Tern yet this season aside from a very distant view of a group on Pulau Bawai at the beginning of the month.
Great Crested Terns (40) over on the tip of Bawai. Greater Sand Plover (30) on this side of the lagoon, some still sporting summer colors
Common Greenshank (4)
Red-necked Stint (10)
Common Sandpiper
Sanderling
Little Egret
Other birds nearby:
Collared Kingfisher busy chasing after fiddler crabs A pair of Pied Triller feeding two juveniles
Yellow-bellied Prinia
Black-headed Munia
Striated Grassbird
White-breasted Woodswallow
Due to low tide this morning, the birds were quite a distance away.
Birds today, morning of 03rd August 2010 0700-0740hrs:
Terek Sandpiper
Malaysian Plover
Lesser Sandplover
Red-necked Stint Little Egret
Collared Kingfisher
Chinese Egret Pacific Reef Egret
Although the conditions is almost ideal, the birds are not in large numbers. The day was overcast with moisture laden rain clouds. Light drizzle. High tide and no wind.
Plenty of waders morning of the 06th Aug, but the weather was a washout ... drizzling the whole morning. Tide was good but wasn't high enough. Because of the rain I din't bring out the scope, the bino however didn't fare too well ... droplets of rain made it difficult to see anything.
Conditions on 07th Aug was perfect. By the time it was 6:30 am, the tide was just peaking. All the birds were clumped at one place. Skies blue and clear. Birds spotted 06:30-09:00AM:
Malaysian Plover Little Egret Chinese Egret Greater Sandplover Lesser Sandplover Common Greenshank Redshank Sanderling Red-necked Stint Little Tern Great Knot Grey-tailed Tattler Collared Kingfisher Common Sandpiper Gull-billed Tern
Some of the birds at the beach today, 07th Aug 2010.
The Common Redshank, Red-necked Stint, Greater Sandplover, Reshank and Great Knot looked stunning in their summer colors. Didn't see a single Great-crested Tern this time around!
Highest tide yet today 09th August, and a couple of new birds to add: Black-tailed Godwit and Asian Dowitcher feeding together!
Birds spotted 06:45-08:30AM:
Malaysian Plover Little Egret Chinese Egret Greater Sandplover Lesser Sandplover Common Greenshank Redshank Sanderling Red-necked Stint Little Tern Great Knot Grey-tailed Tattler Collared Kingfisher Common Sandpiper Gull-billed Tern Terek Sandpiper
Little Tern, Red-necked Stint, Greater Sandplover, 09th August
Asian Dowitcher, 09th August
Black-tailed Godwit, 09th August
Greenshank, Black-tailed Godwit, Asian Dowitcher, Terek Sandpiper, Malaysian Plover 09th Aug
Great-crested Tern has yet to make an appearance on the beach as of 09th Aug, aside from really distant views made a week ago off the tip of the sandbar off Pulau Bawai.
This morning 10th Aug, the tide level was rather low to start around 06:45am but slowly (very slowly) rises to a peak at 10am. Unfortunately I can't stay that long ... you have to work sometime. It was worth it, another new bird today : Curlew Sandpiper (1) in breeding colors!
The number of Red-necked Stint was also higher than yesterday, all of them frantically feeding in the soft mud about to be submerged, some of them are still in breeding colors. These are "cutest" when resting while waiting out the tides ... head curled in while the body swings a little to the left and just a little right exactly like a tiny clock movement, back and forth, back and forth. Maybe it's a soothing thing for them ... like sucking thumb for some kids.
Birds spotted 06:45-08:30AM: Malaysian Plover (10 perched on timber) Little Egret Chinese Egret Greater Sandplover Lesser Sandplover Common Greenshank Redshank Sanderling Red-necked Stint (many today, close to 30) Little Tern Great Knot (1) Collared Kingfisher Common Sandpiper Gull-billed Tern (2 at least) Terek Sandpiper (10)
The tides are looking rather low this weekend, hoping we can venture out to the actual flats to get closer to these fellas this Saturday. We are planning a Wader outing 14th August, 6:30-09:00AM. Expect to get wet and muddy, please email if interested.
The mudflat this morning circa 0630hrs ... seemed deserted, but four Malaysian Plovers were seen running around a short while later.
It was high tide went I reached the spot just a few minutes past 6.30pm. Other than the familiar sounds of the Yellow-bellied Prinia and Pied Triller, all else seems silent today.
At the flats the waders are still noticeably absent, I thought I heard them but after carefull scanning with the scope across the flats, nothing turned up. Only by 0700am there seemed to be some stirring in the distance.
Two Little Egret came out into view, followed by a lone Chinese Egret. Other than the waders, these are the regulars here. A couple of weeks ago a Grey Heron made a brief appearance a couple of mornings, then completely dissappeared.
Then four Malaysian Plover made a move, looks like a family unit of two adults (male and female) and two juveniles. It was here back in April 2010 that we discovered a downy juvenile amongst the flotsam jetsam; perhaps it i snow fully grown.
The plovers were later joined by two very skittish Common Sandpiper, chirping all the way as they hurried madetheir way further from where the scope was stationed.
There were no other waders spotted that morning. At least not till 0745 when I decided to leave the area to get to work. By then the tide was fast receding, exposing the flats further ... perhaps they all started flying in after I had left.
Place: Niah National Park 5 June 2010 Time: 8am – 5.30pm Participants: Steve, Liz, Richard, Musa
It was an early start to the day with the 4 of us leaving Miri at 5am with the intention of being at Niah National Park for dawn. As we headed towards Niah the weather took a turn for the worse and there was some very heavy rain for quite a while.
At the entrance to the park we met up with Sara, Peter and Faye and the intention had been for Liz to join this group for a trek up Bukit Kasut. The trek was however cancelled due to the earlier heavy downpours, so Sara, Peter and Faye headed towards the caves while the rest of us prepared for a day of birding.
Before we had even crossed the river we were greeted with excellent views of 2 Bat Hawks, who were breaking with convention and coming out in the early morning sunshine, the rain clouds having completely cleared by now.
Once across the river Musa stayed close to the jetty while the rest of us headed along the boardwalk and then ventured off into the forest on a side track. The spot at the bridge was very productive and there were great views of male and female Cinnamon-rumped and Scarlet-rumped Trogons, Banded Broadbill and Buff-necked Woodpecker.
A further split in the group meant that Steve and Liz enjoyed wonderful views of an Oriental Dwarf-Kingfisher while Richard got Olive-backed Woodpecker and a Rufous-sided Sticky Frog, which on being picked up, exuded its defensive sticky glue-like substance.
Returning to the jetty and meeting up with Musa, everyone had great views of Pink-necked and Thick-billed Green Pigeons, thanks to Musa’s wonderful new scope, whilst also enjoying an eagerly-anticipated cool beer courtesy of Steve.
We headed back to Miri just as the sun was setting, a really enjoyable day’s birding being had by all.
Bird list Blue-eared Barbet Red-crowned Barbet Banded BroadbillB lack and Red Broadbill Cream-vented Bulbul Hairy-backed Bulbul Yellow-vented Bulbul Changeable Hawk-Eagle Bat HawkBlack Kite Spotted Fantail Asian Paradise-Flycatcher Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (Rufous-backed Kingfisher) Black-bellied Malkoha Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Raffle’s Malkoha Black-headed Munia Black-naped Monarch Rufous Piculet Pink-necked Green Pigeon Thick-billed Green Pigeon Little Spiderhunter Asian Glossy-Starling Pacific Swallow Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike Cinnamon-rumped Trogon Scarlet-rumped Trogon Buff-necked Woodpecker Olive-backed Woodpecker White-breasted Woodswallow White-bellied Yuhina (Erpornis)
Mammal/Reptile list Rufous-sided Sticky Frog Kalophrynus pleurostigma Rough-backed Ground Skink Mabuya regifera Common Ground Skink Mabuya multifasciata Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus
Place: Lambir – several spots along road to Lambir National Park including Steve’s secret valley 6 June 2010 Time: 10am – 4pm Participants: Steve, Liz, Richard
A later start this morning saw us making stops at several points along the road to Lambir National Park. Excitement was generated when Steve spotted a Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker but Liz and Richard dipped out on this bird. Late afternoon birding saw us sitting on the cool side of the pipe and there was potential with birds starting to buzz around but we had to head back to Miri earlier than we would have liked for a dinner commitment.
Place: Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort 9 - 11 June 2010 Participants: Richard
I arrived at the resort just before midday, not the best time for birding, but after checking-in quickly hit the trails.
The trees around the big pond were fruiting, especially near the resort’s wooden chalets, so attracted lots of flowerpeckers and bulbuls, such as the Grey-bellied Bulbul, which had far more golden wings than any of the field guides show.
The walkway past the campsite to the waterfall and the road from the waterfall to the main carpark turned out to be the best for birds, so the next day was spent mainly on these routes. The walkway near the campsite area provided many of the woodpeckers, such as Crimson-winged, Rufous and Maroon, while the road along the ridge had a pair of White-crowned Hornbills and groups of Black Hornbills, especially in the late afternoon.
The waterfall road was also good in the early morning, with Greater Racket-tailed Drongos chasing a Crested Goshawk from tree to tree and a nesting Red-billed Malkoha. The other rainforest trails were fairly quite for birds, except an area near the end (at the wooden chalet) above the big pond, with nesting Chestnut-winged Babblers and a nice Yellow-bellied Bulbul.
On the road out of the resort a brown Changeable Hawk-Eagle was seen feeding on the road on the same section as it had two days before on the way in. The resort area was very good for birds (and other animals) and I think would be even better at the right time of year.
Bird list Chestnut-winged Babler Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler Blue-eared Barbet Brown Barbet Blue-throated Bee-eater Black and Red Broadbill Grey-bellied Bulbul Hairy-backed Bulbul Red-eyed Bulbul Spectacled Bulbul Yellow-bellied Bulbul Emerald Dove Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Changeable Hawk-Eagle Crested Serpent Eagle Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker Asian Brown Flycatcher Crested Goshawk Black Hornbill White-crowned Hornbill Green Iora Chestnut-bellied Malkoha Red-billed Malkoha Black-naped Monarch Dusky MuniaHill Myna Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Oriental Magpie-Robin White-rumped Shama Little Spiderhunter Silver-rumped Spinetail (Needletail) Purple-naped Sunbird Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Glossy Swiftlet Ashy Tailorbird Rufous-tailed Tailorbird Crimson-winged Woodpecker Maroon Woodpecker Rufous Woodpecker White-breasted Woodswallow
Place: Curtin Environs11 June 2010 Time: 4.30 – 6.30pm Participants: Steve, Liz, Richard
We spent a couple of hours in the late afternoon sussing out the swampy areas around Curtin. The highlight would have to be great views of a Cinnamon Bittern initially in the grass then flying overhead.
Bird list Cinnamon Bittern Greater Coucal Plaintive Cuckoo Spotted Dove Cattle Egret Intermediate Egret Little Egret Striated Grassbird Black-headed Munia Common Moorhen Yellow-bellied Prinia Wandering Whistling-Duck White-breasted Waterhen White-breasted Woodswallow
Place: Brunei 12 June 2010 Time:Participants: Steve, Liz, Richard
An early morning meant we were over the border and in Brunei just after 6am. We noticed quite a difference from the birding in Sarawak in that the birds seemed to be less wary and more inclined to come out into the open and give us good views.
There were several spots where we would have been quite content to just pull up chairs and sit for a couple of hours if we had more time because the birding was so good.
The highlight of the day for all of us would have to have been when Steve heard woodpeckers calling and then in front of our very eyes five Great Slaty Woodpeckers appeared and one was seen drinking at a hollow in a tree.
The Great Slaty is the world’s largest woodpecker and they were indeed huge. We also got excellent views of Cinnamon-headed and Thick-billed Green-Pigeons in the same tree, with the former being a new bird for all three of us.
A one-off sighting of a Black and White Bulbul generated interest but unfortunately one of us dipped on this bird. We headed back to Miri as the sun was setting and thunderclouds were starting to build. Huge thanks to Steve for doing all the driving and spotting some great new birds for us.
Bird list Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler Blue-eared Barbet Brown Barbet Blue-throated Bee-eater Black and White Bulbul Black-headed Bulbul Red-eyed Bulbul Yellow-vented BulbulGrater Coucal Slender-billed Crow Dollarbird Jambu Fruit-Dove Spotted Dove Intermediate Egret Little Egret Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Black Hornbill Collared Kingfisher Brahminy Kite Black-bellied Malkoha Chestnut-bellied Malkoha Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Dusky Munia Black-headed Munia Hill Myna Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Long-tailed Parakeet Cinnamon-headed Green-Pigeon Thick-billed Green-Pigeon Green Imperial-Pigeon Yellow-bellied Prinia Oriental Magpie-Robin Asian Glossy-Starling Purple-throated Sunbird (van Hasselt’s) Copper-throated Sunbird Pacific Swallow Little Swift Grey-rumped Tree-Swift Whiskered Tree-Swift White-breasted Waterhen Great Slaty Woodpecker Grey-capped Woodpecker White-breasted Woodswallow
Place: Lambir13 June 2010 Time:8.30am – 1.00pm Participants: Steve, Liz, Richard
Richard spent a couple of hours birding by himself at the pond in Lambir Hills National Park while Sara and Liz did a trek. He was rewarded for his patience with great views of an Asian Fairy-Bluebird and was later joined by Steve. When the girls returned from their trek, Steve, Liz and Richard headed off to look for Richard’s nemesis bird - the Red-bearded Bee-eater. Unfortunately, the Bee-eater was nowhere to be found, but we did get lovely views of the Chestnut-bellied and Black-bellied Malkoha and a Red-crowned Barbet.
Bird list Red-crowned Barbet Blue-eared Barbet Red-throated Barbet Asian Fairy-Bluebird Red-eyed Bulbul DollarbirdRufous-bellied Eagle Black Hornbill Oriental Magpie-Robin Chestnut-bellied Malkoha Black-bellied Malkoha Dusky Munia White-breasted Woodswallow
Video of birds at Lambir Hills by Richard King.
Written by: Liz and Richard King, MNS Miri Members in Australia June 2010
