“Tomorrow morning, get ready by 5.30. It takes about 45mins to reach the spot. And once in the hide, from one wall you can watch the Western Parotia dance and from the other the Bowerbird readying its house for a party. You might have a tough time choosing whom to photograph!” Zeth had portrayed the previous evening.After all, this was the day I had been dreaming of for several years, a day which I had believed would not arrive so early. And when the moment was just a few hours away, the last thing I wanted was to sleep through it.

5AM – I had already woken up a couple more times.

By 5.40, three of us we were on our way, Zeth leading the way and Augasthanese helping me with my tripod. It was a steep climb and the 7kg camera bag wasn’t helping. I’d stop every 10mins gasping for breath. “Hurry up, the Parotia might already be calling for his mate”, Zeth warned as the first rays of the day pierced through the rainforest. As we approached the ‘stage’, a cacophony of shrill calls filled the air. It was that of the Western Parotia, one of the endemic Birds of Paradise of the Vogelkop region, to which the Arfaks belong. The excitement was palpable. The moment of truth was finally arriving. Or, so I thought.

Finally there we were, in front of the hide. Just as Zeth had portrayed, the Parotia display area was to the left of the hide and straight ahead was this incredible Bower. The calls were lost in the canopy with no sight of the birds. Without wasting any time, I got into the hide. Zeth and Augasthanese had to return and left the hide for myself. The hide was a 10ft x 4ft x 5ft(??) structure camouflaged by fern leaves. The only thing missing now, the reason why I was here, were the birds.

I was gaping in awe at the Bower, a cone shaped hut-like structure with a front lawn meticulously cleaned of any debris and decorated with an assortment of colorful objects – flowers, fruits, fungi, plastic wrappers, bottles and any other conspicuous object that adds color – all so artistically arranged. And all this, the work of a single bird, much smaller than a Myna! To quote Sir David Attenborough, the Bower bird is without doubt  “Nature’s Great Seducer.”

The Bower, so meticulously planned, such that there is sunlight every morning on its lawn

An hour passed. I could hear some calls teasingly close but no sight of them. Two hours gone by. Neither of them had made an appearance yet. Restlessness and boredom set in. The sleepless night started taking a toll. Never before had I sat so idle at one spot without moving more than a few inches.

Just as I was contemplating getting out of the hide to get a breath of fresh air, there it was. The Bowerbird, the mastermind behind one of the wonders of the natural world, just popped into the frame. Frantically I aimed the camera towards the bird and watched the action unfold through the viewfinder.

The only decent portrait I could manage..

He would look around, clear a few unwanted leaves from his garden, set right a few straws from the Bower, look around again for any signs of a mate, disappointed he would go about rearranging his ‘garden’ again. The light was too low.. Even at 3200 ISO I could only manage a shutter speed less than 1/60. To make things worse, the bird was constantly hopping around. A few record shots later, I decided to put aside the camera and just enjoy the action.

Bower Bird at work..

And then the unexpected happened. Without a warning he sprung at the hollow of the hide. Taken aback, literally, I just sat still. I didn’t want to scare the bird away. He was hardly a few inches from my face, probably analyzing the threat levels I posed. In those few seconds, I took a good look at him. Pallid, olive-brown in color, he was devoid of any extraordinary plumage. This is the land of exuberant, colorful birds, yet he stood out. Looks did not matter, for his Bower did the trick. He was legendary at his work!

Back at the Bower, he would patiently examine his setup for any glitches. He might have spent months to build what he though was a perfect Bower but the expectations of the females are sky high!  All that is needed for the female to reject the male and his Bower are a few misplaced straws or badly co-ordinated colors. Life isn’t easy for him. Sounds familiar? It’s the story of our lives too

A minute later he was gone. Brilliant mimics that the Bowerbirds are, I could hear him close by, imitating the display sounds of the Superb Bird of Paradise. I could only wish for him to return but he wouldn’t.

The Parotia had given me a slip that day (whether I saw him or not is another story for another day ) and we decided to go and look for other Bowers in the vicinity. We found 3 more Bowers of varying size and assortment of ingredients with which the nests were decorated.

And an interesting thing to note. Younger the bird, smaller the Bower!

We came across a site where the Bowerbird had dismantled his entire Bower and was preparing to build it afresh. The straws were scattered all around. The moss around the center column was still present. He had probably gone looking for some construction material and he could be back anytime. But it was post noon, and the afternoon showers had begun. We had to leave.

The following morning when we returned to the first Bower, we found a new entry into his garden! A  330ml Coke tin! How they manage to find and carry all these to the nests, I wondered!

And for a perspective of the size of the Bower, here’s Zeth who’s around 5’6″(?)’.

It was the display of the Parotia that I came here to witness, but for now it was the Bowerbird that had completely bowled me over.

PS: Thanks Radha Rangarajan for helping me put my thoughts into words

 What fun it was to watch this guy play around.. He’d run around for a few secs and then decide to rest. And in no time he’s up and rolling up in the snow.

And then he decides to go catch some fish? For a sec looking at the reflection, I thought there were two otters!

Just when we thought he vanished, the otter emerges, but this time with his companion!

For the next few minutes, it was pure joy watching them cudling up in the snow..

And just before disappearing, one of them looks straight into me!

(PS: Shot in almost darkness and the pics are heavily cropped.)

Whether I want to be seing more cars or wildlife wasn’t a tough choice. Rain, Snow or shine, heck I was going..

Yellowstone being one of the best places in the lower 48 states to observe wildlife and also being one of the best places to catch a glimpse of the Grizzleys and the famous pack of wolves, wildlife was of-course top priority. With a plan to tick off as many of the bizzare geothermal features that mostly dot the western side of the park during the early part of the trip, and spend more time exploring wildlife found mainly towards the east and northeastern sides of the park, I entered through the West Entrance, on a pleasant Saturday morning. Expecting rain and snow, boy what a welcome surprise it was to see the sun and yes for most part of the day too.  And what I experienced over the next three days are beyond words can describe.

Stunning views driving into the park.

And the first pitstop.. Standing here, I was literally speechless. Words just fail.. No pictures do justice.. I was glad I was there at the moment..

The famous Bisons Herds of Yellowstone.  Apparently these could be the oldest and the largest bison heard in the United States (Source Wiki).

Old Faithful, gearing up for its next eruption..

And just after the eruption, the park did look like a giant Geological Smoking Gun..

And you gotta be there to believe the colors that some of these hot springs had..

And its these hot springs, lava fields and geysers that are the true faces of Yellowstone..

The earth looked like one giant boiling pot..

You can spends hours just gazing at this partially frozen Yellowstone Lake..

And we ended Day1 watching the sunset over the Yellowstone Upper Falls.

One moment I see this Giant Wood Spider feasting on a honey bee

Wood Spider feasting on a honey bee

and in another, a wasp making a feast of this massive spider!

Spider Wasp paralysing a Spider

Do you know how a spider eats its prey?

‘Most spiders don’t eat their prey whole; instead, they expel digestive enzymes onto or into the animal to liquefy it. Some spiders use their fangs to inject the digestive fluid directly into the animal. This sort of spider liquefies the animal’s insides, leaving the exoskeleton more or less intact. Then it sucks the liquefied remains into its stomach through hairs on its chelicerae and mouth, which act as a filter.’!

And whats happening in the second pic above is even more fascinating.

The wasp belongs to the family Pompilidae commonly called the Spider Wasps.

” These wasps paralyze the spiders with a venomous stinger. Once paralyzed, the spider is dragged to where a nest will be built – some wasps having already made a nest. A single egg is laid on the abdomen of the spider, and the nest – or burrow – is closed. The size of the host can influence whether the wasp will lay an egg that will develop as a male, or an egg that will develop into a female – larger prey yielding the (larger) females. When the wasp larva hatches, it begins to feed on the still-living spider”. !!

While the wasp ensures good food for its new born, this spider ensures the safety of their eggs carrying them in an egg sack under its belly..

Spider carrying its egg sack

Want to see wildlife? There’s no substitute to spending maximum time in the field. Keep your eyes , ears and senses wide open and your bound to be awarded. For me the moment of truth arrived when I spotted these otters (Small Clawed?) basking in the mid-day sun.

Otters Basking

For years, I had been longing to get a glimpse of these shy creatures  in India, and boy wasn’t I excited to get my first sighting of otters.

And it was not just the otters enjoying their day.

This waglers pit viper decided to rest after popping its meal.

Waglers Pit Viper

And it was time for the Dusky Flying Lizard to put on its new pair of clothes.

Dusky Flying Lizard molting

If spotting birds/mammals/reptiles/insects were tough, Fungi of all shapes sizes and color are all around to give company. You just cant keep your eyes off them.

And my favourite of the lot.. the cup fungi..

Colors in the rainforest

You are inundated with various shades of green..Dark green, light green, pale green, bright green, big green trees and small green bushes. Green in the air, green on the ground.  Green, green, green. everywhere.. And quite often when there is dazzling splash of colors, you cant help but notice..

Scarlet Rumped Trogon

Singapore noodles centipede

and the mother of all colors.

Black Backed KF

The Night Life

When its time for some creatures to retire,

Little Spider Hunter

its time for some other creatures to kick start their day, rather night..

The frogs are croaking

and the cicadas are singing

to make sure that the forest is alive and kicking.

Do you need more reasons to be in a rainforest !!

]]> http://wanderingcanvas.net/home/2010/09/27/bewildering-borneo-2-life-in-the-rainforest/feed/ 17 http://wanderingcanvas.net/home/2010/09/08/bewildering-borneo-1-the-journey-in-a-nutshell/ http://wanderingcanvas.net/home/2010/09/08/bewildering-borneo-1-the-journey-in-a-nutshell/#comments Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:21:37 +0000 Adarsh Raju http://wanderingcanvas.net/home/?p=95 Without doubt, this has been my best vacation so far.. Waking up to the songs of birds, exploring one of oldest rainforest, walking through the largest caves in the world, hiking the highest peak in S.E Asia, staring at nearly 3 million bats flying out at dusk in search of food, those long canopy walks, , boat rides in the midst of the rains, night walks with flying squirrels gliding past you in all directions, it all seems like a dream now… Borneo is truly bewildering..

Here’s my journey in a nutshell..

Day 1 – 21- Aug-10
Flight from BLR to KL.. Overnight at KL airport with 7 hrs transit for next flight to Sandakan.

Day 2 – 22-Aug-10
Early morn flight from KL to Sandakan.(Approx 3hrs). Headed straight to the Sepilok Jungle Resort (30 min by taxi from the airport), which is just 5 min walk to the world famous Orangutan Rehab Centre. A dorm bed costs RM 28. Not too many tourists stay at Sepilok meant I had the enitre dorm room to self
Headed to the Rehab centre for the 3PM feeding session to get a closer glimpse of the behaviours of Orangutans. Not the best place I’d like to watch them..
Other highlights being, sighting a pit viper and first glimpse of the Rhinoceros Hornbill.

Day 3 – 23-Aug-10

Early morning departure to Lahad Datu by bus. After reporting at the DVFC head office, left for the field station at 4PM, accompanied by a Polish family and three serious birders from Ohio. Arrived at Danum at 6PM.

Day 4,5,6 – 24-Aug to 26-Aug-10

Misty Sunrise Over Danum

Exploring the rainforests at Danum. The myriad of life forms that exists in this virgin rainforest is simply stunning. I could have spent days just staring at the nearly 600,000 species of fungi of all shapes, color and sizes found here. Watching the largest ant in the world(Camponotus Gigas) to the largest arboreal ape (Orangutan) busy building their home, otters basking in the midday sun, giant wood spiders patiently waiting for their meal, the Great Argus prepraing for a courtship danceare some of the expeirence that will be etched into my memories for ever.

Around the field station there are several trails which one can take. They also offer night safari’s , sunrise and sunset viewing and if informed earlier a day visit to the Borneo Rainforest Lodge is also possible.

Day 7 – 27-Aug-10

Early morn departure from Danum to Lahad Datu and then back to Sepilok. A naturalist led night walk in Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC). 5 Flying squirrels, flying lemur (also called colugo), a snake(to be ID’d) and a drizzle were enough to make my day!

Cup Fungi.

Day 8 – 28-Aug-10

Morning birding at the RDC. Wished I had come earlier in the morning. Major disappointment being not spotting the endemic Borneon Bristlehead which are quite commonly seen here.

Though just 300m away from the rehab centre, surprisingly not many tourists visit the RDC. Apart from giving a perfect introduction to what a rainforest has to offer, the centre offers a canopy walk, nightl trails, boat rides and an excellently maintained plant discovery centre. A keen birdwatcher can spot more than 150 birds on a good day. Highly recommended to spend atleast a morning, if not more.

Prem joins and we head to the Lower Kinabantan River for a 3D,2N wildlife expedition with Uncle Tan.The boat safari in the night yealded buffy fish owls,monitor lizards, proboscis monkeys, palm civet and crocs..

Monitor Lizard, during the night boat ride

Day 9 – 29-Aug-10

More boat rides in the morning and evening, Trekking in the secondary forests and mangrooves surrounding Uncle tan’s property. More wildlife spotted. The night trek in the rains was unforgettable.

Black Backed KF. One of the most color birds Iv ever seen

Day 10 – 30-Aug-10

After a morning boat safari, departed to Sandakan to catch the flight to Kota Kinabalu (KK). Sandakan to KK is one of the shortest flight Iv ever taken. Lasted for just 20min!!. Even before I could settle down, there was an announcement that we would be landing shortly!!

After a stroll in the Night Market, caught the evening flew to Miri. Overnight stay at Miri.

Day 11,12 – 31-Aug to 01-Sep-10

The Stunning limestone formations in Wind Cave

Morning flight to Mulu. Miri to Mulu is approx 30 min by flight. Explored 4 caves, Deer cave- the largest cave in the world, Langs Cave, Clearwater and Wind Caves. Standing at the mouth of each of these caves, the sheer size of the chanbers is sure to blow your mind off. Simply Astounding and haunting.. People walking inside in the caves look like ants crawling.. Staring at the Stalactites and stalagmites, reminded me of those geography classes in school.Watching an exodus of 3 million bats at dusk was a sight to behold.A night walk with a ranger revealed a host of insects: stick insects, spiders, cicadas and even luminous mushrooms!
Day 13 02-Sep-10

The Longest Canopy Walk in the world. At Mulu

If the cave experience was unique, the canopy walk was something special. 30m high in the

canopy and 480m long, its considered the longest canopy walk in the world !

After the canopy walk, departed to Kota Kinabala. Night at D’villa resort near the Kinabalu Park HQ

Day 14,15 03-Sep to 04-Sep-10

Hiking the tallest peak in S.E Asia, Mt Kinabalu. Waking up 2am, climbing, rather rappelling a steep slope in pitch darkness, one of my most ardous and exhilarating treks rewarded

A hiker descends towards South Peak.

by stunning views of sunrise over Borneo. The descent was no easy task. The experience was overwhelming.
With a heavy heart , had to accept the fact that my vacation was now over and was heading back to Bangalore..

Day 16 05-Sep-10

After a 14 hr transit in KL and 4hrs flight, was finally back home and end to a memorable journey into the heart of a paradise called ‘Borneo – The Land Below the Wind’.

More details about each of the places visited, what we missed, the budget and more to follow. For now,’Selamat tinggal’..

   

Sunrise over Danum as seen from the observation platform

Camponotus Gigas - The largest Ant in the World!

The Bats Exodus at Deer Cave. Do you also see Abraham Lincoln?!