Borneo, Day 7, 1 April 2016 - Poring Hot Springs & Tambunan

I was the April fool today, up at 4.30 and walking the long and steep Langanan Waterfall trail at Poring Hot Springs in the pitch dark with my torch! The resaon being to get to the birding spots by dawn. Belinda bailed out of the fun at the 11th hour so I set out alone.
Reaching the recommended area of bamboo just as the sun was rising was perfect but it was a pity that nobody told the Blue-banded Pittas that. I had a fruitless hour waiting and using playback with absolutely no reward. So I continued on to the waterfall itself which took a long time to reach with just a Yellow-bellied Warbler for my efforts. After an impromptu breakfast at the base of the falls I began my descent and eventually the birds began to appear, 2 peculiar Crested Jays were first up followed by Maroon Woodpecker, Puff-backed Bulbul and then a pocket of babblers including one of the tagets up here - c4 White-necked Babblers a pair of displaying Chestnut-winged Babblers. A little further down a nice White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Little Spiderhunter, White-crowned Shama and Brown-throated Sunbird were added.
Despite trying again on the way down there were still no pittas and I had similarly no luck with the other targets here Green Broadbill and Chestnut-capped Thrush. It seems that my experiences here were the same as many other birders.

I returned rather knackered to our digs and after checking out we had a noodle lunch just outside the park gates and headed on the drive south to Tambunan. The drive was on roads with constant unfinished roadworks but through some lovely mountain scenery. Checking in to the absolutely shit Tambunan Inn we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the town and sampling cafes and street food. Not many birds were around but Cattle Egret, Great White Egret, Pacific Swallow, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Oriental Magpie Robin and Olive-backed Sunbird were seen during the day.