Here we are at Poring Hot Springs. Yesterday we had a magic last day's birding at Mt Kinabalu, walking the entire Mempening trail - which ascends very steeply, and precariously in places and takes you through some very tall forest with mossy plants all through it. Where it had been quiet bird-wise the day before it was all happening yesterday and we got the much sought after 'Whitehead's Trogon'and another highlight was a family party of inquisitive Mountain Wren-babblers which delighted us for a good 10-15 minutes while Sunda Cuckoos were calling near to us too. This morning we transferred to Poring Hot Springs, 40kms on from Kinabalu NP. The temperature here is a decidedly hot and sweaty change and we arrived around mid morning not expecting much bird action until late afternoon when temperatures would drop but we'fe been bowled over by the bird action today - the much sought after Banded Kingfisher was almost our first bird and then we came upon a large, shady fruiting tree that was teeming with various frugivores in the midday sun. Back for a quick lunch break and then out again to the 'Tropical gardens' adding Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo, Banded Broadbill, Rufous Woodpecker and Cinereous Bulbul to our list. We finished the afternoon with a soak in the hot sulphurous tubs to ease our aching muscles and then across the road to a local eatery for a nice dinner. On the way to the resort today we stopped to look at a flowering rafflesia flower - advertised by locals on a roadside sign for a small fee to go see it. Tomorrow we've a hot and sweaty climb before us up the Langanan Waterfall trail to try for the Blue-banded Pitta amongst others and then back to KK to catch the evening flight home.
