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Borneo Bootcamp 2017 Daily Journal
Tawau Hills: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Danum Valley: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Day 4: World's (Once) Tallest Tropical Tree
On our last day in Tawau, we made our pilgrimage up to the world's (once) tallest tropical tree. Well, it was still the world's tallest until 2016 when researchers found several taller trees in Maliau Basin and Danum Valley.
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Good morning!
This is my cabin, where I store all logistical items for the bootcamp. It is also where our beer is stashed in.
Borneo Bootcamp 2017
Group photo with our favorite rhinoceros beetle first thing in the morning!
Rhinoceros beetle (Chalcosoma moellenkampi)
Asked everyone to pose like the rhinoceros beetle.
Rhinoceros beetle (Chalcosoma moellenkampi)
Frog lady getting caught between the rhino's horns.
Posing with the rhinoceros beetle
Since it was the last day here, everyone took turns to pose with the beetle.
Still posing with the rhinoceros beetle
Trying all the cute poses.
Towards the tallest tree!
We started our hike up towards the tallest tree after breakfast.
Crabs? Where are you?
Paul probably thinking of the crabs hiding in the stream below.
Social big-jawed spider (Tetragnathidae)
I have been documenting these "social" tetragnathids since 2015. It could be Orsinome cavernicola but the ID has yet to be confirmed.
Social big-jawed spider (Tetragnathidae)
Close up reveals the unique stabilimentum which looked like fireworks when out of focus.
Social big-jawed spider (Tetragnathidae)
Trying to get our flash and diffusers in to shoot the webs. We carefully placed a light inside to highlight the silk!
Strangler fig
Our usual pitstop at the strangler figs.
Strangler fig
Paul and Pierre's first visit here so we had a little chat about it while catching our breaths.
Orb weaver spider (Eriovixia sp.)
We didn't take much macro photos on the way up, except for a few occasional sightings like this Eriovixia munching on her meal.
Tiger beetle (Cylindera sp.)
The tiger beetles here are beautiful! For more tiger beetles, check out Cicindelinae Checklist: Tiger Beetles.
Finally reached!
First casualty. She actually reached before most of us and got tired of waiting for us. :P
Amber and Pierre
Still looking fresh!
Got Shot by Dr Hanyrol
Goofing around. Perfect example of bad acting after I got a splot of blood on my shirt.
Leech Bite
Well I got tagged, and it was a pretty big patch.
Laowa 12mm F/2.8
World's widest F/2.8 full frame lens used for our group photo with the tallest tree. Read my review here.
World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
Customary for bootcamp participants to take a group photo here and then start the macro shooting during the descent.
World's tallest tropical tree (Shorea faguetiana)
Yep, looks tall alright!
Viewing gallery©2017 Hanyrol H. Ahmad Sah
This was the viewing gallery where hikers could take a break while staring at the tree.
Velvet-ant-mimic checkered beetle (Tillicera sp.)
We thought we saw some velvet ants, but they turned out to be checkered beetles which look amazingly similar to the cow-killers.
Velvet-ant-mimic checkered beetle (Tillicera sp.)
Lateral view of the awesome mimic.
Sampling for spiders
Minsheng sampling the area for spiders using the "umbrella method".
Stick insect ootheca (Korinninae)
We found some interesting looking ootheca which appear to belong to stick insects. Not particularly exciting for those who suffer from Trypophobia.
Stick insect ootheca (Korinninae)
Another interesting ootheca!
Harvestman (Laniatores)
There were many of these spiny harvestmen and we found this that stood still enough for us.
Portable air-con
I had a portable air-con. It made everyone envious in the tropical heat.
Big-jawed spider (Leucauge sp.)
I pointed out this Leucauge to Chris and Pierre to practise back-lighting on.
Big-jawed spider (Leucauge sp.)
Pretty happy with the result that highlighted the trichobothria! This picture is going to be on the back-cover of Borneo Spiders: A Photographic Field Guide.
Flat-backed millipede (Polydesmida)
Don showing us a flat-backed millipede that he was photographing.
Comb-footed spider (Nihonhimea sp.)
These comb-footed spiders build large cob webs with a dried leaf in the middle of its web.
Firefly beetles (Lampyridae)
Found a porn scene on the way down the trail! Would have looked more exciting at night with the blinking abdomens I guess.
Pierre in action
After the climb, most of us were happy to stand around while waiting to shoot.
Barklouse (Psocoptera)
This is a very interesting barklouse that looks as if it has a moustache.
Barklouse (Psocoptera)
The wings are also shiny and opaque, which leads us to wonder if they are sclerotised?
Queuing up
Yep we queue up to take photos while taking a break and chatting behind.
Spiny comb-footed spider (Phoroncidia sp.)
Found a beautiful female Phoroncidia before heading back to lunch!
Lunch with Coconuts!
Refreshingly cold coconuts with lunch!
Appetising Lunch
This leech must've followed someone to our lunch table. Was it Amber?
Mushrooms (Fungi) ©2017 Hanyrol H. Ahmad Sah
Hanyrol was trying out some back-lighting techniques on these fungi.
Mushrooms (Fungi) ©2017 Hanyrol H. Ahmad Sah
This turned out particularly well!
Scenery shots
The afternoon was spent exploring across the bridge and taking pictures of the park.
Tawau fresh water crab (Thelphusula tawauensis) ©2017 Paul Ng
Paul was feverishly trying to find freshwater crabs in this trip and wasn't disappointed.
Paul's Leech Bites
Of course, they came at a tiny price. Not stopping crab boy from jumping into the streams again!
Next to the aviary
Been here several times, but the aviary was never open.
Dragon snake (Xenodermus javanicus) ©2017 Hanyrol H. Ahmad Sah
Hanyrol's wide angle shot of the dragon snake!
Dragon snake (Xenodermus javanicus) ©2017 Hanyrol H. Ahmad Sah
My turn to struggle with the silly cctv setup.
Dragon snake (Xenodermus javanicus)
My quirky fisheye attempt on the dragon snake.
Lighting assistant
Everything looked black through the view-finder, so Hanyrol tried to add some light to the scene.
Dragon snake (Xenodermus javanicus) ©2017 Paul Ng
Paul had a unique take on the beautiful snake, opting to light up from the sides to highlight the dragon-like scales.
Whip scorpion (Thelyphonida)
Amber found this tiny little whip scorpion on the tree trunk.
Resin?
Odd looking stuff on a tree. Some kind of resin?
Nursery web spider (Dendrolycosa sp.)
Amber also found this Dendrolycosa clutching onto her egg sac.
Nursery web spider (Dendrolycosa sp.)
Close up on the mother's eyes!
Jumping spider (Salticidae)
While hunting for the elusive Zanna lanternbug, I found this large salticid.
Jumping spider (Salticidae)
Very tame fella!
Lynx spider (Hamataliwa sp.)
There was also this super tiny male lynx spider.
Lynx spider (Hamataliwa sp.)
Intriguing eye-lash tufts!
Amber
Amber was happy to share many subjects with the rest of us.
Getting ready for photo-sharing
On our final evening in Tawau, all participants shared about some of their favorite photos taken during the bootcamp.
Photo sharing session
We also had a chance to see what subjects that we might have missed out.
Planthopper nymph (Fulgoroidea)
We ventured into the botanic gardens for our last night in Tawau. Would have wanted to visit on every night but the rain stopped us. This planthopper nymph had the typical waxy tails.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
A huge katydid which appeared black to the naked eye, but showed hues of blue.
Katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Getting closer!
Big Katydid©2017 Tom Astle
Tom had a wider shot of it in a better pose!
Harvestman (Opiliones)
There were lots of harvestmen scampering around. This had a forked spike.
Huntsman spider (Pandercetes sp.)
Very common Pandercetes on a tree trunk.
Planthopper (Fulgoridae) ©2017 Paul Ng
Paul found this cleverly camouflaged planthopper hiding within the lichen.
Stick insect with mites (Phasmatodea)
We saw many stick insects, but the sizes varied so much that it was difficult to keep the entire body within a single frame.
Stick insect with mites (Phasmatodea)
Looking up close to the bunch of mites on the stick insect.
Comb-footed spider (Theridion sp.)
Brilliantly coloured Theridion guarding her egg sac. It's abdomen has a clown face when viewed from behind.
Froghopper (Cercopidae)
This beautiful froghopper was hiding within some loose bark.
Giraffe big-jawed spider (Dolichognatha sp.)
One of my biggest regrets on this trip was losing this giraffe spider. Although out of focus, you could probably see the ridiculously long chelicerae and elongated cephalothorax. Bizarre, but not as bizarre as the assassin spiders from Madagascar which I will be chasing after in 2018.
Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) ©2017 Pierre Escoubas
One of the "oil-spill" darkling beetles found on tree trunks.
Tom in action
Not sure what Tom was shooting?
Resting Cryptic Moth©2017 Tom Astle
Tom found this cryptic moth resting on the leaf litter.
Mossy stick insect (Phasmatodea)
This sexy moss stick insect was found near to the botanic garden entrance.
Mossy stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Lateral view. Highly cryptic creature!
Mossy stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Close up on its head reveals a tiny mite.
Mossy stick insect (Phasmatodea)
Lateral view of its head.
Mossy stick insect (Phasmatodea)
I stabalised the leaf that the stick insect was on so that everyone could attempt some UV shots of it. The fluorescence was brilliant!
Sac spider (Clubionidae) ©2017 Pierre Escoubas
Great back-lighting attempt by Pierre!
Lizard beetle (Languriidae)
Difficult to light evenly due to the reflective surface, but we found ways to have the entire body lighted up.
Horned blue darkling beetle (Toxicum sp.)
The participants found this wonderful blue darkling beetle with two horns!
Horned blue darkling beetle (Toxicum sp.)
View of the horns. Dori had a shot of this in preflight and with back-lighting, but I have not gotten to see it yet. I could still remember the screams when she took the shot.
Wasp With Spider Prey©2017 Tom Astle
Tom found this fantastic scene of a spider wasp preparing to dismember a spider. The spider appears to be a sub-male Talthybia.
Orb weaver spider (Eriovixia sp.)
These orb weavers are highly polymorphic. I've rarely gotten them identified to species with certainty.
Comb-footed spider (Meotipa sp.)
Tiny little comb-footed spider with "knobs" on its abdomen.
Upstairs Downstairs©2017 Tom Astle
Two very interesting cockroaches in a single frame!
Giant shield bug (Pygoplatys lunatus)
One of the many giant shield bugs from this trip. For more giant shield bugs, check out Pentatomoidea Checklist: Shield Bugs & Stink Bugs.
Darkling beetle (Tenebrionidae) ©2017 Pierre Escoubas
Another darkling beetle by Pierre. This one has a bronze-like appearance.
Big-jawed spider (Leucauge sp.)
This stunning Leucauge was found high above our heads.
Wrap-around orb weaver (Talthybia sp.)
Also high above our heads was this wrap-around spider. Most others did not recognise it when it was on its web.
Scorpion-tailed spider (Arachnura sp.)
The scorpion-tailed spider was still at the same location.
Blue-Eyed Stick Insect Portrait©2017 Tom Astle
Tom spotted this delicate little stick insect with blue eyes!
Longhorn beetle (Euthyastus binotatus)
Dull looking longhorn beetle, but still worth documenting. For more longhorn beetles, check out Cerambycidae Checklist: Longhorn Beetles.
Comb-footed spider (Meotipa sp.)
Close up of another Meotipa.
Stick insect (Phasmatodea) ©2017 Pierre Escoubas
Many participants got super excited with the large spiny stick insects around.
Brush-footed trapdoor spider (Barychelidae) ©2017 Tom Astle
An excellent find! Not too easy to see these mygalomorphs roaming around outside its burrow.
Crab spider (Epidius sp.)
Again, the crab spider that is new to science. First time seeing one with her egg sac! This was the last subject in the botanic gardens before we were chased out and the rain started pouring in again.
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Tawau Segment Concluded!
Day 4 in Tawau was definitely eventful, despite spending bulk of the morning hiking uphill. Most participants were particularly excited with the finds at night in the botanic gardens, so it was a pity that we could not spend more nights in there. Nevertheless, we were all looking forward to the next few days in Danum Valley!
Borneo Bootcamp 2017 Daily Journal
Tawau Hills: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
Danum Valley: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3