Day 11 at our lodge by the river

After a sound nights sleep we were up at 5.30 a.m for an early morning river cruise. Tea/coffee served at the restaurant and we set off (upstream this time) at 6 a.m. Dawn was breaking, the river still and the air felt cooler after last night's rain and was filled with bird song.

Our boat driver and guide is excellent, his first spot of the day was of a young crocodile, which even I could get a photo of as we got so close!

Next were the macquacs A troop of 40 ish. Again, near enough for us to see really clearly. Lots of mums with tiny babies. We watched their antics for some minutes, as they squabbled, groomed each other and sunbathed in the early morning sunshine. 

We had swallows skimming the water and  flying alongside the boat. Pairs of birds soaring overhead.

Neil took lots of great photos, oriental pied hornbills, bee eater, collared kingfisher, herons and crested serpent eagles.

The river was steaming in the sunshine as we headed back for breakfast.

It was a fabulous hour or so. Thoroughly absorbing and lovely to be able to see so much wildlife without using binoculars. For us it was a real highlight of the trip so far.

After a lovely, well earned breakfast we got ready for a short trek in the jungle. Leaving our room our sunglasses and Neil's camera misted up with the high humidity and change in temperature .Walking back to the restaurant there are many beautiful flowers to see.

And tigers, apparently they are here to scare off the macquacs!

We looked very fetching kitted out in yellow wellies and Mossie nets!

The forest here is secondary rather than primary as people did live here hundreds of years ago.

At the beginning of the walk our guide showed us sugar cane, which is indigenous, planted to attract the pigmy elephant (which so say isn't that small!) along with salt licks placed in trees

Saw a Buffy fish owl

We saw some pigmy elephant footprints but alas no actual elephants. Found a photographer though!

Past a 200 year old mango tree with a fig tree growing on it as a parasite 

Some worm casts, the worms are around here are a foot long

Some buttress trees which the indigenous people use for communication, if you bang on the buttress with a stick the sound can be heard along way away, ably demonstrated by the guide.

Saw quite a few millipedes 

a lot of mud

and thousands of mossies, very glad of our nets!

Back to our lodge after about an hour's walk. Dripping in sweat but bite free (for now!)

Elevenses and a rest before lunch which was delicious but standard fare of curries, rice and noodles with watermelon/ papaya for dessert. All the fruit here is fab, so much tastier than at home.

As we finished eating the heavens opened for around 30 minutes which cooled the air down marginally.

We stayed at the restaurant (only place with WiFi) for me to do some work on the blog and for Neil to sort out some of his photos. There were ceiling fans but the humidity meant that we were soaked by the time we returned to our room for a siesta, even though the rain had stopped.

3.30 p.m the gong sounded for tea and banana fritters, yum! Then we headed up river on our final river cruise where we saw similar animals and birds including, a blue throated bee eater, Oriental pied hornbills, Oriental darter, aka snake bird and White bellied fish eagle flying overhead.

We then sailed along a tributary where we saw pig tail macquacs, long tail macquacs,

A high rope walkway for the monkeys spanned the river

We also saw a blue eared kingfisher, pied hornbills, wrinkled hornbills and a crested serpent eagle, great egret, Wallace hop eagle and white bellied fish eagle.

As we returned to base the sun was setting

Once we had returned we had to go straight to our rooms, keeping light to a minimum as men in orange combat suits had arrived to remove some hornets nests.

Hornets nests disposed of dinner was still ready for 7 p.m. The men in orange suits also had a table or dinner which I thought was a lovely gesture..

We were undecided as to whether or not to go on the night walk. Nature decided for us!

Back to our room to packup ready to leave after breakfast at 7.30 a.m for The Danum Valley. The first 3 hours by minibus, the next 3 hours by 4x4 vehicles.