ABOVE: Every year a migrant Peregrine Falcon that probably breeds in northern China   spends the northern winter months,  October to March at Tg Aru beach, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This Peregrine Falcon specialises in feeding on Black-bearded Tomb Bats  Taphozous melanopogon.  This individual falcon  or  perhaps a series of individuals have visited every year since  at least 1970 and possibly for hundreds of years.

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Tanjung Aru beach, Kota Kinabalu is lined by a belt of feathery casuarina trees  which support a wealth of wildlife including many birds and bats.

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In Malay, Tanjung  Aru  means Cape of the Aru (Casuarina) trees. The whole  length of the sandy beach is lined with a band of Casuarina equisetifolia trees. These trees are now old and many are hollow. In 1970 the Peregrine Falcon used to roost on a Casuarina tree where the Shangri La resort now stands and catch tomb bats at dusk as they emerged from the tree hollows.

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In the 1970s two major developments were carried out at Tg Aru beach. The massive Waikiki Apartment block was built and the  the tip of  the Tanjung was developed into the Shangri la resort.
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The view from the Waikiki Apartment block at Tg Aru beach.  Once these developments were complete the Tomb bats moved from the hollow casuarinas to roost  during the day in the  many shaded  hollows in the Waikiki apartments.
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There are hundreds of tomb bats now roosting in the Waikiki apartments. When the bats moved to the Waikiki Apartments the Peregrine moved as well.
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The peregrine sleeps during the day and wakes up towards dusk.
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Because the bats know the Peregrine is waiting for them, instead of flying when the sky is still light they wait for the dark. To speed their departure the peregrine makes dashes into the  hollows  in the building to flush them out early.
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Every evening hundreds of Chinese tourists visit Tanjung Aru beach to enjoy the magnificent sunsets, little realizing that one of their compatriots also on a winter holiday from China is catching bats above their heads.