No such thing as a sure thing in birding (27/02/2016)

Whenever I take guests out birding there will always be a sense of anxiety at the back of my mind. The birds that we so passionately seek are wild and free. How could anyone accurately predict the outcome of any birding trip? However if there is an active fruiting tree, you have got it made – most of the time anyway. My latest guest is from Australia and like me, is also an ad man by profession. After showing Tony the Treeswift Tree of Sungai Sedim, I took him straight to the fruiting tree that was a centre of attention the last time it came into season. I have to admit I was excited too because word has reached my ears that the Scarlet-breasted Flowerpecker was back to feed on the fruits. This little but rare forest denizen rocked the birding community back then when at least 2 pairs patronized the fruiting tree on daily basis till the fruits were depleted. Judging from the number of birders present here this morning, I was not the only one that received the news.

Unfortunately, the star bird did not make an appearance but the other species that did come for the fruits helped ease the disappointment. To my guest, the male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker is just as stunning a bird and status does not mean much to an overseas birder. Appearance and character does. And the Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker certainly have those.

The Yellow-vented Flowerpecker, despite its lack of colours can brightened up any birding day. After all it is not that commonly encountered here when there is no fruiting tree about.

When the Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker joined in the feast, I knew that it was going to be a great day. There was a fourth species present but the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker did not stay long enough for me to capture its images.

Both the Greater Green and Lesser Green Leafbirds were also present at the fruiting tree. It is not common to see both these species feeding on the same tree and I felt truly privileged. Even the absence of the splendid adult males or my unsuccessful attempts at photographing the Greater Green Leafbird could not change that fact.

Bulbuls are expected patrons at any fruiting tree and the Grey-bellied Bulbuls led the way this time with their contrasting colours. It was the only colourful bulbul present and naturally had our attention whenever it appeared on the tree.

The distribution of the Finsch’s Bulbul throughout Peninsular Malaysia is somewhat erratic but in the forests of the north western region like Sungai Sedim, it is regularly encountered.

If not for the thin yellow eye ring, the Spectacled Bulbul would be a truly nondescript species. But a confiding forest bird, no matter how plainly coloured, deserves some attention. Forest birds can exceptionally difficult to photograph at times and I for one certainly do not take them for granted.

Apart from the fruiting tree, Sungai Sedim was surprisingly quiet. My usual Gunung Bintang trail provided very little opportunity to stop and utilize our birding gear. Not wanting to fight a losing battle, we decided it was time for a change of scenery. As we were making our way out of the Kulim district, a little detour to check on the roosting Barred Eagle-owls proved to be a most rewarding decision. I may be slightly used to the confiding nature of this incredible nocturnal hunter but for a first timer, difficulties in breathing and uncontrollable quivering are the usual reactions. Then only do awe and admiration kick in.

Since luck seemed to on our side, I decided to venture onto a nearby empty industrial plot to look for another creature of the night. A nightjar is not as impressive as an owl but it still has a lot of compelling qualities that make it simply quite amazing. Having said that, I was elated when we found a Savanna Nightjar roosting at one of its regular roosting spots.

Its cryptic plumage blends in perfectly to the concrete embankment and could have been easily overlooked if it was not known to roost there. It has eluded me during my past few visits and this surprisingly confiding individual certainly made up for all the misses. It seemed totally at ease in our presence and continued its afternoon siesta without a care in the world.

A visit to the paddy fields of mainland Penang yielded nothing much except for a huge flock of roosting Asian Openbills at the same spot where I last saw them. Instead of resting at the flooded patch, the storks perched on a nearby tree. With no way of reducing the distance, we left the flock after obtaining some environment shots.

In order to end my trips on a high note, a visit to the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam is usually what it takes. However, the Mangrove Blue Flycatchers that usually welcome my arrival were no where to be seen. In fact, I did not manage to even see one throughout the visit. Life, as I know it, almost came to a halt. My ‘guaranteed ’showstoppers have left me high and dry this time and I was utterly devastated. In fact my guest said I appeared to be more disappointed than him. It was relatively quiet at Air Hitam Dalam and the only photo I took was of an Indian Cuckoo lurking around the edge of the access road as we were making our way out of the locality.

An attempt to seek out some kingfishers eventually led us to the mangroves of Juru. However, things did not pick up at all and it was another disappointing visit. We did stop to observe a troop of Silver Leaf Monkeys and judging from their confiding nature, are quite accustomed to human presence.

A mother and her adorable baby was quite a delightful sight. Unlike the other members of her troop, she was a little reserved towards our presence and the reason was very obvious. And we did not push any further to obtain better images. The trip started extremely well but last bit was a little disappointing. But this is birding. You can never be sure of what you are going to encounter or miss. 

Guess who's back in town...(22/11/2014)

When a Glossy Ibis was reported at the paddy fields of Kubang Semang in Penang, it did not take long for me to find myself there scanning the very fields for this vagrant. It is still one of my dream birds despite the fact that I have seen it once before in Thailand many years back. But as always, my Peninsula Malaysia life list is the one I hold closest to my heart and no effort was spared in trying to obtain this lifer. Unfortunately just like the Black-headed Ibis a couple of years back, they showed themselves on only one occasion to a privileged few and the rest of us were left to use our imagination. This time, I was reduced to shooting the closest thing present that remotely resembled a Glossy Ibis - a juvenile Striated Heron. 

The recently planted fields at the vicinity attracted a lot of waders but nothing out of the ordinary. A small flock of Ruffs did not stay long enough for me to capture their images. Even at a distance, they were wary of my approaching vehicle. The Little Ringed Plovers, on the other hand, did not even give me a second look and when about their business. 

There was a number of Long-toed Stints foraging about as well. That is until a White-throated Kingfisher suddenly alighted on the muddy earth out of nowhere. I do not think it was after the stints but its action sent them flying into the horizon. 

At this time of the year, the number of egrets foraging along the paddy fields is at its highest. Of the four species that occur here, the Intermediate Egret is the least abundant. I really like how this image turned it in the end. The overcast skies helped tremendously on the wholly white plumage. The young paddy stalks provided the ideal background and the gaping mouth of the egret completed the photo. 

The migratory Brown Shrikes are also back in full force but unlike the egrets, they are quite shy. Open perches are their favourites from which they terrorize anything they consider as food...or competition. 

While searching for the ibis, I came across a female Common Kingfisher a few times along a particular stretch of a ditch and yes, I went round in circles. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I finally gave her the admiration she deserves just before I left the locality to search for another rarity.

Another exciting report that came in earlier this week was Choo Eng's Indian Roller at Juru. Although not quite in the class as the Glossy Ibis but it has been 4 long years since my last record here in my home state. Seeing that I have not been to that area this season, its presence was a good enough reason for a visit. I went straight to its favourite hang-out when it was here the last time but the roller was no where to be seen. Rollers have a tendency to perch conspicuously and the possibility of a double whammy was starting to take shape. A Coppersmith Barbet on a perch too high for any good images did very little to lift my spirits. 

The Crested Mynas are doing well here. In fact, this is the only place in mainland Penang that you can regularly see them. Apparently something is holding back the population here on the mainland unlike on the island where they have established themselves to be one, if not, the most dominating species of all the mynas. 

There are certain things in life that you just cannot change no matter what you do. You will make things a lot easier on yourself once you accept them as they are. For example, all Black-capped Kingfishers images are to be taken as 'habitat' shots and nothing else...

A flock of pigeons were waiting out the rain on a tall dead tree. I was delighted that they were Thick-billed Green-pigeons and did my best to obtain some images despite the weather and lighting conditions. Not as common as the Pink-necked Green-pigeon, their confiding nature and beauty momentarily took my mind off the roller. 

As I reluctantly made my way out, I caught a flash of purple flying across the main road and suddenly, I don't feel the rain seeping through my slightly winded-down car window anymore. My ray of sunshine is here. The Indian Roller was on the hunt and it could not have timed it any better to finally reveal itself. Welcome back, bud…

 

When it gradually settled down on an electrical cable overlooking the buffalo pasture, I drove my car as close as possible and just enjoyed the moment. I did not risk driving onto the soft ground of the pasture and the roller appeared to be slightly apprehensive of my presence. So, trying to stalk it on foot was not an option. Despite all the obstacles, I am pretty happy with how my shots turned out in the end. 

The last locality for today's birding was the marshlands at Batu Kawan. Like many other birding localities, this place is a far cry from its former glory days. And to make matters worse, this locality is now a hotspot for developers as they capitalize on the recently open second Penang Bridge. Residential and commercial projects are springing up like mushrooms and the local wildlife, bearing the grunt. A flock of Red-wattled Lapwing provided the only images from the visit. Then the storm came and washed away any intentions of prolonging my stay here. 

21/12/2011: Mainland Penang

I was back at the marshlands of Pulau Burung at the break of dawn but despite the good weather, there was nothing much about this time. All the scarce migrants like the Garganeys and Little Stints were no where to be seen. After about an hour, I decided to search for greener pastures elsewhere. I cannot recall the exact reason why I chose to visit Batu Kawan but it turned out to be one of the most crucial decisions that I have ever made in my life.

Upon my arrival, there was this particular dead tree with quite a few large birds resting on it. However, two of them had somewhat odd body shapes. Once I had my binos on them, their identification was crystal clear even at that distance – Oriental Darters! Apart from the historical records, there has been only one confirmed sighting of this enigmatic waterbird in Peninsula Malaysia and that was last year at Kinta Nature Park in Perak. I then quickly took a few record shots just to make sure I have photographic evidence in case the birds decide to disappear before I could get closer. I guess I have learned my lesson well from all my previous rarity sighting records where I was not able to support my finds with photographs and inevitably, resulted quite negatively on me.

Anyway, they were reasonably tame as I got as close as I possibly could by car. Using my car as a hide, I took quite a number of shots and the Darters were more than happy to oblige. As far as I could tell, both of them appeared to be adults birds in non-breeding plumage and there was not much difference in terms of colour and size.

The Darters were exhibiting their typical behaviour of drying itself and preening on exposed perches like this dead tree. It is most probably they had completed their morning hunt when I came across them. Much to my delight, my presence did not seem to bother them at all and I was given the opportunity to observe them going about their normal routine.

Looks like Christmas is early again for me this year and this lifer is one that I have been keeping an eye out for as long as I could remember. It fulfills most of the criteria that I look for in a bird that is worthy to be considered a mega lifer. It’s rare and it’s big and furthermore, it’s a waterbird. And even the moderate quality of the images due the distance and lighting did not seem to matter all that much. What is important is the fact that I was lucky enough to be at the right place and the right time to enjoy certainly one of my best birding moments ever. Merry Christmas and I hope you guys will enjoy your stay here…

Unfortunately, my encounter came to an abrupt end when a marauding White-bellied Sea-eagle came a little too close for comfort and caused the waterbirds in the vicinity to panic and flee - including the Darters. In flight, their long narrow wings carry them with ease and their necks are held outstretched. They stayed relatively close to each other as they flew and disappeared from sight among some vegetation at the far distance. I am not sure if the 'handshake' effect of these flying shots are due to my camera settings at that time or I was still recovering from all the excitement. Anyway despite a careful search of the area, I failed to relocate the Darters again.

And so, I finally had the time to pay homage to the other birds present. The marshlands here are quite rich in birdlife and there are always quite a number of large waterbirds around like this subadult Grey Heron.

The plumage of this juvenile Purple Heron blends rather well among the adjacent grasslands.

During the migratory season, there will be a large influx of Egrets to the locality and the Great Egret is one of the four species that have been recorded here.

The Changeable Hawk-eagle is another common sight at the marshlands and I photographed this one while it was contemplating what to have for breakfast from a dead tree stump.

As for the waders, not many were around. The Red-wattled Lapwings are quite conspicuous and their presence usually does not go unnoticed.

This Terek Sandpiper was rather wary of my approaching car and I had no choice but to photograph it from a distance.

My next destination was the scrublands and mangroves of Juru. The Black-capped Kingfisher is one the most striking of our commoner kingfishers. However, it is terribly shy and this shot is one of the better ones I have managed to obtain so far.

The Brahminy Kite is a common resident along the mangrove belt here and two were seen patrolling the skies today.

At my last destination, the Sungai Dua paddy fields, I spent some time photographing this rather confiding Blue-tailed Bee-eater that was posing so elegantly against a nice green background.

At one of houses next to the fields, I also managed to photograph this Mongoose foraging inside its compound. Although it is not uncommon, this small but deadly predator is seldom seen in the open for long periods of time.