It
is that time of the year again for my annual pilgrimage to the forests of Kedah
to witness the natural phenomenon courtesy of the fruiting trees found there.
Dozens of forest species congregating on a single tree to feast is an
occurrence that I do not think will ever cease to amaze and excite for me. This
particular tree is new to me and its position and size is very promising
indeed.
With
their constantly puffed out yellow throats, it was no surprise that the
Finsch’s Bulbuls were the first birds to gain my attention. This species is
relatively common here but I am not one to dismiss a bird just because of its
status. I no longer spend that much time out in the field like I used to do. There
are a few contributing factors and age, unfortunately, is definitely one of
them. You know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. Thus,
the Finsch’s Bulbuls were documented with much enthusiasm as it has been quite a
while since my last encounter.
The
presence of food naturally made the birds bolder and at this range and manner,
even my modest gear could cope with the lighting condition of early morn and
the movement of the birds.
Black-headed
Bulbuls are naturally vocal and the ones that frequented the fruiting tree on
this beautiful morning remained true to that trait. However, they are more
suspicious of humans than most of the other patrons and refused to forage
anywhere except on the topmost branches.
Once
the appealing presence of colours started to sizzle down, my attention was
drawn to the less conspicuous bulbul species and none more so than the plain Buff-vented
Bulbul. However, plain does not mean ugly and I am a firm believer that there
is beauty in simplicity.
It
has been said your eyes are the window to your soul but I cannot be certain if
that is applicable to birds as well. One thing I am sure is that eyes are the window
to positive identification for certain species of bulbuls. And the pure white
iris of Cream-vented Bulbul usually prevents any misidentifications - usually.
Some
bulbuls, on the other hand, require more than one field mark to nail their
identification. Part of the joys of birding. Contrary to its name, the Red-eyed
Bulbul is not the only Bulbul with red eyes. Sometimes, it is difficult to accurately
describe a plain bird in words and I will not even try to do so here. And these
red-eyed bulbuls are indeed Red-eyed Bulbuls. On with the next…
A
thin yellow line around the eye is what I usually look for to differentiate the
Spectacled Bulbul from the Red-eyed Bulbul. That is easier said than done under
normal circumstances when the bird teases you from the forest canopy but at a
fruiting tree, the task becomes much easier.
The
vicinity sprung to life with the arrival of a flock of Grey-bellied Bulbuls. The
beauty and radiance of this species is undeniable and everything else present
was momentarily drown out.
My
memory card was rapidly filled by images of Grey-bellied Bulbuls as they
remained in the vicinity for a long time and exceptionally confiding no doubt
food drunk from all the succulent morsels available.
Despite
their diminutive size, male Crimson-breasted Flowerpeckers can rival the
attractive bulbuls in terms of aesthetic appeal. It was a bit of a struggle to
capture decent images of the former due to their active nature but the results at
the end made the effort worth while.
Flowerpeckers
are far more territorial than bulbuls and the equally enchanting male
Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers finally had their spot in the limelight when no
other species were present.
It
would not be fair to disregard the Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker due to its more
cryptic colouration but the fruiting tree provided some photographic
opportunities that were fully utilized by yours truly.
The
last entry for this post is a reptile that managed to draw my attention away
from all the activity of the fruiting tree at one point during my time there.
It was a sizeable Twin-spotted House-Gecko and the intricate patterns on its
upperparts were an understandable distraction.