Not so ordinary garden birds...

 

My birding endeavours take me to all kinds of locations ranging from spectacular mountain tops and lush tropical rainforests to bleak coastal mudflats. However, there is one type of habitat that I will try to avoid and that is habitats with humans. Wherever there are humans, there will usually be situations. Situations that I can do without when I am enjoying my birding. I guess there is some truth when some consider me to be somewhat anti-social but I will not be losing any sleep over that. Before I carried away with this, I better get back to the birds. That is what this blog is all about after all. A quiet neighbourhood in the outskirts of Taiping became the centre of attention when the presence of Common Hoopoes was discovered. This enigmatic species is still considered rare here in Peninsular Malaysia with irregular records throughout the years. I have personally recorded this species as far back as 2003 and it is not new to me. But at this particular location, it appears to be thriving and that is good enough a reason for a visit.

With my companions Hor Kee and Rodney, we arrived at our destination just after dawn. The first bird that caught my attention was a Crested Goshawk surveying its domain from a lofty perch. This stunning raptor was a great way to start off the day and I began to develop a good feeling about this modest location.

A pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills compounded the feeling as they wandered about the housing area. No matter how many times I have recorded this species living alongside humans, it still evokes the same amount of excitement.

I guess the same can be said about Lineated Barbets but on a lesser scale. Well, very few things in life can rival the awe of hornbills and that is the brutal truth. From the look of things, the barbets have also found sanctuary here and the population is set to increase.

A lone Asian Openbill casually foraging within a house compound certainly took me by surprise. There is no doubt this species has come a long way since when they first started to colonize Peninsular Malaysia back in 2010. But this cool fellow is taking it to a whole new level.

Pink-necked Pigeons occur even in my own home compound and I would find it odd if I do not come across them here. Here is a male feeling a little dismay that the lighting condition and my photographic effort did not do much justice to his true appeal.

Another common species of built-up areas is the Asian Glossy Starlings. Electrical cables are predominant in any housing area and birds have a tendency to use them as perches. For birders, this behaviour eases our main mission in life which is to find and observe.

For a bird photographer, these man-made perches hold little value for their photographic effort. This applies to even a striking species like the Blue-throated Bee-eater. In my eyes (and the bird’s), the cable is a strategic point for it to launch aerial assaults on flying insects. If it good enough for the bird, it is good enough for my camera.

The Red-whiskered Bulbul is a species you do not get to see in a lot of neighbourhoods. So, it was heartening to see one here. There is a possibility of escapees for the beautiful bird as it is a popular cage bird. Either way it will not cause any major scientific impact if I get the status wrong for this individual.

I stated earlier birds on cables are more conspicuous and to proof my point, that is how we got our first Common Hoopoe of the day. This may be normal sight in neighbouring countries like Thailand but in my own, it will take some getting used to.

Eventually, we managed to locate a flock of at least five birds consisting of adults and sub-adults as feeding still took place within the flock. During my documentation of the birds, I could not really tell any differences between the birds. All of them were striking and charismatic.

When I scrutinized my photographs back home, I noticed that all the birds I shot had slightly shorter bills. Only then did I realize that maybe both the adult birds managed to evade my photographic efforts.  

The discomfort of a “human-habitat” started to take its toll and we shifted to the second destination of the trip which is the foothills of Bukit Larut. Soon after our arrival, we were greeted by the diagnostic territorial call of the Banded Broadbill. It took a little effort but the result was rewarding. Often hidden by the cover of the forest canopy, a good view like this is a real godsend to me.

I could not believe it when another broadbill species decided to show well after the first encounter. The Black-and-yellow Broadbill can be confiding at times but the individual today has surpassed that point.

The full black collar indicated that it was a male bird and that feature is only the difference between the sexes. He is a truly exquisite creature of the forest.

A few fruiting trees in the vicinity were in season and they attracted the usual groups of bulbuls. Among them was a female Blue-winged Leafbird and she was the only that managed to find her way into my memory card.

The Verditer Flycatcher is a species that I have not seen for a long while now. When one decided to hawk for insects nearby, I was elated. It may be the duller female but the prolonged encounter was fair compensation.

I know I always lament how frustrating forest birding can be but apparently, not today. Another female bird provided a memorable encounter and she was a Raffles’s Malkoha. Initially she played hard to get, typical of most desirable ladies. On a more serious note, malkohas are usually difficult subject for photography and the Raffles’s Malkoha is no different. But the good girl performed unexpectedly well in the end and made every birder present fell head over heels for her.

Here is one final image of the alluring Raffles’s Malkoha to wrap things up this time. The foothills of a colonial hill station and a surprisingly birdy neighbourhood certainly rose up to the occasion and provided ample material for another entry to my birding blog.

Birds, butterflies and golden babies...

 

The eBird Global Big Day is an annual event with a worthy cause as the data collected will be used for bird conservation research. Unfortunately, I usually cannot fully commit to this endeavour but I do try my best. For this year, time constraint and unfavourable weather conditions are some of the obstacles I faced. I did put in a couple hours at a local patch and the forest around the Air Itam Dam was the selected site this year.

There are relatively few babblers surviving here in Penang Island. Trapped on an island that is developing at a rapid pace, these birds are truly put to the test. However in the central hilly region, one species has endured – the Grey-throated Babbler. Being vocal by nature, it is recorded on most visits here. It will take some effort to actually see the bird well and even more so to obtain a decent photograph. And I have no qualms about today’s result.

A male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker provided some vibrance and colours to this short birding endeavour. And a lucky capture when he briefly alighted on an exposed perch elevated the encounter to another level.

The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo is rather spectacular for a common species. My obsession with its namesake has been a lifelong affair and it should come as no surprise that the bird had my undivided attention. It has a habit of following tree dwelling mammals around as the movement of the latter will usually flush out prey for the former. In return, the former acts as sentry. An effective partnership to say the least.

I knew that the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo was following a troop of Dusky Langurs on this occasion but I did not pay much attention these common but beautiful primates until I was done with the former. And to my delight, there were at least two babies present. Many species of langurs have golden babies and the Dusky Langur is one of them.

I hate to admit it but the little ones, oozing with cuteness, overshadowed their feathered associate this time.

Another forest denizen that still calls the Pearl of the Orient home is the Asian Fairy Bluebird. A name like that will have a lot to live up to and the striking male bird does fail in that aspect.

I often find it difficult to obtain good views and decent photographs of this beautiful bird. I cannot recall the last time I had such a memorable encounter with the Asian Fairy Bluebird. So, it was another significant record for today. His duller mate was somewhere around but human nature had me focusing only on the handsome male.

A stunning Malayan Lacewing also had my attention briefly. There is more to life than only birds, you know. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

When the sun finally decided to show itself, it added a soaring White-bellied Sea-Eagle into my so-called Big Day checklist.

The final bird of this post is the Crested Myna. Penang Island has been a stronghold for this previously introduced species and at this particular site, it is the commonest myna species. A local speciality wrapped things up for this time and hopefully, this re-ignition of my birding blog will continue its course.

Searching for a miracle

 

After a phenomenal time in central Thailand followed immediately by the double mega twitches back in Penang, it was going to take a miracle for any excursion to overwhelm my emotions in the same manner for a long time to come. So, it was best not to have too much expectations as I made my way to the forests of Sungai Sedim in Kedah state. The fruiting trees are in season now and that was something that I should be able to look forward to.

Bumping into Hor Kee and his companions was a good sign as it was a clear indication that the timing was right for the fruiting trees. Shortly after, the first of the patrons arrived in the form of Cream-vented Bulbuls. Not exactly show-stopping material but hopefully, will serve as a prelude.  

Black-headed Bulbuls were prevalent this time round. The striking colouration and vocal nature of the birds made them rather conspicuous. Naturally, every visit they made to the fruits did not go unnoticed.

As for the Red-eyed Bulbuls, they are known patrons for as long as I can remember. I have been documenting birds feasting on fruiting trees in this locality for years and I am glad to say these occurrences still fascinate me till today.

Surprisingly, the Buff-vented Bulbuls did not patronize the fruiting trees as greedily as they used to in the past. A quick visit here and there inevitably did not offer many images for this blog post.

It is always a delight to come across the Finsch’s Bulbul. For years the forests in these parts have been one of its strongholds but it was not reflected by today’s poor show.

I used to rely on the striking plumage of the Grey-bellied Bulbul to add colours and splendour to my experiences at the fruiting trees but no such privilege on this sunny Saturday morning...

I am not sure if you have noticed but some of the the images in this post appeared to taken from an elevated point. And we have the adjacent two-storey dormitory to thank for that. Anyway, subtle would be how to I would describe the Spectacled Bulbul’s appearance. And every bit of vibrancy is concentrated around the eyes.

It was a no-show for a few bulbul species that have been regularly recorded in the past and on the whole, the level of bird activities was lower than usual. The inclusion of a moth photo should be able to give a picture of the today’s birding pace.

The adorable flowerpeckers were sorely missed as well. Only one species was recorded today and thankfully, it was the Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker which the male is a true gem of the forest.

A few juveniles were present as well and should be of the same species.

The Hume’s White-eyes are not uncommon at this locality but they seldom patronize fruiting trees. Their energetic visits today provided training for my photographic skills more than anything else.

If there was one species worthy of recognition today, it was the Greater Green Leadbird. A female parent bird and her offspring dropped by a few times throughout the morning. Here is the adult bird.

Although the young female is more than able to fend for herself, she was still eager to receive the occasional pampering. Who wouldn’t?

The male Greater Green Leafbird did not closely interacted with the two females and I cannot determine if they were indeed part of the same family. One thing that I can be certain of was his vibrant presence. A true stunner with remarkable vocals.

When feeding activities at the fruiting trees subsided, I decided to try my luck along the access road leading up to Gunung Bintang. It was a relief that during my absence, the lush habitat remained the same which is not always the case.

As for the birding, there is no denying it has deteriorated through years. Gone are the days when the calls of trogons, broadbills and babblers filled the vicinity. I suppose I was lucky to be able to find and photograph this Yellow-bellied Bulbul resting in the dim under storey of the forest during my exploration. I do not know if I am alone in this but with each passing year, birding just gets harder and harder where I frequently visit. This is especially true for forest birding sites like this.

The far-carrying territorial calls of the Agile Gibbons continue to be provide a sense of intrigue to this locality and that is most fortunate. Although it is not a bird, this graceful primate is elusive enough to hold me in awe whenever our paths crossed.

The availability of food is the reason behind its confiding behaviour today. Just like the birds earlier on, the temptation is so strong that natural instincts were suppressed. This is one of the closest I have ever been with an Agile Gibbon and this intimate encounter certainly made my day.