A tale of two twitches

 

Before my birding tour in central Thailand ended, it came to my attention that Yellow-breasted Buntings were also seen and photographed at the Bluethroat site back in Penang. To have two mega rarities literally together of which one is critically endangered and a global lifer for me was too good to be true surely. But the images surfacing in social media say otherwise. Well, my pending visit to the locality escalated from gradually to urgently. I had ample time at the airport when I waited for my flight back to Penang. Normal folks would be homesick and all that but I am a birder and we are a breed apart. As I sipped my over-priced coffee at one the cafes, there was only one mind on my mind – Yellow-breasted Buntings. A plan was formed before I boarded the plane. By the time I climbed onto bed, it was midnight. At the break of dawn, I found myself at the grasslands of Kubang Semang in mainland Penang for my first twitch in years. I have not had so much excitement in my birding life for a long time and it was invigorating to say the least.

It was a Monday and the chosen day was also part of the plan. A mega like the Bluethroat will have any place in Peninsular Malaysia crowded especially when the bird is stable and regular. Add another mega into the mix and you do the math. It was empty when James and I arrived at the site. Just as I was about to pat myself on the back, other like-minded ‘bird’ people started pouring in. And I guess a working Monday is not much of a hindrance after all. The male Bluethroat, as expected, did not take long to reveal his stunning presence. Having just experienced a similar encounter less than twenty-four hours ago, the usual thrill of a successful twitch was a little lacking.

All my years of birding has taught me quite a number of things and taking birds for granted is not one of them. I continued to shower the Bluethroat with attention while James and a few others who have spent enough time with the Bluethroat last week, were on the lookout for the Yellow-breasted Buntings.

An Oriental Reed-Warbler wandered into view and this common but at times elusive migrant, warranted some attention as well.

When anxiety set in, I set everything aside and focused all my attention in finding the main reason behind this rare weekday excursion. It was a hive of bird activities at this patch of grasslands. As fate would have it, I have the Baya Weavers to thank for this bustling atmosphere. And I do not mean it in a good way. The similarities between a female Baya Weaver and the buntings were undeniable. Inevitably, every movement by the former will have my bins locked onto them and there were about a dozen of them around.

The Munias can never to be mistaken for the buntings but their movement will occasionally distract me from my quest. The majority of these adorable birds were White-headed Munias. On any other day I would have invested some time and effort to document them but today is not the day.

The same can be said about the Black-headed Munias.

As the day grew hotter, fatigue and frustration heightened. I was distracted by the Baya Weavers so often that I can now recognise their jizz in an instance. And a lone bird foraging at a short distance do not strike me as one of them. Before I could switch to my camera, my lifer took off but I alerted the rest of its presence nevertheless. Soon after, a Yellow-breasted Bunting popped into view and there was no denying its identity now. However, there was no icing to the cake. I can blame it on my gear or even old age but it will not change the fact that this horrible image was all I have to show at the end of the encounter.

The outcome of the twitch was a bitter pill to swallow. I am well aware I could have just as easily missed the Yellow-breasted Bunting altogether. I refuse to believe that my experience with this species will be nothing more than a case of so close and yet so far. No, there has got to be more and I have to make sure of that. Four gruelling work days had to pass before a re-visit was possible. The resident Bronze-winged Jacana which used to be a rarity, was the first to greet me during my second attempt at the critically endangered Yellow-breasted Buntings.

The present status of this vagrant is a sad tale indeed. It used to be common where it naturally occurs but common does not mean invincible if share your home with humans. Rampant trapping and hunting have driven the Yellow-breasted Bunting to the brink of extinction. The world does not need another example like the Passenger Pigeon to show just how fragile the wellbeing of wildlife can be. And now, there are at least three individuals wintering in my neck of woods. It will be a shame if I do not give it my all to connect with this species before it is too late. Minutes turned to hours and still no signs of the celebrity birds despite the number of eyes looking for them. Naturally, I was not alone as it was the weekend after all.

Nothing is ever a sure thing when it comes to birding. It does not matter how skilled you are or how meticulous is your planning and strategies. If the bird does not want to be seen or photographed, there is nothing you can do about it. Fortunately, luck was on my side and a Yellow-breasted Bunting suddenly decided to alight in front of me. There is a God after all.

From the images posted on social media, one of the birds was an adult male and the other two were either first winter or female birds in different stages of moult. The individual that I was staring was not the adult male and that was the only thing I can be sure of at that time. Opinions from knowledgeable friends and resources online indicated that it was a female. Although not as striking as a male bird, she has more than enough captivation to leave a lasting impressive.

Best of all, she was obliging enough to allow all those present to obtain photographic memories of the encounter. And all the earlier ill feelings she and her kin caused, was forgiven.

Almost immediately after she retreated, a second bird was spotted. However, it could not live up to the first encounter due to the distance. The second bird also turned out to be a female but her underparts are more heavily streaked and lacking the colour intensity.

When she took flight, another individual followed and I can only assume was the first female. And that concluded my observation of the Yellow-breasted Buntings. I found my closure in the end and the world is a beautiful place once again.

Just in case you are wondering, the handsome male Bluethroat was still around and performing for a number of admirers since morning. However, it was the female Bluethroat that caught my eye today. It is common knowledge that the duller female was the shyer of the two at this location. Anyway, it was a record shot more than anything else but completed my observation of the rare Bluethroats as well.

A surprisingly confiding Yellow-bellied Prinia held me back from my making my journey home. Like what I mentioned earlier, nothing in birding should ever be taken for granted and even the commonest species deserve some attention especially if they are performing well like this.

The golden hour mesmerizes like no other

 

During one of the afternoons at Khao Yai National Park, it rained and we decided to try our luck at another birding location. After all, this whole area is Arjin’s playground because he is lucky enough to have a permanent residence here. He took us to an open country and scrubland type of habitat in Ban Ngoi with a peculiar bird in mind to brighten up our day. The Yellow-eyed Babbler behaves more like a Reed-Warbler more than anything else and thrives in an environment that is preferred by the latter as well. The first of these birds that we encountered actually fulfilled all the requirements for a lifer record – visual, call and image. But I was secretly hoping for something more.

We then drove to the next spot but not before obtaining a record shot of another lifer. The male Asian Golden Weaver in breeding colours is a sight to behold but he just would not oblige our photographic requests.

The target at the next spot was the Small Pratincole and from the air of confidence surrounding our guide, I would say this uncommon species is a regular here. Initially, we did our photography from the vehicle. The human form will probably put all forty of them to flight – yes, forty! And the look on this individual is not a positive sign at all.

We knew it was unlikely to come across this opportunity again and decided to put our fate to the test. We carefully got out of our vehicle and inched towards these unusual-looking waders.  The three of us went our separate ways. It is a big congregation after all. I found myself drawn to a particular individual and I followed what could only be my gut instinct.

To my surprise, the chosen one started to approach me instead and I immediately stopped moving and waited. I guess the unexplainable connection between me and this adorable little fellow was real after all.

Eventually it came closer than most wild birds would to a birder. You noticed that I used the word birder and not human. It is an unspoken truth (and personal observations) that birds of open country are extremely tolerant towards field workers. Present yourself as a birder and the posterior of the bird as it flies away is what you will get most of the time.

The Small Pratincole is sort of a personal bogey bird for my life list especially on home soil. And here, more than a thousand kilometers away, I can finally put that ‘tick’ to rest. Fortune favours the bold and, in this case, my life has certainly been enriched by the accommodating nature of this particular feathered individual.

I was so caught up in the moment that I lost track of my companions. When I came to, they were on the opposite side of the pratincole patch photographing a couple of Temmick’s Stint. Before leaving the vicinity, we encountered another species that was uncommon to us but the Oriental Skylark was just too far for any improvement shots.

We made another attempt at the Yellow-eyed Babblers but at a different spot. And this time, the birds were exceptional. My hope did come true and that does not happen often enough when birding.

There was a pair of them again and when I did some post-trip research, these birds are known to develop life-long bonds and encountering solitary birds would be rare. They also exhibited the inquisitive qualities typical of babblers. Thus, rebuking my earlier thoughts of them having an identity crisis.

As the sun gradually descended towards the horizon, the effects of the golden hour were added value to our photography. This Yellow-eyed Babbler was so accommodating that I found myself lost in those piercing eyes. And if eyes are indeed the windows to our souls, then this fascinating species has certainly entered mine.

Sitting in our vehicle parked next to some bushes overlooking a stream was not exactly a picture one would envision of birding in a far-off land surrounded by the wonders of nature. However, this unassuming location provided one of the most memorable photo sessions of the trip for me.

By the time we started our drive back to the hotel, it was already dark. And we finally got an owl in a nocturnal environment. The Eastern Barn Owl is a widespread species and its proficiency at keeping rats at bay makes it a welcomed member to any community.

All good things must come to an end and the final day of our Thai adventure came faster than anticipated – naturally. With a few hours to spare before we all parted ways, our guide presented us a parting gift by taking a detour across an agricultural land in Pak Phli at the outskirts of Bangkok City. The Plain Prinia is not new to us because we encountered this species a few times before but today, we were able to capture good images of this relatively common species.

Typical of this family of birds, it is active by nature and we had to constantly deal with its rapid movements. The bright lighting conditions was a double-edged sword. Although it helped my modest photographic gear to keep up with the Plain Prinias, the harshness effected the quality of the images. But I rather have sharp than ideally exposed photos anytime.

Before I embarked on this remarkable journey to Thailand, news broke out of Bluethroats wintering at one of my local patches in mainland Penang. I have recorded this species during my trip to Cambodia but it is a rare migrant to Malaysia nevertheless. No doubt a significant tick in my Malaysian life list as well. But a greater calling beckoned and I told myself I will gradually get round to this rare visitor after my big trip. Fast forward a week or so and here I am, in central Thailand, enjoying a striking male Bluethroat performing admirably in front of us. And I could not help but to feel the irony. It is not uncommon here in central Thailand but I guess a confiding individual like this one probably is.

There is no denying the beauty of a male Bluethroat though. The vivid blue throat and breast band complimented by the surrounding tinge of orange gave the impression that the bird ornamented himself with precious stones. I bet my fellow birders back home are just as enthralled.

After the exhilarating encounter with the Bluethroat, I was finally ready to go home. But the alluring bird life of central Thailand was not quite done yet.

The Striated Grassbird is another species very foreign to me. When we came across one perched right out in the open, I guessed this is not a common behaviour judging from the excitement in our guide’s voice. Either that or like yours truly, thinks it is an absolute stunner of the bird. And I am not saying this because it is a lifer. Just look at the wickedly long tail and bold markings on its upperparts. If this cannot get you excited, I do not know what will.

A Little Cormorant sunning itself would have received more attention from me if this species had not colonized and multiplied in my country in recent years.

The Bronze-winged Jacana has also amended its rare status in Peninsular Malaysia but not as significantly as the Little Cormorant. This attractive water bird is doing much better here in Thailand and this locality was no different. The presence of drab juvenile birds indicated another successful breeding season.

A striking adult bird that was a little more tolerant to our presence than the rest allowed a photo to be included in this post.

I could not help but to notice several soaring raptors in the vicinity. A habitat like this could produce notable species but the only one recorded was the Black Kite. It was not the only migrant that was conspicuous in this vast open landscape. Black Drongos were also present in big numbers which is not unusual as it should be as common here as in Peninsular Malaysia. One confiding individual provided a decent capture due to its close proximity. Photographing a black bird at a distance under harsh lighting can be a challenge.

The company that you have during birding trips also plays a vital role in determining the success of the outcome. Nigel and Kok Siong are both great companions and I have also known Nigel for a long time. This paragraph is my way of thanking them for having me on this trip and being a part in this fantastic chapter of my birding life. And that concludes our birding adventures in central Thailand. The Penang birder signing out for now.

Checklist of birds recorded:

1. Ban Ngoi

2. Pak Phli