A
substantial part of this ridge is now being replaced with secondary growth
thanks to all the deforestation that took place. But there are traces of its
former glory left and perhaps, there is still hope for this birding site to
recover. In fact, I'm really counting on it because the number of birding sites
close to home are certainly not increasing.
Sad
to say we did not see or hear a single hornbill throughout the trip. Hornbills
are good indicators of what state the forest is in. A heavily disturbed forest
will usually be void of these magnificent birds. So, there you have it. Screw
with the balance of nature and lose its precious elements.
But
we did manage to observe another family of birds renowned for the shape of
their bills but on a smaller scale - broadbills. Banded Broadbills are hard to
observe because they tend to keep to the cover of the canopy. Their insect-like
calls are usually the only indicator of their presence. Today, however, this
individual decided to let us off the hook and foraged lower than it normally
does.
I
was hoping for it to wander down a little more because at this distance, all we
could muster were record shots. It does not matter if it is still a young bird
and the radiance of its plumage is just a little short of an adult bird's. I
have been taught to always be happy with what you have. Unfortunately, I have
difficulties applying that to birding compared to other things in life.
The
Rufescent Prinia replaces the much commoner Yellow-bellied Prinia along the
edges of forest. But these two species do occasionally overlap in habitats.
Here, both species are found but once you ascend pass the foothill settlements,
it is the former's thick of the woods.
The
mighty Blyth's Hawk-eagles look over what is
left of their domain atop a lofty perch. This pair has been breeding quite
successfully over the past years and looks set for another go in the coming
months despite all the disturbances. Thank God for that...
The
eagles are not the ones that are in for some action. I came across this pair of
millipedes in a rather compromising position…
I
am not much of a flower person but I guess there are a few species out there
that I can safely recognize. Since our Independence Day is just around the
corner and all that, here is the Hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia.
At
the summit of the hill, we were suddenly engulfed by heavy mist. The mist
certainly gave the vicinity an aura of intrigue and beauty. Who am I kidding?
It’s a nightmare for any birding activity.
But
even in the mist, there is no mistaking the silhouette of the world's smallest
bird of prey. A flock of six Black-thighed Falconets was seen hunting from a
tall bare tree next to the access road. Don't let their adorable looks fool
you. They are very efficient hunters of insects and small birds. These tiny
terrors on wings have been my object of admiration for as long as I can
remember. I guess being a falcon gets you into my good graces by default - even
if you are just the size of a sparrow. Size doesn't matter in this case. It's
all about attitude.
I
lamented to my companions that I never had the chance to photograph Falconets
from close range the day I took up photography and one must have heard me and
alighted almost overhead. All you had to do was ask, human...
In
the end, a confiding falconet became the saviour of this trip. I will certainly
be back again in the near future and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the
hornbills and others to return and call this place home again.
7 comments:
Some reasons to remain hopeful with the broadbills and more still around! Maybe the hornbills will return. The falconet really posed for you.
Never been there....but the trail/place looks so tranquil i like
Thanks, Wilma. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Mike, it used to be so much better.
At some of these places I think you've just got to keep trying….anyway, the Falconets are a fine reward.
Thanks, John.
Wow the falconets are so adorable! It's not easy to see them up close like that.
Ayuwat, I've been trying for a long time. Finally got lucky this time.
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