The
long but awesome 5-day birding trip with the international delegates from the
Asian Bird Fair is finally over. It was time for the long drive back alone to
Penang from Fraser’s Hill and I thought it would be best to make a stop
somewhere along the way. Somewhere I could spend a couple of hours birding just
to rejuvenate my senses. Somehow, the Kek Loke Tong Temple at the outskirts of
Ipoh in Perak kept popping up in my head. The compound of temple does provide
sanctuary to a number of birds including the temple thrushes – the Blue Rock
Thrush. It is also about the halfway point for the journey home anyway. After
considering a few other possible localities, I decided to follow my instinct
took the Ipoh exit from the highway.
It
has been a few years since my last visit and to my dismay, the temple thrushes
were no where to be seen. During my last visit, the Blue Rock Thrushes were
found in good numbers and very confiding. Like I always tell myself – never
take things for granted and enjoy it while it last. Just
as I was about to curse myself for choosing this locality, I caught some
movement at the edge of the secondary forest. Upon further scrutiny, it turned
out to be a Drongo Cuckoo. I decided to spend a little more effort with it as
there was nothing else about. Much to my delight, it was quite confiding and I
managed to obtain some really good shots.
Halfway
through my observation, it flew down to the ground and caught something. The
action was a little too quick for me and I could not determine what it caught
and ate. From the ground, it flew up and alighted on an even lower perch, just under
the crown of a dense tree.
I
did finally find a Blue Rock Thrush as I was about to exit the temple grounds.
It was a stunning male resting on a rocky outcrop. The angle was a little steep
and I had no choice but to make the best out of the situation.
As
I was driving along the outer perimeter fence of the temple, I thought to
myself – well, at least I got a Drongo Cuckoo. Suddenly, a few small greyish
birds flew across the path of my car and landed on the roadside grass straight
ahead. I jammed on the brakes and had a quick look through my bins. My initial
guess was right on the money – Java Sparrows! Locally common in only a few
localities in the country, this area is one of its known strongholds. I have
only one other encounter with this species and inevitably, I had a tough time
trying to contain my excitement. Is it possible for sparrows to be sexy? If
they look like this – absolutely!
Soon,
I realized there was a small flock of them around and I slowly drifted my car towards
them. The sparrows appeared quite comfortable with my stationery vehicle and I
also made myself comfortable and proceeded with the photo session. I
concentrated most of my efforts on two particular individuals that appeared to
be more confiding than the rest. They seemed to have a thing for the perimeter
fence and frequently alighted on it. No doubt that the fence is a man made
object but if my subjects have no issues with it, why should I?
It
was only natural that I ignored the duller juvenile until I started to breathe
normally again. Don’t worry, bud. It's your turn now...
At
one point, they did alight on natural perch and I must say the image turned out
better than expected. So, the detour to this temple cave was the right decision
in the end. I should learn to trust my instincts more often in future.
6 comments:
Superb!
Thank you, John
Splendid Java Sparrows, whether on a fence or not ! But the Drongo Cuckoo is an easily-missed and under-appreciated bird, too.
Thanks, John. Yup, the Drongo Cuckoo is more often hear than seen.
lovely write up CWM..thanks for sharing..
Thank you, Sulaiman!
Post a Comment