I found myself at the wild
lands of Pedu Lake again and this time with a couple of Australian guests. Birding
was relatively good today but photographic opportunities remained scarce. As we
walked along the access road, we came across a number of forest species and some
were brought into view by birdwaves which is a natural phenomenon in any
birding excursion.
The biggest of the forest denizens today were the striking
malkohas and the tiniest, would undoubtedly be the brilliant flowerpeckers. One
of them was gracious enough to allow its image to be taken and it was a
handsome male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker. It is one of the commoner species
but with such vivid and intense colourations, this flowerpecker is never short
of admirers.
Flocks of Green Ioras
foraging along the canopy levels is a regular feature here in Pedu Lake. The
birds’ lifestyle makes it rather difficult for birders to appreciate their true
splendour. However on this occasion, something attracted a flock to venture
lower than usual and provided a visual treat rarely enjoyed by birders. The
male is a splendid creature and just like the previous species, are true jewels
of the forest.
The Osprey was back at what
seems to be its favourite perch that overlooks the scenic Pedu Lake. A stroke
of good luck brought me closer to this elegant raptor than ever before. Life,
however, threw me another curve ball and the Osprey was back lighted by the
harsh midday sun.
One of the most recognizable
bird calls of the forest here belong to an enigmatic species – the Red-bearded
Bee-eater. The call consisting of a combination of croaks and resonant notes was
the first thing to give away the bird’s presence – as usual. A tedious search
among the dense foliage of the rainforest revealed a male bird resting on an
open perch but the distance prevented me from capturing his true splendour.
As we were making our way out
of Pedu Lake to head to our next destination, a confiding juvenile Changeable Hawk-Eagle
hunting by the road was too exciting to forgo. This individual seemed more slender
than usual. Perhaps life here is not all sunshine and rainbows after all. Anyways,
it was a memorable performance by this common raptor.
Once we were done with the
eagle, we returned to my vehicle only to find that the starter has died and I
could ignite my vehicle. I have a history of automobile fails here at Pedu Lake
and this is by far the worse. My birding usually takes me to wilder side of the
country. And now, I am stuck with a couple of foreign guests along an isolated
road in the middle of nowhere. I was thankful that my I could still call for
help and my mates had my back again. In between Choo Eng and Hor Kee, we
managed to send my guests back to the hotel safe and sound and my vehicle towed
to the nearest town for repairs. I always do my best to ensure my guests get the
best out of every excursion but I guess some curve balls can really put you to
the test. So instead of enjoying the companionship of pittas and babblers at
the mangroves of Sungai Batu with my guests, I was stuck at a car workshop in a
small town for the rest of day.
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