I have been spending a
considerable amount of time at the forest surrounding Pedu Lake in the interiors
of Kedah state and the reason is quite simple – the birds have been showing
really well of late. This time I was with brothers Nigel and Jimmy, one of my
regular guests. It was a beautiful morning as we wandered into the lush landscape
of this birders’ paradise and the local birdlife serenaded us with their divine
vocals. However, one particular call stood out from the rest. It was definitely
not for its musical capabilities and the croaking notes are far from pleasant
to the layman’s ears. But to birders, it belongs to one of the most stunning
birds found here – the Red-bearded Bee-eater. Since Christmas is just around
the corner, the shaggy beard and plump body reminded me of a certain someone
who resides in the North Pole. Anyway, the confiding nature of this handsome specimen
provided me with one of my better images of this forest dweller.
In view of the number of rare
brownish flycatchers popping up this migratory season, every brown flycatcher I
come across nowadays are scrutinized. The plumage of this Asian Brown
Flycatcher was so typical, I could not even try to imagine it being any other
species. Anyway, the background was pleasant enough to have my attention.
During my last visit here,
the Red-billed Malkoha came tantalizingly close in providing images I could be
proud of. I came across one yet again today. Initially, it appeared to be
another frustrating encounter in the making as it scurried along the forest
canopy at breakneck speeds. The dense foliage and harsh lighting were no help at
all either.
Then, a spilt second of sheer
luck and Yuletide magic produced my best image of this sultry species. Yes, it
is starting to feel a lot like Christmas...
It is understandable when a
small passerine is overlooked even after numerous excursion to a birding site.
However, birds as big as a Greg-headed Eagle can sometimes remained hidden from
view within Mother Nature’s embrace as well. Today is the first time I have
ever seen a Grey-headed Fish-Eagle here in Pedu Lake. And to commemorate the
moment, the uncommon raptor made sure I do not screw up its identity by
providing prolonged views of both its upper and lower tail colouration (one of
the more distinct field characteristics of this species). And nothing else -
literally.
We made our way to the coast
next as the alluring bird life of the mangroves of Sungai Batu beckons. True
enough, a male Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher greeted me and my guests with much
enthusiasm. As it was late afternoon by the time we arrived, lighting was a bit
of a challenge at times.
The Mangrove Pitta had my
guests grasping for air as usual with its electrifying presence. There are very
few birds that can stir one’s emotions as vigorously as pittas. And to have one
performing well is about as good as it gets in the world of birding.
Babblers are another group of
birds that can elevate your senses. Despite their vocal nature, they are
usually hard to observe due to their preference for dense undergrowth and constant
movements. A pair of Abbott’s Babbler inquisitively foraging in front of us were
given ample attention despite their dull colouration.
The Puff-throated Babbler,
unbelievable as it may seem, provided the best encounter at this swampy domain.
Its combination of aesthetic appeal, amazing vocals and charming character
managed to pip past the pitta this time. Just in case you are wondering why it
is called the Puff-throated Babbler...
This terrestrial babbler wrapped
things up for day one of my clients’ birding adventure around Penang. I have to
say it was another memorable and exciting day. But what does the future hold
for the birding brothers on day two? That will be covered in my next post.
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