Bunting hunting...

With a number of first records popping up in the neighbouring country of Singapore, I cannot help but to feel a little envious. If there any birding site here in Malaysia where you have a fighting chance for first records (or just really rare ones), it would be the grasslands of Chuping in Perlis state. And there is where I went with Hor Kee for my latest birding excursion. The anticipation of a good haul got the better of the two of us and we arrived at the location much earlier than expected. There was not much do at this hour except to admire the full moon floating above the sweeping grasslands...

The mist started to lift when the sun finally crept up the horizon. And the reed bed suddenly came to life with the chirping of birds. It is a known roosting site for weavers and munias and this is where we sought out our first target of the trip – buntings.

When it finally got bright enough, we began our tedious search. Scanning through hundreds of Baya Weavers and munias for something different at this light was no easy task. Every stalk of reed probably had its own weaver swaying to and fro according to the wind direction. And when parts of this massive congregation took flight, it was a one big bundle of feathers.

We gave up the search for buntings about an hour later and I took the time to admire this little spectacle of nature. This is by far the biggest concentration of Baya Weavers I have ever come across in my life. When one of them wandered close to our position, the photography opportunity that was provided did not go unappreciated. It may not be a breeding male but it still an attractive bird.

The reed bed did not only hold finches. Reed-Warblers find sanctuary here as well. However, these little brown jobs are notoriously difficult to see let alone photograph. Their calls are usually the only sign of their presence and the scarce Manchurian Reed-Warbler was certainly present. Our moment came when one of the warblers alighted on a pylon within the reeds and it turned out to be a Thick-billed Warbler – another uncommon species.

The tiny state of Perlis is the only place where this winter visitor is more regularly recorded. I have only seen it a few times and today’s encounter was the longest one for me so far. Obtaining an unobstructed image was difficult but I am happy with the results today.

From the dense reed beds, we wandered to open ploughed fields for our other target of the day – skylarks. However, the closest we came to anything resembling a lark were the ever abundant Paddyfield Pipits.

There was a fair number of wagtails present today as well. Judging from our luck today, I did not have much hope for getting my first Citrine Wagtail among the flocks of Yellow Wagtail. But there was no harm trying and we scrutinized every one of the wagtails. The temperature has soared to a blistering level by then but it was nothing compared to the consecutive disappointments we had to endure. My would-be lifer of a Citrine Wagtail will just have to wait another day.

It was good to see the commoner waterfowls back at the ponds. There has been a steady increase in recent months and I hope views like a Common Moorhen lazily paddling along the deep blue waters will become a regular feature again.

Chuping did not really live up to its reputation as a raptor's haven today. The raptors were around but there was no encounters that left a lasting impression except for this female Common Kestrel resting on a rubber sampling. The heat wave was apparent and the distance was a little too far for any chance of a good photo. But it has been a while since I last encountered this graceful raptor at rest and it was the only raptor moment for this trip.

It could be too early to pass judgement but it seems like the number of Asian Pied Starlings present nowadays are on the decrease. Although it is not officially in the Malaysian checklist, this beautiful starling is full of character and could always brightened up any excursion – especially a slow trip like this one.

The Red Collared-Dove on the other hand is doing very well and flocks of up to 100 birds are getting to be a common sight.

Another species that is doing well not only here in Chuping but throughout the country is the Cattle Egret. This species outnumbers all the other big water birds and flocks of these highly adaptable species can be seen moving from plot to plot in search of food. Recently ploughed fields is its favourite along with other variety of birds due to the easy access to their food source.

By lunch the heat was almost unbearable and we seek greener (and cooler) pastures elsewhere. Bukit Wang was the closest locality and we drove along the newly paved access road for the first time. From what we can see, the level of destruction from the ongoing construction work was not too severe and hopefully it stays that way. As for the birds, not much was about as the heat here offered little relieve as well. It may not have been the most rewarding of trips to the northern frontier but that is birding. Sometimes you win and sometime you lose. And once in a blue moon, if you are lucky enough, you might hit the jackpot.

Konnichiwa...

Air Hitam Dalam is a just little patch of forest in northern mainland Penang that happens to be the best birding site closest to home. The migratory season usually brings some goodies to this local patch of mine but this season, it has been exceptional so far. Unfortunately, I neither had the time nor the good fortune to enjoy the bounty. Black-backed Kingfisher, Violet Cuckoo and Zappey’s Flycatcher managed to elude me during my visits here. These birds are not lifers and they are not rare. However, they are uncommon enough to get me visiting a forest site during the hottest part of the day – twice (including this trip). Of the three birds, missing the exquisite male Violet Cuckoo (just to rub in the salt, others have seen the whole damn family on several occasions) pained me the most. On this visit, I went to where he was more likely to show and waited.

Naturally, he gave me the slip again. But I faired slightly better today. I got the juvenile Violet Cuckoo momentarily at the top most part of the canopy miles away. Better than nothing I guess...

While waiting for the Violet Cuckoo, another cuckoo did come my way and it was an impressive Green-billed Malkoha. I must have made myself unobtrusive enough to have this usually shy bird forage so close to my position. If not for the lighting and vegetation, this would have been a very nice capture.

A mix troop of Silver and Spectacled Langurs kept my mind off the cuckoo momentarily. The Silver Langurs were a bit shyer but it was still interesting to observe this inter-species behaviour between two mammals. This Spectacled Langur, on the other hand, was certainly living a carefree life here.

I decided to move from the spot before I was totally overwhelmed by boredom and took a slow walk next to the river. Not much was about due to the time of the day except for a foraging male Common Flameback. It may be the commonest woodpecker in the vicinity but an adult male like this one deserves some attention.

The rising temperature does bring out a family of birds from hiding and they are the raptors. A handful of species were recorded today but only one provided any real chance of capturing a decent photo and it was the migratory Black Kite. This site plays host to these northern migrants again this season and will continue to do so if there are no drastic changes to the surrounding environment.

I was not the only one who took noticed of the raptors. The presence of predatory birds certainly did not go down well with the resident Large-billed Crows and they went on a mobbing spree until most of the raptors were beyond their air space.

I casually wandered back to the Violet Cuckoo hoping for a miracle which did not come my way. Frustrated and fatigued, I was about to call it a day when a Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo alighted just in front of me. It was not the cuckoo I was hoping for but things being the way they are, this was a much welcomed encounter.

This common migrant is often bold and confiding. When it shifted position, it flew towards me and not the other way round. I was taken a back and once I regained my composure, I took a few more shots despite the strong back light hampering my efforts.

The Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo lingered in the vicinity for quite a long period of time. Another trait this species has shown to me before.

Since there was nothing else about, I decided to follow the movement of the cuckoo. It was relatively easy as it was foraging at a leisurely pace. Then a second bird came into view and for a moment, I thought I was seeing double. If it was any other day, this would have gotten me all excited. However, the Violet Cuckoo has given me quite a bitter pill to swallow and it would take more than this to remedy my situation.

A brownish bird was flitting about the nearby understorey and my fascination with the cuckoos came to an abrupt stop. It turned out to be a Paradise-Flycatcher and with all the recent splits, identification is no longer straightforward. Even worse when the bird is a juvenile or female like this one in front of me. Upon further scrutiny, I felt that this Paradise-Flycatcher is somehow different from the usual Blyth’s and Amur Paradise-Flycatcher. A quick check with my mates through our group chat (the wonders of modern technology) revealed that it was indeed a Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher.

I have only a couple of encounters with this scarce migrant and this juvenile naturally had my undivided attention. It certainly lacks the resplendent of the adult male and God willing, one day I will have the privilege to observe him in the flesh. Until that day comes, I just have to be contented with this youngster who was performing well indeed.

There was an Asian Brown-Flycatcher foraging nearby but it did not possess enough finesse to divert my attention for long.

The Japanese Paradise-Flycatcher remained in the vicinity long enough for Hor Kee to make a beeline to this locality from home (and at the time of writing, so did Dave). Together with a couple of other birders, we enjoyed the companionship of this no doubt latest attraction to this modest birding locality. Being much rarer than the Violet Cuckoo, this young Japanese certainly made this ad-hoc trip a memorable one in the end.

Nothing like some old school birding

There is a part of me I rarely mention in my postings. Birding is my one true passion but it does not really put food on the table. My life in the often-overrated and insane world of advertising does. Most of the time, I run things from command central and do not get to see our finished products in the flesh all that often. Anyway, I picked up my latest guests from one of the latest hotels to spring up on the island and it so happened that my company was responsible for their signage works. Well, the hotel certainly has one of the trendiest lobbies I have seen here in my home state and I cannot help but to feel proud that we played a role in it.

With the fruiting tree at Bukit Wang still bringing in the birds, I decided to take another trip up north to the locality with my Australian guests. For the third time in recent weeks, I had to wade across the stream to get to the forested area. I expected the Dark-sided Flycatchers to be at their usual haunt and I was right. However, this one looked a bit different and it turned out to be a juvenile bringing the total now to three birds at this spot.

Juvenile birds usually cannot measure up to the beauty of the adult birds. But they sure are adorable and confiding as well. The youngsters went about its routine without any hesitance despite the presence of human birders.

Another drab little bird caught my attention as it scurried about the nearby understorey. Upon further scrutiny, it was a she and one confiding girl if I might add. The Dark-necked Tailorbird may be common throughout the country in suitable habitats but it is no easy bird to photograph.

The fruiting tree was disappointingly quiet upon our arrival. I find this particular fruiting tree a bit odd. The bird species recorded at the tree varies quite a bit the two times I have been here. And this morning, there were no birds at all until a pair of Buff-vented Bulbuls came along later in the morning.

The fruits were far from depleted and yet, it was about as cheerful as a cemetery here. A short while later, a pair of Cream-vented Bulbuls decided to pop in. Unfortunately, the one bulbul I wanted to reshoot never gave me that opportunity today and the Puff-backed Bulbul keeps its place securely in my priority list.

A skulking flycatcher in the forest understorey next to the fruiting tree turned out to be a female Chinese Blue-Flycatcher. When a second bird was heard calling, the encounter was taken to a whole new level. And my hunch was right. The second bird was indeed a male and he was a fine looking bird. When he finally alighted on an exposed perch, he had his back towards us which was his least appealing side.

Patiently we waited. I even said a silent prayer and on this rare occasion, the Almighty heard me. The male Chinese Blue Flycatcher turned around to reveal his true splendour. This was undoubtedly the highlight of the visit here for me. Even the absence of the male Pale Blue Flycatcher was no longer a thorn at my side.

Our next destination was the mangroves of Sungai Batu and the birds here gave my guests a very warm reception indeed. It did not take long for the male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher to show off his vivid colouration and captured our undivided attention.

The Forest Wagtails casually strolled into view and another strikingly marked feathered denizen gets a tick in my guest’s field guide. My guests this time were old school birders armed only with binoculars and field guide. While they were savouring the wagtail visually, I tried my best to capture at least one photo was that does not have a prominent motion blur anywhere on the bird.

I was delighted to see the Stripe-throated Bulbuls again and from the looks of it, this attractive bulbul will be regular feature in the trips to come. The face markings of the Stripe-throated Bulbuls reminded me of the villain Bane from the Batman movie but there is nothing sinister about them. In fact, they are the exact opposite.

With such an array of colours and splendour around, the non-descript Abbott’s Babblers were finding it tough to gain attention. Striking an unusual pose will usually do the trick though...

But when the star bird finally made an appearance, all eyes were on it. I may be somewhat immune to the charm and beauty of the Mangrove Pitta but to my guests, it was magical. My guest even describes the encounter later using that same word. That, ladies and gentlemen, are pittas in a nutshell. Magical creatures that will always evoke a sense of awe and admiration with such magnitude that very few other species can conjure.

The White-breasted Waterhen’s comical appearance is a welcomed sighting to any excursion. And to have one at such close proximity is an added bonus.

Scything through the skies above the adjacent paddy fields, the Dollarbird can still be an impressive sight despite being a common species. However, good lighting is required to capture its iridescent plumage and this image is not quite up to mark.

Our next stop was the industrial park in Kulim. Here, we hunted for roosting Savana Nightjars along the cemented embankment. I knew where the birds usually roost but that knowledge almost got me nowhere as I failed to locate a single bird on the way in. I had to dig deep on the way out. The harsh midday sun offered no comfort to my squinted eyes. Then among the long grass area, I noticed what appeared to be hope nestled among the vegetation. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as hope turned into reality and I began the tedious task of describing the location of the nightjar to my excited guests. To a couple of old school birders, a Savanna Nightjar partially hidden is still a mesmerizing encounter.

Next in line were the paddy fields of mainland Penang. I was feeling a little lucky having recorded my first Greater Spotted Eagle of the season just a few days ago and decided to scan the pylons for any signs of its majestic presence here as well. Sure enough, my second Greater Spotted Eagle of the season was resting on a distant pylon. Distance was a huge hindrance to my photographic efforts but I am just delighted to see this eagle back here for another winter.

There were a number of waders present at the fields today. Several patches were now in a state that was ideal foraging grounds for them. However, nothing out of the ordinary was recorded and the diminutive Long-toed Stint was as rare a wader as I could get.

I have not taken a shot of a Wood Sandpiper for quite some time but it is not a common species in Australia. Naturally, it received a share fair of love and affection from my guests. And I guess their excitement was contagious. Hence, this photo of a resting Wood Sandpiper will take an unexpected place in this post.

Common or not, an adult Purple Heron against a green backdrop is still a sight to behold. Being a sucker for big water birds, a photography opportunity like this will not be shunned.

At the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam, the male Violet Cuckoo proved elusive yet again. Some of the commoner species did provide brief encounters but the highlight for my guests here would be the adorable but deadly Black-thighed Falconet. Unfortunately, a pair of these tiny raptors that was perched on a dead tree did not stay long enough for a good view. But sometimes in life you are given second chances and this time, the falconets remained until all three of us were contented. The distance may be a little too far for shooting something the size of a sparrow. But the falconet is no sparrow and it provided a fitting end to another rewarding day of birding in the north.