Raptors still reign supreme

I have not been back to the grasslands of Chuping since the last migratory season and there is always a sense of anxiety whenever I revisit this unique birding site after a lapse. The landscape constantly changes and it is not because of Mother Nature but man. For years, they have been trying out different crops all over this former sugarcane plantation. The worst of the crops is rubber which unfortunately has covered vast areas. The ongoing construction of an industrial park provides no help at all to the dying landscape. But the one thing that has not change so far are the limestone hills imposing their artistic presence.

For this trip, I had a birding couple from neighbouring Singapore. It only made sense that I took them as far away from home as possible and Chuping, being at the northern tip of the peninsular, would be the ideal choice. It was good to find suitable habitats for birds still in existence here. A pond that was the only regular site in Malaysia to house the scarce Bronze-winged Jacana now houses Asian Openbills instead and a fair number of them were present today.

Barn Swallows are common winter visitors to the grasslands here and a confiding individual resting just next be the access road had our attention despite their abundant nature.

The Rufous-bellied Swallow, on the other hand, is a species that will always have my attention. Locally common only in certain parts of the country, this large and vividly coloured swallow stood out from the Barn Swallows that it was resting alongside. The encounter with the Rufous-bellied Swallow was a much appreciated one as it has been a relatively slow morning so far.

The swallows may be beautiful and graceful in flight but we did not drive all the way here for them. We were after something more majestic which are the true rulers of the skies. The vast open landscape has always been the realm of raptors. Overcast skies almost drowned out our plans. Luckily, the first rays of the sun managed to pierce through the rain clouds later in the morning. And with the available thermal, our quarries started swooping into view. Flocks of migrating Black Bazas were a sight to behold. I find these little raptors to be one of the most striking raptors to occur on our shores and naturally, ample time was allocated to witness this spectacle of nature unfold.

The Oriental Honey-Buzzards, like the bazas, are migrants to this land. As always, the plumage variations that this species is infamous for caused some hesitance from me during identification.

One of the most sought after raptors here in Chuping is undoubtedly the gorgeous male Pied Harrier. I was a little to slow to capture his image this but luckily, my guests were not. The female Pied Harrier is often overshadowed by the former but today, she was all I got to show for harriers.

The sight of this pale harrier floating above the grasslands kicked my imagination into overdrive. And for a minute there, he looked almost like the mythical Short-eared Owl that has eluded me all these years. Almost...

A huge silhouette gliding overhead brought me back down to Earth with a thump. My trusted bins quickly revealed my first Greater Spotted Eagle of the season. I have nothing but total admiration for this majestic predatory bird. Being one of the largest raptors in Malaysian skies certainly has a lot to do with it.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Common Kestrel. It is diminutive but still deadly in its own way. Hovering is a trait few raptors possess and the kestrel has mastered the art of dropping down on its prey in mid flight. Lighting was not on our side but it was the only opportunity we had of capturing of this female bird.

Every raptor that crossed our path was given its due attention for this locality has a tendency to spring a surprise or two. Even a juvenile Brahminy Kite has the potential of being something rare.

However, not all birds with immense wingspans were raptors. Purple Herons are a common sight here as well. These water birds also find food in this vast landscape and this individual lazily flew past overhead during our visit here.

From the open grasslands of Chuping, we made our way to the pristine forest of Bukit Wang. It was not the best of weathers as we were greeted by a light drizzle upon arrival. But it would take than a drizzle and a broken bridge to deny these three visiting birders the chance to observe the alluring bird life found here.

The Dark-sided Flycatcher is truly a creature of habit and I found it on almost the same perch as last week.

And it even invited a friend along this time and we were looking at two Dark-sided Flycatchers at the same spot. I now know that this species is omnivorous as it occasionally fed on the fruits.

The Sooty Barbets would have been a lifer for my guests but unfortunately, the flock did not make an appearance. Surprisingly, a male Pale Blue Flycatcher did and it was a lifer for them as well. I could not be certain if the flycatcher was attracted by the fruits as it did not stay long. And it was frustrating that I could not obtain a better image as I seldom come across this flycatcher.

You can pretty much guess how brief this scarce Puff-backed Bulbul visited the fruiting tree by this image alone. Like the flycatcher, I do not have many encounters with this species and its behaviour today only compounded my frustrations.

The other patrons were much more obliging and I was something I should be grateful for. Armed to the core in birding gear, we made the best of situation and captured some memorable images at the fruiting tree. 

The Grey-bellied Bulbul with its lovely colouration was well received as usual. And even the slight drizzle could not drown out its exquisite beauty.

The Buff-vented Bulbuls were present at the fruiting tree for the longest periods today. They certainly made themselves at home despite the gloomy weather.

Another species of bulbuls that took part in the feast were the Cream-vented Bulbuls. Another drab species, this common bird could not do much to raise the level of excitement.

Only one species of flowerpecker was present at the tree and it was the Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker. It may not be as striking as some of the other species but it presence was a welcomed addition of colours and flair.

There are a few birds that depend on forest streams for their survival. The most noteworthy one is the striking Chestnut-naped Forktail but it managed to elude my efforts to photographing it again. The Grey Wagtail is another attractive species often found in habitats like these during the migratory season and this commoner stream dweller at least provider some photographic opportunities before we finally called it a day and made our way back to Penang.