Soaked to the bone

The weather has not been promising of late with heavy downpours a regular feature each evening. To provide memorable birding tours at a time like this will be no walk in the park. My latest guests are from England and forest birds are mostly what they seek for their two-day birding excursion in northern Peninsular Malaysia. The lush jungles of Bukit Wang in Kedah state was the first locality of the day. The weather was not an issue but the birds, were. We had a few exciting but brief encounters that included uncommon species like the Malayan Night-Heron and Bat Hawk but none managed to make their way into my memory card. Lucky for me, this British couple appreciates the experience as much as they do the birds and the ambience shrouding Bukit Wang is impressive to say the least. However, they signed up for a birding tour and my reputation was at stake here. There is one place I can count on in times of need and it is the mangroves of Sungai Bate. The swampy terrain houses a number of exquisite species and it did not take long for the first one to appear. The Mangrove Blue Flycatchers are one of the most obliging species of this stakeout and the pair was just amazing on this gloomy day.

One particular branch seemed to suit their fancy and both took turns to alight and pose on it.

The regal plumage of the Stripe-throated Bulbul has yet to go stale with me (I doubt it ever will) and several images were obtained today without the slightest hesitance. The overcast sky was a blessing in disguise as it blocked out the harsh lighting conditions of midday.

I even fell in love with the images of the commoner Abbott’s Babbler taken today. It could be the lighting or the mere fact that I did not have one single image worth sharing from the morning excursion at Bukit Wang.

The White-breasted Waterhen towers over the rest of the birds present at the stakeout and naturally, it usually gets its way.

When the Mangrove Pitta finally appeared, the reaction of my guests almost vanquished all my guilt from the disappointing morning. Even the White-breasted Watermen had to give way to the king of the block. And his majesty was in perfect form having recovered from his post breeding moult.

Swaying its way to the stakeout, the Forest Wagtails are adorable and striking birds that made the visit to this birding hotspot complete. A mossy latch incidentally provided a fresh backdrop and we pit our photography skills against the constant movement of the birds.

The Malaysian Pied-Fantail is not a regular patron here but its inquisitive nature got the better of it and provided a reasonable shot before continuing with its frantic foraging style deeper in the swamp forest.

A detour to the paddy fields of mainland Penang before concluding day one of this birding endeavour yielded an unusually obliging Grey-headed Lapwing. This locality is one of its strongholds here in Malaysia. But the Grey-headed Lapwing is suspicious of human presence and it does not take much to send an entire flock of these migrants fleeing to a distant patch.

Brown Shrikes are also winter visitors but unlike the lapwings, they occur in a variety of habitats throughout the country. And this one, wrapped things up for the day.

The next morning, we found ourselves at another pristine forest in Kedah state. Pedu has all the potential of a great forest birding site and I was counting on that to compensate for yesterday’s let down. However, the weather was dark and wet upon our arrival. The fruiting fig trees were a hive of bird activities but the poor lighting was a hindrance to photography. The Thick-billed Flowerpecker is one species that I do not have enough images of. Despite present in good numbers, it was near impossible to capture minute and active birds in this condition. As usual, there were bulbuls gorging on the fruits. No amount of gloom can ever drown out the electrifying present of the Scaly-breasted Bulbuls. This poor effort to capture the beauty of the bird does no justice to it at all.

Another fruiting fig tree deeper in the forest held the attention of some of the shy giants that call this place home. The majestic hornbills, despite their large stature, can be frustrating shy. It was a distant shot but to have two species of these amazing birds in one frame is no mundane affair. Both the Oriental Pied and Black Hornbills are common residents here. And this is my first image of the latter despite countless visits to this locality through the years.

There were moments of magic that reminded me why I bother to take the four-hour round trip to this locality so regularly. One was courtesy of a pair of Banded Woodpeckers. It was a prolonged encounter with the loving couple foraging in close proximity to each other. When the birds took a breather from the hunt and rested on a dead tree, we took the time to truly appreciate their striking plumages.

Another highlight of the visit here came in an unlikely form. It was a Giant Forest Scorpion and the name was no exaggeration. We found the formidable creature crossing the access road and did our best to obtain some images before it disappeared back into the lush tropical rainforest. If looks could kill, we would be in deep trouble. The sinister claws, the wicked tail and the overall appearance of the scorpion is just pure evil. However, looks can be deceiving and it is quite harmless if you let it be. The encounter produced mixed reactions of awe and fear. But for me, it was more of the former.

The weather worsened later in the morning with the occasional drizzles getting heavier. I had to make a call and I abandoned the notion of waiting for the weather to improve. I decided to take my guests to a spot with a view to consume our packed lunch. The unobstructed view of Beris Lake must have made quite an impact on the British couple and lunch lasted longer than expected as they soaked in the view whilst enjoying some local coffee. The experiences are just as important to them and there is more to life than just birds – something I often find hard to comprehend.

Our next location turned to be a disaster. For once, I appreciate the gazebos built around the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest. A heavy thunderstorm caught us in the middle of our walk around the locality and we had to take shelter in one of these gazebos while the wrath of the storm struck down on us with unforgiving intensity. Cold, soaked and frustrated, we had no choice but to wait it out for almost an hour. When the rain lessened, we started to make our way home but not before swinging by the paddy fields again. There, I found my rainbow at the end of the storm and it was a handsome male White-shouldered Starling. I do not have enough images of this irregular winter visitor and this one, despite the obstructing twigs and leaves, is my best effort to date.

The sight of a Long-tailed Shrike may not be of much significance in the southern half of Peninsular Malaysia. Here in Penang, this beautiful bird is locally extinct and now only occurs here as rare migrants. This record shot pretty much depicts our birding excursion today and the poor shrike, soaked to the bone, provided the ending for our two-day birding expedition. The shrike certainly did not hope for this foul weather at its wintering ground and neither did we. The rain did hamper our efforts to observe some of the alluring bird life found in the forests here but the Greater power at work did provide enough moments to ensure my guests will have treasured memories to accompany them home.