The Penang Birder is 10 years old

My final birding excursion for the year was with a British guest currently based in the United Arab Emirates who is an accomplished birder and has a fair number of Southeast Asian birds under his belt. It was unfortunate I could only provide a half day tour due to the timing of his visit here to Penang. However, I was determined to make it a birding morning to be remembered. We started off at the forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah state - the closest good site to home for forest birding. Initially, things were a little slow and a pair of Finsch’s Bulbuls were the only notable species recorded.

Then came the birdwaves midway through the visit and the forest came alive with bird calls and activities. Since Andrew is a birder as well, we scanned and scrutinized these mixed flocks with much enthusiasm. We were surrounded by warblers, babblers, bulbuls and flycatchers. Drongos are usually the head honchos for birdwaves and it is no different here. From these feeding frenzies, I even managed to capture a few images which is something that does not take place often due to the frantic movements of the birds.

Brown Fulvettas are regularly recorded in the forest here. Their musical whistle often serenade the locality from the dense foliage of the middle storey. True to its name, the bird’s physical appearance lacks any true splendour but there is always beauty in simplicity. Typical of tree babblers, the Brown Fulvettas moves about quite rapidly. One individual took a breather during the birdwave and provided this photographic opportunity.

The Spotted Fantail is the least encountered fantail species in Malaysia and the forest of Sungai Sedim is one of its strongholds. Its tendency to forage along the highest canopies and not to mention restless nature, make it a difficult species to photograph. On this occasion, it was on a high perch nevertheless but it stayed put for a significantly long time which was very unlike the species. Or any other species during a birdwave.

It is unusual for a migratory flycatcher to sing at its wintering grounds but the male Chinese Blue Flycatcher is an exception. As it would have been a lifer for Andrew, I tried my best to locate a male that was singing his heart out from the lower levels of the forest. My pleas fell on deaf ears and we hesitantly left the flycatcher to his singing in peace. But the Gods were kind today. A second male was heard later in the morning and unlike his comrade, he was not hesitant to show off his vivid colours. It was not a close encounter but because of the earlier disappointment, it was a much appreciated one.

There is one target that I needed to achieve for this trip. Luckily, it was not a tall order which is why we ended up at a modest residential park within the suburbs of Bukit Mertajam in mainland Penang. The Barred Eagle-Owl has somehow eluded Andrew so far but his hunt for this striking night bird came to an end today. Perched beautifully on its favourite roosting tree, one half of the resident pair of Bukit DO provided the bird of the day for my guest. It has been a while since I last saw a Barred Eagle-Owl and this encounter was a timely reminder of what an incredible bird this is.

Just when I thought that would be all for the day, all hell broke loose on the adjacent tree. A family of Black-naped Orioles was mobbing something and upon further scrutiny, I found the other half of this locally famous owl couple. Initially, I thought the orioles were mobbing the owl as the latter was in a full alert posture. But this pair of Barred Eagle-Owls has been roosting here for years and during all that time some uneasy truce must surely have been struck between the owls and the rest of the feathered residents. The reason for the commotion soon revealed itself in the form of a Green-billed Malkoha. Although it is non-parasitic, it is still a cuckoo. Thus, the unwanted attention from the orioles. The high drama, literally, was one heck of a way to wrap things up for this short trip and the year. I am certainly looking to another year filled with reflections of wings and inspiration.

The Penang Birder blog completes its 10-year presence online and it is one of my most treasured endeavours. All the comments and compliments I received through the years helped fuel me to carry on blogging especially in times when the words were not flowing out as freely as they should. And for that, I am most thankful. It is good to know that people actually take the time to read my blog and even better, enjoy the write ups. I do not know what the future holds as our environment continues to plummet likewise the bird population. And I am no spring chicken either. However, I always believe we should enjoy whatever it is while it lasts and for now, I do cherish birding and sharing the memorable experiences through my blog.