Year end delights - Part 1

The year 2018 was drawing to a close and what a year it has been so far – birding and everything else in life. There was still time for one last birding adventure and it was a 2-day excursion to northern Peninsular Malaysia with a couple of birders from Singapore. The first destination of the trip was the pristine forest of Bukit Wang in Kedah state. It was barely morning and we were rewarded with our first denizen of the forest here. A Black-and-yellow Broadbill was on the hunt near the car park area and this attractive species provided the perfect start to the day.

My guests, Seng Beng and Gerard, were certainly in high spirits and enthusiasm as we took a customary selfie at the park entrance to officially start off the tour.

The stream around the recreational area were still void of picnickers at this hour – the best time to observe the resident pair of Chestnut-naped Forktails. Wary and skittish, these birds usually do not tolerate human presence. However, love was in the air and the birds were bolder than usual. We were privileged enough to glimpse into the private life of the Chestnut-naped Forktail when we came across a brief display of affection by the birds. But the lighting and distance were less than favourable for our photographic attempts.

When the territorial call of the Banded Kingfisher started to echo through the vicinity, the visit elevated to a whole new level. It took effort and a stroke of good luck before we finally laid our eyes on a handsome male. It was another distant observation but my guests this time enjoy birding as much as photography (Seng Beng is into sound recording as well). And this encounter with a truly striking jewel of the forest, did not go unappreciated.

There were a few fruiting trees about but it was unfortunate they did not attract the usual flocks of birds. Bulbuls are regular patrons at fruiting trees and it would be odd if they were completely absent here. Instead of the commoner species, it was the Grey-cheeked Bulbul that made an appearance.

The Cream-vented Bulbul was the only other bulbul that found its way to my memory card today...

A majestic Crested Serpent-Eagle patrolling its territory caught our attention with its far-carrying calls. It was soaring quite high above but the good lighting enabled reasonably clear shots to be obtained.

Personally, the highlight of the visit here was surprisingly not a bird but something more closely related to me. This forest reserve is a known stronghold for gibbons. Their amazing and iconic vocals can be heard on every visit. The call of the gibbon may be synonymous with the tropical rain forest but to see one clearly is a real challenge. This primate is often shy and seeks refuge along the highest canopy levels. But gluttony is a deadly sin few can resist and a fruiting tree brought a troop of Agile Gibbons down from their lofty sanctuary.

This was indeed a rare opportunity. I have wandered the forests of Malaysia for nearly three decades and this intimate encounter is by far the best. The agility and grace of these primates are undeniable as they move about the treetop with ease. It was certainly a beautiful sight.

Next on the agenda was the mangroves of Sungai Batu. The weather has been good to us with bright blue skies greeting us at every site so far. However, too much of a good thing can sometimes work against our favour. With the sun dominating the sky above, harsh lighting and undesirable shadows prevailed closer to the ground. Photography became challenging at times but the male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher performed well enough to receive the usual praises from his human observers.

The other regular patrons of this stakeout gradually made their appearances ranging from the sizeable White-breasted Waterhen...

To the small but charming Abbott’s Babblers...

Looking absolutely adorable were the Forest Wagtails. These common migrants are one of the main attractions here and today, they were simply obliging.

The one bird no one can ever get enough of is the Mangrove Pitta. Beautiful and full of character, this pitta still does it for me after all these years.

After an absence of several months, the Puff-throated Babbler were finally back to brighten up the vicinity with their amazing song and striking appearance.

The Puff-throated Babbler is common here in northern Peninsular Malaysia. In fact, we heard them at several localities throughout the duration of our 2-day tour. The key word here is heard. It is only at this site that we got to truly enjoy and admire the bird.

This birding endeavour included an overnight stay but before we called it a day, there was one more target to be achieved. The forest surrounding Pedu Lake is renowned for night birds and tonight, the locality lived up to its reputation again. The unmistakable call of the Large Frogmouth got the whole group quivering in excitement. There are times in birding when you just cannot believe your good fortune and this is certainly one of them. We found our target the Large Frogmouth calling while perched on an electrical cable along the access road. I was left grasping for air.

A few moments later, it shifted to a nearby branch at the forest edge and luckily, still in sight. Frogmouths are such remarkable creatures and the Large Frogmouth is probably the most spectacular one found here in Malaysia. It is a completely different feel when you bird in the darkness of night and despite being outwitted by the other two frogmouth species found here, this time was one of my best owling attempts here. This exciting encounter with the Large Frogmouth was one heck of way to conclude the first day of our birding adventure and Day 2 will be covered in my next post.