My
first birding excursion of the year took me to the virgin jungles of Bukit Wang
in Kedah state. This time I had with me three Singaporean guests and as usual, we
reached the location in good time. This is always the hottest time of the year for
the peninsular and today was no exception. The scorching sun soon found its way
through the dense vegetation and as the lighting improve so did our
opportunities to capture the fascinating bird life found within the borders of the
reserve. The Green-backed Flycatcher is an uncommon migrant to our shores. This
season, one has been showing well to everyone that took the effort to
appreciate its stunning presence. Murphy had no role to play today and it was a
handsome male bird.
His
preference for the lower storey provided eye-level observations. Although he
was confiding, the dim lighting often required additional effort to capture his
images well. But he was worth it.
I
have encountered the Short-tailed Babbler here before but today was the first
time I managed to photograph this charming little bird. As its name implies,
the tail is certainly short and that makes the Short-tailed Babbler naturally
adorable.
A
bird of the forest undergrowth, one seldom gets the chance to observe its
delightful antics out in the open. It may not be an uncommon species but it certainly
deserved my acknowledgement as one of the highlights of this trip.
The
male Chinese Blue Flycatcher was at his usual spot. Like the Green-backed Flycatcher,
he also frequents the forest understorey. Although, it was a bright and sunny
day, it was not much to our advantage on this occasion. The harsh lighting and
shadows was a constant hindrance to obtaining good images.
However,
he gave a memorable performance and that is all we birders could ever ask for. The
elements of Mother Nature is beyond our control and I try my best to be
grateful of what that has been given.
Our
next location of the day was the mangroves of Sungai Batu and the sizzling
weather followed our every footstep. Inevitably, light and shadows came into
play again and we had to make the best out of the situation. The birds on the
other hand like this Yellow-vented Bulbul appeared unperturbed with the heat and
life goes on.
The
Abbott’s Babblers have been a regular feature here for years and that certainly
earned my gratitude. Their inquisitive nature and adorable antics are always a
delight. Despite their dull colouration and common status, the Abbott’s Babblers
play an integral role in my birding circuit.
All
three wintering Forest Wagtails were present at the stakeout today. At one
point, the swampy floor was crawling with Forest Wagtails and that is something
you do not see often. Once the wagtails settled down, so did the birders who
were present. And we were provided with some excellent opportunities to capture
the images of these beautiful migrants.
Our
second Blue Flycatcher of the trip came in the form of a male Mangrove Blue
Flycatcher and he was a handsome specimen indeed. It would take something out
of the ordinary to outdo the performance of this morning’s Chinese Blue
Flycatcher. This Mangrove Blue Flycatcher certainly did.
It
has been a long time since I last took so many images of a Mangrove Blue
Flycatcher. Its regular appearance at a few of my local patches is to be
blamed. I am not proud of the fact that I too have started to take this species
for granted. I am only human after all.
The
Mangrove Pitta was sorely missed for the past few months. And today, it finally
revealed itself long enough for me to photograph and enjoy the moment. The
lighting was horrendous but it did not matter. I am elated to have it back in
my life again. This Mangrove Pitta, after all, is one the main highlights of my
tours around Penang. I hope to see more of it for the rest of the year. But for
now, the celebrity bird of Sungai Batu wrapped things up for the day.
4 comments:
Beautiful pictures and birds. Very inspiring.
Thank you
Yes, another successful round trip with some nice pics despite your difficult lighting conditions. So many wintering guests, the forest wagtails must have been a great sight on the Sungai Batu mangrove ground :-))
Thank you, Kieron. The wagtails were my saviours for the visit there.
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