Revisiting a former haunt

The birding community consists of people from all walks of life, shapes and sizes. I have been in this community long enough so I know. The bottom line is this hobby is for everyone with the love and passion for it. There is a risk of getting too obsessive with it but I guess there are worse things for you to get involved in. Anyway, my latest guest hails from the land down under. Apart from John’s gear, the striking tattoos covering both his arms attracted attention everywhere we went. But it does not matter if you are inked or clean, the passion for birding does. John is an avid birder and there is nothing more I can hope for in a guest. Our arrival at the Sungai Batu mangroves was timely – as expected. The Abbott’s Babblers were the first to greet us and that was also expected of this locality.

It is always a feel good moment when you catch sight of the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher first thing in the morning. And the handsome resident male was the prelude to the main event that is to come.

There is a good reason why the locals call the Malaysian Pied-Fantail as the insane bird. Its hyperactive nature and erratic movements can make it a difficult subject for photography. One was taking a breather in the undergrowth. Although it was an open perch, the lighting condition and the restlessness of this flycatcher made photography challenging.

Then without any indication, the Mangrove Pitta hopped into view from the gloomy depths of the swamp forest. That is when I knew just how passionate John was about birding. I may have lost count the number of times the Mangrove Pittas here have provided my foreign guests with their first pitta sighting in the wild but their reactions to the bird always warm the soul.

The White-breasted Waterhen is common and for a rail, is less secretive than most. However when seen well, it is an attractive bird and played a major role in welcoming John to birding around Penang.

Kingfishers, though not quite in the same league as pittas, are another family of birds that appeal tremendously to those who have not birded much in this region. One of the most impressive is undoubtedly the Stork-billed Kingfisher. Aptly named for the enormous red bill, this giant is a welcomed encounter to any birding excursion.

On the other end of the size spectrum is the Common Kingfisher. Not so aptly named, what this migratory species lacks in size is made up in beauty and radiance.

At our next destination, we found ourselves wandering within one of the last few remaining primary forest reserves in the state of Kedah. Bukit Wang is currently my preferred choice for forest birding here in northern Peninsular Malaysia. For the forest here is home to interesting species like the adorable Short-tailed Babbler.

Bulbuls are one of the most conspicuous family of birds that occur in the forest. However, a number of species are relatively plain-looking like the Buff-vented Bulbul. A pair was seen resting in gloomy understorey of the forest although it is predominantly a bird of the upper storey.

An exceptionally Cream-vented Bulbul had us under its spell despite its drab colouration. Birding is not always about beauty and rarities. Sometimes, the experience can be quite as rewarding.

When it comes to incredible birding experiences, encountering the mesmerizing Chestnut-necklaced Partridge should be up there among the best. Beautiful, rare and enigmatic; this game bird is the complete package. And it is indeed a privilege to be able to observe this species in one of my regular birding sites.

The spring migration has started and soon the day will come for the male Chinese Blue Flycatcher to undergo his journey back north. But for the time being, his brilliant colouration continues to shine through the forest undergrowth.

Joining the Chinese Blue Flycatcher will be the male Green-backed Flycatcher as he is also another uncommon migrant. Life has been good here for this two distinguished winter visitors and they look all set for the breeding season ahead.

A visit to the paddy fields of Permatang Pauh at this time of the year will produce all four species of egrets that frequent freshwater habitats. And the Intermediate Egret is the one that is usually needed by my guests and this lone individual certainly obliged.

The Paddyfield Pipit is the only species that is common in Peninsular Malaysia. But even common birds will sometimes get to hog the limelight especially when my birding companions are not from this part of the world.

If one spends enough time at the paddy fields, you are bound to notice persistent clicking calls from among the stalks of paddy. And if you are lucky enough, you might see a little bird known as the Zitting Cisticola performing aerial displays especially during the breeding season. Its miniature size is a big disadvantage for birders to enjoy good views. Inevitably, we had to be content with this distant shot as well.

Now, owls are one of those birds that are truly enchanting. Mysterious and intriguing, daytime encounters are something that I always anticipate and treasure. The resident Barred Eagle-Owl of Bukit DO was roosting at almost the exact spot from my previous visit. And just like the last time, some of the branches obstructed our view of this nocturnal predator.

One daytime encounter is usually sufficient to get your blood pumping. Imagine our excitement when we came across our second daytime sighting of a large owl. The resident Spotted Wood-Owl of Air Hitam Dalam was less cooperative as its chosen perch was mostly hidden from view. But the experience and the effort it took to locate this cracking species will be a memorable one for John.

Good birding spots around Penang are disappearing faster than new ones being discovered. A vast extend of reed beds in Batu Kawan recently became the centre of attention of local birders. Technically, this is not a new site for me as it was one of my regular haunts years ago but development in recent years is killing off the place. Anyway, a number of secretive water birds have been showing well enough for me to revisit this locality after such a long period time. And we were not to be disappointed. One of the attractions there are the beautiful but often secretive Ruddy-breasted Crakes. Two birds were present this evening but only one was confiding enough to be photographed.

It is not an uncommon species but good views are not that easy. I managed to obtain my best images of this species to date and the detour here before concluding the first day of tour with John paid off handsomely for the both off us. Foraging along the edge of the reeds, the crake provided tantalizing views. The lighting was not too bad and that allowed us to follow and capture the pace of the crake reasonably well. I will be making more trips to this locality in the near future and that is for sure.