The case of missing Mugimakis

 

I have been constantly kept away from birding of late and it was rejuvenating to finally get to venture out into the field again even if it was only for a couple of hours. This time last year, the Penang Botanic Gardens surprisingly became the centre of attention for birders throughout the country because of the presence of Asian Emerald Cuckoos. A few notable migrants started showing well again in the form of a Taiga Flycatcher and Mugimaki Flycatchers. Their aesthetic appeal and charisma are not quite in the same league of that of the cuckoos and naturally, did not caused that much of a ripple in the birding community. Thus, I found myself alone as I searched for the flycatchers on this wet and gloomy morning.

The overcast sky cloaked the vicinity with an extended state of dawn lighting and undeniable evidence of last night’s heavy downpour made me ponder if it would have been wiser for me to sleep in late instead of birding in such a challenging condition. The Crimson Sunbird is not much of a singer but its call is quite distinctive to my ears. And one was certainly present nearby. This location is one the best site I know for Crimson Sunbirds and it did not take long for me to start ogling at a handsome male satisfying his sugar craving on a low flowering bush. It was a close and prolonged encounter and all thoughts of comfortably curling up in bed ceased to taunt me.

The lighting may have dampened my efforts to digitally capture his splendour but in real life, his vivid colouration pierced through the gloom like a fiery torch.

I come across Black-naped Orioles frequently in my housing estate and they are undoubtedly one of the prettiest garden birds in Malaysia. It may be a common bird but I do not have as many photographic opportunities with the Black-naped Oriole as I would like to. The striking beauty of the bird helped to brighten up the morning’s excursion.

The Penang Botanic Gardens has long been a stronghold for the Crested Myna and here, it outnumbers every other myna species. Somewhat of a Penang speciality, this species continues to thrive throughout the Pearl of the Orient.

As I wandered about this popular recreational location, I unintentionally flushed a pair of foraging Spotted Doves. The birds here are certainly accustomed to human presence and were hardly perturbed by my intrusion. They alighted just a few feet away and carried on with their foraging.

There was a fruiting tree in the vicinity but the fruits were almost depleted. Although there was hardly any bird activities, a pair of Olive-winged Bulbuls still came for whatever that is left.

They stayed for quite a considerable amount of time and me, having nothing else to keep me occupied, accompanied them until they moved on.

The search for the migratory flycatchers proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. Except for a brief glimpse of a female, the Mugimaki Flycatchers were nowhere to be seen. That is a real shame for the male is an absolute stunner and one of the deciding factors why I chose this landscaped garden for my birding excursion this time. A little brown flycatcher hawking for insects did not evoke much excitement for I have not seen a Taiga Flycatcher hunt this way before here in Malaysia. As expected, it turned out to be an Asian Brown Flycatcher and no amount of scrutiny can change it into anything more notable – I tried.

A short while later, I came across another little brown flycatcher. Foraging about the lower level of a bamboo clump, it exhibited a more typical behaviour of the Taiga Flycatcher. When it started cocking its tail, the identity was no longer in doubt despite the distance. With a little perseverance, I managed to reduce that distance and obtained some decent images of this scarce migrant.

The Taiga Flycatcher may lack the bright colouration of the male Mugimaki Flycatcher but I am grateful to be able to spend time with it. It is way much better than missing out on both species – that is for sure.

A hunting Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo brought back memories of last year’s Asian Emerald Cuckoo because it was doing the exact same thing – gorging on caterpillars. This species tend to be quite tolerant of human presence and I managed to approach it without much effort.

The cuckoo’s hunt lasted several minutes and that was more than I could I have asked for. While it focused on satisfying its seemingly insatiable appetite, I took full advantage of the situation to obtain images of this sleek bird.

It was momentarily joined by another individual but sharing appeared not to be in their nature. Hostility ensued and one of them left the vicinity soon after. I can only presumed this was the second bird as the tails feathers appeared tidier. Anyway, it was just as confiding and continued to provide good photographic opportunities. Some Christmas magic after all...

In terms of birding, there is nothing much for me to shout about this year. Christmas did not come early for me nor will it be late. A Little Egret nicely moulting into breeding plumage is my Christmas angel this year. One thing about the pandemic that the world is still facing is that it has reminded us well to be grateful for what we have or have been given. To all those celebrating, I wish you a blessed Christmas.