Intriguing Land of Smiles

 

It has been more than two years since we last set foot on foreign soil and apart from donning face masks, boarding an plane out of Malaysia is pretty much the same as it used to be. A few hours later, we found ourselves in The Land of Smiles and our vacation in northern Thailand began. This was not a birding trip as I was with my better half and birds that I may encounter during our stay here in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai would be a bonus. This part of the country is quite appealing and some of the views, spectacular. Needless to say, after what everyone has gone through, this little getaway was much anticipated. It has been a long time since I last saw that sparkle in her eyes and this trip certainly brought that out again.

Inevitably, I ended up shooting more typical images on this trip. But a short trip to the highest mountain in Thailand was part of our itinerary and my hopes for some decent birding lie with that highland retreat.

The first birding encounter of the trip took place right outside our hotel along one of the busiest parts of Chiang Rai town. A female White Wagtail was resting on the porch roof. It is a scarce migrant back home and was enough for me to tolerate all the stares of the locals as I tried my best to capture some images of this lovely bird.

Eventually I realized that the White Wagtail is relatively common here and a pair that I came across at the compound of the Chiang Rai’s renowned White Temple was exceptionally confiding as well. However, the pair was restless and time was a luxury I do not possess on this trip as we were part of a tour group.

The Great Myna is also common in northern Thailand but I did not put much effort into capturing its images. This species is spreading down to Peninsular Malaysia and I have had my share of encounters during excursions to Perlis state.

The Fah Lu Huang Garden at Doi Tung was another lush landscaped garden that we visited. The colours and beauty of all the flowers we encountered was much to my wife’s delight.

Me, on the other hand, struggled to obtain memorable birding experiences here. In the end, I had to settle with a couple of bulbuls. The Sooty-headed Bulbul does not occur in Peninsular Malaysia and naturally, had my undivided attention.

Although the Red-whiskered Bulbul is conspicuous with its vocal talents and wicked crest, photographic opportunities did not come easily.

There seems to be a preference to keep Mute Swans are ornamental birds here in northern Thailand and no less than two tourist destinations that we visited had these elegant water fowls as part of their attractions. I had a tough time explaining to the rest of the group why I am not spending more time photographing these domesticated swans...

The agricultural landscape at Singha Park certainly has potential and between the usual sightseeing activities, I managed to sneak off some for brief birding. On one occasion, I was caught red-handed while pursuing a Pied Bushchat at a patch of grassland.

My gut feeling proved to be right when I enjoyed what should be the bird of the trip. A stunning male Burmese Shrike was on the hunt and my lumbering intrusion did not seem to ruffle any feathers at all.

He was a creature of habit and returned to the same vantage point after each foray. The only issue was I was restricted to photographing him from this angle but it was undeniably a memorable experience.

Most lizards tend to blend in with their surroundings but I do not think the same can be said about the Blue Crested Lizard. Half the body, particularly the head region, looked as though this reptile has been dipped into a bucket of bright blue dye. I was transfixed on the lizard as it rested on a tree trunk and this lifer of another nature turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.

The peak of Doi Inthanon is the highest point in Thailand and the 6°C temperature that greeted us upon our arrival makes it one of the coldest as well. And the views, should be up there among the best especially the alluring sea of clouds.

At the summit, I was given some time to wander around on my own. As expected, this locality was teeming with bird life and the time factor prevented me from truly appreciating all species that were present. I did not do much homework prior to the visit as not to raise too much expectations. However, I do know as a fact the stunning Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird calls this place home. A few sunbirds frolicking about a flowering tree had me sprinting down the access road until I reached the base of the tree. True enough, there was at least 3 Mrs. Gould’s Sunbirds present but the only one that finally made its way to my memory card was an immature male.

The Silver-eared Laughingthrush is a split from the Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush complex just like the Malayan Laughingthrush back home. This lifer provided the best photographic opportunities for this highland excursion as the bird foraged for food confidingly close to a throng of tourist including yours truly.  

Harsh lighting and the active nature of a flock of Chestnut-tailed Minlas prevented me from including these adorable and striking birds into my photographic highlights for this visit to Doi Inthanon.

The distinct silhouette of a drongo resting on a tall tree persuaded me to put some effort in identifying the species. After further scrutiny, it turned out to be an Ashy Drongo. I am usually grateful for whatever I have been given but when I am in another country, a species that I can regularly encounter back home will not be able to evoke much emotions.

Northern Thailand is an intriguing place and the birds there even more so. This trip was nothing more than a teaser and if I have the chance, I would love to a have another one purely for birding. Some of the best moments from this vacation had nothing to do with birds. They were of my other passion in life which is making memories with the love of my life. And getting sprayed by the powerful Wachirathan Waterfall while getting our photo taken was certainly one such moment.

A not-so-big Big Day

 

Today was the slated October Big Day but weather of late here in my home state of Penang has not been favourable for this global birding event. As I made my way across the narrow Straits of Malacca, I could see alarming thunder clouds starting to form in the horizon. I have not participated full-heartedly for past few Big Days due to time constraints and this time, it looked like Mother Nature will be the one determining the duration of my endeavour. The swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam was the selected location. Being a major birding site closest to home was the main reason for this selection.

The harsh vocalizations of Brown Shrikes were prominent on this cold and gloomy morning. Autumn migration is well on its way and the presence of these common migrants was not unexpected.

I also came across a juvenile Tiger Shrike in the vicinity and this species is more of a passage migrant than a winter visitor to this site.

A pair of Olive-winged Bulbuls decided to join in the chorus and their calls are definitely easier to the ears.

Intermittent sunshine brought hope to my cause and it also brought out a pair of Greater Coucals to sunbathe and preen. The pair was tolerant to my presence which is not always the case. I took the time to appreciate their good deed with the Nipah fronds provided an interesting backdrop for my captures.

As the weather improved, I could hear the calls of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters overhead. It did not take long to locate these graceful species as they were out hunting for flying insects.

Flocks of Asian Openbills soared across the sky as they move from one location to another in search of their favourite morsel – snails.

Common as it might be, the call of the Yellow-vented Bulbul is still bubbly and sweet. As scrublands is one of its preferred habitats, a healthy population resides in this area.

Another vocal species that was out and about was the Common Iora. A pair was causing a real ruckus among the low bushes and with a little perseverance (and luck), I managed to obtain what should be the photo of the day for me. In non-breeding plumage, both sexes are very similar to each other and I would assume the paler individual on the right is the female.

One of the most striking species you can find living nearby or even within human settlements is the male Pink-necked Pigeon. And to have two in a single frame had me trekking along the muddy riverbank for a better image.

The male Common Flameback that occurs in similar habitats, is a worthy rival to the former in terms of aesthetic appeal. Unfortunately, today he was hesitant to reveal his true beauty.

Like an oversized feather squirrel, a Green-billed Malkoha scurried along the canopy level with much haste leaving me with nothing more than images of empty branches. However a second bird, presumably its mate, stayed put just long enough for a couple of shutter clicks and the images turned out better than I had anticipated.

I see Brahminy Kites on wings more often than at rest. Despite the less-than-ideal shooting condition, this encounter with one of the resident kites perched on a lofty tree crown was rather enjoyable.

Going into the fourth hour of my Big Day, the weather started to turn for the worse. The sky darkened and the winds started to pick up momentum. Retreat was the only logical solution as I really did not fancy riding across the Penang Bridge during a thunderstorm. A Water Monitor Lizard made me delay my journey home. Although this massive reptile does not alter the outcome of my Big Day, it was impressive enough to conclude my blog post for this time.

Foreseeing a lifer?

 

The general plan was to check out whatever remains of the peat swamp forest at Pondok Tanjung in northern Perak state. This locality used to be one my favourite forest sites but that was a long time ago before all the deforestation and road works crept in. I often tell myself there is no point holding on to the past because most of the time, what has been done towards Mother Nature cannot be undone in this lifetime nor the next. So instead of exploring this wilderness through a network of idyllic forest trails, it is now reduced to walking along the busy access road next to the forest.

There is another reason that could well be the true objective of the visit. Hor Kee recently recorded some different sounding Cream-vented Bulbuls with pale orangey irises at this location and we hope to further document these bulbuls. The Cream-eyed Bulbul is a species new to science that was discovered in Borneo a few years back. And Hor Kee, hoping to repeat the success he had with the Olive Bulbul (which was a new country record) by accumulating enough supporting evidence to show that the Cream-eyed Bulbul may not only be restricted to Borneo. A careful sweep of the area where the bulbuls were last recorded eventually produced the results we seek.

We also found a pair that was attending to a juvenile indicating that for now, these bulbuls still find sanctuary in the peat swamp forest of Pondok Tanjung.

I have recorded Cream-vented Bulbuls with darker iris before and going through my images, I found a few that I have taken at Sungai Sedim in the state of Kedah back in 2015 and 2010 respectively.

When it comes to birding, I like to keep things simple and trying to separate two almost identical brown bulbuls is anything but simple. Just to be clear, there is nothing conclusive in this post. These “Cream-vented” Bulbuls do call differently and have subtle physical differences from the typical. And for the time being, I will leave it at that.

A lone Buff-vented Bulbul momentarily distracted me from our objective a one point. It is undeniable all these brownish bulbuls look quite similar at a glance. Upon further scrutiny one can usually determine their identifications unlike some other family of birds like for example the dreaded leaf-warblers.

Once we were done with the bulbuls, we started to pay attention to the other species that were obviously present. In fact, we found ourselves surrounded by an array of bird calls since dawn and one family of birds stood out from the rest – the babblers. As we are all well aware, babblers usually offer nothing more than glimpses as they move about in the cover of the forest. Sometimes, we can be fortunate enough to experience a little more than that and a pair of Fluffy-backed Tit-Babblers mesmerized us with their charisma on this occasion. This species is known to be confiding at times and this is certainly one of those times.

The forest undergrowth may save you the agony of straining your neck looking upwards but your patience will be tested as you wait for photographic opportunities that may never come. I was almost outdone by this sneaky little Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler but a gap among the vegetation caught the babbler off-guard and frustration instantly became exhilaration for me. Gotcha!

The haunting territorial call of the Sooty-capped Babbler has always been a prominent feature here. I do not get to see this skulker as often as I would like and on this beautiful Saturday morning, the prolonged visual encounter obtained was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.

The Sooty-capped Babbler is not that striking a bird but the obliging nature of this individual overwhelmed my senses. I frequently lament about the frustrations of forest birding but when everything comes together perfectly, it is utter bliss. And all those hours spent wandering aimlessly will make sense to you again.

Often obscured from view by the dense foliage of the canopy, the Green Iora is one of the many denizens that call the forest home. The soft but persistent song is usually the only indication of its presence and once learnt, you will find that the Green Iora is not that uncommon at all. The male is exceptionally striking and our good fortune today continued with cracking views of an individual that wandered much lower down than usual. The late morning sun was unforgivingly harsh but there was no undermining the beauty of this species especially from such a close proximity.

Unlike the Iora, the Rufous-tailed Tailorbirds were shy and uncooperative today. It is another attractive resident of this locality but prefers the lower levels of the forest rather than the canopy. A brief view enabled me to squeeze the shutter a few times but the distance and lighting conditions were just a little too much for my photographic gear.

As we were making our way out, a troop of Pig-tailed Macaques loitering about the roadside halted our journey. The monkeys here are accustomed to human handouts and have grown exceedingly bold as a result. The alpha male is seriously intimidating and this brute of an animal provided the perfect ending for our visit here.

Before calling it a day, we made one last stop at the ponds next to the landfill of Pulau Burung. As expected only the resident species and overwhelming stench were present. But one species of water fowl in particular had our full attention. It has been quite a while since I last recorded such a big number of Lesser Whistling-Ducks. This location is a known stronghold for them and all two hundred strong were relatively unperturbed by the sudden presence of two human observers.

Hindered by the glaring midday lighting, the confiding nature of some of ducks enjoying their siesta could not produce the type of images I was hoping for. Regardless, I am still delighted to be greeted by this small spectacle at a locality that has also lost much of its lustre in recent years.