Peeping Tom?

 

Crakes, as we all are well aware, can be darn elusive if they choose to be. Naturally, the birding community in Penang (and beyond) got all worked up with the discovery of a family of Red-legged Crakes that habitually bathe in a forest stream at a locality where this species is known to reside. When I finally managed a few hours of birding time into my schedule, Mother Nature had other plans soon after my arrival at the site. Not only did she conjure up rain clouds and strong winds on initially a beautiful Saturday morning but I also found out that the crake family recently changed their daily indulgence to evenings. The joys of birding have no equals...

The gloomy atmosphere, however, did not stop a pair of Indochinese Blue-Flycatchers from serenading the vicinity with their sweet song and appealing beauty. Here in Penang Island, this species is surprisingly common and you can hear their distinctive call in almost every green area. Having said that, I still do not have that many images of the of the Indochinese Blue-Flycatcher and their presence were very much appreciated. Like the crakes, they have been performing well of late and the male immediately gained my undivided attention.

Photography here is not exactly easy because it is naturally dim. The weather today compounded the difficulty. A handful of my photographs turned out reasonably well and that slightly compensated missing out on the crakes.

His mate although much duller in appearance, performed just as admirably today. I showered her with some deserving affection once the hold he had over me started to wear off.

It was almost impossible to ignore the Oriental Magpie-Robins at this locality. Their amazing vocals and active nature will make sure of that. There are small populations of this highly in demand song bird throughout the island but illegal trapping if left unchecked, will be devastating for the Oriental Magpie-Robin.

As I dragged myself out of the location to conclude this short visit, a male Black-naped Oriole decided to alight on a nearby tree. Although he was not exactly looking his best, he was still a stunner which is typical of the species.

The disappointment with the Red-legged Crake was a bitter pill to swallow and I was back at the locality the next day determined not to let this uncommon resident get the better of me. Needless to say, my visit this time was in the afternoon. An Ashy Drongo attending to an offspring momentarily diverted me from my mission. They were hunting along the access road and I left them to carry on with their lives after the youngster made short work of a butterfly it caught.

Just like yesterday, I waited at the faithful spot and endured the onslaught of the mosquitoes here. Minutes became hours and still no Red-legged Crake. The male Indochinese Blue-Flycatcher was patrolling his territory and provided some exhilaration to the occasion.

Exceptionally confiding, I enjoyed my best experiences with this flycatcher so far in my birding life.

I was about to pack it up when someone spotted the Red-legged Crake made its way down to the stream for its evening dip. It was a Sunday after all and to have a small crowd waiting for a chance to photograph this striking crake was nothing surprising. However, it was a relatively distant observation. Dusk was also approaching and threatened to rob us of our precious lighting. The Red-legged Crake is not new to me but this brief and challenging encounter blessed me with a few images and that, was new.