The marvel of fruiting trees

 

When in season, the fruiting trees of the interiors of Kedah state can be phenomenal. More than a dozen of birds can and will congregate to feast. These natural bird magnets do not only attract the birds but birders and photographers as well. For the past two years, the coronavirus kept me from my yearly pilgrimage here to pay homage to this revered occurrence. With the worst of the pandemic finally over (hopefully), I visited the trees with my Singaporean guests and we were not disappointed. Yes, it is trees. Two of them are in season to be exact and located almost next to each other.

Bulbuls, as expected, formed the majority of the birds patronizing the trees. A total of 12 different species were recorded on this trip and that itself is a privilege to me. As the birds continued to swoop in from the adjacent forest, we started our documentation of this incredible experience. One of the first species that truly captured my attention were the Grey-cheeked Bulbuls. Robust and with a wicked crest to boast, they momentarily stole the limelight.

The Finsch’s Bulbul maintained a distance from its bigger cousin and I managed to capture a couple of its images before my attention was diverted elsewhere. The issue usually faced at an active fruiting tree is the overwhelming number of birds present. And your attention span on a single species can become short and flitting.

And if it is a drab-looking species like the Red-eyed Bulbul, the chances of being ignored is inevitable. However, if it times itself perfectly and makes an entrance when all eyes will be on it, then the stage will be its.

The Scaly-breasted Bulbul is considered by many as one of the most striking of all the bulbuls. I can blame it on Murphy’s Law or Sod’s Law but it will not change the fact that I only managed to capture one decent image in the end and not before this forest jewel tormented everyone present from the cover of the foliage throughout most of the morning.

The mesmerizing Grey-bellied Bulbul was the showstopper as usual with its willingness to show off its vivid colouration without reservation. Perhaps its confiding nature is the reason it is not considered to be the Scaly-breasted Bulbul’s equal. We humans tend to want what we cannot have more than what we can easily have.

I did not capture that many images this time as I have foreign guests to host and they are always the priority. I have known Nigel for a long time and his son Lucas was a small boy when I first guided them. To see him now, all grown up, makes me feel even older. Anyway, it is always good to have the younger generation taking up interest in birding. And stunning species like the male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker will only flame this interest.

The Yellow-vented Flowerpeckers were exceptionally bold today and naturally, provided some of the best images of the trip.

Food drunk by the seemingly endless supply of tasty morsels, these adorable forest dwellers momentarily abandoned their natural instinct to hide among the vegetation.

A cluster of white mushrooms flourishing on a fallen log somehow managed to gain a brief moment to be appreciated despite the flurry of bird activities at the fruiting trees. As I contemplated the transitional phase of convincing myself there is more to life than just birds, a burst of musical notes at the fruiting tree signified the end to this trail of thoughts.

The arrival of leafbirds added even more colours and beauty to the occasion. A long, good look at the male was required to determine the identification of this Greater Green Leafbird.

On the contrary, the identification of the female Greater Green Leafbird with her distinct yellow throat and eye ring was instantaneous.

Big is certainly beautiful especially if it is a Gold-whiskered Barbet dwarfing the rest of the birds in its surroundings. Initially, it remained partially hidden by the foliage while gorging on the fruits. With a full belly it then decided to put on show I rarely get to witness. And it left me breathless.

You do not have to hazard a guess for bird of the day. This Gold-whiskered Barbet certainly deserved that honour. When it finally retreated back into forest, we decided to conclude our visit here.

On the way back, we did a short visit to Air Hitam Dalam. There was not much to be expected of this locality nowadays. That is the sad state of birding close to home and it can be depressing. The resident pair of Mangrove Blue Flycatchers are again my saviours and they did not go unappreciated. A sense of nostalgia started to develop in me as we observed the pair in the dim understorey of the forest because eight years ago, I was showing the same species to both Nigel and Lucas at this very spot. Back then, this locality was so much different. It was not only a sanctuary for the birds but mine as well. Change is the only constant in life. We just have to make the best out of it.