Birds, butterflies and golden babies...

 

The eBird Global Big Day is an annual event with a worthy cause as the data collected will be used for bird conservation research. Unfortunately, I usually cannot fully commit to this endeavour but I do try my best. For this year, time constraint and unfavourable weather conditions are some of the obstacles I faced. I did put in a couple hours at a local patch and the forest around the Air Itam Dam was the selected site this year.

There are relatively few babblers surviving here in Penang Island. Trapped on an island that is developing at a rapid pace, these birds are truly put to the test. However in the central hilly region, one species has endured – the Grey-throated Babbler. Being vocal by nature, it is recorded on most visits here. It will take some effort to actually see the bird well and even more so to obtain a decent photograph. And I have no qualms about today’s result.

A male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker provided some vibrance and colours to this short birding endeavour. And a lucky capture when he briefly alighted on an exposed perch elevated the encounter to another level.

The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo is rather spectacular for a common species. My obsession with its namesake has been a lifelong affair and it should come as no surprise that the bird had my undivided attention. It has a habit of following tree dwelling mammals around as the movement of the latter will usually flush out prey for the former. In return, the former acts as sentry. An effective partnership to say the least.

I knew that the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo was following a troop of Dusky Langurs on this occasion but I did not pay much attention these common but beautiful primates until I was done with the former. And to my delight, there were at least two babies present. Many species of langurs have golden babies and the Dusky Langur is one of them.

I hate to admit it but the little ones, oozing with cuteness, overshadowed their feathered associate this time.

Another forest denizen that still calls the Pearl of the Orient home is the Asian Fairy Bluebird. A name like that will have a lot to live up to and the striking male bird does fail in that aspect.

I often find it difficult to obtain good views and decent photographs of this beautiful bird. I cannot recall the last time I had such a memorable encounter with the Asian Fairy Bluebird. So, it was another significant record for today. His duller mate was somewhere around but human nature had me focusing only on the handsome male.

A stunning Malayan Lacewing also had my attention briefly. There is more to life than only birds, you know. At least that is what I keep telling myself.

When the sun finally decided to show itself, it added a soaring White-bellied Sea-Eagle into my so-called Big Day checklist.

The final bird of this post is the Crested Myna. Penang Island has been a stronghold for this previously introduced species and at this particular site, it is the commonest myna species. A local speciality wrapped things up for this time and hopefully, this re-ignition of my birding blog will continue its course.

Tusker territory....

 The vicinity around the Titiwangsa Rest Stop along the East-West Highway has been recently producing notable records including a number of montane species. Although, it is a two and half hour drive from home, it is now the closest site for montane species and I could do with some montane birding. Together with Hor Kee and Michael, we left the warmth of our beds at an ungodly hour in order to reach this new birding site at the break of dawn. The rest stop sits approximately 1000 meters above sea level and the view is refreshing especially in the mornings when the mountains are still engulfed with mist.

Unfortunately, it is a popular rest area for those traveling from east to west of the peninsular and vice versa. So, it is not exactly my cup of tea. But a spotlight erected at the edge of the rest stop indirectly create a tree full of resting insects at dawn attracted by the light during the night and the birds are well aware of this breakfast buffet. We did not have time to even position ourselves near the tree when the first patrons swooped in from the forest and it was a pair of Sultan Tits. I could not believe our luck. The Sultan Tit is one of the most striking birds you can find in Malaysia and this pair provided the perfect start to our excursion. They showed little fear of our presence and I can only assume the birds here are used to human presence as there is certainly plenty of that at this locality. Even at this hour the car park area was already half full.

The Sultan Tits were restless and active. The tasty insects were the only things on their minds. There were hardly any chance for me to capture them unobstructed by the vegetation despite the close proximity. It was frustrating but the encounter with this stunning forest denizen made the relatively lethargic drive here worth the effort.

It was a long weekend as our National Day fell on the following Monday and that brought in even more travellers than usual. Amidst convoys of superbikes and other vehicles drowning the locality with their presence, I found a momentarily sanctuary here courtesy of a pair of Sultan Tits.

A few female Large Cuckooshrikes decided to join in the feast and their immense size made them rather conspicuous. Like the Sultan Tits, they exhibited a level of bravery I have not come across before and gorged on the insects at a leisurely pace.

The Large Cuckooshrike is not new to me. It is common in montane habitats but it has been almost a year since my last visit to the mountains and the pair offered temporary reprieve until my next visit. However, this birding site is no Fraser’s Hill. I do feel the cool mountain air in my lungs. The presence of several montane species this morning was a welcomed change from the usual lowland species. But the variety of species is simply not here and there are limited areas for birding. And the crowd, especially during holidays like this weekend, bordered my tolerance level.

The bird of the day goes to a family of Large Woodshrikes. They were ridiculously bold and at times, I found it hard to believe that these were wild birds. This is by far my best encounter with the Large Woodshrike. The males, with their more intense colouration, naturally had my immediate attention.

The Large Woodshrikes have a tendency to take a breather while they fed on the insects. This provided me with ample photographic opportunities and I took full advantage of them. Occasionally, I was interrupted by either curious or ignorant fellow human beings walking up to my position. Lucky for me, the interruption did not deter the Large Woodshrikes from feasting here.

The females were just as photogenic despite lacking some of the radiance of the males. The flock came and went frequently and each visit was hardly brief. So, I managed to shower the ladies with some affection at the end of it all.

One female had quite distinct pale fringing on the crown and back and as well as a paler bill. It is an indication that it is a juvenile bird rather than a female. Following the manner of the adult birds, it was also exceptional confiding.

The concentration of insects at the vicinity offered a family of Black-thighed Falconets with a relatively easy source of food. Although this tiny raptor usually prefer to take insect prey, little birds are also known to fall prey to it. From the look of things here, all the birds present seem to get along well enough.

A few common lowland birds have followed the humans up to this elevated outpost like the Yellow-vented Bulbul.

Eurasian Tree-Sparrows also opted for cooler living conditions and have settled in well here.

It was no surprise to come across a pair of Asian Fairy-Bluebirds as it occurs from the lowlands up to the mountains. The male was shy as usual leaving only the female to provide me with this one record shot.

These hornbill statues although not quite that visually appealing to me made sense as these incredible birds are present in the locality. Well, at least I can take comfort it is not a statue of a toucan instead of a hornbill.

Birds are not the only wildlife thriving along this forested highway. Asian Elephants find refuge here as well. In fact, this is one of the main strongholds of these majestic beasts. It would be exhilarating to catch a glimpse of them in the wild. But trekking vulnerably along a trail, fresh dung and pugmarks will definitely be sufficient enough for me. There are very few animals one needs to truly fear in the wilds of Malaysia and this tusker is one of them.

To end my post this time is a photo of some Bamboo Orchid flowers basking in the morning sun. I did some online research and apparently, this plant is also known as the Tapah Weed. I would not associate it to any kind of weed but then again, when it comes to plants, there is much that I still need to learn.

All the right ingredients

The second day of the photo expedition with my Indian guest brought me to the foothill of Gunung Bintang where the revelled fruit tree, patronized by a high number of bulbuls each year when it fruits, is in season again. We arrived at dawn and the tree was already teeming with birds. A male Asian Fairy-Bluebird had me fumbling to set up my gear. It is not an uncommon bird but all these years, I never had any good opportunities for photography. It was the same story today because he disappeared back into the forest as soon as the lighting improved. But there is no denying the splendour of this remarkable bird even if my photo does no justice.

Exactly one dozen species of bulbuls were recorded at this one single fruiting tree throughout the morning and naturally, my guest and I were elated. One species that stole the limelight for me on this occasion was the Ashy Bulbul. This bulbul does not reveal itself as often as some of the others but today, it seemed adamant to have its photos taken.

Vocal and distinctively plumage, it was impossible to overlook the Ashy Bulbuls each time they visited the fruiting tree.

It seemed to have a lot on its mind this beautiful Sunday morning...

In the absence of the sultry Scaly-breasted Bulbul, the most attractive species recorded today were the Grey-bellied Bulbuls. The availability of food also made them approachable and confiding. And good photographic opportunities were certainly abundant.

To immediately gain birders’ attention, you either have to be beautiful or big. The Grey-cheeked Bulbul could do with some colours but being the biggest bulbul present today, it certainly did not go unnoticed. It is also another uncommon species brought out by the temptation of food. That is why active fruiting trees are such prized commodities in the birding world. For some species, it is the only time you can enjoy their true form intimately.

For example, the Yellow-bellied Bulbuls momentarily abandoned their sanctuary among the dim-lighted understorey of the forest to feast on the tantalizing meal being offered.

The forest of Sungai Sedim is the stronghold of the Finsch’s Bulbul and it came as no surprise when a few patronized the fruiting tree. The distinctive yellow throat and vocalization makes it distinguishable from similar looking species. But this could be a bias statement due to my regular encounters with the species as this site is one of my regular haunts. As we all know, these brownish bulbuls can be challenging especially if you are not familiar with the jizz.

When it comes to undescriptive plumages, the Red-eyed Bulbul will be one of those birds that come to mind.

The same goes for the Cream-vented Bulbul with the difference in eye colour being the only thing that easily separates it from the former.

A pair of Lesser Green Leafbird compensated the lack of colours of some of the bulbuls with their striking plumage. The more attractive male was shy today and the much bolder female certainly put him to shame. Attagirl...

It was most unfortunate the male Red-throated Barbet picked up the behaviour of the male leafbird because he is one of the most impressive barbets to be found here in Sungai Sedim.

However, it was girl power today and the female Red-throated Barbet was as confiding as any wild barbet could be. Resting in the shade and unperturbed by our paparazzi-like behaviour, this is probably my best photographic opportunity of this species to date.

Despite Sod’s Law at work, the encounter with this female Red-throated Barbet was one of the main highlights of this 2-day endeavour.

Dwarfed by all the other birds especially the behemoth barbets, the minute flowerpeckers struggled to make their presence felt. They were also slightly more restless than usual and that makes photography truly challenging. The male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker despite all his splendour had very little time in the limelight.

My best effort of the day for a flowerpecker was this Yellow-vented Flowerpecker that took a breather on an open perch at eye level. It may lack the brilliant colours of the former but it is still a striking species and helped complete this remarkable experience at a fruiting for my guest.

On the way out of the forest reserve, we made a stop at the entrance to photograph some Whiskered Treeswifts. This unique and beautiful aerial hunter regularly rest in the open area of the bus park area and since it is a lifer for my guest, we took the time to appreciate the encounter.

And I am glad we did. Had we not lingered in the vicinity, we would have surely missed this male Violet Cuckoo that alighted on the very same tree moments later. I missed the cuckoo that performed superbly at my local patch of Air Hitam Dalam a few months back and till now it still leaves a bitter taste my mouth. Anyway, this individual was calling from the top of the tree and the distance was just beyond my gear’s comfort zone. But that did not make the moment any less captivating.

A pair of Pacific Swallows enjoying the beautiful weather today were the last birds we captured at Sungai Sedim and what an incredible morning it has been. I have not had it this good here for a long time. So, I was elated and I am sure so was my guest.

Nightbird encounters will always be able to conjure up feelings of intrigue and excitement – especially daytime records. It does not matter if it is the same pair of Barred Eagle-Owls that I regularly show to my foreign guests. The owls still do it for me after all these years.

By now, the bald bloke that comes round dressed in camouflage attire and armed with photographic gear do not draw curious stares at this small recreational park anymore (not that frequently anyway). The regular patrons there knows exactly what he is up to – sharing a local treasure with the birders from all over the world. And the Barred Eagle-Owls of Bukit DO rarely disappoints.

The swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam was frustratingly quiet today and the only bird that made it to my memory card was an Indian Cuckoo resting on a riverside tree.

Thanks to a tip off from Hor Kee, the final bird of the day is a privileged guest that decided to spend its winter at the coastline close to home. The Chinese Egret responsible for the sudden influx of outstation birders flocking to the Pearl of the Orient is now starting to show traces of its summer plumage and that is certainly exciting. I found the egret foraging quite a distance from shore – much to my dismay. It must have been the work of some over-enthusiastic angler to spook the egret away from its usual foraging spot. Good thing the lighting condition at that time aided my photographic efforts of this rare migrant.

My perseverance was duly rewarded when the egret finally shifted back to the water’s edge to feed. It is human nature to appreciate things more if it is harder to get and after sitting uncomfortably on a rocky shoreline for close to an hour, this encounter with the Chinese Egret will certainly be cherished.

One last image of the egret to wrap things up for the day. Hopefully, I will be able to catch it in its attractive summer plumage before it flies back north to breed if it stays that long that is. For the past two days, the Almighty has been kind to us and we were blessed with several rewarding moments. Forest bird photography can be downright cruel at times and I am most grateful for the results this time. Until the next birding adventure. Penang Birder signing off for now.