One can always hope...(23/08/2014)

Bukit Palong is a little-known birding site located in the rural district of Baling in Kedah. It used to be a pristine habitat for wildlife - that is until development found its way there. Disheartened, I did not visit the site for almost 2 years. A proposition by Hor Kee to check if there are any Plain-pouched Hornbills passing through the site prompted me for a long overdue revisit. Together with Choo Eng, we made the 2-hour drive from Penang in the wee hours full of anticipation and anxiety.

A substantial part of this ridge is now being replaced with secondary growth thanks to all the deforestation that took place. But there are traces of its former glory left and perhaps, there is still hope for this birding site to recover. In fact, I'm really counting on it because the number of birding sites close to home are certainly not increasing. 

Sad to say we did not see or hear a single hornbill throughout the trip. Hornbills are good indicators of what state the forest is in. A heavily disturbed forest will usually be void of these magnificent birds. So, there you have it. Screw with the balance of nature and lose its precious elements.

But we did manage to observe another family of birds renowned for the shape of their bills but on a smaller scale - broadbills. Banded Broadbills are hard to observe because they tend to keep to the cover of the canopy. Their insect-like calls are usually the only indicator of their presence. Today, however, this individual decided to let us off the hook and foraged lower than it normally does. 

I was hoping for it to wander down a little more because at this distance, all we could muster were record shots. It does not matter if it is still a young bird and the radiance of its plumage is just a little short of an adult bird's. I have been taught to always be happy with what you have. Unfortunately, I have difficulties applying that to birding compared to other things in life.

The Rufescent Prinia replaces the much commoner Yellow-bellied Prinia along the edges of forest. But these two species do occasionally overlap in habitats. Here, both species are found but once you ascend pass the foothill settlements, it is the former's thick of the woods.

The mighty Blyth's Hawk-eagles look over what is left of their domain atop a lofty perch. This pair has been breeding quite successfully over the past years and looks set for another go in the coming months despite all the disturbances. Thank God for that...

The eagles are not the ones that are in for some action. I came across this pair of millipedes in a rather compromising position…

I am not much of a flower person but I guess there are a few species out there that I can safely recognize. Since our Independence Day is just around the corner and all that, here is the Hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia.

The flower of the wild Ginger is another easy one for me…

At the summit of the hill, we were suddenly engulfed by heavy mist. The mist certainly gave the vicinity an aura of intrigue and beauty. Who am I kidding? It’s a nightmare for any birding activity.

But even in the mist, there is no mistaking the silhouette of the world's smallest bird of prey. A flock of six Black-thighed Falconets was seen hunting from a tall bare tree next to the access road. Don't let their adorable looks fool you. They are very efficient hunters of insects and small birds. These tiny terrors on wings have been my object of admiration for as long as I can remember. I guess being a falcon gets you into my good graces by default - even if you are just the size of a sparrow. Size doesn't matter in this case. It's all about attitude.

I lamented to my companions that I never had the chance to photograph Falconets from close range the day I took up photography and one must have heard me and alighted almost overhead. All you had to do was ask, human...

In the end, a confiding falconet became the saviour of this trip. I will certainly be back again in the near future and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the hornbills and others to return and call this place home again.

The flying jewel (21/03/2014)

My luck with forest bird photography did not improve much from my last excursion as I ended up with another “one-bird” trip. This time it was at the forest of Sungai Sedim in eastern Kedah state. Forest birding is indeed very challenging and forest bird photography, even more so. But it is only in the forest that one will get to witness some of the true wonders of the natural world – like the stunning Green Broadbill. Since I do not have anything else to post for this trip, I will dedicate it to the Green Broadbill.

The Green Broadbill occurs in both primary and secondary forests of Southeast Asia. Occasionally, it might wander into adjacent orchards and plantations as well. It is not a rare bird but typical of the genus and like most other denizens of the forest, it is more often heard than seen. The call, like the bird itself, is rather unique and that makes identification rather straightforward. What is complicated is the fact that the bird is about the size of a leaf, has colours like a leaf and the tendency to remain still among the leaves at the canopy level. Successfully locating a Green Broadbill among a sea of leaves is an achievement all by itself. Obtaining reasonably good photographs is another matter altogether. I will not be going into detail about the habits and characteristics of the bird. This will be more like a personal account of this fascinating and beautiful species.

I recorded my very first Green Broadbill at Air Itam Dam in my home state and it was the year 1990. In fact, the Green Broadbill is the only broadbill to occur in Penang Island. Its unique call was the first thing that caught my attention. At that time I was still quite new to birding and did not know that this call belonged to the Green Broadbill. Intrigued, I slowly trace the call to its source. Then a "leaf" suddenly took off from the tree in front of me and darted through the forest. In a blink of an eye, it was gone but the image of the striking emerald green plumage remained fresh at the back of my mind till this very day. A little homework helped me identify this forest gem on wings. Determination and luck helped me obtain better views of this species at this locality in the years to follow after that faithful day. 

Throughout my bird photography life (which is after more than a decade after being converted into birding), I have successfully captured images of the Green Broadbill only on a handful of occasions. Not exactly a record I can be proud of but it is the honest truth never the less. Here is a male bird in his comfort zone - at the very top of the canopy level and well away from any intruding birders. This image was my first of this species and was taken at Merapoh Taman Negara back in 2009. 

My next photographic opportunity, if I can call it an opportunity, came about 2 years later. The forest at Sungai Sedim in Kedah is one of the strongholds of this species and it has been recorded here on a regular basis. Despite all my efforts, this was the best I could manage of a male bird foraging at the very top of the canopy level.

In 2012, the confiding nature of a female bird absolutely took me by surprise. Green Broadbills are omnivorous by nature and the availability of food at a fruiting tree was the reason for her memorable performance. But her mate was not as obliging and remained partly hidden most of the time. This encounter took place at Bukit Palong in Kedah and I made an entry into my blog about that trip entitled The Natural Bird Magnet. 

My latest Green Broadbill encounter took place last Saturday at Sungai Sedim again. It was a male bird, in all his glory, belting out his territorial call from a relatively low and exposed perch. The breeding season must have made him a little bolder than usual and I was lucky enough to enjoy his performance before he hopped back into the cover of the canopy. My only qualm is that I did not have time to adjust the exposure on my camera before he disappeared from view. But it is by far my best effort and I guess it will do – for now.

Where flying rhinos roam (15/12/2012)

I was having second thoughts about going to Bukit Palong in Kedah when it started to rain just as I drove pass the state border. It was still another good hour’s drive to reach the locality but I decided to follow through with my initial plan. Luckily, it turned out to be the right decision as the trip turned out to be quite rewarding in the end. Upon my arrival, the rain had stopped. The sun was out. And the birds had started their morning repertoires. I took all of this as a good sign and started trekking up the steep access road with much anticipation of what may be in store for me up ahead. The first bird to greet me was a family of Black-thighed Falconets drying and preening themselves on a dead tree.

A male Crimson-winged Woodpecker was busily foraging along a coconut tree trunk. However, he had his back towards me most of the time and this was the best that I could obtain.

The yelping calls of the Bushy-crested Hornbills, which always reminded me of the sounds puppies make, echoed through the vicinity as I slowly made my way deeper into the forest reserve. I followed their calls to a huge tree at the edge of the forest and managed to locate a female blissfully drying herself in the warm rays of the morning sun.

A male was also drenched to the bone from the earlier rain. As he was perched on a slightly lower part of the tree, he provided a much better photographic opportunity. This species is usually rather wary of human presence but perhaps, the rain had made them a little more sluggish and tolerant. Or maybe they were just enjoying their time in the sun too much to be bothered by one birder.

I had to walk further away from the tree to locate the rest of the flock as they had perched at the very top of the tree crown. I find hornbills to be most fascinating and one of the reasons is because they are one of the largest of our forest birds. Unfortunately, it is now getting quite difficult to see them in the field. Deforestation and poaching has had a devastating impact on them. I can only hope the ongoing conservation works in Malaysia will be able to provide these majestic birds with a better future.

A pair of Wreathed Hornbills flew past without giving me much time to focus my camera on them. But shortly after, the diagnostic sounds of the wing beats of another hornbill did not go unnoticed. And I was ready for it this time – or so I thought. Much to my dismay, it flew along the line where there were hardly any gaps in the forest canopy. To add to my misery, it was a Great Hornbill – a species I have longed to obtain good photographs. By the time I was able to start shooting, the window of opportunity for a good shot had already passed.

All was not lost when it alighted among some very distant trees. Now, you must be thinking that it should be pretty easy to locate a 3-foot long bird perched on a tree. Well, trust me – sometimes it isn’t! So, this encounter ended up as another case of so close and yet so far.

Migratory Phyllosopus warblers are one of the most difficult birds to identify. They look remarkably alike and are extremely active by nature. Fortunately, only a handful winters here in Malaysia and at first glance, this individual did not look quite like the usual suspects. Upon further scrutiny, it turned out to be an Inornate Warbler and I haven’t come across one of these for a long time. I tried my best to capture a few images as it is considered a scarce migrant to Malaysia. Surprisingly, I did manage to because it was a little more accommodating than usual for an arboreal warbler.

The piercing cries of the resident Blyth’s Hawk-eagle diverted my attention to the clouds above. I find this species to be one of the most strikingly marked raptors in Malaysia and they even look much better at rest with the crest and all. But I still do not have the good fortune of photographing one perched from a close distance.

The Rufescent Prinia is not uncommon in suitable habitats but its skulking behaviour do made it a tough subject for photography most of the time. A pair was exceptionally vocal this morning and they seemed pretty confiding as they went about their business. I then decided to try my luck by sticking around and wait for a photographic opportunity to present itself. Just when I was about to give up, one of them hopped onto an exposed perch in good light, posed and dived back down into the tall grass. And that was it. I guess expecting a repeat performance would be pushing it a little too far.

During my maiden trip to this locality with Choo Eng, we recorded a Buff-breasted Babbler. If I were to try and describe this bird to you, it would sound something like it is a little bird and it is brown. Little brown jobs, a term used by birders for non-descript birds, are put here on Earth by God to test the identification skills and sanity of birders everywhere. Anyway, the sighting turned out to be a new record for the state of Kedah and at a lower altitude when compared to the other localities where this species is known to occur. At that time, it managed to slip past our cameras. When I came across this bird again and this time foraging along the lower levels of the forest, I was determined to obtain at least a record shot - one way or the other. I cursed and struggled for quite long while but without any success. I even resorted to using manual focusing and that is something I rarely do. The moment of truth came when it rested on a slightly more exposed perch (probably tired from all the taunting and teasing that it has been dishing out to me) long enough for me to fire a couple of shots.

Bukit Palong is a wonderful place – beautiful, wild, isolated, no weekend crowd and most importantly, rich in bird life. But like any other “not-so-protected” forest reserves here, the presence of man and his actions will often leave a lasting impression on the natural environment. Well like what I always say, enjoy it while it last.

The natural bird magnet (28/01/2012)

Sometimes you can spend hours in a forest and yet, end up without even a single image. The dense vegetation, the difficult shooting conditions, the behaviour of the birds are just some of the factors that make forest photography so damn challenging. However if you happen to chance upon a suitable fruiting tree, it can balance out things in your favour. What started out as a mediocre morning along the access road of Bukit Palong, Kedah turned for the better with the discovery of such a fruiting tree. It was unfortunate that the sun was slightly behind the tree but it was still a rather enjoyable experience. The dense foliage also hampered my chances of obtaining more and better images as well. 

The majority of the birds present at the tree were Bulbuls and in the end, I only managed to photograph the commonest species around – the Red-eyed Bulbul. It was not because I was so fascinated with this species that I ignored the more uncommon and striking species like the Ochraceous and Scaly-breasted Bulbuls. But all of my efforts to obtain some reasonable images of them failed to materialize due to one reason or another. So much for tipping the scale to our favour!

A few Ruby-cheeked Sunbirds were feasting on the lower branches but their active nature made it quite difficult for me. The image of the striking male bird below turned out to be my best effort and there was certainly much room for improvement.

This female was pretty determined to reach for the fruits near the end of the branch and did not mind having to perch awkwardly as long as she can achieve her goal. 

The male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker is another dazzling denizen of the forest. Not really uncommon but again, hard to obtain reasonably good images. So, it comes as no surprise that I got pretty excited when I spotted a lone male gorging on the fruits near the top of the tree’s crown. He was quite confiding but the distance between us was just too great for my current setup to reach.

The best performer of the trip was a pair of Green Broadbills that was resting unobtrusively (after feasting on the fruits no doubt) just beneath the crown of the tree. The female was a real darling and allowed me to photograph her to my heart’s content. That’s a good girl!

Her mate, however, was not too thrilled with my presence and gradually moved deeper in the foliage and eventually, out of sight. As always, the duller one is usually the more confiding one - Murphy’s Law at its best. 

While stalking out at the fruiting tree, a Tiger Shrike came relatively close momentarily. Being a pure predatory bird, the fruits are of no interest to it and it was merely passing through.

26/03/2011: Bukit Palong (Kedah)

Despite the current wet spell, Choo Eng and I headed towards for this locality for hopefully, a few hour of birding. The weather held up and the discovery of a fruiting tree was an added bonus. A fruiting tree usually becomes a bird-magnet and several different species can be seen feeding on the fruits together. Although this tree was not too far away from the access road but the angle was a little too steep to produce any really great shots. The majority of the patrons here were Bulbuls consisting of the Black-headed, Red-eyed, Buff-vented, Streaked, Grey-bellied and Scaly-breasted. Unfortunately, only the Streaked Bulbul stayed put long enough for me to obtain a few reasonable shots.

The Blue-eared Barbet is always a welcome sight as it is seldom seen away from the dense foliage of the canopy levels. Its persistent and distinctive calls are normally the only tell tale sign of its presence. This fellow was seen foraging along a huge tree trunk and only the distance hampered my efforts of obtaining better images.

Most of the winter visitors have started their spring migrations but I guess a few are a little reluctant to end their tropical vacation just yet like this Dark-sided Flycatcher.

If ever there is a tree called the Fireball Tree, this would definitely be it.

Sultan Tits are simply just awesome birds. I have been trying in vain to obtain good images of them ever since I took up photography. This forest jewel is not really common anywhere and possesses a striking colour combination of black and bright yellow. To top it all off, it wears a wicked yellow crest on its crown. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the Sultan Tit. However, the distant record shots I managed to obtain does it no justice at all.

Although Parrots are poorly represented here in Malaysia, we certainly have one of the most adorable and charming species around – the Blue-crowned Hanging-parrot. Like the Sultan Tit, I hardly had any good photographic opportunities with this species as well. This trip’s record shots of a female bird will just have to do – for now.

20/11/2010: Bukit Palong (Kedah)

While making our way this locality, we came across a Changeable Hawk-eagle perched rather comfortably on a tree just next to the main road. Lucky for us, traffic was still at a minimum and we took our time to capture a few images of this magnificent raptor.

It was rather confiding and practically ignored our presence and all the vehicles passing below it. Well, except when we got a little too close and it gave us the “stare”. If looks could kill, I’d be dead already.

One of the main reasons we decided to do our birding here was the recent sighting of a White-throated Rock-thrush - a rather scarce migrant. Unfortunately, we dipped out on the thrush but a few other migrants like this stunning Ferruginous Flycather provided the highlights and magic for this trip.

We also came across three rather confiding Dark-sided Flycatchers on different occasions throughout the trip. This is the first individual we encountered and it hawked for insects a little too high up in the canopy for any really great images.

The second individual had a much paler underside colouration and its choice of a vantage point to hunt was much more favourable for photography than the first bird.

I’m saving the best for last as the third individual gave us a most memorable performance. It frequently returned to the same few perches that were just in front of us. We just needed to position ourselves and wait for the little fellow to pose for us.

A flock of Scarlet Minivets foraging through the forest canopy is always a breathtaking sight but attempting to capture their images is never easy due to their active nature and their preference for the upper canopy levels. Anyway, this is my best effort of a young male taking a breather along a slightly lower level.