Taboo of the birding world?

 

This would be my first birding excursion to the wettest part of Peninsular Malaysia since the pandemic. We have been experiencing excruciating hot weather in Penang and unfortunately, it is not much different here in Taiping as well. I decided to visit the stakeout at the foothill of Bukit Larut and a juvenile Siberian Blue Robin reminded me just how challenging photography can be at this particular spot.

The migratory Green-backed Flycatcher did not fare any better for my photography endeavour. My feeble attempts did no justice to the vibrant colouration of this adult male and in the end, this is the only image that I can barely justify to share in my post.

Any pitta encounter is a good encounter in my books. Despite the lighting condition, this Hooded Pitta provided a much-welcomed dose of exhilaration to my time here in this gloomy gulley. And the throng of hikers making their way up and down the steep access road finally had a reason to stop and look at my unreserved birding antics set off by this mesmerizing species.

I cannot help but to feel a little disappointed with the results at the stakeout so far. Years of birding may have made me a patient man but I have my limits. The absence of any resident species to the stakeout was another setback to my plans for the day. But life goes on and I then started to explore the vicinity by foot. This old school approach yielded a female Rhinoceros Hornbill flying above this lush landscape.

A pair of Banded Broadbills was nesting in the locality as well and as expected, a congregation of bird photographers marks the spot. Photography at nesting sites is a controversial matter – always has been and always will be. As long as one does not go overboard with his or her attempts for the perfect shot, there are worse threats to a nesting site as far as I am concerned. Anyway, the chicks successfully fledged at the time of writing and here are some images of the female bird carrying out her parental duties. As you can see, I do practice what I preach.

While waiting for the Banded Broadbill, some other forms of local wildlife helped to keep me occupied like this Gliding Lizard.

Slight movements near where I have planted my feet (when there is a crowd, good shooting positions is a prized commodity) turned out to be a Flat-backed Millipede. Invertebrates are not really my cup of tea but I made an exception for this creepy crawly.

Once I obtained the images I wanted of the Banded Broadbill, I continued with my search for more avian delights which have proved to be difficult throughout this warm and sunny morning. A female Large Woodshrike managed to convince me that the world is not such a bleak place after all with a commendable performance.

A foraging Grey-breasted Spiderhunter could not keep the momentum going and refused to give up the safety of the forest canopy. And a distant, harshly lighted image was all I have to show at the end of this rather brief encounter.

The Black-thighed Falconet is not uncommon here but its diminutive size can be easily overlooked. This tiny bird of prey does have a preference for exposed perches and this individual doing exactly that, wrapped things up for this time.

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.

Well, what do you know...

 

There was a time when Cameron Highlands was a haven for both birds and birders. Fast forward to the present day and you will usually have traffic congestion greeting you upon your arrival, development everywhere and an unbelievable number of people present. In short, they brought city living up to this hill station. This trip was a family vacation more than anything else. For my better half, it was her first outstation trip since the lockdowns. The colours and fragrances of the floral gardens and the rolling hillslopes of the tea estates certainly had her attention. I naturally agreed to everything that was in her itinerary. Getting in her good graces in exchange for some birding time never once crossed my mind.

I managed (or should I say allowed) to sneak out twice during our stay here. The first was an afternoon affair and it was along an isolated road close to our accommodations. Hopping about the undergrowth was a small ball of feathers and I knew exactly it was. The ever-adorable Pygmy Cupwing was the first true montane species I encountered on this trip and I could not have asked for a better start. As usual, the skulking nature of the bird and the cover provided by the dense vegetation tested both my patience and photographic gear.

My lucky break came when the Pygmy Cupwing was done tormenting me and alighted on an exposed perch. In full view, it is undoubtedly a cracking bird. And I thought to myself perhaps there is still some magic left here after all.

The Lesser Shortwing is another skulker of the mountainous regions and its distinctive and melodious call is a common sound in this habitat. To enjoy good views, one usually has to work (or pray) really hard. And for my efforts this time, a view that I really should not complain about but the obstructing vegetation hampered what could have been a decent image of a handsome male bird.

Away from the hustle and bustle of Brinchang town and potentially a good birding area, I was grateful to have found this “local patch” to satisfy my birding addiction. Here the natural habitat remains relatively untouched and the sounds of Mother Nature filled the vicinity instead of human activities. It reminded me of the Cameron Highlands of old and the nostalgia brought back unforgettable memories of a teenage birder experiencing the avian wonders this place had to offer.

I froze when I came across an open space among the forest. There was a slender and black mammal lying on the ground in a distance and it appeared to be feeding. As I lifted my binoculars, I could hardly contain my excitement. However instead of a fearsome Black Panther as I so wishfully hoped for, it was just a domestic dog. Luckily I was alone and my pride, intact.

The Mountain Tailorbird, apparently, is no longer a Tailorbird but it is still a warbler. Whatever it is, this bird is difficult to photograph because it is restless and small. The individual I came across today was rather inquisitive and a little more confiding than usual. And I pulled every trick in the book to try to finally obtain some images of this montane denizen. The images obtained were not exactly award-winning material but it did not matter. This Mountain Tailorbird was the bird of the day for me.

Not only did I managed to photograph the Mountain Tailorbird but the little guy lingered around for quite some time before disappearing back into the forest. Initially, I did not expect much from this short excursion but it turned out to be quite the opposite. Like I always say, expect the unexpected when it comes to birding.

Flowering bushes will often yield the Black-throated Sunbird which is the only sunbird here in Peninsular Malaysia that has adapted to life in the mountains. And the iridescent throat, in certain angles, had yours truly gawking at one of the most easily encountered birds in Cameron Highlands.

A quick glance at my watch and it was time to head back. An early dinner with the family awaits at the famed night market of Cameron Highlands. And keeping your end of the bargain especially after a birding excursion, is one of the keys to a happy marriage. Despite that, a soaring raptor is almost impossible to ignore and this one turned out to be a resident Oriental Honey-Buzzard. To the unwary, it can be dismissed as the commoner Crested Serpent-Eagle because of the similarities in plumage.

The next morning, I was blessed with another hour of birding and I arrived at my local patch at first light. The dawn chorus was absolute music to my ears and one particular call had my immediate attention. It belonged to yet another skulker of the undergrowth and effort was certainly required before I had visual of the Streaked Wren-Babbler. It was still dim and my photographic gear struggled to obtain some digital memories of this encounter.

Determination and luck eventually produced some decent images. It has been ages since I last enjoyed such views of a Streaked Wren-Babbler. Despite the urge to carry on with the excursion I could not bring myself to do it and continued to enjoy the performance.

The tail markings of the White-tailed Robin are prominent even when seen in a gloomy environment. However to appreciate the true splendour of a male bird, he has to be in enough light for his colours to shine. Which he was but only for the briefest moment.

I caught sight of some movement along the edge of the access road and proceed to investigate as discreetly as possible. When I was greeted by a clear white throat, it was none other than a Rufous-browed Flycatcher in search of breakfast. Then it dawned on me. Almost all the photographic opportunities here so far involved species that frequent the lower storey of the forest. And that is often not the case because these birds tend to be more elusive than their arboreal counterparts.

The Silver-eared Mesia to me is the perfect epitome for montane birding. Beautiful and charming, no visit to the mountains is complete without this common but stunning species stimulating your senses with its presence. And the Silver-eared Mesia was a fitting end to my birding quickies at Cameron Highlands. Although birding was not a priority this time, I enjoyed some fascinating moments with the birds that still called this diminishing paradise home.