Big is beautiful

I yearned again to visit the nightbirds residing in the forest surrounding Pedu Lake in Kedah. Together with James, we departed from Penang in the middle of the night in order to reach our destination in time to catch these nocturnal hunters before they retire for the day. We stopped at a 24-hour fast food outlet for some breakfast to go and was surprised to see the number of patrons present at this hour. For them, their Friday night out was drawing to an end. But for us, it was just beginning. Upon arrival at this birding haven, we found it was a clear night and the view of the Milky Way from was mesmerizing as always.

Soon after, the diagnostic call of the Large Frogmouth echoed through the vicinity. My stargazing interest came to an abrupt halt because no astronomical spectacle can ever overshadow the presence of a Large Frogmouth. It did not take much effort to locate this amazing bird - again. Like my previous encounter, it was on an open perch at the edge of the forest. Only this time, it was a natural perch. For me, owling is one of the most difficult aspects of birding as we humans are certainly out of our element when darkness falls. However on those rare occasions when the subjects that we seek reveal themselves so obligingly, I cannot help but to believe in the existence of a Greater power.

The Large Frogmouth finally made it into my life list only a few years back (heard only records do not count in my book). Since then, I have been seeing it in the field quite regularly. Sometimes when you finally unblock a species, it shows up everywhere and makes you wonder why it took so long for you to see one. Anyway, the Large Frogmouth is a beautiful and remarkable species and I feel blessed that it is found in one of my regular haunts.

It was unfortunate that the Buffy Fish-Owl, Sunda Scops-Owl and Blyth’s Frogmouth only provided audio records this time. But the Large Frogmouth did enough to compensate for the rest. The breaking of dawn awakened the diurnal birds from slumber and the first one to break the silence was a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. But the one vocal that had my undivided attention was not unlike the braying of donkeys and it is one of the largest (maybe even the largest) woodpeckers in the world. Great Slaty Woodpeckers are very vocal by nature and they seldom occur alone. That makes it almost impossible not to take notice of them whenever they are present.

A pair of this magnificent species kept us entertained for a prolonged period of time. They were not only foraging. Love was in the air as frequent courtship displays were observed. The male sports the red moustache but both birds are just as vigorous with their show of public affection.

The tallest canopies are their stage of choice. The distance and the speed of the birds’ movements made it difficult for my modest photography setup. But the encounter was a treat for the soul nevertheless.

In flight, the Great Slaty Woodpecker was just as difficult to capture. The flight is often direct and rapid and the only reasonable image I managed was strongly backlighted. The joys of forest bird photography...

A male Oriental Honey-Buzzard cast an eerie shadow as it glided very low overhead. Its presence panicked some of the smaller passerines as it is after all a predatory bird. The whole episode went by so quickly that I only managed a single shot before the buzzard disappeared beyond the gap in the canopy.

Pedu Lake is home to three species of Fish-Eagles and the biggest of them all is the White-bellied Sea-Eagle. The name may be misleading as this species is equally at home inland especially in the vicinity of a large body of water. There is no denying it is a common species even in Penang but the sheer size and beauty of this eagle will not stop me to be still in awe of its presence.

The Changeable Hawk-Eagle is smaller in size but it is much more tenacious as a hunter. An immature bird with a newly caught lizard delayed our departure from this birding haven. The lizard was nothing but a snack as this eagle is known to take much bigger prey. Today’s excursion may not have the quantity to match a typical good day of birding here but it did have its significant moments. The Large Frogmouth and the Great Slaty Woodpeckers alone was worth the trip here. Two iconic forest dwellers whose sizes are truly exceptional and presence, electrifying. We also recorded some birds that have gone missing for months and that is always a good thing.

Year end delights - Part 1

The year 2018 was drawing to a close and what a year it has been so far – birding and everything else in life. There was still time for one last birding adventure and it was a 2-day excursion to northern Peninsular Malaysia with a couple of birders from Singapore. The first destination of the trip was the pristine forest of Bukit Wang in Kedah state. It was barely morning and we were rewarded with our first denizen of the forest here. A Black-and-yellow Broadbill was on the hunt near the car park area and this attractive species provided the perfect start to the day.

My guests, Seng Beng and Gerard, were certainly in high spirits and enthusiasm as we took a customary selfie at the park entrance to officially start off the tour.

The stream around the recreational area were still void of picnickers at this hour – the best time to observe the resident pair of Chestnut-naped Forktails. Wary and skittish, these birds usually do not tolerate human presence. However, love was in the air and the birds were bolder than usual. We were privileged enough to glimpse into the private life of the Chestnut-naped Forktail when we came across a brief display of affection by the birds. But the lighting and distance were less than favourable for our photographic attempts.

When the territorial call of the Banded Kingfisher started to echo through the vicinity, the visit elevated to a whole new level. It took effort and a stroke of good luck before we finally laid our eyes on a handsome male. It was another distant observation but my guests this time enjoy birding as much as photography (Seng Beng is into sound recording as well). And this encounter with a truly striking jewel of the forest, did not go unappreciated.

There were a few fruiting trees about but it was unfortunate they did not attract the usual flocks of birds. Bulbuls are regular patrons at fruiting trees and it would be odd if they were completely absent here. Instead of the commoner species, it was the Grey-cheeked Bulbul that made an appearance.

The Cream-vented Bulbul was the only other bulbul that found its way to my memory card today...

A majestic Crested Serpent-Eagle patrolling its territory caught our attention with its far-carrying calls. It was soaring quite high above but the good lighting enabled reasonably clear shots to be obtained.

Personally, the highlight of the visit here was surprisingly not a bird but something more closely related to me. This forest reserve is a known stronghold for gibbons. Their amazing and iconic vocals can be heard on every visit. The call of the gibbon may be synonymous with the tropical rain forest but to see one clearly is a real challenge. This primate is often shy and seeks refuge along the highest canopy levels. But gluttony is a deadly sin few can resist and a fruiting tree brought a troop of Agile Gibbons down from their lofty sanctuary.

This was indeed a rare opportunity. I have wandered the forests of Malaysia for nearly three decades and this intimate encounter is by far the best. The agility and grace of these primates are undeniable as they move about the treetop with ease. It was certainly a beautiful sight.

Next on the agenda was the mangroves of Sungai Batu. The weather has been good to us with bright blue skies greeting us at every site so far. However, too much of a good thing can sometimes work against our favour. With the sun dominating the sky above, harsh lighting and undesirable shadows prevailed closer to the ground. Photography became challenging at times but the male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher performed well enough to receive the usual praises from his human observers.

The other regular patrons of this stakeout gradually made their appearances ranging from the sizeable White-breasted Waterhen...

To the small but charming Abbott’s Babblers...

Looking absolutely adorable were the Forest Wagtails. These common migrants are one of the main attractions here and today, they were simply obliging.

The one bird no one can ever get enough of is the Mangrove Pitta. Beautiful and full of character, this pitta still does it for me after all these years.

After an absence of several months, the Puff-throated Babbler were finally back to brighten up the vicinity with their amazing song and striking appearance.

The Puff-throated Babbler is common here in northern Peninsular Malaysia. In fact, we heard them at several localities throughout the duration of our 2-day tour. The key word here is heard. It is only at this site that we got to truly enjoy and admire the bird.

This birding endeavour included an overnight stay but before we called it a day, there was one more target to be achieved. The forest surrounding Pedu Lake is renowned for night birds and tonight, the locality lived up to its reputation again. The unmistakable call of the Large Frogmouth got the whole group quivering in excitement. There are times in birding when you just cannot believe your good fortune and this is certainly one of them. We found our target the Large Frogmouth calling while perched on an electrical cable along the access road. I was left grasping for air.

A few moments later, it shifted to a nearby branch at the forest edge and luckily, still in sight. Frogmouths are such remarkable creatures and the Large Frogmouth is probably the most spectacular one found here in Malaysia. It is a completely different feel when you bird in the darkness of night and despite being outwitted by the other two frogmouth species found here, this time was one of my best owling attempts here. This exciting encounter with the Large Frogmouth was one heck of way to conclude the first day of our birding adventure and Day 2 will be covered in my next post.

Frogmouth Central

We arrived at the first location for the day in total darkness except for a single street lamp to illuminate the way. The Milky Way scattered all over the night sky like tiny diamonds was as impressive as always and together with the small crescent of a moon, provided the prelude to a memorable nocturnal excursion that was to come. My Singaporean guests wanted to experience owling here in northern Peninsular Malaysia and there is no other place that can better the forest surrounding Pedu Lake at the present time.

In no time, we were surrounded by eerie and unearthly sounds that penetrated the cloak of darkness concealing the forest. Instead of fear, there was excitement in the group as they were the calls of a family of intriguing night birds known as frogmouths. All three species that occur here in Peninsular Malaysia were vocalizing in this one area. I had to make a choice on which one to seek out first. And the choice was simple. The Large Frogmouth is just too spectacular for the smaller Gould’s and Blyth’s Frogmouth to compete for attention. With a little patience and luck, we managed to obtain an incredible view of the Large Frogmouth and all the effort leading to this moment was worth the while. Even the fact that only my guest had a photo to show at the end of it all does not make the encounter any less significant. I was happy for him - honest!

After daybreak, we walked along the access road hoping to observe more of the alluring bird life here. Although the forest here have been logged, it is still quite pristine. Huge forest trees reach for the heavens above and lush vegetation covers the under storey making it an ideal and rich ecosystem. Pedu is probably the best and most extensive forest birding site in this part of the peninsular and I hope it stays that way for a long time to come.

A flash of red and black among the green foliage could well be a trogon on the hunt and upon further scrutiny, it turned out to be a male Scarlet-rumped Trogon. Although this is the most frequently encountered species here, it was still exciting to see a male bird – especially when he alighted momentarily on an exposed perch.

The presence of a second bird in the vicinity did not go unnoticed and it was the female bird. However, she was rather shy today and the male was the one only I could photograph. This is not often the case. Murphy will usually make sure that the drabber ones perform much better than the attractive ones.   

Unfortunately, the diurnal birds could not maintain the momentum. Things started to sizzle down after we came across a foraging Red-billed Malkoha. Scurrying along the forest canopy, this beautiful cuckoo provided very little opportunities to capture good images.

A distant Banded Woodpecker hunting on a tall dead tree was more of a visual treat than photographic.

The forest was by no means void of birds but most proved to be difficult to be photographed today. Half a dozen babbler species teased us with fleeting glimpses from the forest undergrowth. An area of long grass at the edge of the forest offered some reprieve. A pair of foraging Rufescent Prinias came into view and despite the harsh lighting, the warblers were a delight to observe.

The mangroves of Sungai Batu soon beckoned and we made our way south to this expansive coastal habitat. The Mangrove Pitta was no where to be seen today but in its absent, a pair of Stripe-throated Bulbuls provided the highlight of the visit to this locality. This is my first record of the species here and it is certainly a welcomed addition to my checklist.

It may not be an uncommon bird but I do not have many images of it. The bright yellow streaks certainly stand out from the rest of its plumage and this is probably one of my best encounters to date.

The Mangrove Blue Flycatcher was probably the most vibrant species present today. The male was looking exceptionally handsome today as it went about its routine.

The lumbering gait was unmistakeable even from a distance as the White-breasted Waterhen strolled into today’s excursion. It was a young bird judging from the slightly dull colouration. And no doubt, it will bloom into a striking adult one day soon.

It was good to see a number of Forest Wagtails present in the vicinity today. However, the birds were exceptionally restless today. On a normal day, it is sometimes difficult to obtain their images without some part of their body blurred by movement. My photographic skills and patience were certainly put to the test today.

The resident Abbott’s Babblers were their usual laid back selves as they enjoy life here in this swampy landscape and they were the last species to be observed before we ended the visit here.

Our final destination for this 2-day birding excursion was the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam. The resplendent Violet Cuckoo proved to be elusive again for me. Another cuckoo species provided some compensation when we stumbled onto them in a compromising position. Greater Coucals are conspicuous residents here due to their vocal nature and if all goes well, these two will bring in the next generation to expand the population.

There have been sight records of several cuckoo species at this birding location recently and it came as no surprise when we saw a juvenile Indian Cuckoo on a lofty perch. Lacking the colouration of the adult bird, this youngster was given a second look just in case it turned out to be something else.

The very first image taken by my guests was of a flock of Asian Openbills and it only seemed fitting to end the 2-day birding excursion with a photo of another flock of these charismatic water birds. The diffused lighting from the gloomy sky brought out the storks’ true appeal as they stood in a sea of green. But as we uncoiled for the day, my thoughts went back to the predawn experience that had us surrounded by frogmouths. Now, that was a memory worth revisiting.