The Penang Birder is 10 years old

My final birding excursion for the year was with a British guest currently based in the United Arab Emirates who is an accomplished birder and has a fair number of Southeast Asian birds under his belt. It was unfortunate I could only provide a half day tour due to the timing of his visit here to Penang. However, I was determined to make it a birding morning to be remembered. We started off at the forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah state - the closest good site to home for forest birding. Initially, things were a little slow and a pair of Finsch’s Bulbuls were the only notable species recorded.

Then came the birdwaves midway through the visit and the forest came alive with bird calls and activities. Since Andrew is a birder as well, we scanned and scrutinized these mixed flocks with much enthusiasm. We were surrounded by warblers, babblers, bulbuls and flycatchers. Drongos are usually the head honchos for birdwaves and it is no different here. From these feeding frenzies, I even managed to capture a few images which is something that does not take place often due to the frantic movements of the birds.

Brown Fulvettas are regularly recorded in the forest here. Their musical whistle often serenade the locality from the dense foliage of the middle storey. True to its name, the bird’s physical appearance lacks any true splendour but there is always beauty in simplicity. Typical of tree babblers, the Brown Fulvettas moves about quite rapidly. One individual took a breather during the birdwave and provided this photographic opportunity.

The Spotted Fantail is the least encountered fantail species in Malaysia and the forest of Sungai Sedim is one of its strongholds. Its tendency to forage along the highest canopies and not to mention restless nature, make it a difficult species to photograph. On this occasion, it was on a high perch nevertheless but it stayed put for a significantly long time which was very unlike the species. Or any other species during a birdwave.

It is unusual for a migratory flycatcher to sing at its wintering grounds but the male Chinese Blue Flycatcher is an exception. As it would have been a lifer for Andrew, I tried my best to locate a male that was singing his heart out from the lower levels of the forest. My pleas fell on deaf ears and we hesitantly left the flycatcher to his singing in peace. But the Gods were kind today. A second male was heard later in the morning and unlike his comrade, he was not hesitant to show off his vivid colours. It was not a close encounter but because of the earlier disappointment, it was a much appreciated one.

There is one target that I needed to achieve for this trip. Luckily, it was not a tall order which is why we ended up at a modest residential park within the suburbs of Bukit Mertajam in mainland Penang. The Barred Eagle-Owl has somehow eluded Andrew so far but his hunt for this striking night bird came to an end today. Perched beautifully on its favourite roosting tree, one half of the resident pair of Bukit DO provided the bird of the day for my guest. It has been a while since I last saw a Barred Eagle-Owl and this encounter was a timely reminder of what an incredible bird this is.

Just when I thought that would be all for the day, all hell broke loose on the adjacent tree. A family of Black-naped Orioles was mobbing something and upon further scrutiny, I found the other half of this locally famous owl couple. Initially, I thought the orioles were mobbing the owl as the latter was in a full alert posture. But this pair of Barred Eagle-Owls has been roosting here for years and during all that time some uneasy truce must surely have been struck between the owls and the rest of the feathered residents. The reason for the commotion soon revealed itself in the form of a Green-billed Malkoha. Although it is non-parasitic, it is still a cuckoo. Thus, the unwanted attention from the orioles. The high drama, literally, was one heck of a way to wrap things up for this short trip and the year. I am certainly looking to another year filled with reflections of wings and inspiration.

The Penang Birder blog completes its 10-year presence online and it is one of my most treasured endeavours. All the comments and compliments I received through the years helped fuel me to carry on blogging especially in times when the words were not flowing out as freely as they should. And for that, I am most thankful. It is good to know that people actually take the time to read my blog and even better, enjoy the write ups. I do not know what the future holds as our environment continues to plummet likewise the bird population. And I am no spring chicken either. However, I always believe we should enjoy whatever it is while it lasts and for now, I do cherish birding and sharing the memorable experiences through my blog.

Babbling over babblers (28/05/2016)

Birding in the tropical rain forest can never be short of surprises. You can walk the same forest trail for years and yet, it still has something interesting for you to enjoy. The forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah is undoubtedly the best forest birding site that is easily accessible from Penang. It is still a healthy ecosystem and the presence of hornbills is proof of that. Although Hor Kee and I did not encounter any of these majestic birds on this trip, some of the smaller residents did keep us entertained for the entire morning. Babblers are well represented in the forest here. Most will have quite distinctive calls and songs which can be heard throughout the vicinity. Locating these active and skulking birds is another matter altogether. Chestnut-winged Babblers are one of the commoner babblers found here. Despite bumping into them a few times during our visit, the sneaky babblers only gave us this brief moment to photograph them.

A small birdwave brought in Brown Fulvettas. There is not much I can elaborate about the Brown Fulvetta apart that it is brown and it is a Fulvetta. But it does have a beautiful song that pierces through the dense vegetation of the forest like the rays of the morning sun.

The forest is not only a kaleidoscope of sounds but colours as well. The Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher is an attractive bird and as the name implies, is an accomplished songster of both lowland and montane forests of Malaysia. We came across an individual that was hawking from a low perch but the lighting condition was a killjoy. My gear struggled in the dim lower storey of the forest and this is one of those rare moments that I question my preference to shoot without a tripod.

The Black-and-Yellow Broadbill is about as colourful as it gets for birds. But the call, although unique, is far from beautiful. It sounds more like an insect than a bird and delivered in a magnitude that almost rivals the deafening call of the cicada. Although it does forage closer to the ground level occasionally, the forest canopy is where it finds refuge and that is where you are most likely to see them. Perched 50 feet above the ground is not what one would consider to be a good photographic opportunity but a record shot is better than none when it comes to broadbills.

As far as peculiar calls go, the Sooty Barbet is one bird that will certainly come to mind. If one is not familiar with this species, you would not imagine a bulky bird like this will have a call that is not unlike the squeaking a tiny shrew. The call once learned will give away the presence of this barbet as it forages along the canopy level. It was the call that diverted my attention to a dead tree stump where 3 birds were exhibiting a very keen interest on a tree hole. Nothing much came out from the encounter except for a photo that managed to have all the birds in a single frame.

On the way back, we took a little detour to check on the resident Barred Eagle-Owl of Kulim Hi-Tech Park. During my last few encounters, the owl was resting on a low perch and that provided some very exciting moments and great images. This time, however, it was resting at the top most branches and even almost gave us the slip. I am happy to see that it is still around and the distance, although disappointing, could not deny me of a good ending to this birding excursion.

A walk on the wild side (12/01/2013)

We entered one of the logging trails within the Gunung Bintang Forest Reserve in Gerik, Perak just as it started to get bright.  The first birds to welcome our group of three to one of the wildest regions in Peninsular Malaysia were a flock of extremely vocal Dusky Broadbills. Although not as brilliantly coloured as the others in its family but what it lacks in colour, it sure makes it up in personality and size.

We had the good fortune to glimpse into the courtship ritual of a pair of Red-bearded Bee-eaters. Perched next to each other among the foliage of the highest canopy, the loving pair was quite oblivious of all the attention they had attracted from all their sensual swaying and tail extensions. Yup, love is certainly in the air.

The melodious calls of the Dark-throated Orioles echoed through the vicinity during our visit. However, there were no close encounters and all my images were taken from a distance. That is a real shame because the male is truly handsome. 

We came across quite a number of bird waves today and as usual, I had to face the dilemma of deciding whether to use my bins or my camera. Most of the time, I will opt for the former because you risk missing out on quite a few species if you focus too much on photography. Secondly, good photographic opportunities are far and few during bird waves. But once in a blue moon it does happen - just like this Brown Fulvetta that decided to take a breather from the feeding frenzy right in front of me. 

The Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikes stood out from most of the other species that were participating in the waves due to their striking plumage. This is, of course, the duller female. It would have been too good to be true if the male was to be so obliging.

The range of species in a bird wave can be quite varied and not only small birds are involved. Sometimes, you will get giants like the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha following the waves. Apparently, this big fellow is a little camera-shy.

Off-road enthusiasts enjoying the spills and thrills of the logging trail. Not my cup of tea but I guess to each, his own. I mean who am I to judge? Trekking along a soggy trail infested with leeches and God knows what else for hours in the middle of a tropical rain forest to observe birds is certainly not most folks’ cup of tea either. And as much as I love water birds, I have to admit that the forest is still where you will find the most fascinating and dazzling of bird species.

On the way back, we decided to make a detour to the paddy fields at Permatang Nibong, Penang. It was decision based on two important reasons. Earlier this week, there was a large influx of Asian Openbills migrating into Malaysia with about 1,000 seen in Kuala Gula, Perak and 200 in Batang Tiga, Melaka. Back in Penang, Graeme saw about 300 passing through our home state and I initially thought none will be wintering here this season. With so many passing through, I am pretty sure that those wintering in this particular locality in Penang for the past few seasons would surely do so again. Penang may be a tiny state but you once you get to know her, she is not so easily forgettable but we still had to be sure. The other reason for the detour is because this enigmatic stork will be a lifer for James, one of my companions on this trip. If ever he is to see his first Asian Openbill in Malaysia, it would be now. When we finally reached their favourite roosting site, we discovered that the storks were indeed back for the fourth consecutive season. Not only that, they managed to convince and brought along about 40 other compatriots. Looks like Penang has not lost her charm yet. And James got his lifer.

The reason for the sudden influx is yet to be determined. But whatever the reason, it was a certainly a sight to behold. It was simply fantastic. Welcome back, guys!

Good ol' Bukit Larut (25-26/02/2012)

Every trip to this birding hotspot in Taiping, Perak begins and ends with the “adventurous” half-hour jeep ride up and the down this hill resort. It is certainly not for the faint-hearted as there are numerous hairpin corners that the drivers’ have to masterfully maneuver past. Anyway, our group of six made it to our destination in one piece.

I am pretty excited about this trip because it will be my first overnight stay at the Methodist Bungalow (I prefer the old name which is The Nest) and it is located just above Speedy Resthouse – my regular accommodation at this locality. But the latter is nothing but an empty bungalow on most days now. That’s a real shame as it holds many fond and exciting birding memories for me. However, there are plans to convert it into some kind of a biological centre. I am not against such plans as long as it will be fully utilized and well maintained once it is completed.

Like most great birding spots, the accommodation at The Nest is rather basic but it serves its purpose well enough. 

Nevertheless, it does possess a certain charm and ambience of its own and you even have to trek through a short jungle trail to actually reach the bungalow.

The compound itself is frequently visited by birds and that pretty much kept us occupied during meal and supposedly, rest times.

And to top it all off, the caretaker Mr. Lee prepares glorious home-cooked food for all our meals and that is something we do not usually get to enjoy on birding trips.

Being the wettest part of Peninsula Malaysia, rain is a constant threat to birders here but the sky managed to hold back the rain for most parts of our stay. All we had to worry about was getting the perfect lifer or photograph as our group was made up of old-school birders and bird photographers. 

Although we saw very little rain, the engulfing mist occasionally made us lose sight of our targets.

And now, to the important stuff – the birds. This was one of the best trips I’ve had at this locality for a long time. Black-throated Sunbirds can be seen throughout the day as they indulge themselves on the flowering plants just next to the dining area of the bungalow. Really good photographic opportunities were hard to come by as the Sunbirds are hyperactive and usually, there will be branches or vegetation in the way. This is my best effort but the lighting condition was just good enough to bring out some of the resplendent of this common montane resident.

Just beyond the compound of the bungalow, the level of bird activity usually holds us back temporary before we wander further away. Mountain Bulbuls are another species that is very common around here. My best image of this species is still rather embarrassing taking into account the abundance of this species. Well, maybe I didn’t put enough effort into it. But you can’t really blame me because there were so many distractions around.

Distractions like this stunning male White-browed Shrike-babbler gorging on a succulent caterpillar…

A family of Hill Blue Flycatchers residing just outside the boundaries of the bungalow is rather tolerant of human presence. They performed admirably in front of both birders and photographers alike during our stay. Only thing was that the capabilities of my gear prevented me from obtaining sharper images as the Flycatchers tend to keep to dimmer parts of the forest.

Further away from The Nest, this lone Chestnut-backed Scimitar-babbler came agonizingly close to making my day when it alighted on a nearby bare branch. Unfortunately, I waited in vain for it to change position and provide me with a better pose because it just scurried further up the branch and into the dense canopy.

I paid more attention to flocks of Ashy Minivets nowadays in light of the recent discovery of the almost similar-looking Swinhoe’s Minivets wintering in Malaysia. After much scrutiny there was nothing out of the ordinary with this flock.

Birdwaves may be a birder’s dream come true but it can be a photographer’s nightmare. So many different species traveling together as a giant flock combing through the forest vegetation at a rapid pace overwhelms my decision-making ability on what to shoot at first. And when one is busy focusing on a single bird, there is always a risk of something rare slipping past one’s “radar”. I use my binoculars more often than my camera when it comes to birdwaves. Unless, an individual becomes exceptional bold in the feeding frenzy and comes exceptional close and low like this Ashy Bulbul.

Thanks to the keen sense of sight of Choo Eng and James, I managed to capture a few records shots of this foraging Silver-breasted Broadbill – undoubtedly one of the most adorable of all Malaysian birds.

Everyone is quite accustomed to the term fighting cocks but fighting Fulvettas, that is something new. Watching two Mountain Fulvettas having a rather aggressive dispute with beaks and feet locked in battle was something rather unexpected – to me anyway. And to make the encounter even more interesting was a couple of Golden Babblers that came very close to the jostling pair. Were they just being busybodies, trying to be peace-makers or adding fuel into the flame? Although this was a serious affair, we can’t help but to smile at the antics of the latter.

The Pygmy Wren-babbler looks like a small ball of feathers that forages along the montane forest undergrowth. With its distinct and piercing call, it is more often heard than seen. Well, this cute little fellow was the highlight of the trip. On the first day, it caught us all by surprise when it suddenly alighted on a rock next to where we were taking a breather. I managed to take a few hasty shots before it dived into the cover of the undergrowth. That, however, was only the appetizer.

The next day, I came across another Pygmy Wren-babbler doing a territorial display. It was a commendable performance indeed and one that I shall remember for a long time to come. The routine was quite simple but visually appealing. Turning from side to side while calling its heart out and every once in a while, it will flap its wings once. I was well aware at the time that my gear could not cope with all those fast action shots at such dim lighting. However, I was rather delighted when a few images did turn out better than expected. Bukit Larut delivers yet another outstanding moment in my birding life and all courtesy of a very tiny bird.

The biggest disappointment of the trip was failing to photograph a White-throated Rock Thrush – again. It was only back in December of last year that I managed to record this scarce winter visitor for the first time in my life at Sungai Sedim but she evaded my camera then. And this time it was a striking male bird and he simply did not keep still long enough for me to even press the shutter once. The funny thing about birding is that sometimes when you finally get a lifer that you have been trying for all these years, that species starts to cross your path more often. To add to my misery, I gave owling a pass on that night and my companions came back with a photo of most probably the same bird roosting on a boulder. I have a funny feeling I am destined to only see but not photograph this species. Anyway, Harvey was kind enough to share his image for my post.

Besides the birds, this tiny Reed Snake was just another one of the alluring wildlife that can still be found along the slopes of this hill that I managed to photograph and that wraps things up for my birding adventure this time.