Easy pickings...

 

It is that time of the year again for my annual pilgrimage to the forests of Kedah to witness the natural phenomenon courtesy of the fruiting trees found there. Dozens of forest species congregating on a single tree to feast is an occurrence that I do not think will ever cease to amaze and excite for me. This particular tree is new to me and its position and size is very promising indeed.

With their constantly puffed out yellow throats, it was no surprise that the Finsch’s Bulbuls were the first birds to gain my attention. This species is relatively common here but I am not one to dismiss a bird just because of its status. I no longer spend that much time out in the field like I used to do. There are a few contributing factors and age, unfortunately, is definitely one of them. You know what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder. Thus, the Finsch’s Bulbuls were documented with much enthusiasm as it has been quite a while since my last encounter.

The presence of food naturally made the birds bolder and at this range and manner, even my modest gear could cope with the lighting condition of early morn and the movement of the birds.

Black-headed Bulbuls are naturally vocal and the ones that frequented the fruiting tree on this beautiful morning remained true to that trait. However, they are more suspicious of humans than most of the other patrons and refused to forage anywhere except on the topmost branches.

Once the appealing presence of colours started to sizzle down, my attention was drawn to the less conspicuous bulbul species and none more so than the plain Buff-vented Bulbul. However, plain does not mean ugly and I am a firm believer that there is beauty in simplicity.

It has been said your eyes are the window to your soul but I cannot be certain if that is applicable to birds as well. One thing I am sure is that eyes are the window to positive identification for certain species of bulbuls. And the pure white iris of Cream-vented Bulbul usually prevents any misidentifications - usually.

Some bulbuls, on the other hand, require more than one field mark to nail their identification. Part of the joys of birding. Contrary to its name, the Red-eyed Bulbul is not the only Bulbul with red eyes. Sometimes, it is difficult to accurately describe a plain bird in words and I will not even try to do so here. And these red-eyed bulbuls are indeed Red-eyed Bulbuls. On with the next…

A thin yellow line around the eye is what I usually look for to differentiate the Spectacled Bulbul from the Red-eyed Bulbul. That is easier said than done under normal circumstances when the bird teases you from the forest canopy but at a fruiting tree, the task becomes much easier.

The vicinity sprung to life with the arrival of a flock of Grey-bellied Bulbuls. The beauty and radiance of this species is undeniable and everything else present was momentarily drown out.

My memory card was rapidly filled by images of Grey-bellied Bulbuls as they remained in the vicinity for a long time and exceptionally confiding no doubt food drunk from all the succulent morsels available.

Despite their diminutive size, male Crimson-breasted Flowerpeckers can rival the attractive bulbuls in terms of aesthetic appeal. It was a bit of a struggle to capture decent images of the former due to their active nature but the results at the end made the effort worth while.

Flowerpeckers are far more territorial than bulbuls and the equally enchanting male Orange-bellied Flowerpeckers finally had their spot in the limelight when no other species were present.

It would not be fair to disregard the Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker due to its more cryptic colouration but the fruiting tree provided some photographic opportunities that were fully utilized by yours truly.

The last entry for this post is a reptile that managed to draw my attention away from all the activity of the fruiting tree at one point during my time there. It was a sizeable Twin-spotted House-Gecko and the intricate patterns on its upperparts were an understandable distraction.

It's not just another bulbul

Some Bulbuls are truly nondescript and none more so than the Buff-vented Bulbul. In the neighbouring country of Thailand, there is also the Grey-eyed Bulbul and Olive Bulbul which are all remarkably similar. And just to make things even more enjoyable, there is a recent split by some authorities that those Olive Bulbuls occurring in the southern parts of Thailand (and now, northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia) are Baker’s Bulbuls. Initially, I thought birders here in Peninsular Malaysia have been spared the agony of having to differentiate these bulbuls. However, a humble little recreational forest in the northern tip proved otherwise. During one of his forays up north, Hor Kee discovered Malaysia’s first Olive Bulbul (let’s keep it at that) at the Bukit Ayer Recreational Park in the state of Perlis and an invitation to join him for another trip there was too good to pass.

It has been a long time since I last ventured out into the field. And an even longer time since I last twitched for a would-be lifer. However, the Olive Bulbul was not as easy as I thought it would be. It took considerable effort and time. As the minutes passed, the mission became more difficult because the weekend crowd started pouring in. Adolescents on their noisy moped of a motorcycle turned a blissful environment into utter chaos. We were forced to try our luck just outside the boundaries of the park and there, we hit the jackpot. A lone Olive Bulbul finally revealed itself and started foraging along the edge of the forest.

I have to admit this lifer is not one of the more exciting ones that I have had. Subtle differences distinguish it from the much commoner Buff-vented Bulbul. The differences were so minor that my modest photography gear could hardly pick them up. Overall, the Olive Bulbul is a darker bird with a shorter, thicker bill. Thankfully, Hor Kee was better equipped and I could finally tick off this lifer back home after his images were reviewed by Ayuwat and Wichyanan. It pays to make friends with accomplished birders like these Thai blokes. For a mere storyteller like me, their opinions truly mattered especially in times like these.

The Olive Bulbul lingered in the vicinity long enough for me to have a really good look and obtain several images. For that, I am most grateful and the 2.5 hours drive from home was worth the effort.

Another highlight from my maiden visit to the Bukit Ayer Recreational Park is from the reptilian family. It is an exquisite looking creature and one that I do not come across often. Resting low on a tree trunk was a Smooth-backed Gliding Gecko that was confiding enough to provide a prolonged and intimate observation.

On the way back to Penang, we made a couple of stops and these quick visits proved rewarding as well. The forest of Bukit Wang of late has been a real hotspot with several noteworthy species performing well. It was midday when we trekked into this forest reserve located in the state of Kedah. At this hour, any species that comes our way would be a bonus and one certainly did. It was no ordinary species for the male Diard’s Trogon is one of the most striking bird species of the Malaysian forest. And any encounter with this species is a memorable one.

The dense vegetation in which the Diard’s Trogon finds its refuge can be a major hindrance to photography...

Habitat aside, there is one more factor that birders have to deal with constantly – Murphy’s Law. When he finally alighted on an exposed perch nearby, he stared straight into the camera revealing what is possibly his worst angle for photography. Well, life goes on...

And it certainly did. With much exhilaration as well. Our final destination was another modest recreational park just like the first site and it was at Gunung Keriang. This relatively unknown site became well known last year with the discovery of a pair of rare Brown Fish-Owls. And the reason we took this little detour was because of this beautiful nocturnal hunter – naturally. Roosting owls can be difficult to locate and it was no different this time. It took effort and a little luck and we finally found a lone owl roosting on a distant tree. This may be my third encounter with the Brown Fish-Owl in Malaysia but it still felt like my first. I again found myself gasping for air in the presence of this rarity.

Despite the distance, our presence did not go well with the owl and it shifted position. Much to my surprise, it alighted on an open perch this time and the encounter got a whole lot better. The constant wind uplifted the underbelly feathers of the owl which reminded me of the iconic Marilyn Monroe upskirt scene. Naturally, the sight left me gawking. And the Brown Fish-Owl wrapped things up for this eventful day out in the field.

17-18/10/2009: Perlis State Park (Perlis)

A small group of us decided to take advantage of the long Deepavali weekend to visit this park that is located at the northern tip of Peninsula Malaysia. It has been 6 years since my last visit where I took part in a MNS raptor count. The park appeared to be exactly the way it was except for a bigger sign at the entrance.

After we collected the key to our chalet, we came across a rather confiding immature male Green-backed Flycatcher in the vicinity of the visitors' car park which turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. This migratory species is not common at all here in Malaysia and we took full advantage of the situation to obtain as many shots as possible.

The park has a network of good access roads and jungle trails that cut through the pristine virgin tropical rainforest. A real birders' paradise but unfortunately for us, the birds were far and few this time round.

As we were making our way to unpack our gear in the chalet, we made a short detour to photograph a Spiny Hill Turtle that was spotted by Hor Kee and his friend while they were waiting for us to check-in. The turtle was just next to the jungle trail nearby the main access road.

My birding companions for this trip, James, Hor Kee and Choo Eng, giving the turtle its due attention.

The 2-bedroom chalet was quite comfortable but the best thing is that the back verandah is just next a small stream. I usually do not have issues with any accommodation during bird trips as long as there are birds in the vicinity. You can give me an old shed but if the vicinity is teeming birds, I will be most grateful and thankful. Anyway, this chalet is certainly not a shed. It comes equipped with air-conditioning, fridge, heater and so forth.

I spend quite some time along the stream next to the chalet especially during rest time. The stream is home to the Blue-banded Kingfisher and that explains why I am so intrigued by it. Anyway, the Kingfisher only offered me a passing glimpse once throughout my stay. And that also explains why I have so many shots of the stream in my memory card.

The Prince of Denmark Trail is home to the mythical forest jewel called the Banded Pitta. Despite all our efforts and patience, this spectacular species still remains mythical to my growing database of bird images.

I guess Choo Eng was just as disappointed as I was. A Pitta is not really a Pitta if it is easily seen. Pretty much is depended on your luck. Sorry, not pretty much but lots of it.

As the birds were not really up and about, bird photography was not as good as I hoped it to be. This female Banded Kingfisher on a high perch was one of the few memorable occasions in terms of bird photography for this trip. But the lighting conditions was a little too dim for any clear shots.

A striking male Rufous-collared Kingfisher forced us to work really hard to obtain a decent shot. Although he was not particularly shy, he remained partly hidden most of the time. An all too familiar situation when it comes to this forest Kingfisher.

But when he alighted on a fairly open perch, we were elated at being finally given a chance to photograph the bird. Although the images are not as sharp as I wanted them them to be, I can't really complain. Here's to looking at you, handsome...

A pair of foraging Moustached Babblers was a real nightmare to photograph. They were active, the lighting was bad and the foliage, dense. That' s forest bird photography in a nutshell. But when you chance upon that one reasonably clear shot, the sense of satisfaction can be quite overwhelming.

This is certainly not a very good sign if you are carrying heavy birding and photography gear...

Come on fellows...gimme a break and show yourselves. I can't be shooting signs during a birding trip...

Neither can I be shooting at mushrooms...

Some of the other birds I managed to capture included this Black-and-Yellow Broadbill. A pair of these adorable little birds was foraging high up in the canopy and they certainly brought some excitement and colours to the situation here.
A foraging Olive-winged Bulbul...

and Asian Brown Flycatcher wrapped things up for the birds during our stay in the park.

The other wildlife found here provided a little compensation for the lack of birds. This attractive juvenile Triangle Keelback was without doubt one of them. This rear-fanged snake was rather tame and we had a great photo session with it.

Being a semi-aquatic species, it feels right at home in water as well...

The Horned Tree Lizard is not something you come across everyday in the forest. This beautiful species with the elaborate spines on its back was truly quite a sight. Anyway, this male must be pretty contempt with life because...

he has not one but two beautiful females by his side.

You can't help but to be impressed with the camouflage of this Orange-bearded Gliding-lizard. It virtually "disappears" into the bark this tree.

The Sun Skink is a common species but it does not pose for the camera all too often - for mine anyway. But this particular individual seems to enjoy the attention it was getting from a couple of birder including yours truly.

This splendid little bug was seen resting just outside our chalet. The colours were very vibrant indeed. Maybe I should indulge in insect photography more often. At least they are more tolerant to human approach than birds. But then again, I doubt I will ever be standing in the middle of a swamp, feeding the leaches in order to observe and photograph a rare insect.

A Giant Millipede making its way across the access road without a worry in the world. Life in the slow lane...

Our owling excursion produced a pair of Javan Frogmouths. However, the birds remained out of sight although the calls were coming from very close by. If you think birding in the forest during the day is difficult, try it in the cover of darkness with only a few torch lights as your only help. Anyway, it was a great experience as the birds continued to call for quite a while. We even heard the call of the mysterious White-fronted Scops-owl. It may be the largest Scops-owl in Malaysia but it is certainly the rarest and the least documented.

On the other hand, the other nocturnal residents of the park gave us quite a show. This impressive Giant Forest Gecko was hunting on the outside wall of the chalet.

We also came across a couple of frogs like these common Four-lined Tree-frogs...

And this fellow which is one of the Chorus Frogs species. So named because they have a habit of congregating before they start to perform their nocturnal orchestra.

We also managed to locate 2 Hillstream Softshell Turtles in the stream next to our chalet. These ambush hunters will bury themselves in the sand while fully submerged in the water, leaving only their heads and part of their necks exposed. Any unsuspecting prey that swims within their reach will meet an unfortunate end. Once those powerful jaws catch hold of the prey, it is almost impossible to break free.

The small fishes that share this domain with the turtles have to be always on the alert. But I guess that's life. Unfortunately for the fishes, the law of the jungle applies strongly here.

However, it is not only the turtles that they have to worry about. Danger lurks in other forms as well and one of them is the Forest Snakehead - a predatory fish that will make short work of any small fish that comes its way.

On the way out of the park and back to Penang, we made a quick stop at the paddy fields in Mata Ayer. Nothing much was about. Even the images I took of the resident Rufous-bellied Swallow was a let-down because there was condensation in my lens at that time.

The Chuping Sugarcane fields is located a short driving distance from the park. A couple of seasons ago, it played host to 2 first records for Malaysia - the Long-legged Buzzard and the Asian Openbill. But there was nothing much to boast about upon our arrival at the locality.