Wrath of nature

As I was about to call it an early night in preparation for my tour the next day, I could hear a steady stream of wind caressing the window panes. The caressing soon grew to pounding and with an intensity that I do not think I have experienced before. I was sure I was out of harm’s way as long as I remained indoors but there was still cause for concern. The side effect of Typhoon Lekima that struck China has found its way to a few northern states in northern Peninsular Malaysia and in its wake, a trail of destruction. This act of nature could jeopardize the success of my tour tomorrow and I was a little anxious as I led my Singaporean guest to the first location of the day and it was the mangroves of Sungai Batu. The winds certainly swept through here but luckily, the damages were not as severe as I have feared. It was a gloomy morning and the resident Greater Coucals were quite adamant in absorbing as much of whatever little sunlight that was available today. So much so that they partly forgo their usual wary nature.

Crested Serpent-Eagles can be confiding at times and this individual that was resting on a low dead tree, certainly exhibited that trait. And on a slow day like this, it was a much welcomed encounter despite the common status of this impressive raptor.

It was good to see a few big water birds present here today. This young Purple Heron was one of them. The distance may not have been ideal but the beauty of the Purple Heron deserved our attention.

Our next destination was the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest in mainland Penang. Upon arrival, I was left speechless. I stared upon my deepest fear as last night’s freak storm nearly flattened the place. When one of the mighty Banyan Trees uprooted not too long ago, it had a devastating effect on this birding site and now, a second Banyan Tree suffered the same fate when it could not withstand the wrath of nature. I fear the end is drawing near for this once glorious birding hotspot. And the atmosphere this morning was about as cheerful as a cemetery.

Not only does the site need to endure the power of Mother Nature but also the work of my fellow Man. The illegal land clearing works right at the border of the reserve were given stop work orders by the government but it may be too late. A little piece of me dies with the demise of each birding site here in my home state of Penang. Air Hitam Dalam and all the incredible moments it has provided, will be a huge loss to the local birding community should it face an untimely death.

A few Asian Openbills resting along the paddy fields of mainland Penang ended the day on a slightly higher note. And these unique storks are settling in very well indeed. Whether it is on top of isolated trees or on the fields, the Asian Openbills have certainly found their refuge here.

My next birding excursion took me to the hilly forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah state. The strong winds barely made it here deep in the interiors of Kedah and for that I am most grateful. Birding could have been better and the birds did just about enough to keep a couple of old school birders contented. My Australia guest had shown a keen interest to go for her first ever canopy walk and where better than what is supposedly the world’s longest one – the Sungai Sedim Tree Top.

The view from up here was spectacular as always. However, we were hoping for a little more than breath taking views from our venture into the canopy level.

For the second consecutive time, a mammal and not a bird, provided the main highlight for me. A civet was seen making its way along the foliage of the forest canopy. I tried my best to follow its movements but it was an uphill challenge for both me and my modest photography equipment. Between cursing and not toppling over the side of the canopy walk, I somehow managed to capture a few reasonable images of this sleek creature. And it turned out to be a Small-toothed Palm-Civet. My second ever encounter with this elusive and uncommon species.

Like most civets, it is nocturnal by nature and it is a true blessing to be given an opportunity to admire and photograph the Small-toothed Palm-Civet in broad daylight.

The encounter lasted no more than a half minute but for the observers, it seemed much longer than that. We could not take our eyes off the civet until it disappeared into the dense foliage where it finds true sanctuary. Apart from the usual species, I do not come across mammals all that often in the field. But of late, I seem to be having more luck with mammals than birds.

Just to prove my point, we also came across a relatively confiding Agile Gibbon. This primate is shy and although the far-carrying territorial calls are much a part of the sights and sounds of Sungai Sedim, to see one well like this requires luck.

The only bird image from this site that turned out well enough to be shared was of this male Whiskered Treeswift. He was enjoying his time in the sun despite all the commotion from a group of campers below.

At the mangroves of Sungai Batu, the lighting condition was better than my previous visit. It may be my imagination but even the plain-looking Abbott’s Babbler appeared to be looking exceptional beautiful today.

There will be no hesitation in describing the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher as beautiful for it is one of the best-looking species of this swampy realm.

It was a shame that this male Plain-throated Sunbird was in moult. He could have easily improve the vibrancy of the surroundings as he is a striking species as well.

A female Oriental Magpie-Robin helped increase the variety of species encountered today. Her kind may not possess a kaleidoscope of colours on their plumage but their ability to sing is rivalled by few here in Malaysia. And sadly, their beautiful song is not heard as often now especially here in Penang due to their demand in the bird trade.

On the other hand, the Yellow-vented Bulbul continues to do well throughout the country especially near humans. Naturally, I do not pay much attention to this species but there will be time of exceptions. A few were performing well at the stakeout and it would just be wrong not to acknowledge their presence.

So, one of the commonest birds in Malaysia wrapped things up for this time. Mammals (and a natural disaster) probably overshadowed the other contents in this post. I can state with much confidence, this time anyway, that there is certainly more to life than just birds.

Urbanized Owls

My first tour of the year brought to the hilly forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah state. With the fruiting trees coming into season again as expected, my American client Michael was in for a treat but was not aware of it yet as I picked him from a hotel in the middle of Georgetown City. It was his maiden birding trip to my Malaysia and nearly every bird that came to the fruiting tree was a lifer including the common Cream-vented Bulbuls.

Red-eyed Bulbuls are another common species of the forest here and as expected, a few were gorging on the fruits available.

Uncommon would best describe the Ashy Bulbul and the black mask undoubtedly enhances its appeal. It is seen sporadically at fruiting trees here and its presence today was well appreciated.

With some many varieties of bulbuls sharing the same home, some are bound to evolve and fill up niches that are not so typical of bulbuls like the Yellow-bellied Bulbul. The dim lighted lower storey of the forest is where it frequents and patronizing fruiting trees is about the only time where it reveals itself more than usual.

The star bird at the fruiting tree today was the splendid Grey-bellied Bulbul. It stood out from the rest for its vibrant colouration. Naturally, it had Michael’s undivided attention.

There were a number of flowerpeckers present at the fruiting tree as well. Due to their minute size, good photographic opportunities were far and few. For some unknown reason, they seemed to be particularly restless today. Anyway, the only image that was decent enough to be posted here is of a handsome male Orange-bellied Flowerpecker.

The only sunbird you will usually find patronizing fruiting trees in Sungai Sedim is the Plain Sunbird. The common names of some birds can be misleading but not for this species. The only sign of splendour, present on all male sunbird species, is a small patch of iridescent green on the forecrown. This shot, despite all its flaws, shows that patch well enough.

While we were entertained by the feeding frenzy at the fruiting tree, the territorial calls of gibbons echoed through the vicinity. Captivated, Michael was disappointed when we could not locate a single one of them despite being in such close proximity. Then, like an answered prayer, a lone individual suddenly swung into view and it was an Agile Gibbon.

Shortly after, the reason for the boldness exhibited by this usually wary animal was known. There was another fruiting tree in bloom and like I always say, gluttony is a deadly sin few can resist. And the encounter with this amazing primate was one of the highlights of the trip.

There was one more mission I need to accomplish before concluding this half day excursion. My guest expressed his desire to see a Barred Eagle-Owl and lucky for him, I knew exactly where to fulfil his desire. The location is a modest suburban park but it is home to pair of these intriguing night birds. It did not take long to locate the owls this time as they were roosting on a smaller tree. As usual, it was an exciting lifer for my foreign guest.   

The second owl appeared smaller and I assume should be the male bird. However, his roosting perch was more concealed and there was no way to obtain any better images without the risk of disturbing the roosting pair. Anyway, the Barred Eagle-Owls did more than enough to provide the ideal end to this short excursion and a good start to hopefully another year of hopefully rewarding tour excursions.

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.