Not so ordinary garden birds...

 

My birding endeavours take me to all kinds of locations ranging from spectacular mountain tops and lush tropical rainforests to bleak coastal mudflats. However, there is one type of habitat that I will try to avoid and that is habitats with humans. Wherever there are humans, there will usually be situations. Situations that I can do without when I am enjoying my birding. I guess there is some truth when some consider me to be somewhat anti-social but I will not be losing any sleep over that. Before I carried away with this, I better get back to the birds. That is what this blog is all about after all. A quiet neighbourhood in the outskirts of Taiping became the centre of attention when the presence of Common Hoopoes was discovered. This enigmatic species is still considered rare here in Peninsular Malaysia with irregular records throughout the years. I have personally recorded this species as far back as 2003 and it is not new to me. But at this particular location, it appears to be thriving and that is good enough a reason for a visit.

With my companions Hor Kee and Rodney, we arrived at our destination just after dawn. The first bird that caught my attention was a Crested Goshawk surveying its domain from a lofty perch. This stunning raptor was a great way to start off the day and I began to develop a good feeling about this modest location.

A pair of Oriental Pied Hornbills compounded the feeling as they wandered about the housing area. No matter how many times I have recorded this species living alongside humans, it still evokes the same amount of excitement.

I guess the same can be said about Lineated Barbets but on a lesser scale. Well, very few things in life can rival the awe of hornbills and that is the brutal truth. From the look of things, the barbets have also found sanctuary here and the population is set to increase.

A lone Asian Openbill casually foraging within a house compound certainly took me by surprise. There is no doubt this species has come a long way since when they first started to colonize Peninsular Malaysia back in 2010. But this cool fellow is taking it to a whole new level.

Pink-necked Pigeons occur even in my own home compound and I would find it odd if I do not come across them here. Here is a male feeling a little dismay that the lighting condition and my photographic effort did not do much justice to his true appeal.

Another common species of built-up areas is the Asian Glossy Starlings. Electrical cables are predominant in any housing area and birds have a tendency to use them as perches. For birders, this behaviour eases our main mission in life which is to find and observe.

For a bird photographer, these man-made perches hold little value for their photographic effort. This applies to even a striking species like the Blue-throated Bee-eater. In my eyes (and the bird’s), the cable is a strategic point for it to launch aerial assaults on flying insects. If it good enough for the bird, it is good enough for my camera.

The Red-whiskered Bulbul is a species you do not get to see in a lot of neighbourhoods. So, it was heartening to see one here. There is a possibility of escapees for the beautiful bird as it is a popular cage bird. Either way it will not cause any major scientific impact if I get the status wrong for this individual.

I stated earlier birds on cables are more conspicuous and to proof my point, that is how we got our first Common Hoopoe of the day. This may be normal sight in neighbouring countries like Thailand but in my own, it will take some getting used to.

Eventually, we managed to locate a flock of at least five birds consisting of adults and sub-adults as feeding still took place within the flock. During my documentation of the birds, I could not really tell any differences between the birds. All of them were striking and charismatic.

When I scrutinized my photographs back home, I noticed that all the birds I shot had slightly shorter bills. Only then did I realize that maybe both the adult birds managed to evade my photographic efforts.  

The discomfort of a “human-habitat” started to take its toll and we shifted to the second destination of the trip which is the foothills of Bukit Larut. Soon after our arrival, we were greeted by the diagnostic territorial call of the Banded Broadbill. It took a little effort but the result was rewarding. Often hidden by the cover of the forest canopy, a good view like this is a real godsend to me.

I could not believe it when another broadbill species decided to show well after the first encounter. The Black-and-yellow Broadbill can be confiding at times but the individual today has surpassed that point.

The full black collar indicated that it was a male bird and that feature is only the difference between the sexes. He is a truly exquisite creature of the forest.

A few fruiting trees in the vicinity were in season and they attracted the usual groups of bulbuls. Among them was a female Blue-winged Leafbird and she was the only that managed to find her way into my memory card.

The Verditer Flycatcher is a species that I have not seen for a long while now. When one decided to hawk for insects nearby, I was elated. It may be the duller female but the prolonged encounter was fair compensation.

I know I always lament how frustrating forest birding can be but apparently, not today. Another female bird provided a memorable encounter and she was a Raffles’s Malkoha. Initially she played hard to get, typical of most desirable ladies. On a more serious note, malkohas are usually difficult subject for photography and the Raffles’s Malkoha is no different. But the good girl performed unexpectedly well in the end and made every birder present fell head over heels for her.

Here is one final image of the alluring Raffles’s Malkoha to wrap things up this time. The foothills of a colonial hill station and a surprisingly birdy neighbourhood certainly rose up to the occasion and provided ample material for another entry to my birding blog.

Home of wildlife - Part 1

 

Khao Yai National Park is a pristine landscape that provides sanctuary to countless species of flora and fauna. I knew about this park even before I started birding. Naturally, I was excited for my maiden visit and what it has in store for me. We were just minutes from the main entrance when our guide did a detour. We stopped just outside the borders of the park because that particular locality is a known birding hotspot. As always, have faith in your guide. True enough, the diagnostic wing beats of a hornbill echoed across the vicinity and very few things in life can rival the emotional whirlwind caused by coming face to face with a Great Hornbill first thing in the morning.

I have been birding a long time and through the decades, I have come across a number of truly remarkable species. And believe me when I tell you this behemoth of a bird deserves a place right up there among the best. And it has been too long since I last saw one in the wild.

The smaller Oriental Pied Hornbills were also recorded in vicinity. Naturally, they were overshadowed by their bigger relative. And I only began to take notice of this male once the Great Hornbill was gone.

Another species that I cannot help but to take notice are the Red-breasted Parakeets. Apart from increasing my global life list, they occur here in exceptionally high numbers.  However, they seem to always perch on the tallest trees and good photographic opportunities were hard to come by.

Parakeets are also known to mate for life and this pair certainly appeared to be in the loving mood judging from their public display of affection.

Eventually I did find a lone male perched lower than the rest. It may not be the perfect shot but it will do.

This locality is also the domain of an impressive nocturnal predator and we were fortunate enough to be shown a roosting individual. This trip has been great so far when it comes to owls. This was the fourth species and I can confidently say the best although there are two more days before this Thai adventure ends. The Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl bears some resemblance to the Barred Eagle-Owl back home. But it is bigger and a lot more imposing. When it looks our way, I am grateful I do not form part of its diet.

The Spot-bellied Eagle-Owl alone was a good enough reason to delay our entry into the home of wildlife which is the tagline of the national park. Every bit of birding inevitably effects the lives of the birds that we birders revere. The goal is to keep our intrusion to a minimum. Not only for the sake of the birds but also to give to others a chance to enjoy what you have just experienced.

We spent roughly two day exploring Khao Yai National Park and the one of the first birds to greet our photographic intentions was the diminutive Collared Owlet. Ironically, every owl encounter so far in our trip took place in the daytime. But I for one, am not complaining.

Any habitat that houses hornbills should and must be conserved. The park authorities here are doing a great job and these winged rhinos are still able to roam freely (and safely) within its borders. A male Great Hornbill gorging on a fruiting tree just next to the access road is proof of that.

Resting comfortably in the canopy level of the forest was this male Wreathed Hornbill. The lighting was getting harsh by then and the bird was not exactly close. Still, it was a picture of bliss as we observed him preening and watching the world go by.

Another male was recorded during our exploration of the park. Although this species not be able to conjure up as much emotions as the Great Hornbill, the photographic opportunity provided was so much better.

One glance at the Black-crested Bulbuls found here and any Malaysian birder will notice the red throat that this subspecies possesses that is absent from the ones back home.

Whenever the opportunities present themselves, I would try to improve my images of these ‘red-throated’ Bulbuls.

Quite a number of Bulbuls require scrutiny to determine their identifications. This is pretty much the case for the Puff-throated Bulbul until I found out from my guide that the similar-looking Ochraceous Bulbul, a species I am very familiar with, does not occur here.

I guess sooner or later I have to man-up and write about these two particular species of Bulbuls that I encountered in central Thailand. There are four almost-identical Bulbul species that occur in this country. Luckily, the Olive and Buff-vented Bulbuls (which I have encountered both before) are restricted to the southern region. In Kaeng Krachan National Park, I tried my best to obtain a record shot of the Baker’s Bulbul but it got the better of me on every one of those few occasions our paths crossed. I fared much better in this national park and obtained what should be (after I have given my all in confirming the identification) Grey-eyed Bulbuls.

Fruiting trees are always a good place to stop for a look. We were fortunate to come across a few next to each at one of the camp grounds. Naturally, we spent a considerable amount of time here. And lucky we did. I had a brief encounter with the Golden-crested at the last national park we visited. This time, we had a pair and they stayed considerably longer. By the way, a pair of Common Hill Mynas also alighted on the same tree but they were out of the picture - naturally.

Although not exactly ‘feather-counting’ quality, I obtained the improvement shots I so badly wanted. There is this occasional occurrence in birding when once you finally unblocked a species that you have been trying to do so for many years, it will no longer be as difficult anymore. My second Golden-crested Myna in four days - unbelievable.

Here is an image of the female which finally received my attention when the male moved further away.

The fruiting tree also attracted three species of barbets and all of them new to me. The Green-eared Barbet is probably the most confiding and when any member of this family of birds performs well, one must take full advantage of it. Lord knows barbets can be difficult to photograph due to their preference for the highest canopies.

The plumage coloration of the Green-eared Barbet may not be as striking as some of the others but being new to me is novelty that surpasses beauty.

Because of the recent split, the Blue-eared Barbet was replaced in my life list by the Black-eared Barbet. There was not much reason to celebrate when the Blue-eared Barbet was re-entered back into my life list here in Thailand. Perhaps it was the least interesting to me and I did not put much effort in obtaining a photograph. The Moustached Barbet, on the other hand, had my full attention. The availability of food also made it forgo its natural instincts and provided excellent views which was a true blessing. And emotions certainly ran high for us at the fruiting trees...

In Southeast Asia, there are very few species that can rival Hanging-Parrots in terms of cuteness. Past experiences with the Blue-crowned Hanging-Parrot back home have taught me that they are not exactly easy to photograph. In this neck of the woods, the Vernal Hanging-Parrot replaces it and we were delighted to find a small flock patronizing one of the fruiting trees. I could not help but to feel a little disappointed because I think they were all females or immatures and none of them had a red bill.

It was the same outcome when we encountered these parrots again suggesting it was the same flock. One of the birds ventured exceptionally low, upside down and looking simply adorable. And the disappointment gradually faded away.

Then I caught sight of a single bird resting a little further from the flock. Unless my eyes (and camera) betrayed me, it had a significantly redder bill. But the blue tinge on throat does not give me enough confidence to call it a male.

I think it is safe to say that the Black Giant Squirrels in both the national parks we have been to are exceptionally confiding by nature. With fruiting trees as an enticement, one can almost reach out and touch them on the tail.

The Finlayson’s Squirrel is another stunning species drawn to the fruits and capturing a few images was and including it in my post was the least I could do. One thing that I noticed here is there are not as many birders present when compared to Kaeng Krachan National Park. Even at the fruiting tree we basically had the place to ourselves.

To be continued…