Raptors still reign supreme

I have not been back to the grasslands of Chuping since the last migratory season and there is always a sense of anxiety whenever I revisit this unique birding site after a lapse. The landscape constantly changes and it is not because of Mother Nature but man. For years, they have been trying out different crops all over this former sugarcane plantation. The worst of the crops is rubber which unfortunately has covered vast areas. The ongoing construction of an industrial park provides no help at all to the dying landscape. But the one thing that has not change so far are the limestone hills imposing their artistic presence.

For this trip, I had a birding couple from neighbouring Singapore. It only made sense that I took them as far away from home as possible and Chuping, being at the northern tip of the peninsular, would be the ideal choice. It was good to find suitable habitats for birds still in existence here. A pond that was the only regular site in Malaysia to house the scarce Bronze-winged Jacana now houses Asian Openbills instead and a fair number of them were present today.

Barn Swallows are common winter visitors to the grasslands here and a confiding individual resting just next be the access road had our attention despite their abundant nature.

The Rufous-bellied Swallow, on the other hand, is a species that will always have my attention. Locally common only in certain parts of the country, this large and vividly coloured swallow stood out from the Barn Swallows that it was resting alongside. The encounter with the Rufous-bellied Swallow was a much appreciated one as it has been a relatively slow morning so far.

The swallows may be beautiful and graceful in flight but we did not drive all the way here for them. We were after something more majestic which are the true rulers of the skies. The vast open landscape has always been the realm of raptors. Overcast skies almost drowned out our plans. Luckily, the first rays of the sun managed to pierce through the rain clouds later in the morning. And with the available thermal, our quarries started swooping into view. Flocks of migrating Black Bazas were a sight to behold. I find these little raptors to be one of the most striking raptors to occur on our shores and naturally, ample time was allocated to witness this spectacle of nature unfold.

The Oriental Honey-Buzzards, like the bazas, are migrants to this land. As always, the plumage variations that this species is infamous for caused some hesitance from me during identification.

One of the most sought after raptors here in Chuping is undoubtedly the gorgeous male Pied Harrier. I was a little to slow to capture his image this but luckily, my guests were not. The female Pied Harrier is often overshadowed by the former but today, she was all I got to show for harriers.

The sight of this pale harrier floating above the grasslands kicked my imagination into overdrive. And for a minute there, he looked almost like the mythical Short-eared Owl that has eluded me all these years. Almost...

A huge silhouette gliding overhead brought me back down to Earth with a thump. My trusted bins quickly revealed my first Greater Spotted Eagle of the season. I have nothing but total admiration for this majestic predatory bird. Being one of the largest raptors in Malaysian skies certainly has a lot to do with it.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Common Kestrel. It is diminutive but still deadly in its own way. Hovering is a trait few raptors possess and the kestrel has mastered the art of dropping down on its prey in mid flight. Lighting was not on our side but it was the only opportunity we had of capturing of this female bird.

Every raptor that crossed our path was given its due attention for this locality has a tendency to spring a surprise or two. Even a juvenile Brahminy Kite has the potential of being something rare.

However, not all birds with immense wingspans were raptors. Purple Herons are a common sight here as well. These water birds also find food in this vast landscape and this individual lazily flew past overhead during our visit here.

From the open grasslands of Chuping, we made our way to the pristine forest of Bukit Wang. It was not the best of weathers as we were greeted by a light drizzle upon arrival. But it would take than a drizzle and a broken bridge to deny these three visiting birders the chance to observe the alluring bird life found here.

The Dark-sided Flycatcher is truly a creature of habit and I found it on almost the same perch as last week.

And it even invited a friend along this time and we were looking at two Dark-sided Flycatchers at the same spot. I now know that this species is omnivorous as it occasionally fed on the fruits.

The Sooty Barbets would have been a lifer for my guests but unfortunately, the flock did not make an appearance. Surprisingly, a male Pale Blue Flycatcher did and it was a lifer for them as well. I could not be certain if the flycatcher was attracted by the fruits as it did not stay long. And it was frustrating that I could not obtain a better image as I seldom come across this flycatcher.

You can pretty much guess how brief this scarce Puff-backed Bulbul visited the fruiting tree by this image alone. Like the flycatcher, I do not have many encounters with this species and its behaviour today only compounded my frustrations.

The other patrons were much more obliging and I was something I should be grateful for. Armed to the core in birding gear, we made the best of situation and captured some memorable images at the fruiting tree. 

The Grey-bellied Bulbul with its lovely colouration was well received as usual. And even the slight drizzle could not drown out its exquisite beauty.

The Buff-vented Bulbuls were present at the fruiting tree for the longest periods today. They certainly made themselves at home despite the gloomy weather.

Another species of bulbuls that took part in the feast were the Cream-vented Bulbuls. Another drab species, this common bird could not do much to raise the level of excitement.

Only one species of flowerpecker was present at the tree and it was the Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker. It may not be as striking as some of the other species but it presence was a welcomed addition of colours and flair.

There are a few birds that depend on forest streams for their survival. The most noteworthy one is the striking Chestnut-naped Forktail but it managed to elude my efforts to photographing it again. The Grey Wagtail is another attractive species often found in habitats like these during the migratory season and this commoner stream dweller at least provider some photographic opportunities before we finally called it a day and made our way back to Penang.

Faith restored...(28/03/2016)

For the second day of his tour, I took Tony to the open grasslands of Chuping in the tiny state of Perlis. Upon arrival, Chuping appeared and felt like a whole different country to him and I could not agree more. The atmosphere at this locality does has its own distinct flavour and the birding, is usually exceptional.

Just as the first rays of the morning swept across the sea of grass, a handsome male Pied Harrier floated into view and caught us by surprise. When we recovered from the initial shock, I did my best to obtain better views and photographic opportunities. My gear struggled in the dim lighting and I felt a little short changed after the encounter. My guest, on the other day, got his shots and one of the best moments of his tour with me. A lone Paddyfield Pipit hopped up onto an exposed stake to bask in the morning sun now that the raptor has left the vicinity but it provided very little compensation for my earlier disappointment.

Blue-tailed Bee-eaters are not exactly what I would naturally look out for in Chuping but I will make an exception for a flock hunting in good light. This spot must be filled be bees as the bee-eaters seemed to be catching them effortlessly. Every sally was short and successful. And every shot I took had bee-eaters with food in the mouth.

On a recently ploughed patch, a pair of Siberian Stonechats was also having a field day. Judging from their constant movement, food was abundant. Although they were quite confiding, the lighting condition was difficult and the distant, less than desirable. The male was almost in breeding plumage and a record shot was the least I could do in appreciation for his performance and beauty.

Our main targets for this visit were the raptors - especially the harriers. Apart from the earlier encounter with the male Pied Harrier, we had very few photographic opportunities for the rest of the morning. A female Pied Harrier provided the only other reasonably good encounter. We followed her hunt momentarily and even managed to get her making short work of a large grasshopper.

The Eastern Marsh-Harriers were far and few. The striking male at this distance can hardly evoke any sense of excitement.

There is one more migratory raptor that is a regular here at Chuping and it provided one of the highlights of this visit. Resting all so elegantly on the barren earth, this female Eurasian Kestrel was more confiding than usual – much to our delight. I drove as close as possible and took a few shots as best as I could. She was not a big bird to begin with and the distance was just slightly beyond my gear’s comfort zone. But it was a good encounter. She allowed us to ogle at her beauty from the comforts of the car and that itself could almost make up for the long drive here.

There were plenty of Oriental Pratincoles around today and most were in breeding plumage. This unique wader is not an uncommon sight but it does make a good subject for photography. It usually has a high tolerance level towards human presence and we managed to obtain quite a number of good images.

By lunch time, the heat was getting a little unbearable and we decided to stop and have a meal before proceeding to the next locality. A striking male Red Collared-dove bade us farewell as we made our way out of the grasslands. The forest of Bukit Wang provided nothing of significance except for a pair of inquisitive but shy Black-and-Yellow Broadbill. Playing hard to get does enhance the encounter but only to a certain degree if you do not show yourself at the end of it all.

A repeat of yesterday’s fate was looming on the horizon. And against my better judgement, I decided to try Air Hitam Dalam again. When we arrive in the car park, it was relatively quiet. And my faith on the locality now hangs by a thread. Then I caught an all-too-familiar jizz of a bird with the corner of my eye. I could finally breathe again. A sigh of relief as a male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher proudly exhibits his splendid plumage to my guest. And my faith, totally restored. Throughout the visit, we managed to see three pairs throughout the vicinity including the complicated pair of Mangrove-Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers. The male was extremely confiding as usual and a wrong setting my in camera (accidentally turn the dial to shutter speed priority again) resulted in a slightly soft image. But I was not too worked out over it as I have plenty of good images from previous encounters. The important thing is the flycatchers are still here and for that, I am truly grateful. 

Crazy for crests

The grasslands of Chuping in Perlis beckoned again and this time, my regular guests, brothers Nigel and Jimmy, soaked in the picturesque sunrise before scanning the horizon for any signs of bird life. However, we did not need to look long or far. Caught in the golden light of the morning sun was a flock of Great Mynas. The origin of the birds found here is debateable but this season, there is a significant increase in numbers and today was the highest count for me – about 20 birds. Native or otherwise, this myna is absolutely alluring. I just cannot get over the wicked crest and that body anatomy alone could have won me over. It is most not found in my home state of Penang and we spent quite some time with them despite the strong pull of whatever that could be waiting for us further in the grasslands.

We eventually found our way to the jacana pond and since the Bronze-winged Jacana is a lifer to my guests, we patiently waited for the celebrity waterfowl to show themselves. I did not even dare to think that I might obtain some improvement shots of these shy birds in order to reduce the chance of being disappointed again. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So, I guess I do not need to describe how I felt with yet another record shot.

Unlike my earlier visits, it was now dry and dusty. The dry season has commenced and the poor show of bird life is the unfortunate result. My guests are here for the raptors. Not being able to show even one to them for half a morning does not reflect very well on me – even if they are very understanding about it. By late morning, the heat was at a blistering state. For the life of me, I simply cannot comprehend why some of the birds do not attempt to even find some shade to rest in. This Zebra Dove appeared to be most comfortable resting under the sun on the concrete pole of the perimeter fence.

Maybe there is something about these poles that give the birds a sense of calm in this unbearable heat for the dove was not alone. A Paddyfield Pipit also chose to rest here. And like the dove, it was just as confiding.

The Zitting Cisticola is small in size but big in character. Just check out this pose…

The heat did not seem to be bothering the Black Drongos much as they continued to hunt around the sewage pond area. The heatwave is quite apparent in the photo and despite the close distance; all the images did not turn out as good as I anticipated.

A few Yellow Wagtails were also foraging around the sewage pond and one of them did come relatively close to our stationery vehicle. Out there in the grasslands, not many wagtails were seen and it is most probably because of the weather condition. Naturally, I dipped out on Malaysia’s second Citrine Wagtail which was recorded here a few weeks back.

In the afternoon, it became more like the Chuping that I have come to know and love. A female Eurasian Kestrel provided the first raptor photographic opportunity. The kestrel is also one of the few raptors here that you can regularly see perched on a tree. And she got the ball rolling. That’s my girl!

A female Eastern Marsh Harrier was the first harrier of trip and I thank God for that. After all the amazing harrier encounters prior to this trip, it was downright disheartening that I had to search for more than half a day to actually see one. Anyway, the harrier was soaring high above the grassland but the good lighting provided something to cheer about in regards to photography.

I have had only brief and distant observations of the striking male Siberian Stonechat at this locality so far. But today, he was a very different bird. I cannot recall why we stopped our vehicle but it does not matter. He decided to alight on a low branch just next to us. He may not be in full breeding plumage but he was a handsome devil indeed. And the clicking of our shutter filled the vicinity...

The encounter even got better because he started to hunt. Several times he dropped to the ground but without success. The best thing was, he always came back to the same branch and we were lucky enough to be in a very good position to observe his endeavours – unsuccessful as they might be. Or maybe he was just showing off.

The highlight of the day was a magnificent Short-toed Eagle that flew reasonably close and despite the harsh lighting, it provided a few captured moments that I am quite please with. This season I have probably seen the Short-toed Eagle more times than all the previous seasons. But this beautiful raptor has not cease to excite and intrigue.

As evening drew near, a few harriers started to come in to roost among the taller rubber trees. Although the numbers are nowhere near the former known harrier roost, it was still exciting. A juvenile Pied Harrier landed on a surprisingly open area and it was a photographic invitation not to be turned down. The first day of our tour concluded on high note and the slightly disappointing morning was nothing more than a hiccup. Just for the record, we recorded a total of 11 raptors during the tour and that is a good haul by any standard.

The next day, we left the grasslands for some pristine tropical rainforest. At the car park of Bukit Wang Forest Reserve in Kedah, a pair of Wreathed Hornbills flew across just as it got light. It is always great to encounter hornbills in the field but it was too dark for any photographic attempts. In fact, that was the story for the whole morning. In terms of birding, it was terrific. We got birds like Wallace’s Hawk-Eagle, Violet Cuckoo, Banded Kingfisher, White-bellied Woodpecker and other forest denizens. In terms of photography, we were not so lucky. The highlight of trip was when Jimmy spotted a raptor on a tall dead tree and upon further scrutiny turned out to be a Crested Goshawk. This raptor is renowned for its agility and efficiency as a bird of prey. These traits will naturally garner my respect and affection as raptors are one of my favourite group of birds. I do not have any good shots of this species yet and today, despite it being so obliging, the distance was just a little too far for my gear. But it was still a memorable encounter.

The Common Snipes took advantage of whatever shade they could find to escape the relentless tropical sun. Shaded locations are such a prized commodity that they were more tolerant than usual. At such proximity, these cryptic waders would usually perform their vanishing act.

The final destination of this 2-day tour was Air Hitam Dalam and upon arrival, the weather turned unexpectedly. Rain clouds started to form and darken the skies. Just an hour ago it was too much sun and now, it is too little. Welcome to birding in the tropics. A big troop of Long-tailed Macaques was stomping through the swamp forest for their evening siesta. One individual was too indulged with the meal at hand to even take notice of our approach. I am not particularly fond of Long-tailed Macaques because of their nasty nature. But on this occasion, I did take the time and effort to capture this photo.

Where there are macaques, there will be Greater Racket-tailed Drongos. Perched above the marauding troop, the drongo was patiently waiting for any prey flushed by its mammalian companions’ movements.

My Singaporean guests were hoping to experience the Mangrove Blue Flycatchers again – just like their last visit to this locality. It would be a great way to end the tour for them. And this flycatcher rarely disappoints. I know that I have posted photos of this species quite often. But I have learned, through years of residing in this ‘beloved’ country of mine that nothing is to be taken for granted. Like I always say, enjoy it while it last. And enjoy, we did.