A not-so-big Big Day

 

Today was the slated October Big Day but weather of late here in my home state of Penang has not been favourable for this global birding event. As I made my way across the narrow Straits of Malacca, I could see alarming thunder clouds starting to form in the horizon. I have not participated full-heartedly for past few Big Days due to time constraints and this time, it looked like Mother Nature will be the one determining the duration of my endeavour. The swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam was the selected location. Being a major birding site closest to home was the main reason for this selection.

The harsh vocalizations of Brown Shrikes were prominent on this cold and gloomy morning. Autumn migration is well on its way and the presence of these common migrants was not unexpected.

I also came across a juvenile Tiger Shrike in the vicinity and this species is more of a passage migrant than a winter visitor to this site.

A pair of Olive-winged Bulbuls decided to join in the chorus and their calls are definitely easier to the ears.

Intermittent sunshine brought hope to my cause and it also brought out a pair of Greater Coucals to sunbathe and preen. The pair was tolerant to my presence which is not always the case. I took the time to appreciate their good deed with the Nipah fronds provided an interesting backdrop for my captures.

As the weather improved, I could hear the calls of Blue-tailed Bee-eaters overhead. It did not take long to locate these graceful species as they were out hunting for flying insects.

Flocks of Asian Openbills soared across the sky as they move from one location to another in search of their favourite morsel – snails.

Common as it might be, the call of the Yellow-vented Bulbul is still bubbly and sweet. As scrublands is one of its preferred habitats, a healthy population resides in this area.

Another vocal species that was out and about was the Common Iora. A pair was causing a real ruckus among the low bushes and with a little perseverance (and luck), I managed to obtain what should be the photo of the day for me. In non-breeding plumage, both sexes are very similar to each other and I would assume the paler individual on the right is the female.

One of the most striking species you can find living nearby or even within human settlements is the male Pink-necked Pigeon. And to have two in a single frame had me trekking along the muddy riverbank for a better image.

The male Common Flameback that occurs in similar habitats, is a worthy rival to the former in terms of aesthetic appeal. Unfortunately, today he was hesitant to reveal his true beauty.

Like an oversized feather squirrel, a Green-billed Malkoha scurried along the canopy level with much haste leaving me with nothing more than images of empty branches. However a second bird, presumably its mate, stayed put just long enough for a couple of shutter clicks and the images turned out better than I had anticipated.

I see Brahminy Kites on wings more often than at rest. Despite the less-than-ideal shooting condition, this encounter with one of the resident kites perched on a lofty tree crown was rather enjoyable.

Going into the fourth hour of my Big Day, the weather started to turn for the worse. The sky darkened and the winds started to pick up momentum. Retreat was the only logical solution as I really did not fancy riding across the Penang Bridge during a thunderstorm. A Water Monitor Lizard made me delay my journey home. Although this massive reptile does not alter the outcome of my Big Day, it was impressive enough to conclude my blog post for this time.

It is good to be back

 

My iron steed finally got to stretch her legs with her first interstate journey in more than two years. Almost all COVID-19 restrictions in the country have been lifted this month and hopefully, life will return to be what it used to be. As for me, it is back to the wilds of northern Peninsular Malaysia to make up for all the lost birding time.

Although not much has changed here at the Sungai Batu mangroves, there was one significant difference. The resident Mangrove Pittas, as reported by my fellow birders, have vanished deeper into their swampy domains. This remarkable animal is the star bird of this location and their absence is excruciating difficult to accept. On the other hand, the Mangrove Blue Flycatchers still serenade the vicinity with their beauty and song.

The boisterous Abbott’s Babblers were as prominent as before at the stakeout. The lighting condition was unpredictable today. Passing clouds blocked out the sun intermittently. And I occasionally struggled with my photographic efforts despite the close proximity of the birds.

Rapid movement is one of the main causes for this complication. The Malaysian Pied-Fantail with its signature erratic movements, truly tested my modest setup. A lucky shot during one of the few rare moments when the bird was still provided some extra material for this blog post.

Just because you are out in open spaces does not mean photographing wild birds will be a walk in the park. There will be times when your subject simply refuses to cooperate despite the ideal shooting conditions. Anyway, there is no mistaking a Green-billed Malkoha at this range. And life, goes on.

The resident Crested Serpent-Eagle exhibited its full majesty from the edge of the swamp forest. And this time, it was the distance that prevented better images to be obtained.

Barbets are undeniably vocal and this trait is present in every species including the small and adorable Coppersmith Barbet. The name itself derives from the persistent single note territorial call of the species which is not unlike the sound of a coppersmith at work. I traced the call to a tiny speck at the very top of a dead tree which is typical of the species.

It is not an uncommon bird occurring even in residential areas but good photographic opportunities are hard to come by. That is a shame for the Coppersmith Barbet is a cracking bird. From its lofty perch, it continued to proclaim its territory despite my presence and the encounter turned out to be the highlight of the trip.

The Blue-throated Bee-eaters are back for the summer replacing the wintering Blue-tailed Bee-eaters. Just as spectacular or perhaps even more, a moment is taken to appreciate their return. The electrical cables here certainly make good vantage points for the Blue-throated Bee-eater to launch its aerial assaults.

It is the breeding season for most birds now and the Baya Weaver colonies were buzzing with activities. The males are busy building their astonishing nests and this labour of love is anything but easy. As for the females, life is easy for time being as they linger about waiting to be wooed.

I concluded my feeble Global Big Day effort for this year around mid morning. Other commitments in life seemed to have increased of late. Either that or age have somewhat altered my priorities. But my passion for birding still burns especially when there are birds like the Black-winged Kite to fuel the flames. This poised and efficient hunter wrapped things for the day by resting in full view on an electrical pole along the access road leading out of the site.

Breeding season is here

 

Heavy work schedule, illogical access restrictions to my usual birding haunts, the ongoing coronavirus situation and perhaps even age have been keeping me away from the field. My love for birding is not fading. That is certain or I would not have found myself wandering about the all-too-familiar river trail in Air Hitam Dalam on my birthday. Spending some time rejuvenating my soul in the morning and a quiet dinner with my dearest in the evening. That is celebration enough for me.

A lone Black-thighed Falconet brooding over whatever it is that the smallest raptor in the world broods about was the first bird to gain my attention.

Among the canopy of the swamp forest, a male Asian Koel prepared himself to defend his territory – a daily routine now as it is the height of the breeding season for this parasitic cuckoo. As expected, his loud and persistent vocalization soon echoed throughout the locality.

Almost rivalling the intensity of the Asian Koel was a pair of Collared Kingfishers. No doubt fuelled by the approaching breeding season, the pair was confiding and courted among the foliage of the riverine trees. And I took a moment to appreciate the performance.

The Common Iora possess quite a range of calls and songs. It did not take me long to locate a pair that was moving about the edge of the forest as they were calling persistently. The striking male did not appreciate my intrusion and retreated into the forest. His mate, startled by his sudden departure, veered through a gap among the foliage at the reason behind the chaos and provided me a brief window of opportunity to capture her image.

As I made my way further along the access road, a pair of pipits scooted away from me and alighted. Now, this family of birds are not the easiest to identify. Come to think of it, near impossible for some species. However, only one will pair up and breed here on Malaysian soil and that is the Paddyfield Pipit.

My attention soon drifted from ground to the nearby bushes as another common resident was preparing for the breeding season. The Yellow-bellied Prinia is a vocal bird and during the breeding season, even more so. And it tends to be bolder and regularly showing off its lovely plumage from exposed perches near the top of the bushes.

A Brahminy Kite on the hunt sent the prinia diving for cover. Although this raptor is rarely a threat to small birds, the sinister shape of a soaring raptor is enough to cause an abrupt end to the prinia’s vocal performance.

It was a colourful conclusion to this short excursion as the last bird I encountered was a pair of Common Flamebacks. The striking couple was foraging at the car park area and I delayed my departure from this local patch of mine – naturally. And to wrap things up for this time is a decent capture of the male with his flaming red crest reminding me just how good it can get when you spend time in the field.

Ending the year with some Christmas cheer

 

Christmas - that special time of the year when anything is possible or so they say. And what better time to set out for not one but two lifers than on Christmas Day itself. It has been nearly 15 months since I last increase my life list. Undoubtedly, this is the longest I have ever gone without a lifer and it is courtesy of the ongoing pandemic and all the travel restrictions. I had a little appetizer before the main course which was slated for the afternoon. Unfortunately, the Black Bittern that was showing well for others at the Penang Botanic Gardens was no where to be seen. It was not a good sign especially before a major twitching trip and a striking Blue-tailed Bee-eater did not possess enough finesse to lift my spirits. So much for the magic of Christmas so far.

The Pied Stilt looks very much like some variances of the Black-winged Stilt and this graceful wader was my first twitch of the trip. It is a recent colonizer from the south to Peninsular Malaysia and a few finally made their way up to Penang state as predicted. The paddy planting district of mainland Penang houses hundreds of wintering Black-winged Stilts. Relying on the information others have provided and faith, I scanned through the flocks looking for the odd ones out. Luckily, I had James’s help for this tedious task as he accompanied me on this excursion. It was a hot and sunny day and the heatwave was almost unbearable. And then among a flock of 50 or so, I noticed one sporting a distinctive black mane. It was far and the paddy stalks, tall. Upon further strenuous scrutiny, it was beyond doubt I was squinting at my first Pied Stilt.

I carefully trod onto the muddy bund with the hope of obtaining better images. The paddy field is not a place where one can easily sneak up to a bird and the magic of Christmas, like everything else in life, has its limits.

Time was of the essence on this occasion and as I was about to leave for my next destination, the Pied Stilt strolled into full view. It was still a dreadful effort but then again, I could have just as easily missed the bird among the sea of stilts and stalks. Thus, always be grateful of what you have being given.

We arrived at the jetty along the Penaga River just in time to join the rest to search for Malaysia’s second Black-faced Spoonbill by boat. There is not much I can add that Google cannot provide about this unique and globally endangered species except that it presses all the right buttons for me – a water bird that is big, beautiful and rare.

We found the Black-faced Spoonbill at the river mouth where it frequents. However, all the excitement and anticipation built up to this moment drowned away because the distinguished visitor was foraging at a spot where the possibility of reducing the distance was non-existence.

The only thing left to do was to wait and hope for the Black-faced Spoonbill to wander closer and it was a long and taxing wait. A juvenile White-bellied Sea-Eagle gilded in and momentarily distracted us from the depressing situation we were in. It may sound like I am contradicting myself. I got my double lifers, didn’t I? It really should not matter that I only managed record shots for this lifer as well. But I was really looking forward to a memorable experience with the spoonbill and a distant observation is not exactly what I had in mind.

Anyway, back to the eagle. A sudden change of pace caught everyone by surprise and I almost missed the opportunity of capturing this majestic raptor dive successfully for what appeared to be a snake. On any other given day, this would have left me on cloud nine. But the disappointment with the spoonbill could not be that easily forgotten.

Even the appearance of a juvenile Brahminy Kite soaring effortlessly in the clear blue sky did very little to brightened up the trip. Not when now that the Black-faced Spoonbill had gone hidden from sight as it rested behind a line of mangrove trees.

At that point in time, we decided to venture elsewhere and to return here again before the day is over. A Collared Kingfisher was also taking shelter from the scorching heat and perched among the foliage of the mangroves.

The Black-capped Kingfisher is one difficult bird to photograph because of its shy nature. I found out today that it is more tolerant to approach by boat than car and this individual continued to rest in the shade despite our intrusion. This common but striking migrant did reposition itself during our observation and the encounter gave us to courage to hope for better things to come before the end of the day.

It was the moment of truth and the boat circled back for one more attempt with the Black-faced Spoonbill. On a wing and a prayer, we are hoping that the receding tide will draw it out from hiding and forage along the water’s edge. Just like this Great Egret.

Even from a distance, there is no mistaking the foraging technique of the spoonbill as it sweeps for aquatic invertebrates. We cautiously approach and now at least, we can truly admire the unique and enigmatic Black-faced Spoonbill.

Before the trip, I gawked at some of the images that were posted on social media. Although my own efforts do not even come close but I am happy. Two lifers in one day is a rare feat for me and given the unprecedented period I had to endure without lifers, this is one of my best Christmas Days in a long time. I suppose every birder wishes for easily attained lifers. However, sometimes the drawbacks and drama in a way add value to the experience. There was certainly no shortage of that today.

Little did I know the Black-faced Spoonbill saved the best for last. As the last light of day gradually slid back into the horizon, we found our main target of this boat trip basking in the golden light of the setting sun. And I, just took a deep breath and soak in the view. From utter disappointment to total bliss. The magic of Christmas? You bet it is. At the time of writing, this vagrant has not been seen in two days. All the more reason to be grateful.

When we returned to the jetty, a few Black-crowned Night-Herons have emerged from their roost. As our day comes to a close, theirs have just only begun. These common nocturnal water birds wrapped things up for the day and what a day it has been. The Pied Stilt will most probably get commoner here in Malaysia but for now, it is certainly a significant record. The Black-faced Spoonbill was just amazing and I may not have another chance to see this rarity again in my homeland. 2021 may not have been an eventful year but the appearance of these two species in the final weeks of the year has now made it otherwise.