Intriguing Land of Smiles

 

It has been more than two years since we last set foot on foreign soil and apart from donning face masks, boarding an plane out of Malaysia is pretty much the same as it used to be. A few hours later, we found ourselves in The Land of Smiles and our vacation in northern Thailand began. This was not a birding trip as I was with my better half and birds that I may encounter during our stay here in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai would be a bonus. This part of the country is quite appealing and some of the views, spectacular. Needless to say, after what everyone has gone through, this little getaway was much anticipated. It has been a long time since I last saw that sparkle in her eyes and this trip certainly brought that out again.

Inevitably, I ended up shooting more typical images on this trip. But a short trip to the highest mountain in Thailand was part of our itinerary and my hopes for some decent birding lie with that highland retreat.

The first birding encounter of the trip took place right outside our hotel along one of the busiest parts of Chiang Rai town. A female White Wagtail was resting on the porch roof. It is a scarce migrant back home and was enough for me to tolerate all the stares of the locals as I tried my best to capture some images of this lovely bird.

Eventually I realized that the White Wagtail is relatively common here and a pair that I came across at the compound of the Chiang Rai’s renowned White Temple was exceptionally confiding as well. However, the pair was restless and time was a luxury I do not possess on this trip as we were part of a tour group.

The Great Myna is also common in northern Thailand but I did not put much effort into capturing its images. This species is spreading down to Peninsular Malaysia and I have had my share of encounters during excursions to Perlis state.

The Fah Lu Huang Garden at Doi Tung was another lush landscaped garden that we visited. The colours and beauty of all the flowers we encountered was much to my wife’s delight.

Me, on the other hand, struggled to obtain memorable birding experiences here. In the end, I had to settle with a couple of bulbuls. The Sooty-headed Bulbul does not occur in Peninsular Malaysia and naturally, had my undivided attention.

Although the Red-whiskered Bulbul is conspicuous with its vocal talents and wicked crest, photographic opportunities did not come easily.

There seems to be a preference to keep Mute Swans are ornamental birds here in northern Thailand and no less than two tourist destinations that we visited had these elegant water fowls as part of their attractions. I had a tough time explaining to the rest of the group why I am not spending more time photographing these domesticated swans...

The agricultural landscape at Singha Park certainly has potential and between the usual sightseeing activities, I managed to sneak off some for brief birding. On one occasion, I was caught red-handed while pursuing a Pied Bushchat at a patch of grassland.

My gut feeling proved to be right when I enjoyed what should be the bird of the trip. A stunning male Burmese Shrike was on the hunt and my lumbering intrusion did not seem to ruffle any feathers at all.

He was a creature of habit and returned to the same vantage point after each foray. The only issue was I was restricted to photographing him from this angle but it was undeniably a memorable experience.

Most lizards tend to blend in with their surroundings but I do not think the same can be said about the Blue Crested Lizard. Half the body, particularly the head region, looked as though this reptile has been dipped into a bucket of bright blue dye. I was transfixed on the lizard as it rested on a tree trunk and this lifer of another nature turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip.

The peak of Doi Inthanon is the highest point in Thailand and the 6°C temperature that greeted us upon our arrival makes it one of the coldest as well. And the views, should be up there among the best especially the alluring sea of clouds.

At the summit, I was given some time to wander around on my own. As expected, this locality was teeming with bird life and the time factor prevented me from truly appreciating all species that were present. I did not do much homework prior to the visit as not to raise too much expectations. However, I do know as a fact the stunning Mrs. Gould’s Sunbird calls this place home. A few sunbirds frolicking about a flowering tree had me sprinting down the access road until I reached the base of the tree. True enough, there was at least 3 Mrs. Gould’s Sunbirds present but the only one that finally made its way to my memory card was an immature male.

The Silver-eared Laughingthrush is a split from the Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush complex just like the Malayan Laughingthrush back home. This lifer provided the best photographic opportunities for this highland excursion as the bird foraged for food confidingly close to a throng of tourist including yours truly.  

Harsh lighting and the active nature of a flock of Chestnut-tailed Minlas prevented me from including these adorable and striking birds into my photographic highlights for this visit to Doi Inthanon.

The distinct silhouette of a drongo resting on a tall tree persuaded me to put some effort in identifying the species. After further scrutiny, it turned out to be an Ashy Drongo. I am usually grateful for whatever I have been given but when I am in another country, a species that I can regularly encounter back home will not be able to evoke much emotions.

Northern Thailand is an intriguing place and the birds there even more so. This trip was nothing more than a teaser and if I have the chance, I would love to a have another one purely for birding. Some of the best moments from this vacation had nothing to do with birds. They were of my other passion in life which is making memories with the love of my life. And getting sprayed by the powerful Wachirathan Waterfall while getting our photo taken was certainly one such moment.

Birding Marathon (Part III)

Since my main targets for the trip were securely in the bag, the final day of my birding marathon was conducted at a more leisurely pace. I even had time to soak in the breath-taking landscapes that surround Fraser’s Hill. I get carry away with my birding especially during long trips like this when I am far from my home state. Perhaps with age, I might be able to broaden my passion for other things as well. Perhaps there is more to life than just birds. Who am I kidding? It will always be the birds. Always have and always will be.

The Silver-eared Mesia is the rightful mascot for this hill resort. Colourful, charismatic and common throughout the locality; no visit to Fraser’s Hill is ever complete without encountering them. Our first locality this morning which was a bungalow compound, was literally overrun with flocks of Silver-eared Mesias. I think I can consider myself to be a seasoned birder but these cheerful birds still can get me all excited.

Birders often take them for granted. I am occasionally guilty of this too but not this morning. The Silver-eared Mesias were given their due admiration and affection. In return, the birds provided a display of colours and beauty that was simply spectacular and a bit nostalgic. As a kid, I often wandered when I will finally lay my eyes on the exquisite colours of this gorgeous bird. Since it only occurs in mountains along the Titiwangsa range, it took me a while. Anyway, it was nice to be momentarily transported back to those carefree days. Birding does not only excite but it rejuvenates as well.

The Long-tailed Sibia is a common sight here as well. What it lacks in colour is made up with grace and charm. The sight and sound of a flock in flight, that marks their arrival each time, can never be mistaken for anything else. At rest, it is an exquisite looking bird but it suffers the same fate as the Mesia because of its common status.

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes were everywhere as usual and yet I still cannot resist taking a shot or two. What can I say? I am easily smitten by anything with feathers especially those that look like this.

The shyer Malayan Laughingthrush usually requires a little more effort in order to capture its image. One was seen foraging in the open and it brought out the colours of this Malay Peninsular endemic. Due to its preference for the gloomy lower storeys and slightly wary nature, the subtle colouration of this bird is often concealed. A moment to admire its true beauty was the natural thing to do.

A lone White-thighed Langur casually moved alongside the bungalow and momentarily distracted me from the birds. Animals living in the mountains tend to be more confiding than their lowland counterparts and this docile mammal does not seem to mind the attention it was receiving.

A sizeable bird glided down from the canopy and no optical aid was required to identify it. The Fire-tufted Barbet is the biggest barbet in Malaysia with eyelashes that will put most ladies to shame. It certainly had my undivided attention. At such close proximity, the Fire-tufted Barbet is truly impressive. Rare birds are always exciting but for me, sometimes even the common birds are capable of escalating my senses to ecstatic levels as well – especially when they perform remarkably well like this barbet.

The Fire-tufted Barbet wanted to make sure it was the star of this little patch and provided views from the front as well. And I would be a fool not to oblige.

A stroll along the more isolated roads away from the weekend crowd produced a few small bird waves. However, the only species that found its way to my memory card was a pair of Blue-winged Minlas. Not all that uncommon, this plain but attractive tree babbler can be seen combing through the vegetation of montane forest in small flocks. This pair was at the canopy level when they were spotted and inevitably, photography was challenging. There was a particular shot I took with strong backlight that surprisingly, caught my fancy.

The Rufous-browed Flycatcher seemed to be everywhere today as well. If it I was up to me, I would have named the bird with something to do with the conspicuous white throat. Even from the depths of the understorey in which this flycatcher makes its home, the first thing you will notice is the white throat. Anyway, I find this species adorable and delighted that the population is thriving here.

It rarely visits the higher storeys of the forest and that makes it an ideal subject for photography. Lighting conditions can sometimes hinder your efforts but luckily, we had very little issue with this today. In fact, these may be my best images to date.

I wish I could say the same about another little brown job but the Buff-breasted Babbler was wary throughout our stay at Fraser’s Hill and seldom offered any photographic opportunities.

The Pygmy Cupwing got the better of two grown men last evening and we just had to give it another try. We positioned ourselves the best we could and waited. But the juvenile Lesser Shortwing was the first to arrive and this time the lighting was so much better. The more I look at it, the more this youngster gained my affection. Its confiding nature had a lot to do with that as well.

A second Lesser Shortwing made an appearance and this one was an adult female. The juvenile did not receive any motherly love from this new arrival. In fact, they got into a bit of a squabble at one time and I can only assume, there are no blood relations between the two.

As for the Pygmy Cupwing, it did show up eventually but like last evening, was in no mood to be photographed. The Lesser Shortwing and the Pygmy Cupwing may be somewhat similar in appearance and thrive in the same type of habitat but their personalities were as different as night and day. On one occasion, the Cupwing stood still slightly longer than usual. I managed to squeeze the shutter once and was surprised to see the image being reasonably good. Gotcha!

As my 3-day birding marathon came to a close, Victor suggested we be normal tourists for a moment and immortalized this incredible trip by taking a photo of ourselves at the iconic clock tower of Fraser’s Hill. It was certainly incredible and the 800-km round trip was worth the effort. The drive back from long trips always give me ample time to reflect. And I certainly had plenty of reflections of wings and inspiration to ponder upon courtesy of this time’s birding adventure.