Living colours (Part 1)

It is always nice to hear back from a guest again and a couple of years have passed since Paul’s first birding excursion with me in Malaysia. He hails from Costa Rica – a place where one regularly encounters such divine species like the Resplendent Quetzal. What could possibly trigger his return visit to this part of the world? Well during his maiden trip here, the Mangrove Pitta was sorely missed. And he still needs a Red-headed Trogon to stride closer to achieving his lifetime goal of photographing all the Trogon species in the world. It was doable assignment and confidence was high. All that was needed was another trip to the mangroves of Sungai Batu for the former and a road trip up to the montane forest of Fraser’s Hill for the latter. But after all these years, I still do forget that nothing is a sure thing when it comes to birding. Something that I will be reminded of harshly later in the trip.

Our 3-day birding adventure certainly did not start off well. While waiting to pick up Paul at the hotel lobby, overcast skies loomed with showers agonisingly poured from the heavens. Rain is and always will be one of the most dreaded elements in birding. Anyway, we travelled north to the mangroves as planned and hoped for the best. The Mangrove Pitta may not be looking its best now but it was still an exhilarating lifer for my guest. Compared to the last time Paul was here, getting the Pitta was like a walk in the park. A muddied park but the pitta was certainly worth getting a bit dirty for. It just goes to show again that not everything can go according to plan. But I am glad it did for the Mangrove Pitta this time.

With the first main target of the trip safely in the bag, the weather also improved slightly. Or it seemed that way. Paul has a penchant for brilliantly coloured birds and naturally, he could not resist the alluring beauty of the Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher despite having encountered this species before in his previous visit. Besides, it would a sin to ignore such an obliging individual.

I do think wagtails occur in Central America judging from the reaction of my guest when we came face to face with a Forest Wagtail. Strikingly marked and adorable, this common winter visitor received its due admiration as it swaggered about the swampy grounds.

By the time, we reached the windy Gap Road that leads up to the birding paradise known as Fraser’s Hill, it was already dark. It was an early night for the both of us in anticipation of the all-out birding that is to follow tomorrow. It turned out to be a clear and beautiful morning the next day. Fraser’s Hill is one of my favourite birding sites and I am sure I am not the only birder that feels this way. The cool mountain air, the lush landscape, beautiful architectures and most importantly home to an array of living colours in the form of feathered denizens. All these make Fraser’s Hill what it is.

We set out for the second main target of the trip but much to my dismay, the Red-headed Trogon proved to be elusive even from its usual haunts. Despite numerous attempts throughout the day, the closest we got to it was a lone bird calling from deep inside its forest domain. My work suddenly became much harder than I had anticipated. A male White-tailed Robin did his best to lift our spirits by foraging outside his gloomy domain of the forest undergrowth.

Some of the commonest birds of this hill resort sport brilliant plumage colouration. The Spectacled Laughingthrush is often taken for granted due to its common nature but to my guest, it was a sight to behold as this is his first birding excursion to a montane forest here in Southeast Asia.

The Long-tailed Sibia, like the laughingthrush, is just as confiding. It may be lacking in colours but the long tail and inquisitive nature make it another attractive species as well.

We have only a few endemics here in Peninsular Malaysia. Naturally, I take pride in showing off the Malaysian Hill-Partridge to all my foreign guests. This endemic game bird has been showing well at one particular stake out for the past few years and it did not take long for three of them to scurry their way into today’s highlights.

I sometimes still find it hard to believe that this bird used to be one of the most difficult to find and observe at this site. But that is in the past. Now with a little patience and the right timing, you will get to admire flocks of these amazing birds in their full splendour.

Joining the partridges, was a pair of Malayan Laughingthrushes. Slightly more cryptic and unobtrusive than the Spectacled Laughingthrush, it is still made up of a combination of colours that will capture your attention.  

The dimly-lighted lower storey of the forest is where the Large Niltava can be found. Even in the shadows, the striking colouration of the male bird is undeniable.

On those occasions when he does wander into the sunlight, the true splendour of this sizeable flycatcher will be revealed and it is spectacular. Even with those hideous rings on his legs.

The female on the other hand is a pale comparison to the male’s beauty. Only traces of blue can be found on her but the confiding nature exhibited by this girl deserves a space in my blog post. And she concludes the first half of our birding excursion to one of the most rewarding birding sites in Malaysia. The second half of this birding adventure continues in the next post.

Good day, mate - Part 2

We finally arrived at one of the best birding sites in Malaysia which is the montane forest of Fraser’s Hill in Pahang State. The town centre has not changed much through the years with the iconic clock tower still standing proud and greeting every guest as they make their way past the winding road up from the Gap.

However, I did not drive 4 hours from Penang just to admire colonial architectures. As soon as we settled our accommodations at this rustic hill resort, we were off in pursuit of feathered denizens that find sanctuary here. The first spot that we went to is where the endemic Malaysian Partridges are regularly seen. It took a long while for the partridges to show. Lucky for us, we had the commoner species to keep us company. The Oriental Magpie-Robin is still doing well in this cool mountainous environment and an adult male looks just as good as he sings.

It did not take long for the Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush to show and soon, we were surrounded by these vocal and inquisitive birds. I may be getting immune to the birds’ colourful presence but to a first timer like my Australian guests, the Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush is one hell of a bird.

Overshadowed by its more conspicuous relatives, the Malayan Laughingthrush prefers to take a more discreet entrance. However being the rarer of the two, it naturally had our attention too.

I find the Common Emerald Dove to be a difficult bird to observe as it is wary of human intrusion. However, the doves here are accustomed to human presence and intimate encounters with this striking ground dweller is possible for a change.

The wait for the Malaysian Partridge was a long one – just like my last attempt here almost a year ago. Time came to a standstill when the first of the partridges appeared. Followed closely by another and another. Then came the one of the main highlights of the trip. Four fluffy and adorable chicks hopped out from the shadowy world of the forest understorey.

The chicks stuck to the adults like magnet to steel. Needless to say it was for their survival and wellbeing.

It is good to see these elusive gamebirds thriving. The sight of the next generation of Malaysian Partridges melted my heart away. It was not expected and that made the encounter all the sweeter.

This is what the chicks will eventually transform into – a striking adult perfectly adapted to life among the leaf litter and undergrowth.

The undergrowth is home to a number of exquisite bird species and one such bird is the White-tailed Robin. Due to its preference for dark gullies and ravines, this secretive bird does not often reveal its true beauty especially the male. The two white tail streaks from which its name is derived is probably all you see as the robin makes its getaway. Thus, to have a handsome male White-tailed Robin out in the open is an encounter can drop a seasoned birder to his knees. In which I did – in order to obtain more intimate images of this beauty of a bird.

It would be difficult for the White-tailed Robin to be overshadowed but it was in the hands, or should I say wings, of a male Orange-headed Thrush. With a colour combination of bright orange head and underparts contrasting sharply against greyish blue upperparts, this uncommon migrant is a true visual feast.

I have only a handful of encounters with this thrush but this is the best one by far. Our first day at this birding haven is drawing to a close and I am absolutely delighted to have this species wrapped things up.

The next morning, we were on a quest to see one of the most striking birds of this hill resort. The great thing about this bird is that it is not too difficult to locate here. Time yourself right at a particular stretch of road and you will have a very good chance to catch the gorgeous Red-headed Trogon hunting for breakfast at the forest edge. The male, naturally, has more vivid colouration and today Lady Luck was on our side. Not only did we have a male bird in all his glory but there was hardly any mist which is the norm at this hour.

The lighting may not be ideal but it could rob the trogon of his splendour. Throughout our observation, he moved about leisurely along the forest edge. From overhead electric cables to the foliage of trees; no matter where he alighted he graced the vicinity with his presence and it was a mesmerizing affair.

One of the biggest of our flycatchers, the Large Niltava is another common species here in Fraser’s Hill. For someone who does not spend enough time birding in the mountains, the male Large Niltava will always have my admiration even if he is ringed for I suppose scientific purposes. Why else would some human want to spoil the natural beauty of this bird by placing gaudy coloured rings on its legs, right?

The living mascot of Fraser’s Hill is the Silver-eared Mesia. And deservingly so I might add. Common, confiding, colourful and cheerful; this montane babbler is always a delight to encounter. This post is now getting a bit too lengthy for my liking and I will continue my write up of this amazing place in my next post.

Ready, set, go! (22-23/06/2013)

The last time I participated in a bird race was the annual Fraser’s Hill International Bird Race (FHIBR) back in 1995 and we got a commendable third place then. For the benefit of those not familiar with the term Bird Race, it is basically a competition to see who records the most number of bird species within a certain locality in a given time frame. In the case of the FHIBR, each team is given 24 hours to record to do it within the borders of this renowned hill resort – renowned for its rich birdlife that is. The criteria are simple – at least 2 members of a team must see and agree on the identification of the bird in order to put it down. Birds that were heard do not count. The arbitrators, race officials and checkpoints play an important role in maintaining a certain standard and order to the competition but as with all bird races, a lot is dependent on the integrity of the participants.

When Choo Eng invited me to join him for this year’s FHIBR, I obliged as it has been quite a while since my last one. The third member of our team was none other than James Ooi – one of the members of my team during the ’95 race. Siew Thye came along as a non-participating member (each team is restricted to 3 members only) and it was a rather good experience for him. We decided to call ourselves team Penang Aquilas in honour of these magnificent raptors’ recent regularity of wintering in our home state of Penang. Besides, it was an intimidating name as well. 

 

As expected I did not have much time for bird photography. Heck, we didn’t even have much time to eat and bathe! Jokes aside, a bird race is like birding on overdrive and it can be rather tiring at times. But it is definitely not short on excitement and drama. Anyway, one of the birds that I did manage to photograph was this common resident – the Oriental Magpie-robin.

Come to think of it, the commoner birds were the majority that I photographed this time. The Mountain Bulbul is almost a certainty here at Fraser’s Hill but I remembered well that we missed out on this species during the ’95 race. I guess luck plays an important – as usual.

The Large Niltava is a rather attractive flycatcher of the montane forest and can usually be seen hawking for insects along the access roads and bungalow compounds. The male bird possesses a brilliant blue plumage that can only be truly appreciated when he is seen in good light. The female, on the other hand, has the brilliant blue colouration reduce to the collar and head region only.

Another common flycatcher of this hill resort is the Rufous-browed Flycatcher. Occasionally overlooked due to its smaller size and duller colouration and as well as its preference for hunting among the shadows of the forest under storey. Its sweet but soft whistling notes are usually one of the indicators of its presence.

The highlight of the trip in terms of bird photography is courtesy of a bird species so strikingly-coloured and attractive, it leaves you no choice but to believe in the existence of a greater being. Only He with his divine power is capable of creating such a heavenly work of art in a form of a bird. A bird called the Sultan Tit. Bright yellow colouration contrasting beautifully with the remaining black plumage and a wicked crest. Enough said.

Here’s a photo of my team mates in the thick of action…

Other than the birds, we also managed to photograph a rather curious Small-toothed Palm Civet that was checking us out from the safety of the overhead electrical cabel…

And a confiding Keelback Snake momentarily distracted us from the race.

I bet you’re wondering how we faired in the race. Well, we managed to record 68 species altogether and it was good enough to make the Penang Aquilas champions for the 26th FHIBR! The weather was rather dry and hot during the entire race and the birding was not as good as usual. We had to really dig deep to come up with the result but it was certainly worth all the effort. Other than the bragging rights of being the winners this year, we also received trophies, binoculars, fieldguides and cash prizes. Not bad for 24 hours of intense birding!