Unforgettable - Part 1

I was really looking forward to my latest birding adventure as it would take me to one of the best lowland forest sites in Peninsular Malaysia – good old Taman Negara. Just a few days before the tour, it dawned on me. The dates coincided with Malaysia Day and that made the weekend a long one. I planned to have a stopover at Cameron Highlands for a night with my Sabahan guest, Kuan, before going over to the other side of the peninsular. And to be brutally honest, this highland resort is the last place to be during long weekends. As expected, we were greeted by horrendous traffic upon our arrival and particularly everywhere was crowded. Even the only birding spot left on Cameron Highlands, the narrow road up Gunung Brinchang, had its share of visitors. However, the human congestion and engulfing mist could not deny my guest of two outstanding lifers in the form of a Malayan Whistling-Thrush and Rufous-vented Niltava. Both species were equally exciting to me as they are montane specialities but the conditions made it utterly meaningless for my gear to attempt any photography.

We left Cameron Highlands and all the festivities behind when we made our way to the wild interiors of Pahang state. Taman Negara Sungai Relau was to be our hunting ground for the next few days and it has been 3 years since I last wandered into this wildlife sanctuary in search of feathered denizens. I was well aware of the ongoing construction works for a new canopy walk in the park and I can only hope it will not effect the birding too much. Certain parts of Malaysia has been under siege this past week with the return of the hazardous haze – the worst in 4 years. Fortunately, it was still relatively clear here.

The monumental sign at the entrance has been refurbished with a simpler one. There is room for improvement but I guess it will do given the isolation of this locality. This is the consequence of my years in the advertising and signage industry. It is in my blood and I cannot help but to take an interest in this manmade structure.

For the rest of Taman Negara Sungai Relau, nothing much has changed - lush vegetation, wild environment and captivating views. For that I am most grateful.

Oriental Magpie-Robins continue to do well here under the protection of the national park and from the look of things, it will be another successful nesting season. In fact, it was breeding season for quite a number of other species as well.

Ayuwat’s last visit here yielded a lone Slender-billed Crow that was mixing around with Large-billed Crows at the entrance to the park. It is a species that I have not encountered for many years. Naturally, all crows seen within the compound of the entry point were given extra attention. My efforts were not rewarded in the end as I do not possess the same good fortune as my Thai compatriot. On the other hand, my guest enjoyed our time scrutinizing the Large-billed Crows. For him, the Slender-billed Crow is the commoner one in East Malaysia.

In the forest proper, Ayuwat found yet another gem and it was the elusive Cinnamon-rumped Trogon. And again, it is another species I yearn to reconnect with. Unfortunately, the only trogon we managed to observe for this trip was a male Diard’s Trogon. Forest bird photography is often challenging and it took considerable time and effort to obtain this shot.

Have I ever mentioned that patience is a virtue for birding in the forest? Well, it certainly is. And so is determination. However when all the elements are against you, those virtues don’t do squat. Like this female Green Broadbill making an appearance at first light.

The Yellow-bellied Bulbul was a regular feature during my last visit. This time, there was only one brief encounter. Come to think of it, bulbuls were rather elusive – however unbelievable that may sound.

The only bulbul that I had a reasonably good encounter with was the Grey-cheeked Bulbul. The colouration of this individual lacked its usual radiance and I assumed it is a young bird.

Apart from a distant Crested Goshawk, there were no other photographic opportunities with raptors. I have to admit that this trip produced less photos than I had expected and I hope it is just me getting more demanding with age and not the fact that even mighty Taman Negara is starting to deteriorate just like any other birding site.

I was happy just to be able to locate this Yellow-crowned Barbet shouting its head off from a lofty perch late one evening. Barbets usually conceal themselves well among the foliage of tall trees but we can sometimes surprise ourselves with what we can achieve when we really put our heart into it. The ache from straining our necks will heal itself eventually...

Even from that distance, the barbet received a fair share of attention from a couple of visiting birders. For Kuan, this is only his second sighting and obtaining a record was never an option.

Taman Negara Sungai Relau is not only home to the birds. Mammals roam the forest here with very little threat from humans. Our encounters with Wild Boars and a Yellow-throated Marten left us with nothing but memories. A Prevost’s Squirrel using the electrical cables to move about the edge of the park made sure we did not end up empty handed. Thank goodness for that because this species is one of the most beautiful mammals found here in the park.

We also crossed paths with Smooth Otters on a few occasions. The thought of Hairy-nosed Otters did cross my mind since we are in this rare mammal’s neck of the woods. A quick check with Goggle put all uncertainties to rest. Anyway, the encounters were still exciting despite the common stature of the Smooth Otter.

It was good to see the herd of captive released Bantengs still surviving here in the park. The male looked as intimating as ever. Sporting a fresh wound on his shoulder only enhanced the look.

For this trip to Taman Negara, the main targets for my guest were two species of pittas. To increase our chances with these shy jewels of the jungle, a considerable amount of time was spent in hides. How we faired with these beautiful but shy terrestrial birds will be covered in my next blog posting.

There is hope yet...(15/02/2013)

It has been 3 months since my last solemn visit to the marshlands of Pulau Burung, Penang and today, I decided to go and see the extent of the damage caused by the upgrading works of the adjacent landfill. I discovered that about a third of the main pond is converted into landfill and I guess it is not as bad as I had initially expected. No doubt it will take time for the vegetation and bird life to recover but at least there is a chance for recovery. One thing I did notice is that they have paved a cemented trail along the edge of the pond and I think it is possibly for us birders. I mean, they can't seriously be expecting normal folks to have an evening stroll because it is a landfill here after all. The initiative is well noted but if you really want to make it up to us, just let the vegetation grow and allow us to continue driving alongside the ponds. And we will forever be in your debt.

Troops of Long-tailed Macaques are a regular sight along the mangroves. This morning, however, I came across a few Pig-tailed Macaques amongst them. I have trouble recalling if I have seen this species here before. I guess age must be catching up with me and monkeys being mammals, isn't exactly top priority in my system. Although it is greatly outnumbered by the Long-tailed Macaques, I don't think it has anything to fear from its much smaller cousins. Not when you are built like a tank.

With the birding today on a low gear, I paid a lot more attention to the wild mammals that were present instead. This female otter was a little more confiding as she enjoyed her time in the sun.

Things started to pick up when I missed photographing a hepatic female Himalayan Cuckoo (a recent split from the Oriental Cuckoo) which is a rather scarce migrant to Peninsular Malaysia. I was a little slow again to capture some shots of a flying Barn Owl that was being harassed by House Crows. Both the cuckoo and the owl are new records for this locality and despite all that has happened here, Pulau Burung still has some magic and fight left in her.

Seeing an Asian Dollarbird is nothing much to shout about as it is a relatively common species. However, coming across a pair that is perched a little lower than usual and with the light condition just about right is a different matter all together. This is when you can truly appreciate and capture the beauty of this bird. Only in this light, the brilliant bluish-green plumage shows its true splendour. 

One of the birds was more confiding and allowed to me approach quite close. Unknowingly, it provided me with my best images of this species so far and helped turn this slow trip around. I personally still prefer its name - the Broad-billed Roller. The conspicuous red bill is probably one of the reasons why I was quite intrigued with this species when I just started birding. 

While admiring the Dollarbird, a striking male Greater Flameback decided to alight and forage on the mangrove tree right in front of my stationery vehicle. Although he was quite active, I still managed to capture a few images before he moved deeper into the mangroves. 

I went to check on Asian Openbills at Permatang Nibong, Penang and there was a substantial number resting on the trees at their usual haunt. A number of them were in flight - some making their way to join the others at the trees and some circling on the hot air thermals. On the whole, I counted about 80 storks all together and that is an all-time personal high.

12/11/2011: Mainland Penang

It was a rather wet and gloomy morning as I entered the marshlands at Pulau Burung. Weather of this nature does have its affect on both birder and birds. From the look of things, I could sure use a good cup of coffee and so could this Common Sandpiper.

Loud splashing along the river mouth diverted my attention temporarily away from the birds and the reason behind the commotion was a family of otters. The dim lighting and constant movement of these graceful animals prevented me from obtaining any real good shots.

It is good to see the resident Lesser Whistling-ducks are enjoying one successful season after another here. This is probably the last stronghold for this species in my home state of Penang and that is pretty sad considering the fact it is quite common elsewhere.

I decided to stop my car next to a patch of slightly flooded red soil as I noticed there were quite a few Little Ringed Plovers foraging in the vicinity. It did not take long for them to get used to my car and I managed to capture some pretty decent shots as they gradually came closer.

Excitement grew when I picked out a few greyish-looking stints but they turned out to be Red-necked Stints (first winter birds, I think) and not the much rarer Temminck’s Stint as I had hoped for. Although Red-necked Stints usually occur along coastal habitats, they do sometimes show up inland, right fellas?

That was until Dave corrected me after I posted this blog entry because the wader in this photo is a Little Stint and finally, I can include this species into my life list without feeling any guilt. It is extremely difficult to distinguish the two species in the field especially in non-breeding plumage and the skills needed are perhaps just a little beyond me for now. Thanks, Dave.

Basically, the rarer Little Stint (much overlooked due to its similarities to the Red-necked Stint) has a somewhat thinner bill, longer legs, a smaller head that is positioned slightly higher on the body and rounder overall appearance.

The tide was just about right when I arrived at my second destination – the mudflats of Batu Kawan. A rather confiding Pacific Golden Plover was a good enough reason for me to stop my car and waited for it to get accustomed to my presence. Judging from the images I obtained today, I must make it a point to visit this locality just before the next spring migration to catch this species in their outstanding breeding plumage.

This is one…

long…

worm…

A few Lesser Sand-plovers also gave a good performance when they foraged near my stationery car. Common, small and nondescript but with a whole lot of attitude.

I even managed to gain the trust of the usually wary Common Redshank and it was shortly after that I discovered the highlight of the day. I was so preoccupied with photographing these commoner waders that I almost miss my lifer – a Grey-tailed Tattler, that I could not determine if it just came in or was there the whole time. Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, it did not stay long enough after I had it in my sights to obtain any images. Just a pretty good view of its wholly grey upperparts as it was flying away from me. This is my second consecutive lifer (a first winter male Blue-and-White Flycatcher last week) that has slipped past my camera but most fortunately, not my binoculars.

A lapse of concentration…

and this adult White-bellied Sea-eagle flies off hungry.

The paddy fields at Kubang Semang did not provide much to ease my disappointment with the tattler until I came across a pair of Red Collared Doves foraging on some exposed mud. The male looks like a subadult as it has yet to fully sport the splendid red plumage of an adult male.

The female is very plain looking and to an unwary birder, can be overlooked as a Spotted Dove. I must admit if not for the male bird, there is a high possibility I could have drove past the foraging pair.

The Pond-herons are back but not in usual high numbers yet.

Reflections of wings and inspiration – Great Egret…

I may not be much of an insect person but this striking dragonfly feeding on these snail eggs does make a rather interesting portrait.