This is more like it...

There are times when I may have a hard time deciding on where to take my guests in order to make their birding excursions here with me memorable and rewarding. Well, I had no such issues this time. The fruiting tree at Sungai Sedim was still at full swing. I knew exactly where to take my latest guest, who hails from Switzerland, for the first day of his tour. Just like last weekend, the first bird to catch our attention at the blessed tree was a brilliant male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker.

However, the flowerpeckers seemed a little reluctant to be photographed well today and I had to work hard to obtain unobstructed shots - like this of Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker indulging on Mother Nature’s tantalizing offerings.

The Yellow-vented Flowerpecker made a brief appearance the last time and this time, it was just being plain difficult...

I will never get tired of the Grey-bellied Bulbul - who could? Today a small flock mesmerized all those present with their striking colours and confiding nature. Bright lighting is desired when it comes to photographing forest birds but too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. The harsh lighting today made photography quite challenging at times to say the least. But whatever it is, it cannot deny the Grey-bellied Bulbul of their radiating presence and the excitement they can evoke.

The area around the fruiting had a high level of bird activities as well and that frequently distracted us from the ongoing feast at the tree. The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is a common resident in the forest here. There is a good reason why it is called a Canary-flycatcher and its sweet song can be heard almost every time we bird through this neck of the woods. As it is now the breeding season, the vocalization of this adorable bird is even more prominent throughout the vicinity.

The canopy of tropical rainforests is home and sanctuary to countless remarkable avian species. Unless one can levitate 30 feet or more into the air, these birds can be difficult to observe. I have encountered the Great Iora here in Sungai Sedim on several occasions before never once was I lucky enough to get a decent shot of this striking bird. While enjoying a birdwave that was passing through, I spotted a male Great Iora rummaging through the canopy for prey items. I did not give it much thought until it suddenly stopped and took a breather. Unlike all my previous experiences, it remained stationery in the open long enough for me (and my guest) to capture his image. It may not be a great photo but it is certainly a treasured one.

Even the sky above the fruiting tree contributed to this rewarding excursion to Sungai Sedim. The resident pair of Crested Goshawks are getting ready to breed making them conspicuous throughout the morning. One of them even performed an aerial display to impress his mate (I am assuming that it is a he) and I do not think any female will be able to resist his valiant efforts.

On route to the paddy fields of mainland Penang, we made a detour to check on the Barred Eagle-owls of Kulim Hi-Tech Park – as usual. Just like my last visit, the owl was resting on one of the lower branches but in order to obtain an unobstructed image, we needed to walk round this huge rain tree and that added distance but it was a much clearer view of the owl. Needless to say, my guest was spellbound by its presence.

The number of Asian Openbills left present at the paddy fields here is relatively low and some days, I do not even see them at all. A couple of them was foraging at a flooded patch of the fields and it was only right to take the time and soak in the view.

The final destination before calling it a day was the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam. The Mangrove Blue Flycatcher has always been a favourite for most of my guests when they visit this locality and of this day, it still is. Tame and beautiful, the male provided another splendid performance. Celebrity birds come and go at this little piece of birding paradise but the true star of Air Hitam Dalam, the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, is still showing well after all this time.

As we were about to wrap things up for the day, an unexpected shower had us seeking shelter in one of the gazebos. While waiting out the rain, a cow carcass floated down river towards us. Judging from the size, it appeared to be a young one. Just to make conversation, I mentioned to my guest that crocodiles are rare in Malaysia. At that point, a dark shape started to swim towards the carcass. I held my breath as I have yet to see a wild crocodile in Malaysia. As the animal clawed its way up the side of the carcass, it turned out to be a Monitor Lizard - attracted by the odour of rotting flesh undoubtedly. I guess the carcass was too much of a mouthful for it and the lizard slid down into the river again soon after. As the excitement of the incident sizzled down to stop so did the shower and we made our way back to the car contented after a great day of birding.

The one that didn't get away

Air Hitam Dalam has been struggling to return back to its former self after the uprooting of one of its main trees. This morning’s birding excursion was off to a very slow start. My guests this time were from England and they have been residing here in Malaysia for the past 6 years and have a significant number of our bird species under their belt. And that only made matters worse. Under performing birding sites can be stressful. Even a family of Mangrove Blue Flycatcher could not improve the situation much. The next location was the mudflats of Bagan Belat where my guests were hoping for their first ever Nordmann’s Greenshank and I was determined to see their wish fulfilled after the disappointing start. The weather was beautiful and the tide ideal but despite a careful search, no Nordmann’s Greenshanks were found. Fortunately, the mass gathering of waders at this high tide roost was a spectacle by itself.

Asian Dowitchers have been showing well so far this season and today was no exception. A reasonably big flock was foraging along the tide line together with Black-tailed and Bar-tailed Godwits. This presented a good opportunity to compare the differences between the dowitcher and the godwits – especially when the former is relatively foreign to my guests.

A trio of Black-tailed Godwits sweep the coastal waters for nutritious morsels at their winter sanctuary…

The arrival of a few Brown-headed Gulls to the roost diverted our attention from the waders momentarily. I cannot help it but I do not forget bad experiences easily. The bitter memory of dipping out on the Black-tailed Gull here a few weeks earlier resurfaced to torment my thoughts.

The distinctive call of the Coppersmith Barbet started to resonate nearby our position. A quick search at the nearby trees revealed this adorable little bird. In an avian-scape of browns and greys, the vivid colours of this barbet was a welcomed sight.

The paddy fields in Permatang Pauh holds a few would-be lifers for my guests and finally, they were not to be denied. To be able to enjoy three lifers at a single location will turn any ordinary trip to an exceptional one. One good turn deserves another and in return for the lifers I found for them, my guests spotted Penang’s second Glossy Ibis which was discovered here yesterday by Hor Kee. This peculiar water bird was foraging at a distance and the lighting was harsh. However, I would not be able to forgive myself if I did not even attempt to obtain some images from this encounter because the last this species showed up in my home state, it stayed for only one day and I missed it on the second day. And this rare migrant is a fine way to conclude this half day excursion despite the slow start.

The eagles have certainly landed...

The weather has improved slightly here around Penang state and a beautiful sunrise unfolded as we made our way along the elevated boardwalk of Air Hitam Dalam. This time, I had the company of a couple from Scotland and they have been birding for a very long time. We had barely broke a sweat when we came across our first bird of the day. It was a Greater Racket-tailed Drongo foraging noisily along the canopy level of the swamp forest. The rackets of this bird have always been the object of fascination for me but today, it was the bird’s hearty catch.

Moments later, the presence of a pair of Spotted Wood-owls stopped us at our tracks. However, the owls were restless and did not stay put for long. Daytime encounters with owls are always exciting. Even if brief glimpses were all that were to it. The owls, despite their size, can hide surprisingly well among the foliage and shadows of the tree crowns. Hide-and-seek is one game that you do not want to engage with them. On the other hand, another predatory bird of this swamp forest was a lot more obliging. The Crested Serpent-eagle is not new to any of us but it still received its share of admiration and affection.

The next destination was the expansive mudflats of neighbouring Bagan Belat. The tide was slightly higher than anticipated and inevitably, the number of waders present was less overwhelming. The Nordmann’s Greenshank is one of the most sought after wader species among my foreign guests. It comes as no surprise because it is an endangered species and the coastline here is one of its regular wintering grounds. It is also one good looking bird even in winter. Flocks of almost similar-looking Common Greenshanks were given extra attention but to no avail. And Penang continues to anxiously await the arrival of the first Nordmann’s Greenshank of the season (at the time of writing, a few had revealed themselves to Dave a few days after our visit).

From the coastline, we headed inland towards Permatang Pauh - the main paddy planting district of Penang. The electrical pylons that spans across one section of the paddy fields is the favourite haunt for wintering eagles. It did not take long to find one and it was a Greater Spotted Eagle. It was an exciting find but unfortunately, there was nothing much I could do about the distance of the encounter.

I was so preoccupied with the Greater Spotted Eagle that I did not notice a pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles on the very top of the same pylon until they were pointed to me by my guests – much to my embarrassment. Again the distance was just too great or this majestic pair would have made a very good capture.

Unlike the mighty raptors, one small migratory passerine performed admirably well for my camera and it was a female Siberian Stonechat. It is by no means a rare species but she is exotic enough to have my undivided attention.

Black-crowned Night-herons are not often seen here. Not in broad daylight anyway. This juvenile was hunting when our paths crossed and since it was obliging enough, we took some time to admire its presence.

The flocks of Grey-headed Lapwings are increasing in numbers - as expected. Their numbers may have grown but their courage remains the same – as expected too. Anyhow, the lighting was good today and I tried my luck at some distanced shots hoping that they will turn out good enough to be posted. And one of them did.

To see a Lesser Adjutant foraging in a paddy field in Peninsular Malaysia is nothing out of the ordinary especially in the paddy fields in the southernmost state of Johor. But this is the first time I have seen one in the paddy fields here in Penang. Hence, the inclusive of this dreadful shot to end this time’s post of our half day excursion. Thanks to the sunny weather, it was a memorable and rewarding trip as well.

Nature's fury

I felt a little anxious as I drove past the archway that leads to Sungai Sedim Recreational Forest. The locality has not been performing to its full potential of late and I have a couple of Australian guests with me this time. Perhaps the current spell of wet and miserable weather is one of the reasons for this. At the ‘Treeswift Tree’, both species of treeswifts were present to greet us. But we also had a handful of others species there as well. The trip was certainly off to a good start. And it was bright and sunny as well. Maybe my luck was finally improving. The mournful and penetrating call of the Rufous-winged Philentoma was one of the first few calls that caught our attention when we made our way up Gunung Bintang. The calls came from a poorly-lit spot among the lower storey of the forest. There were at least two birds present but it was frustratingly difficult to see them clearly. Their calls must have some kind of hypnotic effect as we were drawn ever deeper into their gloomy domain. It was only when a handsome adult male revealed himself by alighting on an exposed branch, did we break free from the spell we under. A juvenile followed closely behind and I unknowingly included it in my photo. Yes, things are certainly looking up...

A trogon flew across the access trail in front and caught us all by surprise. It turned out to be a female Diard’s Trogon. Encountering a trogon will always raise the level of excitement in any birding excursion even if it is a drabber female. A little patience and perseverance later, I managed to obtain her images from rather close by and my guest, a truly memorable encounter.

She was rather confiding but still preferred to have some cover between herself and the peering birders. This was the closest I got to obtain a shot that showed some of her underparts. Frustratingly close but no cigar.

It was a rewarding morning of birding. But when the noon hour was upon us, things started to sizzle down to a stop naturally. The next destination was the paddy fields of mainland Penang but along the way, we took a little detour into an open country habitat within the Kulim Hi-Tech Park. There we were rewarded by the presence of a pair of Long-tailed Shrikes – a species that is surprisingly rare in this part of Peninsular Malaysia.

By the time we arrived at the paddy fields, the weather has changed considerably. A massive formation of rain clouds covered the sky. And I fear our birding excursion could be cut short. I tried to make the best out of whatever time we have left. The Black-shouldered Kite is undeniably a striking bird of prey. Desperately hoping for one last successful hunt before the rains arrived, it tolerated our intrusion.

The waders were present in good numbers today but I decided to focus my photography on the passerines today. It is always a delight to observe flocks of Daurian Starlings although there were no rarer starling species amongst them. The slight drizzle seemed to have brought the birds even closer together.

As for the munias, the testing weather also brought them closer together. And these White-rumped Munias resting next to the access road certainly did not go unnoticed.

The light was fast disappearing as the foul weather continued to develop. Hesitantly, I had to forgo my initial plans of making a visit to my local patch at Air Hitam Dalam. The stormy skies and strong winds would inevitably have driven everything to take cover. A solitary male Pink-necked Green-pigeon wrapped things up for the day.  Even the gloomy weather could not drown out the vivid colours of this common species and we enjoyed this obliging individual before calling it a day. As I was driving my guests back to their hotel, we were caught in some nasty traffic congestions due to the occurrence of flash floods. It also took me twice as long to reach home as the floods have caused much havoc and considerable damages to the surroundings areas. Rain is more of an inconvenience than anything else when it comes to birding. But rains that caused floods will result in more dire and severe consequences.

Winged Orca...

I took Tom out on two birding excursions last year and the birds must have made quite an impression on him because I receive an email from this American birder again enquiring about a third trip. There is only one problem. He is a very experienced birder with several trips to this region including the ones to Penang. It will be quite a task to keep his third visit interesting and the torrential rain forecasted for that day did not help lessen my burden one bit. He has a preference for forest birds and naturally, we found ourselves at the best forest site you can find around Penang at the break of dawn – the Sungai Sedim Recreational Forest in Kedah. The first bird to greet us was a male Grey-rumped Treeswift getting ready for the day ahead together with dozens of his compatriots at the ‘Treeswift Tree’.

As we were making our way up the Gunung Bintang access trail, the warm rays of the sun slipped through the rain-drenched foliage of the forest. A sunny morning is a rare sight this week and it was a much welcomed change. The cheerful call of the Grey-headed Babblers echoed through the forest undergrowth followed by a brief appearance. And my guest celebrated his first lifer of the trip.

Despite the good weather, things were rather slow at Sungai Sedim. The overnight downpour could be the reason behind this. However, a second lifer for my guest flew into view and it was a juvenile Red-naped Trogon. There was not much opportunities for photography during the encounter but at least we managed to obtain a record shot. It was more than I can say about a handsome adult male that decided to show himself later. Looks like Murphy is back in town again…

A change of location might change our fortune just like what it did for my last excursion. It was certainly worth a try. At the car park just before we reach our vehicle, a Malayan Birdwing floating about a flowering plant prolonged our stay at this recreational forest. It was an impressive male, told by the yellow marking on his upperparts, and he did not take much notice of our presence. Just in case you are wondering, you can find out just about everything nowadays as long as you ask Goggle nicely and I still know squat about moths and butterflies. I guess the absence of feathers makes a whole lot of difference for me. But species like the Malayan Birdwing when seen up close, the intensity of the colours and intricacy of the patterns can be mesmerizing.

We made our way to the paddy planting district of mainland Penang as open country birds and waterfowls do not shun away during the hottest time of the day and that made it the best location to visit. There were quite a number of recently ploughed areas. The combination of shallow water and mud is like a magnet for water birds and birders alike. The Grey-headed Lapwing is new to neither of us but this attractive wader still received its due admiration. About 50 birds were present throughout the vicinity but are difficult to approach as always - even by car.

Apparently, the Wood Sandpiper is a rarity in America which is definitely not the case here in Malaysia. It is probably the commonest wader in freshwater habitats and paddy fields like these are its preferred wintering ground. I guess it was a little puzzled as to why these birders are showing it so much love...

This young female Brown Shrike was exceptionally confiding and could well be a recent arrival. The steel post that she chose to be her vantage point may not compliment the photo much but that is how it is sometimes. Anyway, she was too busy hunting for food to be bothered by our presence and we decided to spend a little more time with this common migrant. 

Eventually, something on the ground caught her eye and it was a grasshopper. The kill was quick and deadly. My gear could not keep up with the action. By the time I finally muster a shot, the prey was well within her digestive system.

From the paddy fields, we headed towards Air Hitam Dalam which was to be the final destination of the day. The ambassadors of the site, the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, gave a warm welcome to my American guest. He remembered this species well from his previous trip with me. The flycatchers here have a tendency for that.

Mother Nature’s version of the Thinker. A Long-tailed Macaque in deep thought...

Call me paranoid but there is always a cause of concern when I see something like this spring at one of my favourite birding haunts. If it is one of those build and then left to rot facilities, so be it. But if they are planning to upgrade the place or something else, then I will be very concern. But I do sincerely hope that for once, they do not fuck things up and kill off another great birding location.

A big flock of 30 Black Kites circling the sky above the swamp forest was quite a sight and naturally caught our attention. These migratory raptors are just back from their wintering grounds up north and are enjoying the commencement of their annual tropical holiday. Little did they know that their fun in the sun was about to come to an abrupt stop and the threat came from an unlikely source – a juvenile White-bellied Sea-Eagle. You can see the eagle at the bottom left of the photo, stalking the flock. I was not expecting anything from it initially and from the looks of it, neither did the kites.

I have always considered the majestic White-bellied Sea-eagle to be a gentle giant that is often harrassed by smaller birds. Well, there is nothing gentle about the intentions of this juvenile. It was almost sinister. The black and white colouration and predatory movements somehow reminded me of the deadly Orca closing in on a school of dolphins. I was transfixed on the big raptor and eagerly waited for the spectacle to unfold. One thing is for sure, I will never see the White-bellied Sea-eagle in the same light again.

It was bright and sunny and that was good thing. In this condition, I managed to capture some of the action shots reasonably well. The kites were too agile for the eagle to do any real harm to them. It appeared like the presence of this big flock of kites did not go down well with the eagle and the latter was just venting out its anger. The eagle chased after several individual. It would twist and turn after the kites but was unable to make any physical contact throughout the entire episode. The Black Kites winter here annually in big numbers and the White-bellied Sea-eagle, a permanent resident. These two species have crossed paths many times before. I just cannot figure out what triggered this violent behaviour from the eagle. Well whatever the reason may be, it was a memorable experience.

When the eagle has had enough, it flew off to a nearby tree to rest. Feathers were ruffled but peace was finally restored. And the graceful kites flew about in leisure once again but in smaller numbers. I guess the eagle somewhat got its way in the end.

Being the smallest raptor in the world does not come without its bad points and frame filling shots of the Black-thighed Falconet remains a privilege most bird photographers have yet to enjoy.

On the way out of Air Hitam Dalam, we came across a flock of resting Asian Openbills on some isolated trees in the middle of the paddy fields. Although I have seen them in bigger flocks, the numbers here were sufficient to capture the interest of my guest. It was a relief to see these storks frequenting back at their usual spots and this encounter was a great way to end another rewarding birding excursion in this part of Peninsular Malaysia.