The golden hour mesmerizes like no other

 

During one of the afternoons at Khao Yai National Park, it rained and we decided to try our luck at another birding location. After all, this whole area is Arjin’s playground because he is lucky enough to have a permanent residence here. He took us to an open country and scrubland type of habitat in Ban Ngoi with a peculiar bird in mind to brighten up our day. The Yellow-eyed Babbler behaves more like a Reed-Warbler more than anything else and thrives in an environment that is preferred by the latter as well. The first of these birds that we encountered actually fulfilled all the requirements for a lifer record – visual, call and image. But I was secretly hoping for something more.

We then drove to the next spot but not before obtaining a record shot of another lifer. The male Asian Golden Weaver in breeding colours is a sight to behold but he just would not oblige our photographic requests.

The target at the next spot was the Small Pratincole and from the air of confidence surrounding our guide, I would say this uncommon species is a regular here. Initially, we did our photography from the vehicle. The human form will probably put all forty of them to flight – yes, forty! And the look on this individual is not a positive sign at all.

We knew it was unlikely to come across this opportunity again and decided to put our fate to the test. We carefully got out of our vehicle and inched towards these unusual-looking waders.  The three of us went our separate ways. It is a big congregation after all. I found myself drawn to a particular individual and I followed what could only be my gut instinct.

To my surprise, the chosen one started to approach me instead and I immediately stopped moving and waited. I guess the unexplainable connection between me and this adorable little fellow was real after all.

Eventually it came closer than most wild birds would to a birder. You noticed that I used the word birder and not human. It is an unspoken truth (and personal observations) that birds of open country are extremely tolerant towards field workers. Present yourself as a birder and the posterior of the bird as it flies away is what you will get most of the time.

The Small Pratincole is sort of a personal bogey bird for my life list especially on home soil. And here, more than a thousand kilometers away, I can finally put that ‘tick’ to rest. Fortune favours the bold and, in this case, my life has certainly been enriched by the accommodating nature of this particular feathered individual.

I was so caught up in the moment that I lost track of my companions. When I came to, they were on the opposite side of the pratincole patch photographing a couple of Temmick’s Stint. Before leaving the vicinity, we encountered another species that was uncommon to us but the Oriental Skylark was just too far for any improvement shots.

We made another attempt at the Yellow-eyed Babblers but at a different spot. And this time, the birds were exceptional. My hope did come true and that does not happen often enough when birding.

There was a pair of them again and when I did some post-trip research, these birds are known to develop life-long bonds and encountering solitary birds would be rare. They also exhibited the inquisitive qualities typical of babblers. Thus, rebuking my earlier thoughts of them having an identity crisis.

As the sun gradually descended towards the horizon, the effects of the golden hour were added value to our photography. This Yellow-eyed Babbler was so accommodating that I found myself lost in those piercing eyes. And if eyes are indeed the windows to our souls, then this fascinating species has certainly entered mine.

Sitting in our vehicle parked next to some bushes overlooking a stream was not exactly a picture one would envision of birding in a far-off land surrounded by the wonders of nature. However, this unassuming location provided one of the most memorable photo sessions of the trip for me.

By the time we started our drive back to the hotel, it was already dark. And we finally got an owl in a nocturnal environment. The Eastern Barn Owl is a widespread species and its proficiency at keeping rats at bay makes it a welcomed member to any community.

All good things must come to an end and the final day of our Thai adventure came faster than anticipated – naturally. With a few hours to spare before we all parted ways, our guide presented us a parting gift by taking a detour across an agricultural land in Pak Phli at the outskirts of Bangkok City. The Plain Prinia is not new to us because we encountered this species a few times before but today, we were able to capture good images of this relatively common species.

Typical of this family of birds, it is active by nature and we had to constantly deal with its rapid movements. The bright lighting conditions was a double-edged sword. Although it helped my modest photographic gear to keep up with the Plain Prinias, the harshness effected the quality of the images. But I rather have sharp than ideally exposed photos anytime.

Before I embarked on this remarkable journey to Thailand, news broke out of Bluethroats wintering at one of my local patches in mainland Penang. I have recorded this species during my trip to Cambodia but it is a rare migrant to Malaysia nevertheless. No doubt a significant tick in my Malaysian life list as well. But a greater calling beckoned and I told myself I will gradually get round to this rare visitor after my big trip. Fast forward a week or so and here I am, in central Thailand, enjoying a striking male Bluethroat performing admirably in front of us. And I could not help but to feel the irony. It is not uncommon here in central Thailand but I guess a confiding individual like this one probably is.

There is no denying the beauty of a male Bluethroat though. The vivid blue throat and breast band complimented by the surrounding tinge of orange gave the impression that the bird ornamented himself with precious stones. I bet my fellow birders back home are just as enthralled.

After the exhilarating encounter with the Bluethroat, I was finally ready to go home. But the alluring bird life of central Thailand was not quite done yet.

The Striated Grassbird is another species very foreign to me. When we came across one perched right out in the open, I guessed this is not a common behaviour judging from the excitement in our guide’s voice. Either that or like yours truly, thinks it is an absolute stunner of the bird. And I am not saying this because it is a lifer. Just look at the wickedly long tail and bold markings on its upperparts. If this cannot get you excited, I do not know what will.

A Little Cormorant sunning itself would have received more attention from me if this species had not colonized and multiplied in my country in recent years.

The Bronze-winged Jacana has also amended its rare status in Peninsular Malaysia but not as significantly as the Little Cormorant. This attractive water bird is doing much better here in Thailand and this locality was no different. The presence of drab juvenile birds indicated another successful breeding season.

A striking adult bird that was a little more tolerant to our presence than the rest allowed a photo to be included in this post.

I could not help but to notice several soaring raptors in the vicinity. A habitat like this could produce notable species but the only one recorded was the Black Kite. It was not the only migrant that was conspicuous in this vast open landscape. Black Drongos were also present in big numbers which is not unusual as it should be as common here as in Peninsular Malaysia. One confiding individual provided a decent capture due to its close proximity. Photographing a black bird at a distance under harsh lighting can be a challenge.

The company that you have during birding trips also plays a vital role in determining the success of the outcome. Nigel and Kok Siong are both great companions and I have also known Nigel for a long time. This paragraph is my way of thanking them for having me on this trip and being a part in this fantastic chapter of my birding life. And that concludes our birding adventures in central Thailand. The Penang birder signing out for now.

Checklist of birds recorded:

1. Ban Ngoi

2. Pak Phli

Two days too late

It started out like any ordinary weekday morning. After checking my emails and messages, I decided to have a quick look at my Facebook. A photo posted by a friend caught my immediate attention. It was a photo of an Oriental Plover – a rare migrant to our shores and a would-be lifer. After obtaining the necessary information, the open country of Kamunting will be my next birding destination two days from now. Dave was about to make a trip to Ipoh on that day and Kamunting was conveniently along the way. Later in the afternoon, I received news from him. Not one but two Oriental Plovers in the bag. And thus began the agonizing wait for the weekend. Two vehicles, four birders, one very plain-looking but rare objective and a vast grassland. Not as vast as the grasslands of Chuping in Perlis but Hor Kee, Nelson, Beng Yean and yours truly still had our work cut out for us.

The most prominent species present were undoubtedly the Oriental Pratincoles. These peculiar but beautiful waders were nesting there and caution had to be taken not too stress them out too much during our search for the Oriental Plovers. The sight of the nesting pratincoles brought back memories of the nesting ground in my home state. Sadly, the site is now nothing but a distant memory.

The next generation of Oriental Pratincoles which in time will grace our world with their graceful aerial agilities…

Normally, where the Oriental Pratincole nests so will the Red-wattled Lapwing. Although not in such high numbers, there were enough of this common but stunning waders around to grab my attention. Come to think of it these birds are natural born attention grabbers with their loud and distinct alarm call and the numbers present does not matter.

I think by now you have more or less have guessed the outcome for my twitch for the Oriental Plovers. If something as rare as this is not mentioned by the second paragraph, it can only spell dip out. Despite a careful sweep for more than 3 hours, we just could not locate the plovers. The trip was not without its highlights and one of them is certainly this – my first ever photo of the Small Buttonquail after all these years.

I was not too disappointed for being too slow to photograph a Barred Buttonquail. The reason being I almost got a clear shot of a male Blue-breasted Quail. Now the latter deserves a lengthy paragraph not only to make up for the crappy image but the bird truly deserves it. Adorable and striking, the male Blue-breasted Quail is one of the most attractive gamebirds in Malaysia. Looking more like a plush soft toy than a real bird, this quail is naturally much sought after. It is not rare. However, to actually see a bird well in the field is often difficult. After all, both quails and buttonquails are the Houdinis of the natural world and their vanishing acts are just as remarkable as the great man’s.

One is bound to come across a Paddyfield Pipit in such a habitat and there were certainly a fair number present. Most were seen in pairs and that saved us the time and headache of trying to determine if they could be some other migratory pipit species.

Common Mynas are one of the most aggressive birds I know. I have witnessed numerous fights between birds of the same species and the majority of these fights involved the Common Myna. These bouts can last for a long time and that can be exhausting. This one lasted about 10 minutes and the loser retreated from the vicinity leaving the victor to enjoy his triumphant moment.

White-headed Munias are not as numerous as some of the other species. However, they seemed to outnumber the rest at this locality. While observing a flock grazing near our position, one of the birds got a little carried away with the feast and wandered very close to our stationary vehicle. But the munia was constantly on the move and photographing the little guy was harder than expected.

Once we were gripped by the possibility of dipping out, desperation set in. We widened our search to beyond the four corners of the grasslands. There are a few former mining pools in the vicinity and these man made wetlands are now home to the local wildlife including birds. It always nice to see an adult Purple Heron although it is not uncommon. The size and colouration makes it attractive species that I still cannot ignore to this day.

The Black-backed Swamphen, on the other hand, is a waterfowl that I do not come across often enough. It is most probably extinct from my home state and this site is probably the closest one to home that I can admire the beauty of the swamphen. It has a preference for the invasive Hyacinth plant and the colouration of this water plant does help to bring out the radiance of the bird. I guess I did not go home empty handed in the end. Of course it would have been great to get the Oriental Plover but things do not always go according to plan. Hopefully, my time will come in the near future and until then, flocks of Pacific Golden Plover will be scrutinized as usual for a chance of an Oriental Plover.