It is good to be back

 

My iron steed finally got to stretch her legs with her first interstate journey in more than two years. Almost all COVID-19 restrictions in the country have been lifted this month and hopefully, life will return to be what it used to be. As for me, it is back to the wilds of northern Peninsular Malaysia to make up for all the lost birding time.

Although not much has changed here at the Sungai Batu mangroves, there was one significant difference. The resident Mangrove Pittas, as reported by my fellow birders, have vanished deeper into their swampy domains. This remarkable animal is the star bird of this location and their absence is excruciating difficult to accept. On the other hand, the Mangrove Blue Flycatchers still serenade the vicinity with their beauty and song.

The boisterous Abbott’s Babblers were as prominent as before at the stakeout. The lighting condition was unpredictable today. Passing clouds blocked out the sun intermittently. And I occasionally struggled with my photographic efforts despite the close proximity of the birds.

Rapid movement is one of the main causes for this complication. The Malaysian Pied-Fantail with its signature erratic movements, truly tested my modest setup. A lucky shot during one of the few rare moments when the bird was still provided some extra material for this blog post.

Just because you are out in open spaces does not mean photographing wild birds will be a walk in the park. There will be times when your subject simply refuses to cooperate despite the ideal shooting conditions. Anyway, there is no mistaking a Green-billed Malkoha at this range. And life, goes on.

The resident Crested Serpent-Eagle exhibited its full majesty from the edge of the swamp forest. And this time, it was the distance that prevented better images to be obtained.

Barbets are undeniably vocal and this trait is present in every species including the small and adorable Coppersmith Barbet. The name itself derives from the persistent single note territorial call of the species which is not unlike the sound of a coppersmith at work. I traced the call to a tiny speck at the very top of a dead tree which is typical of the species.

It is not an uncommon bird occurring even in residential areas but good photographic opportunities are hard to come by. That is a shame for the Coppersmith Barbet is a cracking bird. From its lofty perch, it continued to proclaim its territory despite my presence and the encounter turned out to be the highlight of the trip.

The Blue-throated Bee-eaters are back for the summer replacing the wintering Blue-tailed Bee-eaters. Just as spectacular or perhaps even more, a moment is taken to appreciate their return. The electrical cables here certainly make good vantage points for the Blue-throated Bee-eater to launch its aerial assaults.

It is the breeding season for most birds now and the Baya Weaver colonies were buzzing with activities. The males are busy building their astonishing nests and this labour of love is anything but easy. As for the females, life is easy for time being as they linger about waiting to be wooed.

I concluded my feeble Global Big Day effort for this year around mid morning. Other commitments in life seemed to have increased of late. Either that or age have somewhat altered my priorities. But my passion for birding still burns especially when there are birds like the Black-winged Kite to fuel the flames. This poised and efficient hunter wrapped things for the day by resting in full view on an electrical pole along the access road leading out of the site.

A world record holder

 

The morning was bright and beautiful as I made my way across the Straits of Malacca. Initially, I just wanted to do some casual birding on the island but not a single locality came to mind. Utterly fatigued from the insane work load of my fulltime occupation, to make a long trip today was simply out of the question. The next best thing was to visit a local patch in mainland Penang and since choice is never a luxury there as well, I found myself wandering about the network of concrete boardwalks at Air Hitam Dalam again.

Perched conspicuously at the edge of the freshwater swamp forest was a Brown Shrike on the hunt. This common migrant can hardly be considered a sought-after species but the composition was so inviting and the bird, exceptionally obliging.  

I found the forest eerily quiet today. This birding haunt has lost much of its luster of late – just like most other sites I frequently visit. As my footsteps grew heavier, my thoughts started to drift until a vocalizing Ashy Tailorbird shattered the silence. It took some effort and patience before I found the bird and it turned out to be a handsome male. It is amazing that a small bird like the Ashy Tailorbird can cause such a ruckus. He certainly had the place all to himself this morning and that indirectly increased the decibel of his persistent territorial call.

The Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest is a small site and with absolutely no relevance at all, it is also home to the tiny but deadly Black-thighed Falconets. The top of this particular dead tree is not exactly ideal to capture the smallest bird of prey in the world due to its height but it is one of their favourite perches. And sure enough, I could just make out a single bird present with my naked eye upon my approach.

It was joined later by another of its kin and judging from the amount of public affection exhibited, they are most likely a breeding pair. Like all raptors, the larger bird is most likely the fairer sex. There is no denying the stunning beauty of Black-thighed Falconets and naturally, I found it hard to pull myself away from the lovebirds.

However, do not be fooled by the adorable appearance of the Black-thighed Falconet. It is an accomplished predator in its own right and this unfortunate dragonfly found that out a little too late.

At this site, a congregation of raptors leisurely soaring about can only be the wintering Black Kites. I quickly repositioned myself in order to have the lighting in my favour. About a dozen of these raptors were present today and a few of them circled exhilaratingly close overhead.

Sleek and elegant, the Black Kites floated and swerved their way to become one of the main highlights of this short trip. The sunny condition aided my photographic efforts. And the number of images shared here in this post will be able to accurately illustrate my feelings during the encounter.

One last photograph for good measure...

Unlike the winter visitors, there is only one resident pair of Brahminy Kites here and the rising temperature set them soaring about the vicinity as well. Although they are more vibrantly coloured, the Brahminy Kites did not provide much opportunity for this quality to be admired as they were skittish as usual.

Raptors are one of my favourite birds and I am sure I do not speak for myself. Their ferocity and majesty are often incomparable. When the piercing call of the Crested Serpent-Eagle filled the vicinity, I could hardly contain my excitement. The presence of so many raptors in such a short time can be overwhelming to say the least and I intently watched this eagle with a taste for cold-blooded prey conduct an aerial patrol of its domain.

Although it is not a bird of prey, the Asian Openbill casts a familiar silhouette in the sky during this time of day. This stork that can sometimes number up to a hundred strong, soars effortlessly on its immense wings and is quite a sight to behold.

Like the Asian Openbill, the Little Cormorant is also a recent colonizer to Peninsular Malaysia that is settling in well indeed. This lone bird, presumably taking a breather after raiding the commercial fish ponds, drew my gaze back to ground level. Big flocks are not commonly encountered in my home state and more often than not, it is particularly wary of human presence. Luckily, there was a lot of objects to help hide my human form as I stalked this skilled hunter.

Egrets of all shape and sizes also loiter around the ponds with the same intentions. Like the name implies, the Great Egret is by far the largest and undeniably regal.

The Little Egret may not be the smallest by it is still dwarfed by the presence of the Great Egret.

An adult Purple Heron tried its best to remain inconspicuous while resting at the edge of the fish farm but its plumage colouration was just too attractive not to take notice.

Decades of birding should have made me an observant man and yet, I did not realize there was an adult Grey Heron in the vicinity until it took flight set off no doubt by my intrusion. It alighted on a nearby tree and this lucky shot of the landing turned out better than I had anticipated.

Some movement among a patch of long grass turned out to be a pair of White-rumped Munias feeding on grass seeds. The availability of food made them reasonably confiding and I took the time to observe the feast. Munias are considered to pests by the agricultural industry but to me, they are just living things trying to survive in this hostile world.

Due to its abundant nature, the Pacific Swallow is usually ignored. That is a real shame because when seen in good light, this aerial specialist is strikingly beautiful and streamlined to perfection.

I have had enough share of leech bites to know when I have fallen victim again to this blood-sucking parasite. It may have been a long time since the last time but there was no mistaking the squishy feeling between my toes. As I was about to attend to this little inconvenience, the cheerful song of the Black-naped Oriole distracted me from the task at hand. The leech bite can wait but this stunning bird will not. Although it even occurs in residential areas, I find it difficult to obtain decent images. And here, along the line of tall riverine trees, it is not any easier.

I would have walked past this female Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher on the way to my parked car if not for her short burst of song. The forest undergrowth can sometimes be a challenging environment for photography and my modest gear could not capture her true beauty on this occasion. This species is not as prominent here as it used to be and that is disheartening. But her presence today meant that there is still hope and what better to end a birding excursion than on a positive note.

A morning with five kings

 

The breaking of dawn saw flocks of Asian Openbills emerging from their roosts to forage within nearby vicinities and beyond. A few decided to try their luck along the river skirting the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest. The Malaysian government has loosened the movement control order allowing me travel within my home state and I found myself back at this locality for a few hours of much-needed birding. Of late, I am feeling somewhat like a caged bird with all the restrictions in placed.

When I turned around to let the Openbills carry on with their daily routine, I found that the storks were not the only ones being watched. A village cat has taken a keen interest in my presence. A friendly gesture of clicking my tongue was all it took to have the feline rushing over and showering with me affection.

The morning, as expected, was sunny and beautiful. I decided to try my luck along the river trail with my new companion in toll. The walk, however refreshing it may be, failed to produce any unexpected species.

I cannot recall ever seeing the migratory Whiskered Tern hunt above the murky water here before but one was certainly at it today.

A dead tree on the river bank must be to its liking as the elegant water fowl frequently returned to rest and preen in between forays.

Two pairs of Collared Kingfishers were proclaiming territories along this short stretch of riverside forest and between them, particularly drowned out all other sounds with their raucous vocalizations. Unfortunately, good views were hard to come by. The birds were restless probably due to the presence of rival birds.

I could also hear a pair of Stork-billed Kingfishers calling persistently nearby. For a change it was not too hard to trace the call back to the source this time and the massive Stork-billed Kingfisher, is always a sight to behold. By the end of the trip, I managed to rack up 3 more species of Kingfishers (Black-capped, White-throated and Common Kingfisher) making these striking birds one of the main highlights.

A Crested Serpent-Eagle surveyed its domain from a lofty perch. Looking quite majestic against the clear blue sky, I naturally took the time to enjoy the view. At this hour, food was probably on its mind. Reptiles mainly form its diet but I suppose anything it can overpower will be in the menu as well.

With the migratory season coming to an end, the Black Kites that grace this locality with their presence will soon undergo the long journey back to their breeding grounds. A flock of 7 birds flew towards my direction before dispersing to the nearby paddy fields to hunt. I suppose this would be my last sighting for this season.

The commercial fish ponds next to the reserve attract water birds like egrets and herons for obvious reasons. It is a private property but the owner do not usually mind my intrusion. Of all the species present today, the smallest one outshined the others with its lovely breeding plumage. In fact, the Cattle Egret is the only one found here in Malaysia that develops some plumage colouration when it is time to breed.

The Cattle Egret shared the limelight with a few Chinese Pond-Herons that were also looking their best in breeding colours. The Herons were more suspicious of my presence and it took effort to gain enough of their trust in order to obtain some images.

A banana leaf was somehow able to provide this non-breeding plumaged Pond-Heron with a sense of security. The partial concealment and angle of the Heron did not make it an appealing capture despite my close proximity.

Waders do not occur in good numbers at this location and even this Wood Sandpiper, one of the commonest species, might actually be a new site record for me.

The tendency to burst out alarm calls of the Red-wattled Lapwing will often reveal its presence. But not this one. It stood briefly on the embankment and just coolly strolled away upon my approach. When the Lapwing was finally out of sight, I decided to take my leave before I outstay my welcome here at the ponds.

In the freshwater swamp forest proper, there was not many opportunities for photography. A Mangrove Blue Flycatcher was singing from the darkest part of the undergrowth and when I eventually obtained full view of the bird, a handsome male, he had my undivided attention.

And he was not alone. The sole Indochinese Blue Flycatcher was also in the vicinity and it is always heartening to see her still doing well after all these years.

As I made my way to the car park area, I was surprise to see a pair of Greater Coucals confidingly loitering about the rubbish dump area. They were in search of food and I do not think this species scavenges. They were probably after scavengers there.

I do not come across this beautiful bird so close and in the open like this often enough and this opportunity was much welcomed. I made myself as unintimidating to the pair as possible nearby and savoured the moment. On this occasion, both the birder and photographer in me were utterly satisfied.

The Greater Coucals provided glimpses of this site’s former glory days and just about enough to keep me hopeful that one day the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest that I love so deeply at one point in time will rise up once again.