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

Cambodia: Wild, wild west

It was another early start to the day but today, our mode of transportation was two SUVs instead of the usual MPV. Our time in the wild finally came and we will leave the comforts of the city for the next three days in search of more exotic bird life in the wild interiors. And as usual, anticipation was high.

The journey was long and the countryside was dry and dusty. But the vast open areas of these arid plains, not unlike scenes from a classical western, do have their appeals. In fact, they are home to some incredibly fascinating bird species and one in particular was the main objective for the morning excursion.

When a bird is as intriguing as the Bengal Florican, I do not see the need to sugar coat my description of it. Bustards are a family of birds that is as foreign to me as the mother tongue of this history-rich country. With only about 800 birds left in the world of which half is found in Cambodia, it is inevitably an endangered species like most of the other notable fauna found here. We visited one of its strongholds, the Prolay Grassland, a Bengal Florican Conservation Area east of Siem Reap Province. I thought the open landscape of Chuping in Perlis back home was vast until we made our way into this reserve.

A Green Bee-eater hunting next to the access road at first light briefly derailed us from our objective. I was also looking forward to this lifer as bee-eaters are such graceful and beautiful aerial hunters. I was to discover in the days to come that Cambodia has a healthy population of Green Bee-eaters but it did not deter me from appreciating this striking little bird to the fullest now.

The Pied Bushchat is quite a common sight here as well but it was still an exciting lifer no less. In terms of appearance, an almost completely black plumage may not get you a whole lot of admirers. However, black is one of my favourite colours and this charming bird was given its due attention.

For our quest of the Bengal Florican, we acquired the services of the local wardens. The grassland covered the landscape as far as the eye can see and locating a bird the size of a large duck is literally like looking for a needle in a haystack. The knowledge and acute sense of sight of the wardens were invaluable to our mission. A lone Small Buttonquail was confident of its ability to blend into the sea of grass. However, its defence mechanism was no match for the eagle-eyed wardens. While my companions cherished another lifer, I obtained my best photo of this adorable gamebird that has a sparse distribution in Malaysia.

Then we glanced upon a large winged creature floating in from the horizon. Time froze as I strained my eyes into the rising sun because the identity of the bird, even at this distance, was unmistakable. I was staring at my first ever wild crane and it also happened to be the world’s tallest flying bird. When the Sarus Crane finally landed, it was half hidden by the tall grass. The distance and lighting condition indirectly provided a dreamlike effect to the image. It was nothing more than a record shot but the encounter almost made me forget why I was here in the first place. Hesitantly, I had to leave the crane where it stood and continued on with my original quest before the temperature rose to an unbearable heights.

Even with the help of the wardens, the Bengal Florican still proved elusive for the time being. Deep inside I knew what we up against and for this lifer, we had to our work cut out for us.

Luckily, this grassland was teeming with bird life and we had some interesting distractions during our hunt like this foraging Oriental Skylark. It is yet another species that I have been hunting for years without success back home. The differences to me were indeed subtle from the commoner pipits. On the other hand, my judgement could be clouded by the ongoing search for the star bird of this locality.

Red Avadavats were commonly seen in the vicinity. The strikingly coloured males are exquisite gems of the grassland and I wished I had more time to spend with the flocks we encountered along the way.

Then came the much delayed climax to the visit. The wardens signalled us over and we rushed to their location. A sudden rustle of wings caught our attention as a female Bengal Florican took flight at a distance across our path. She may lack the contrasting colours of the male but she was still the curtain raiser for some stellar performances among the sea of grass.

It was near impossible to creep up on a Bengal Florican in its element and distant sightings were all we could muster. For a bird its size, it is certainly gifted with the ability to hide well. It will let you see it when you are miles away but once you approach within reasonable distances, it vanishes by going low behind the grass or indentations on the ground. In short, it was an oversized quail. Like the female, the only images worth sharing of the males were flight shots but it was a cherished experience nevertheless.

If only the real thing was half as easy...

With the Bengal Florican securely in the bag, we now had the luxury for less significant matters like for example having the most important meal of the day...

The wardens then took our party around the reserve for more birding and all the stops we made were nearby a pond. It made perfect sense as this is the dry season and water is a prized commodity. At one such pond, the Almighty blessed us another chance with one of His more impressive creations. A pair of Sarus Cranes was resting at the water’s edge and I have been in this country long enough to know how incredibly shy some of the residents here can be. So, we enjoyed these remarkable birds from afar.

Imagine this used to be a scene back home in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the Sarus Crane has long being extinct there and to see them here now in the flesh is a true privilege for me. But greed is a deadly sin that I sometimes surrender to and wanting a better image of the resting pair inevitably put them to flight. They were still a fair distance away but I guess the threat of approaching human forms were too much for the cranes to tolerate.

Yesterday, I was given very little chance to photograph the Siberian Rubythroat. I did not fare any better today. The closely related Bluethroat was present in bigger numbers but record shots were all that I could obtained. The absence of their namesake indicates they are most probably females. Although these terrestrial birds are new to me, their shyness compounded with the absence of colours killed off much of my enthusiasm for them. The ever rising temperature out in the field was no help either.  

With the testing conditions here in Cambodia, fresh coconut water became our new favourite drink to quench our at times insatiable thirst...

Our next destination was Tmatboey Village – home to the Giant Ibis and White-shouldered Ibis. We arrive at the Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary in the mid afternoon after a much welcomed lunch and the dry dipterocarp forest welcomed our arrival with intense heat and dust. The Tmatboey Eco Lodge is a modest accommodation located within the sanctuary and our home for the next two days.

Hopefully, this photo on the front door of our chalet is a good omen...

We barely unpacked when Mardy announced that one of the local guides (again local knowledge was vital) found a nice surprise nearby the lodge and it turned out to be the perfect welcome gift. A lone White-shouldered Ibis was foraging at a pond minutes away from our chalets and we cautiously moved closer. But a distant tractor on the move put the ibis to flight and it alighted on a tall tree far away. The White-shouldered Ibis may live in the shadows of its bigger relative the Giant Ibis but this critically endangered species (with less than 500 individuals left in the world) deserves recognition as well. However, I could tell there and then that its skittish nature will be a major hindrance.

The forest here is sparse and low. There is no doubt about that and to balance things out with birding in the rain forest, nature made most of the birds here shy. A foraging Rufous Treepie decided to cut us some slack and provided a prolonged and relatively close encounter. The striking colouration and stunning appearance makes it one of the most attractive birds found here.

Back in Malaysia, the Black-hooded Oriole only occurs in Langkawi and it is quite ironic that I had to travel all this way before I can tick it off my life list.

The Burmese Shrike is another new species for me and it was certainly a cracker. Naturally, it had our attention.

A recognisable and distinct call echoed through the vicinity and one cannot mistaken the nasal notes of the Great Slaty Woodpecker for anything else. On any other day, I would have tried my best to obtain better images of this flock of three birds. The trees here are half the height of those back home and even with canopy dwellers like these woodpeckers, I still stand a good chance. But today was no ordinary day. We were making our way towards one of ponds in this wildlife sanctuary where the Giant Ibises have been frequenting of late. And what is now considered to be the world’s biggest woodpecker will have to play an unfamiliar role of a supporting cast instead of the lead performer.

I caught sight of a few large birds circling above the forest. Upon further scrutiny they turned out to be Lesser Adjutants and Wolly-necked Storks. The latter was a lifer and I was overjoyed. However in time, I realized that a sight of soaring storks is not always a reason to celebrate as it could mean that the storks have been recently spooked to flight from their feeding ground. When storks and other large water birds are spooked they rarely return anytime soon and sometimes, not at all.

On this occasion, the culprit was a local villager and his dogs. Only God knows why he had the sudden urge to walk his dogs through a wildlife sanctuary. His unexplainable behaviour left us staring at an empty pond. Gradually, some birds did return to the vicinity and the most notable one was the Green Bee-eater. I may not have much time for this elegant beauty back at the Bengal Florican site but I certainly did now.

Birding in a foreign country meant every little brown job had to be scrutinized. And a pipit, no matter how ordinary looking, perched on a tall dead tree deserved some attention from its behaviour alone. It turned out to be an Olive-backed Pipit – a species that I have not seen for many moons. I did not know then but this dead tree overlooking the ‘ibis pond’ will play a significant part in my life in the very near future.

The Common Woodshrike, as the name implies, is a common sight here in Kulen Promtep. This juvenile was by far the most confiding one we came across.

Young birds can sometimes be too bold for their own good. Lucky for this guy, it has absolutely nothing to fear from this group of humans.

The dipterocarp forest briefly came to life once again in the late evening as the residents prepared to roost for the night. I am no stranger to woodpeckers as my homeland has a variety of stunning species. It may be a case of the grass is always greener on the other side but I find the spectacular Black-headed Woodpecker to have no parallels in terms of aesthetic appeal. Light was vanishing by the minute but not to take the time to appreciate this pair of woodpeckers bonding on a dead tree one last time before retiring for the night would be unforgivable.

As darkness fell, a sense of gloom started to crawl its way into my soul. My main target of the trip has eluded us so far. Will we suffer the same fate for our remaining days here in this wilderness? As my mind started to ponder, my ears picked up an odd call at a distance. The words “Giant Ibis” seeped through the lips of our guide. Moments later three dark shapes flew overhead and alighted on a distant tree. The moment I have been waiting for has arrived and as the one percent of the world’s population of Giant Ibis prepared to roost, they were unaware that a group of birders were watching their every move intently. There was just about enough light left for a record shot but the quality of the image was no longer relevant. But the moment and everything leading to it were - from tolerating the aching joints after a long day of birding to the second I finally laid eyes on this astonishing creature. I have come across countless interesting bird species in all my 30 years as a birder and the Giant Ibis is certainly one of the most incredible lifers for me. What a way to wrapped things up for our third day of birding in Cambodia. As we made our way back in the dark, I now have a good feeling about this birding site. To find out if my intuition was right, you have to wait for my next post in which we continued our quest for the critically endangered Giant Ibis.