This is what I call forest birding.

Early morning is the best time for any forest birding excursion. As we made our way at first light into Kaeng Krachan National Park (KKCNP) for the first time, we were greeted by an array of calls and that is always a good sign.

When we approached the mid-way point, heavy wing beats echoed along the forest canopy followed by persistent yelping. It could only mean one species – hornbills. Since the vocalization was foreign to me, another lifer was making its way into my global life list and it turned out to be a flock of Rusty-cheeked Hornbills. I had to crank my neck to admire the unusual colouration of this species and the photographs obtained were good enough to me given the shooting conditions of the encounter.

One has to rely heavily on calls when it comes to birding in the forest and I tried to my best not to let familiar call distract me from building up my checklist for the day. Unless the call belonged to a pair of Banded Kingfishers. This is one species I will stop for no matter how far I am away from home. It appeared that Lady Luck has not abandoned us yet and the handsome male revealed his vivid plumage along the middle storey of the forest.

His mate took a longer time before we could lay eyes on her sultry beauty. The Banded Kingfisher is one of the few birds that despite of sexual dimorphism, the sexes are equally attractive. And she even outperformed her mate on this sunny morning.

The rather distinct territorial call of the Asian Barred Owlet was heard in the vicinity for a prolonged period of time. Eventually, it was spotted by our guide vocalizing for the topmost part of the forest and the outcome of the encounter left much to be yearned for.

Arjin has been exceptional throughout the trip. Not only for providing the targets and lifers but for all the other arrangements that made our birding adventure in central Thailand so enjoyable.

If you come across a congregation of birders anywhere in the park, you should join them because there must be something noteworthy present. Our guide practices this strategy and we were rewarded with a pair of Blue-bearded Bee-eaters.

The pair was perched quite high up with the sun behind them as they hunted and courted oblivious to the crowd below. I am grateful for the good and prolonged views. I just wish I could say the same about the photographic opportunities.

While observing the Blue-bearded Bee-eater, a silhouette of what appeared to a Myna alighted on branch below the lovebirds. Earlier on, I casually asked our guide what are my chances of a Golden-crested Myna in KKCNP. It all depends on luck was all he had to say. Then this must be my lucky day. It was a brief encounter – much to my dismay. Because it is one of the birds I really hoped to see during this trip.

I am not sure if anyone else managed to see the Myna. I did shout out the identification when I was certain I was not hallucinating. It was another hot day after all. Anyway, shortly after my lifer flew away, someone spotted a male Orange-breasted Trogon and to my surprise he was resting quite confidingly just above eye level.

When the words Barred Asian Owlet echoed across the vicinity, it caused those present to rush over to the direction of the latest attraction. Normally, you do not get second chances in forest birding. But then again, there is hardly anything normal about this incredible birding location so far.

When the dust settled, we broke off from the congregation and continued to explore the park on our own. Our second Orange-breasted Trogon of the day was a female and she outperformed the earlier male significantly.

I cannot recall any of the Orange-breasted Trogons back home ever being so obliging and we showered her with the love and affection she deserves. That’s a good girl...

Females led the way from then and next in line was a Silver-breasted Broadbill but she was just a little too far to evoke the same level of emotions.

The same goes to this female Asian Emerald Cuckoo foraging along the canopy level.

I have always been a birder who photographs rather than vice versa. And when Arjin found a pair of White-fronted Scops-Owls roosting partially hidden among the thickets, I was still overwhelmed. It did not matter that the photo was awful. What did matter was it was not overlooked and this species is finally a full tick in my life list. The closest I have ever been to this beautiful and scarce night bird were the trees they were vocalizing in during night excursions. And a daytime sighting like this, almost had me in tears.

We explored the upper reaches of the park on our second visit. The dawn chorus was amazing as excepted. In terms of birding, I was not disappointed as I managed to obtain additional lifers like the Black-throated Laughingthrush, Coral-billed Scimitar-Babbler and Blue-throated Barbet. However, good photographic opportunities were sorely absent. Long-tailed Broadbills appear to be thriving in this location and I managed to obtain some record shots of this stunning bird.

Flowering bamboo can sometimes attract the nomadic Pin-tailed Parrotfinches as these striking birds have a taste for the flowers. On this occasion, it was difficult just to observe the birds through my bins, let alone photograph. And with no possibilities of improvement shots, we carried on our exploration of this birding haven.

We came across an exceptionally tame Black Giant Squirrel by Malaysian standards during our time here and it also appeared to be feeding in a clump of bamboo. This might explain its bold behaviour but unfortunately, the dense vegetation prevented any better shots to be obtained.

I could not help but to notice signboards erected on certain stretches of the access road cautioning driving visitors to be mindful of butterflies. And based on the big number of butterflies along the sides of the road, it is a just action taken by the park authorities. Non-birding visitors are certainly drawn to these congregations of colours and grace. I guess the butterflies are very much one of the main attractions of KKCNP.

A flock of Scarlet Minivets flitting about the forest canopy is a sight to behold especially the striking males. I briefly followed the movements of one such flock and was rewarded when one of males wandered lower down allowing me to obtain some decent shots of his vibrant plumage.

Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoos often show confiding behaviour and this individual was no exception. Perched on an open branch along the forest edge, it helped contributed to the overall success of our excursions here.

Ashy Woodswallows are usually present near the entrance of the park perched on the overhead electric cables. The lighting at the time of this encounter was quite favourable and the images of these graceful aerial hunters turned out better than I expected.

Behavioural shots are often what bird photographers aim for. However, I am usually happy if I happened to get a sharp shot of a bird doing nothing. When the opportunity does present itself, the sense of achievement can be ecstatic like this food-in-mouth shot.

Below the hunting Woodswallows, another species was also busy foraging. Unlike the former, the Grey-breasted Prinias rarely stay put and the strains of grass of their undergrowth home further hindered my photographic efforts. But they showed enough character to win me over in the end and wrap things up for this post.

Checklist of birds recorded at Kaeng Krachan National Park:

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307861287

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307862775

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307867792

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307868679 

https://ebird.org/checklist/S307869350 

A trail of teasing trogons

 

I found myself exploring the foothills of Gunung Bintang in the state of Kedah on Boxing Day this year. And the weather was surprisingly good with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine. The vicinity was alive with the sounds of nature and as usual, the wilderness provides sanctuary for my wearied soul. The troops of Agile Gibbons present almost drowned out all the rest with their powerful territorial calls and for these shy primates that is often the only indication of their presence.

One particular call had my undivided attention. It is a series of mournful notes but owner of the call is anything but mournful. I do not come across the Red-naped Trogon all that often and this individual was not making it easy for me. The dense foliage of the canopy hid the bird well and the vocalization was the only aid I have to locating this stunning forest dweller. Quarter of an hour and a couple of leech bites later, the trogon shifted position and slight movement was all that was needed for its location to be revealed. It was a dreadful photographic attempt but the experience exciting nevertheless.

The trogons of this birding haven appear to have returned to the forest surrounding this access road. The movement control order by the government decreased human activities considerably here and could well be one of the main reasons why I found myself surrounded by these forest denizens today. As much as I hate to admit it, human interference regardless of any nature, will have an impact on the ecosystem. In our absence, Mother Nature thrives. Anyway, the Diard’s Trogon and Orange-breasted Trogon teased me with fleeting views from the cover of the forest. Even the commoner Scarlet-rumped Trogon was reluctant to reveal his true beauty today.

His duller mate was not any much better despite resting on a relatively open perch.

The two resident forest kingfishers were also up and about. While the Banded Kingfisher remained out of sight, the Rufous-collared Kingfisher provided a brief but mesmerizing encounter. She alighted at eye level but unfortunately in a gloomy part of the forest. Unlike most avian species, she is just as striking as her male counterpart. I could not recall the last time I came across a female of this species and this girl certainly brought some cheer after the frustrating time with the trogons.

A number of birdwaves swept past me as I slowly ascended the trail. Babblers, warblers, flycatchers, woodpeckers and sunbirds were the main participants of this natural phenomenon. Photographic attempts were futile as the birds were exceptionally active today. All except for a male Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike that decided to take a short breather in the midst of all the chaos.

Fruiting trees are always a good spot for birds. A small fruiting next to the access road made me stop to have a better look. A pair of Finsch’s Bulbuls came for a short feed but they were the only signs of life at the tree for the entire duration I was there.

I did not give much thought to the resident Chestnut-naped Forktails that were darting about today as these birds do not appreciate human presence much. However, a juvenile decided to momentarily abandon its skittish nature and foraged relatively close to my position. This species has a tendency to hunt along isolated access roads and when out the in the open like this, one can truly appreciate the beauty of the Chestnut-naped Forktail even if it has yet to obtain full adult plumage.

Well, we are all familiar with the saying stop and smell the roses but you will not find any roses here in this hot and humid environment. I hope I am not getting sentimental with age but while waiting (in vain) for the forktail to show itself again, this yellow flower did catch my eye.

The Bushy-crested Hornbill is probably the avian world’s equivalent of the gibbons here at this site. It occurs in flocks and just like the primates, are vocal by nature. A flock was yelping away (yup, they do sound somewhat like puppies) from one of the taller trees and lucky for me, the foliage was sparse enough to make the shape of the hornbills. They were quite a distance away and the tree, strongly backlighted.

Years of birding has moulded me into a patient man and I waited for, hopefully, a change of fortune. My determination paid off when the flock, consisting of nine individuals, took flight and headed towards my direction. I also have been birding long enough to know that things rarely work out exactly how you hoped. When it comes to forest birding, everything comes down to luck and it certainly had some for this encounter.

My best effort of the flying Bushy-crested Hornbills was of this young male. He was the last one to make it across the valley and my modest photographic setup had a little more time to capture the moment. There is just something about hornbills in flight that make them so captivating – even if the species is mostly shades of brown.

I had to borrow my better half’s ride for my birding adventure this time as the battery of my old girl died on me the day before. When it comes to photography, birds and other wildlife naturally has precedence over everything else. But vehicles are one of my few other passions in life and you will find a number of photographs of this nature in my digital archive. And this Kai Concept crossover wrapped things up for the day.

The bold and the beautiful

It has been a while since I last wandered into the wild interiors of Pedu Lake in Kedah state and my second day of birding with Bob gave me the opportunity to do so. The lone access road that cuts through the forest here is isolated and can spring a surprise or two – especially at this hour. A distant gamebird foraging along the edge of the road got our pulses racing. But when it finally revealed itself, there was no mistaking its identity. Naturally, I was hoping for it to be one of the uncommon species but I have be contented with this common but handsome male Red Junglefowl for this time.

Brownish flycatchers can be tricky to identify but the majority of them usually turned out to be Asian Brown Flycatchers. After all it is the commonest flycatcher despite being only winter visitors. This one had our attention until we were certain of its identity and I obtained yet another image of the Asian Brown Flycatcher for my digital archive.

It did not take long for the temperature to soar and from the look of things, it was going to be another sweltering day. The condition now was perfect for a soaring raptor and true enough, an Oriental Honey-Buzzard glided into view.

The magic of birding in the forest, despite all the challenges, is that you can never expect what you might come across. A red trogon was perched significantly low and one species naturally came to mind – the elusive Cinnamon-rumped Trogon. But I cannot identify a bird based on habits alone. The trogon was exceptionally confiding and we patiently waited for him to reveal his rump in order to eliminate the possibility of the much commoner Scarlet-rumped Trogon.

I do not have enough field experience to confidently identify a Cinnamon-rumped Trogon from the front. Due to the close proximity, my images of the trogon were commendable. A quick check with my mates online left no room for doubts and it was a Scarlet-rumped Trogon. Posterior view was not required. Bob was exhilarated with the find but I could not share his joy. And I am not proud of it.

Our next destination of the day was another forest site and it was the Bukit Wang Forest Reserve. This migratory season, a couple of uncommon flycatchers have been performing well. The male Chinese Blue Flycatcher continued to awe birders from his shadowy domain. Apart from the lighting, his performance was flawless.

Today, the Green-backed Flycatcher was just amazing. This is the closest I have ever been to this uncommon migrant and needless to say, the encounter left me breathless.

Just when I thought nothing could better that, the Short-tailed Babbler refused to be outdone. I have a soft spot for this adorable bird despite its dull colouration. Looks can be deceiving and the Short-tailed Babbler can be quite feisty at times and its behaviour is the thing that earn my affections.

Like the flycatcher, it was literally fearless today. For a bird of the forest undergrowth, open and intimate views like these do not come often and spending time at a stakeout is probably the only way where you can have that opportunity.

How can you not love a face like this?

One of the reasons why this site is such an alluring site is because it is one of the few places where you have a chance to encounter the beautiful Chestnut-necklaced Partridge. I have my fair share of encounters with this game bird but to lay eyes on one moving about the forest floor still does it for me.

The last destination of the tour was the mangroves of Sungai Batu. We came across another confiding babbler and the Abbott’s Babblers maintained our momentum with this family of birds.

When it comes to common birds, very few species can beat the Yellow-vented Bulbul here in Malaysia. However, we cannot hold that against the bird and an occasional recognition of its presence is only right.

However, for the striking Forest Wagtail, its presence will always receive my recognition…

The Mangrove Pitta again proved difficult and despite all my efforts, refuse to reveal itself from the depths of the mangrove forest. For the second time today, the feeling of disappointment crept in. A confiding male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher eased the episode with the pitta and his radiant blue plumage and charm was good enough to wrap things up for the day.