My Garden Birdwatch 2014

Well, it is that time of the year again for all Malaysian birders to do their part to help the conservation work of the one thing that they treasure most in life - the birds. The dates for this year's count have been fixed - which is either on 7th or 8th of June 2014. Just 30 minutes of your time as a citizen scientist is all it takes to make this count a success. If you still have not register for the count, you can do it at the MYGB website. The website also has all the information that you may need to know and as well as the results form last year's count. Here's the commonest species (not surprisingly) from last year's count - the Eurasian Tree-sparrow.

Keep calm and bird on...(03/05/2014)

I have been told from an early age that one only has to fear two creatures that roam the tropical rainforest of Malaysia – the Asian Elephant and the King Cobra. There are numerous other species of animals that can cause mortal harm but I guess these two, being unpredictable and deadly, are right at the top of the list. I have to thank my lucky stars for not having to face any of them on foot so far. So when Choo Eng and I came across fresh elephant dung along the access trail at Sungai Sedim Recreational Forest in Kedah, it was enough to send a slight shiver up my spine.

The thought of elephants lingered in the back of my mind. I also told myself to be a little more caution today and do not let the birds take over my senses and logic again. That worked for a little while until a Diard’s Trogon started calling from the forest edge. We managed to locate the bird after some effort and it was a stunning male bird. Unfortunately, the shooting conditions really tested my equipments’ capabilities.

A male Red-throated Barbet foraging way below the canopy level is something you do not get to see very often. Barbets on a whole are usually heard rather than seen. Their persistent call is the only thing that will give away their presence. Each species has its own distinctive call and easily recognizable once learned.

Another forest denizen that usually keeps out of sight is the Broadbills. Again, their calls are the only indicators of their presence and for most of the time records are based on calls alone. This morning, a lone Banded Broadbill perched much lower than its preferred canopy domain and allowed me to take one single shot before it disappeared out of sight.

Bulbuls are well represented in the forest here but today, only this Buff-vented Bulbul was willing to be photographed. Well, maybe not that willingly…

The Oriental Honey-buzzard can be quite varied in appearance. Sometimes, it is the smallish head that gives its identity away. This individual that was circling above the forest canopy had a plumage that resembled the Crested Serpent-eagle.

Despite their enormous size and the racket they usually produce whenever they are present, hornbills are shy and timid creatures. Even at a far distance and partially hidden, this male Wreathed Hornbill was not too thrilled about my presence and flew off shortly after.

Rules are meant to be broken (19/04/2014)

Owls are creatures of the night. During the day, they roost inconspicuously away from sight. When night falls, they begin stir and that is when their day truly starts. Or so it seems. Air Hitam Dalam, a small patch of freshwater swamp forest at the northern end of Penang state, is where owls do not adhere to the rules. It is not unusual to see these nocturnal predators up and about in broad daylight. My latest encounter really left me amazed and bewildered at the same time. It was an extremely confiding Brown Hawk-owl calling non-stop right out in the open. 

Eventually it did come to its senses, slightly anyway, and retreated to a shadier perch where it continued with its persistent calling. This went on throughout the morning and it finally sizzled down to a stop at noon. 

During my observation, it did shift about a few perches and totally ignored human presence - birders, photographers, day-trippers, anglers, workers alike. The Brown Hawk-owl is not uncommon in Malaysia. It even occurs within human settlements. I have many past encounters with this species but never one so prolonged. Never so close. This individual was so tame that I initially thought it was an escapee. 

In the end, it provided me with one of my best and most memorable owl encounters. Owls have always been one of my favourite groups of birds. They are beautiful, mysterious, elusive and deadly. What is there not to like?

Although the trip belonged to the owl, the other birds present also performed well. The Asian Openbills are now sporting their smart breeding colours. 

The Spotted Wood-owl is also regularly seen here in the daytime. If it was any other day, I would be a little excited to find one. But today is certainly not any other day and the performance by the smaller hawk-owl will be extremely difficult to beat.

 
Air Hitam Dalam is the best place in the world if I should be so bold, to see Mangrove Blue Flycatchers. But don't just take my word for it – take his…

Now, there are flycatchers and there are paradise-flycatchers. To me, the latter is just simply out of this world. Divine is probably a better word to describe the white-phased males with their elongated tail feathers and all. I guess observing one dancing about the sunlight in the canopy level is the closest I will ever get to seeing angels. Unfortunately, even my best attempt this morning does not do any justice to this stunning creation of God and it is not due to lack of trying - just lack of luck. 

The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo also possesses elaborate tail feathers but it is no angel. Tenacious by nature, God have mercy on anything that incurs its wrath during the breeding season which is about now and that includes even large raptors.

A Crested Serpent-eagle not taking any chances and keeping well clear of the drongo…

This locality also happens to be the best place in Malaysia to see the Streak-breasted Woodpecker. One of the resident pairs did make a brief appearance and was given its due admiration and respect. 

The Common Flameback may not be as rare as the former but it is nevertheless another striking denizen of this swamp forest. 

Most of the migratory passerines would have undergone their spring passage back north. So, I was quite delighted to see this handsome breeding plumage Tiger Shrike still present at the locale. 

Due to the presence of quite a number of sought-after species here of late, it can get a little crowded at times. Baiting is a common practice for photographers looking for the perfect shots and the Tiger Shrike certainly did not pass on a chance for an easy meal. I do not have anything against baiting as long as the birds are not put in harm’s way. From what I see, the birds get fed and the photographers get their shots. I am no ornithologist and this is just my point of view. In the case of this Tiger Shrike, he looks like he could use some extra ounces before he partakes on his tedious journey back north. 

A Greater Coucal foraging out in the open is not a common sight and it was a fitting end to a great trip. 

Sometimes things do go according to plan (18/03/2014)

While guiding a couple of nice folks from Singapore last Saturday, I flushed what can only be a Eurasian Woodcock at one of the access trails at Sungai Sedim Recreational Forest in Kedah. The Woodcock being a mega rarity, meant that there was no way I could submit a sighting report based on a 5-second observation. So, I lamented the incident to my mates and Dave, in turn, had a go at trying to relocate the woodcock two days later. Unfortunately, there were no signs of the bird but on the way back to Penang, he made a spontaneous stop at a patch of wetlands within the Kulim Hi-Tech Park in Kedah. And there, he found his third Green Sandpiper of the season.  

There have only been a handful of confirmed sightings of this rare wader in Malaysia prior to this season and with the locality not even an hour’s drive from home, it was only a matter of time before I find myself stalking a Green Sandpiper at the break of dawn. With Dave’s detailed description of the location of the wetlands and the sandpiper, I had very little difficulty in finding both. In fact, the sandpiper was snoozing at one the possible spots indicated in Dave’s description. Thanks, Dave!

As the day got brighter, it decided it was time to start foraging and started moving about. However, it was rather wary of my presence and it took some time for it to finally get used to me. Using my car as a hide, I made myself comfortable and just enjoy the moment. Against a backdrop of factories this is not where one would consider an idyllic setting but to me, it is always about the birds. Always have and always will be.

Eventually, the sandpiper did wander and forage quite close to my position but the access road is elevated from the wetlands below. So, the closer it got, the steeper the angle of my photos became. Nevertheless, it was a fine performance that earned my up most appreciation.

Showing off its signature dark underwing. One of the distinguishing features between the Green Sandpiper and the much commoner Wood Sandpiper.

There are a few Wood Sandpipers about as well and one of them was foraging quite close to the celebrity bird. On a few occasions, I managed to capture both species together in a single frame and a direct comparison showed that they are not that similar after all.

There are quite a number of other waterbirds present today but the species that struck my fancy the most was the Greater Painted-snipe. Elusive and crepuscular in nature, these unique waders are a welcome find anytime. As least three of them were seen but the distance prevented me from obtaining any really good shots.

Long-tailed Shrikes are much commoner south and here in the northern end of the peninsular, it can be considered rare. I have always found this species to be notoriously skittish and you can imagine my joy when this individual allowed me to take a few shots from a reasonable distance before it glided away. The shrike provided a fitting finale to a short but memorable excursion.