Harrier Central Part 1 (05/12/2015)

I picked up Ben, one of my regular guests from Singapore, from the hotel much earlier than usual. It is because we were heading to the forest of Pedu before proceeding to the open grasslands of Chuping. This 2-day tour spanning over the two northern states promises a memorable trip for us. The slightly more than 2 hours’ drive to our first locality did not seem to take as long due to the feeling of anticipation and excitement that was building up inside me. Pedu is home to numerous forest denizens but most of the rarer species, including the Giant Pitta, were exceptional elusive this trip. The commoner species, on the other hand, kept us busy for the entire morning.

A canopy dweller by nature, the beautiful Raffles's Malkoha usually stays clear of terrestrial dangers and birders alike as they forage along the upper levels of the forest. Like all malkohas, they are quite active and fast, moving about like squirrels rather than birds. This female was enjoying a little sunbathing from the top of a tree. She was still far but by being stationery, she gave us a chance to try and capture her true beauty.

Ever since the discovery of wintering Rosy and Swinhoe's Minivets to Peninsular Malaysia, I have been paying extra attention to flocks of the much commoner Ashy Minivets. Flitting about the canopy, these graceful and extremely active birds are hard to observe and photograph. After much scrutiny, this flock turned out to be nothing more than Ashy Minivets. The males with their distinct colouration did not pose much hassle in terms of identification.

It is the paler females that I had to pay more attention to…

There is no shortage of striking birds that seek refuge in the forest here. The male Ruby-cheeked Sunbird is certainly one of them. Sunbirds are small and active birds. A good amount of perseverance (and strong neck muscles) is required in order to obtain good views. He did take a breather at one time but unfortunately, it was in the shade. In this dim lighting, the resplendent colour of the male bird was never fully revealed.

The Grey-bellied Bulbul is one of nature's finest creations and deserves all the admiration and attention it usually receives from birders - even when the lighting does not complement his vivid colours well.

The strong sunlight and dense foliage hindered our efforts to capture this Black-crested Bulbul while it foraged in the lower level of the forest canopy. I always find myself drawn to this common species and I bet the wicked crest has got a lot to do with it.

An Oriental Honey-Buzzard circling low above the forest canopy was one of the highlights of the visit here. It may be one of the commonest of the wintering raptors but it is also the most varied in plumage and the source of most raptor misidentifications.

A second look is inevitable just to make sure it is not something else…

As we were making our way out of Pedu, we came across two more Oriental Honey-Buzzards separately. Our primary target for this trip was the raptors at Chuping. This multiple Honey-Buzzard sightings were a sign of things to come. I just did not know it at that time.

It was blazing hot when we finally got round to venturing out on the open grassland of Chuping. Flocks of mynas and starlings were taking advantage of whatever pools of water to cool down. A thorough scan along the electrical lines where these birds have gathered to bathe produced something that I was really wishing from among a flock of Asian Pied Starlings. However, I have to make a mental note that whenever I wish for something from the Big Guy upstairs, I should be more specific. So, instead of just wishing to see the juvenile Brahminy Starling that was recorded by my buddies earlier this month, I should also mention that preferably in mint condition and not like it has just been dragged through a washer. However, after putting up this post, Dave corrected the identification of the starling and it is a subadult Rosy Starling instead. 

As I was still contemplating if this was indeed the juvenile Brahminy Starling (drenched birds are a little tricky to identify), an Indian Roller swooped down from one of the electrical poles and alighted on a low stake right next to our stationery vehicle. We are used to seeing the Indian Roller at this locality but to see one on a natural perch is somewhat of a privilege due to this beautiful bird's fetish for steel and cable perches.

We came here for the raptors and it did not take too long for us to record the first one of the trip and it was a dark morphed Booted Eagle. A rare winter visitor to our shores, Chuping is the only place where it regularly recorded. It is unfortunate that all my encounters with this species so far are distant observations and once again, I only managed record shots.

The harriers were also up and about but the only one that came relatively close was this juvenile Pied Harrier. By then, the weather had unexpectedly turned for the worse and rain clouds started to form just beyond the limestone hills. With the availability of light now being restricted, shooting raptors in flight was no longer a walk in the park.

Regardless of the weather condition, the ever-abundant Eastern Yellow Wagtails went about their business as usual. This is a typical winter plumage bird...

And this is the pimped up version. At least two leucistic individuals have been recorded here this season and this is my first encounter with one. The odd colouration does give it an exquisite appearance but it also makes it stand out like a sore thumb and that makes it vulnerable to predators. The first raindrops brought our excursion to an early end but from the look of things, tomorrow looks set to a great day and that will be covered in my next post. 

Faith restored...(04/12/2015)

I was a little uneasy as I drove past the archway that leads to the forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah with a couple of Australian guests, Barbara and Peter, after the very slow start at this locality during my last visit. As the first rays of the morning sun gradually found their way through the dense vegetation, the forest came to life with the calls of birds and my faith in the birds at my local patches, restored.

A male Scarlet-rumped Trogon started the day off by perching on a branch long enough for everyone to marvel at his striking plumage. His persistent calling was the thing that betrayed his presence as he sat motionless at the canopy level.

However, the day did not only belong to the birds. A roosting Dayak Fruit Bat was a rather interesting find and I tried my best to obtain a decent shot in this challenging lighting condition.

The fruiting tree that I discovered 2 weeks ago still had some fruits. And where there are fruits, there will be birds. Although the variety is species present was not as high as my previous trip, the fruiting still managed to provide a memorable experience. Cream-vented Bulbuls are among the patrons on this beautiful morning.

The Buff-vented Bulbul also came for the fruits. Both species of bulbuls are nondescript in appearance but their behaviour at the fruiting was anything but dull.

The high level of bird activity must have caught the attention of this presumably Japanese Sparrowhawk. Due to the angle of the photo, Chaiyan the raptor man himself, cannot be absolutely sure of the identity of this little raptor. Female and young accipiters can be notoriously difficult to identify in the field but their presence will always increase the level of excitement of any birding excursion.

On the way to our next destination, the paddy fields of Kubang Semang, I took a little detour at the Kulim High-Tech Park for the roosting Barred Eagle-Owls. It was a gamble that paid off well as we did manage to find one despite the fact that I had nothing but a huge Rain Tree to show during my last two trips.

At the paddy fields, we were greeted by the huge flocks of Grey-headed Lapwings that are really getting very comfortable at their wintering ground this season.

The adorable stints were present in good numbers as well. Unfortunately, most them were a little too far for my gear except for this lone Long-toed Stint. Smartly-dressed even in winter, this little peep certainly got our attention. 

Little Ringed Plovers have a rather dull winter plumage and this one was trying very hard to get a little attention as well...

The migratory Eastern Yellow Wagtails were seen throughout the day. They are constantly on the move and good shots are hard to come by. So, when one casually strolled by our field of view, it was an opportunity not to be missed.

The final destination of the day was the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest. Again, this site did not quite deliver during my last trip and it was a mediocre affair for my guests. The resident pair of Mangrove Blue Flycatchers made sure it will not happen again.

The male was especially cooperative today and although you are almost guaranteed to see him on every visit, he is still a handsome and charming bird. And to me, it is a sin to ignore him when he is performing as well as this. That's a good boy...

Woodpeckers are loud, colourful and full of character. In this little patch of swamp forest, you stand a very good chance of seeing one in action. The Banded Woodpecker is not uncommon here but its preference for the higher canopy levels makes it a little difficult for photography. We came upon this male foraging at almost eye level but he did not stay for long and quickly made his way to the safety of the canopy level.

This site is renowned for daytime sightings of owls and today, a roosting Brown Boobook provided the perfect ending to a rewarding and memorable trip. Life is certainly blissful when everything goes according to plan. May it be a guiding a bird trip or taking a snooze with total peace of mind on your favourite roosting tree.

Where raptors roam (Part II)

We were back at the grasslands the next morning after a hearty breakfast at one of the local eateries just outside our lodging. Convenience is the reason why I chose to spend the night in Changlun which is about 15 minutes' drive from Chuping. No harm for an occasional indulgence during a birding trip.

As far as swallows go, the Rufous-bellied Swallow is probably the one that will get my adrenalin pumping the most. The contrasting colours of the body plumage and long forked tail do it for me every time.

Quite a number were resting in between sallies for breakfast on a recently ploughed field and as long as there were not too much movement from inside the car, the swallows were quite accommodating. Expecting a car full of bird photographers to remain still in the presence of these swallows is a very tall order. Luckily, the swallows will come back to the same perch time after time.

The Brahminy Starling is back for the second consecutive season as reported by Dave and Hor Kee a few days before our trip. Despite a careful sweep of the area, the only starlings we had were Asian Pied Starlings. A whole lot of them I might add.

The guys also came across a family of Bronze-winged Jacanas during their visit here and relocating the jacanas took some effort because they were quite wary of our presence. We managed only distanced shots and any attempt to stalk closer will put these peculiar but striking waterbirds into flight mode.

The juvenile does resemble a Pheasant-tailed Jacana at first glance. I saved myself the blushes when I corrected the mistaken identification of the youngster almost immediately.

While attempting to regain the trust of the jacanas, this Rusty-rumped Warbler decided to hop out of its hidden world among the undergrowth and showed off its rarely-seen cryptic plumage. This is my first photograph of this species that has a complete view of the torso and the softness of the image, was never a concern.

The Pied Harriers were encountered more frequently at this section of the grassland. This juvenile, typical of youngsters, was showing off his aerial agilities in the presence of a group of overseas birders.

Very few raptors can match the beauty of a male Pied Harrier. The striking colours and buoyant flight pattern is certainly a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the lighting and distant of the bird in this photograph could not capture the true essence of the encounter.

After lunch, we headed towards Perlis State Park which is about an hour's drive away. I wanted to give my guests a fuller experience by spending some time in the forest. It was a decision I live to regret. There were hardly any birds present and the forest was exceptionally silent. A lone Dark-sided Flycatcher soaking in the soothing rays of the evening sun is probably the only bird that is even worth posting here.

A pre-dawn birding session the next day produced at least 3 Blyth's Frogmouth from which not even one made itself visible. At times, these stealthy nightbirds were reasonably close but we just could not trace the eerie call back to the source. Evolution has made the frogmouth perfectly adapted in its nocturnal domain and I guess the only time we can see it is when it wants us to. A dawn chorus of only two species of birds was the last straw and we were back at Chuping in time to watch an elegant Black-shouldered Kite hunt above the grassland.

By the time we saw a Short-toed Eagle riding the thermals on its impressive wingspan, the washout at Perlis State Park became a very distant memory.

When the scorching sun was at its zenith, more raptors came out for our admiration. A second Greater Spotted Eagle for the trip would have been a much sweeter experience if it was slightly lower.

Before we could completely recover from the Greater Spotted Eagle encounter, a large raptor glided very low overhead and it was our second Short-toed Eagle of the day. At this distance, even the harsh midday sun could not deny us some outstanding shots from the encounter with this rare raptor.

We saw this Osprey at the same pylon for the second time this trip. The pylon was an ideal perch to rest as it is located well beyond the reach of any harm. A distant flight shot was the only thing that ever came out of that encounter.

A Common Kestrel shunning away from all the attention it was receiving us wrapped things up for our 3-day birding adventure at the northern tip of Peninsular Malaysia. My guests managed to record 3 raptor species at Air Hitam Dalam and an additional 10 more at Chuping. Now, that is something that exceeded even my own expectations.