And a sparrow steals the limelight...

During my last visit to the birding mecca of Chuping, the Plain-backed Sparrows performed admirably for me and my guest. I was hoping for a repeat performance on this trip and I was not to be disappointed. The perimeter fencing of the sugar mill was the stage and these exquisite sparrows were the stars. With the early morning sun casting a radiant glow on the sparrows, we took the time to bask in their beauty despite the constant urge to explore the adjacent grasslands for more feathered wonders.

To me, there is nothing plain about the back of a male Plain-backed Sparrow…

When we could finally pull ourselves away from the display of vibrancy and adorability, we found that we could not move an inch from where we have positioned our car. We were so indulged in the performance that we did not realize some sparrows had started to forage quite close on the other side of our car. The male that wandered closest to us naturally received our undivided attention.

The female with her drabber plumage may not be as flashy as her mate but it does has its perk. She blends so well with her surroundings that my gear found it hard to focus on her movements sometimes. And that makes her a less likely target for predators.

A male Red Collared-dove refused to let the sparrows have all the limelight and did his best to distract our attention. Another vibrant species, this dove can be found in great numbers here. Chuping is undoubtedly one of the best spots in Malaysia to observe and photograph these two northern specialities. It has been a rewarding trip so far and we have not have even wandered into the grasslands.

For the past few years, Chuping became the best place in Malaysia to enjoy the Bronze-winged Jacana – a sedentary waterbird that is rarely encountered until now. The presence of two chicks together with the parent birds makes it the first proven breeding record here in Malaysia. The jacanas, unfortunately, were foraging along the far side of the pond making it difficult to obtain good images. But both of us were relishing the encounter. For one of us, it was a global lifer. For the other, who has a soft spot for rare waterbirds, any encounter with a jacana here in Malaysia will be a memorable affair.

Some birds, like the coucals, are habitual sunbathers. Unlike the highly adaptable Greater Coucal, the Lesser Coucal is confined to lowland scrub and grassland habitats which makes Chuping an ideal sanctuary. This particular individual has happily enjoying the soothing rays of the sun next to the main road when it was interrupted by our peering. After a short stare, it came to the conclusion that the intruders were harmless and carried on with its morning routine.

Zitting Cisiticolas have always thrived in this locality and with the breeding season now in full swing, they are even more conspicuous as they perform their courtship displays to entice a mate. Bare stalks like this one provide the best photographic opportunities to capture this minute grassland warbler. 

As we were slowly combing the grasslands from the comforts of our vehicle, a male Pied Harrier floated into view and the level of excitement skyrocketed. This is one of the main targets of the trip for my guest and as a first-timer, the poise and allure of the male Pied Harrier is bound to leave you breathless. The buoyant flight and striking colouration of this raptor have the tendency to do that. I have been chasing harriers over these grasslands for years now and I am still awe by the presence of a male Pied Harrier.

A large area of ploughed field had my attention during my last visit and this time, I was hoping I could discover something rare and extraordinary for a change.

We ended empty handed in terms of rarities. The Oriental Pratincole may be a common bird here in the north but it is to me an extraordinary bird. More like a giant swallow than a wader, it is a common resident up north and the grasslands of Chuping is one of its strongholds. Like the Pied Harrier, it also possesses a graceful flight and one in breeding plumage is a sight to behold as well.

After a hearty lunch, we headed to the Bukit Wang Forest Reserve for the afternoon session. It is always a risk to enter the forest in the afternoon as it can sometimes be exceptionally quiet at this time of the day. But life is all about taking risks. And today, it paid off handsomely. The forest was alive with birds. Even I was overwhelmed…

As we only had a few hours to spare here before making our way home, we barely got out of the recreational areas and into the prime forest area due to the exceptionally good birding we were enjoying. Birdwave after birdwave stormed through the vicinity and to be honest, I did not except this. As the babblers and warblers teased us with flitting glimpses, an exceptional few did provide some decent photographic opportunities like this White-bellied Erpornis.

Flycatchers are known to return to the same perch after their mid-air sallies for insects and they do but not every single time. This Dark-sided Flycatcher probably was not a participant of the birdwave and remained at the same location for quite some time where it made a few sallies and returned to the same perch. And we were there ready to capture its images.

The highlight of the day, for me anyway, is a female Banded Kingfisher that was surprisingly tolerant to our intrusion into her domain. This species is not new to me and neither is it rare but like most forest denizens, it is usually shy and wary. When we first caught sight of her, she was calling from near the canopy level. And I thought that was going to be as good as it will get. Due to the birdy condition of this patch of forest today, we let her be after a while and diverted our attention to the other birds present.

We could hear both her and her mate calling in the vicinity throughout our visit. The male did not reveal himself to us but it does not really matter as the female Banded Kingfisher is just as stunning a bird. In fact, some even consider her to be the better looking of the two. We crossed path with the female again later and this time, she was resting on an even lower perch. We decided to push our luck and slowly crept slower. Much to our delight, she obliged. A confiding Banded Kingfisher (regardless of sex) on an exposed low perch could well be one of the most rewarding birding encounters that can take place in a Malaysian forest. Today has been an amazing day and this gorgeous girl with her sultry performance had a lot to do with it. 

This is more like it...

There are times when I may have a hard time deciding on where to take my guests in order to make their birding excursions here with me memorable and rewarding. Well, I had no such issues this time. The fruiting tree at Sungai Sedim was still at full swing. I knew exactly where to take my latest guest, who hails from Switzerland, for the first day of his tour. Just like last weekend, the first bird to catch our attention at the blessed tree was a brilliant male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker.

However, the flowerpeckers seemed a little reluctant to be photographed well today and I had to work hard to obtain unobstructed shots - like this of Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker indulging on Mother Nature’s tantalizing offerings.

The Yellow-vented Flowerpecker made a brief appearance the last time and this time, it was just being plain difficult...

I will never get tired of the Grey-bellied Bulbul - who could? Today a small flock mesmerized all those present with their striking colours and confiding nature. Bright lighting is desired when it comes to photographing forest birds but too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. The harsh lighting today made photography quite challenging at times to say the least. But whatever it is, it cannot deny the Grey-bellied Bulbul of their radiating presence and the excitement they can evoke.

The area around the fruiting had a high level of bird activities as well and that frequently distracted us from the ongoing feast at the tree. The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher is a common resident in the forest here. There is a good reason why it is called a Canary-flycatcher and its sweet song can be heard almost every time we bird through this neck of the woods. As it is now the breeding season, the vocalization of this adorable bird is even more prominent throughout the vicinity.

The canopy of tropical rainforests is home and sanctuary to countless remarkable avian species. Unless one can levitate 30 feet or more into the air, these birds can be difficult to observe. I have encountered the Great Iora here in Sungai Sedim on several occasions before never once was I lucky enough to get a decent shot of this striking bird. While enjoying a birdwave that was passing through, I spotted a male Great Iora rummaging through the canopy for prey items. I did not give it much thought until it suddenly stopped and took a breather. Unlike all my previous experiences, it remained stationery in the open long enough for me (and my guest) to capture his image. It may not be a great photo but it is certainly a treasured one.

Even the sky above the fruiting tree contributed to this rewarding excursion to Sungai Sedim. The resident pair of Crested Goshawks are getting ready to breed making them conspicuous throughout the morning. One of them even performed an aerial display to impress his mate (I am assuming that it is a he) and I do not think any female will be able to resist his valiant efforts.

On route to the paddy fields of mainland Penang, we made a detour to check on the Barred Eagle-owls of Kulim Hi-Tech Park – as usual. Just like my last visit, the owl was resting on one of the lower branches but in order to obtain an unobstructed image, we needed to walk round this huge rain tree and that added distance but it was a much clearer view of the owl. Needless to say, my guest was spellbound by its presence.

The number of Asian Openbills left present at the paddy fields here is relatively low and some days, I do not even see them at all. A couple of them was foraging at a flooded patch of the fields and it was only right to take the time and soak in the view.

The final destination before calling it a day was the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam. The Mangrove Blue Flycatcher has always been a favourite for most of my guests when they visit this locality and of this day, it still is. Tame and beautiful, the male provided another splendid performance. Celebrity birds come and go at this little piece of birding paradise but the true star of Air Hitam Dalam, the Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, is still showing well after all this time.

As we were about to wrap things up for the day, an unexpected shower had us seeking shelter in one of the gazebos. While waiting out the rain, a cow carcass floated down river towards us. Judging from the size, it appeared to be a young one. Just to make conversation, I mentioned to my guest that crocodiles are rare in Malaysia. At that point, a dark shape started to swim towards the carcass. I held my breath as I have yet to see a wild crocodile in Malaysia. As the animal clawed its way up the side of the carcass, it turned out to be a Monitor Lizard - attracted by the odour of rotting flesh undoubtedly. I guess the carcass was too much of a mouthful for it and the lizard slid down into the river again soon after. As the excitement of the incident sizzled down to stop so did the shower and we made our way back to the car contented after a great day of birding.

A feast for the eyes

Most babblers are notoriously difficult to observe let alone photograph. The forest of Sungai Sedim in Kedah state is home to at least a dozen species of them. They will let you hear them from time to time just to let you know that they are doing fine. On this beautiful Saturday morning, a Grey-headed Babbler unexpectedly perched right out in the open long enough for me to point it out to my American guest, Bob, and to even take a few shots. This species is not common anywhere but in this locality, it has been recorded frequently. Grey-headed Babblers usually do not provide good views and this encounter was exceptional – to me anyway. And I could not have asked for a better way to start off our 2-day excursion.

During my last visit here a few weeks back, a fruiting tree along the Gunung Bintang access trail was coming into season. Upon our arrival today, some of my fellow birders were enjoying the spectacle of nature that had unfolded at the fruiting tree. The fruits are now ready to be consumed and the birds do not need an invitation to join in the feast. The first patron to catch our attention was a male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker. In terms of aesthetic appeal, he is right up there among the best. Naturally, my guest was mesmerized by his beauty. And so was I...

The Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker is the commonest of all the flowerpeckers here. But it is only at fruiting trees like this, one can truly appreciate this little forest denizen.

For a brief moment, a Yellow-vented Flowerpecker discarded its sanctuary among the dense canopy of the forest and descended on the fruiting tree to fill its appetite. Gluttony is a deadly sin that few can resist and that includes captivating birds like the Yellow-vented Flowerpecker.

Apart from the Lesser Green Leafbird and Brown Fulvetta, the other patrons consisted of bulbuls. No less than 8 species were recorded and that is courtesy of one fruiting tree. Bulbuls are able to coexist because of the slightly different niche each species occupies. However, they will all come together at this natural phenomenon and provide a breath-taking sight. The most conspicuous and numerous species today was the Buff-vented Bulbul.

Some bulbul species can be an identification nightmare especially for a foreign birder. The white iris of the Cream-vented Bulbul best distinguishes it from all the other plain bulbuls found here. That is why I dubbed it the “White-eyed Bulbul” to all my foreign guests.

On the other of the scale is the Grey-bellied Bulbul. With such striking and contrasting colour, a glimpse is all it takes to nail its identity. A few were gorging on the fruits quite low down and indirectly provided stunning views to all that were present. It was an amazing experience even for a local like me.

We left the forest for the paddy fields in mainland Penang and along the way, we made a detour to the lair of the Barred Eagle-owls just outside the boundaries of Kulim Hi-Tech Park. Although the owl was roosting on a slightly lower perch, there was no way to obtain an unobstructed image. But an owl is an owl and every daytime encounter with these nocturnal predators tends to leave one absolutely enchanted.

Grey-headed Lapwings are one of the many attractions found along the paddy planting district of Permatang Pauh. Most parts of the fields are almost ready to be harvested and that makes any body of water within the area a prized commodity. One particular patch had a good concentration of waterbirds including the Grey-headed Lapwings and these lanky waders provided a good ending to a productive and memorable first day of birding around Penang.

The grasslands of Chuping in Perlis was the destination for the second day. Normally, it would be the picturesque sunrise over these lands that grab my attention but not this time. It was a “morning full moon”...

This birding site is the best place to observe and enjoy a number of northern specialities like the Plain-backed Sparrow. Much of its range has been reduced through the years and that is most unfortunate for the males are just exquisite. This confiding male was foraging on the tarmac next to our stationery vehicle and I bet my guest could easily detected the excitement in the tone of my voice.

Chuping is also famed for raptors and we did manage to record a fair number of them. However, good photographic opportunities were few. This Oriental Honey-buzzard was one of the few that did not slip past my camera.

When it comes to grace and beauty, very few raptors can surpass the male Pied Harrier. It is not a rare species but undoubtedly, one of the star birds of this birding haven. A male quartering the grasslands in search of prey has a hypnotic effect on you and you just cannot pry your eyes off him. We came across a hunting male twice on this trip and that alone made this trip worth the while for my guest.

The presence of a high number of Eastern Yellow Wagtails at a recently ploughed patch certainly got my attention as there is always a chance for the rare Citrine Wagtail. But I cannot be scrutinizing each and every single of the former just so I could increase my life list. Certainly not when I have a guest with me.

On the way back from Chuping, we made a detour to the virgin jungle of Bukit Wang in Kedah. Unfortunately, not much was about but a female Wreathed Hornbill did taunt us from among the foliage of the forest canopy. Each time she briefly revealed herself, my heart skipped a beat. I cannot help myself as hornbills are such fascinating birds. Bob, my guest from USA, has seen most of the hornbills species here in Malaysia but like me, this teasing female of a common hornbill species still got us all excited. Bob is an old-school birder and birds have been a lifelong passion for him. Although the number of photos obtained during the two days was nothing exceptional, the experiences provided by some of the encounters were.