Birding Marathon (Part II)

It has been three long years since my last visit to the renowned montane birding site of Fraser’s Hill. During that time, a few changes have taken place with the local birding scene. The most notable one is undoubtedly the regular appearance of Grey-breasted Partridges at one particular photography stakeout. By now, most if not all Malaysian birders would have enjoyed the stellar performances of this once elusive game bird. So finally, I found myself staring at a patch of bare earth next to the forested compound of a private bungalow on a cloudy Saturday morning.

It was a long wait. Lucky for me, I had Victor for company. While waiting for my main target of the trip to appear, some of the commoner species kept me entertained and helped pass the time. The Malayan Laughingthrush is by no means rare. However, it is shyer than the ever-present Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush and I do not have many photographs of it. Naturally, it had my attention...

The most prominent species present at the site was undoubtedly the Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes. Flocks of these colourful and loud birds can be encountered throughout this hill resort and much of the charm of this locality is owed to these birds. Chestnut-capped Laughingthrushes have an aura of mischief surrounding them and that makes them a delight to observe. The mountain air does not pass through my lungs all that often and this common montane bird still does it for me after all these years.

The Emerald Dove is a common bird that occurs in a wide range of habitat from mangrove forest to montane forest. The bird is no stranger to me but it is nevertheless a beautiful bird. Close and intimate views of it out in the open like this is rare to come by. This male, told by his complete greyish crown, strutted about with total disregard of our presence and I enjoyed my best ever encounter with this highly terrestrial dove to date.

At stakeouts like this I usually have the aid of my tripod to support my gear and that made videography possible. Here is the male Emerald Dove indulging in breakfast captured as best as I could with my modest setup.

When he flew back into the forest, I thought that would be all there is to it. But Mother Nature had other plans. Moments later, an Emerald Dove emerged from the adjacent forest and took to the stage again. Initially, I thought it was the same bird. That was until I had a look at the crown. The second bird was a female and suddenly, I was presented with a golden opportunity to capture good images of both sexes.

At one point, a Rufous-browed Flycatcher appeared briefly at the locality. Size does matter when it comes to the law of the jungle and the petite flycatcher was seen off by the larger birds present.

As the hours passed, anxiety grew within me. I occasionally shuddered at the chilly caress of the cold mountain wind. My posterior grew numb after such a prolonged period on a concrete slab. Despite it all, I was determined. I have been waiting for this moment for too long to give up so easily. No, it would take a lot more than this to break my yearning. Then, out of the blue, a flock of Grey-breasted Partridges scurried through the undergrowth and popped into view. Upon further scrutiny, I realized the flock consisted of three smaller juveniles and an adult bird. Seeing this partridge family in front of me going about their business was just amazing. I am in awe. Life can be beautiful at times...

Once I managed to take back control of my emotions, I focused on obtaining images of this encounter as best as I could. The presence of too many birds can be a bad thing as well as you might not know which one to shoot first. Anyway, I made sure I took some images of the chicks that foraged without a care in the world.

The adult was more cautious but still confiding enough for me to obtain its images. I have had a handful of encounters prior to this but they were made up of glimpses. This is by far the closest and most memorable one so far. Fraser’s Hill is an amazing place and its magic has provided me with numerous defining moments through the years. And this episode with the Grey-breasted Partridges is certainly one of them.

I just wonder how I could put off this trip for so long. It could be due to my hectic working schedule or my guided tours. Perhaps it is because I am not too keen with the ‘festive’ atmosphere that comes with every recent significant discovery at a photography stakeout. Whatever the reasons may be, I am absolutely thrilled that I am here now witnessing and documenting this spectacle.

Once the partridges retreated back to their forest domain, we seek our fortune elsewhere in this birding paradise. My attempts to find my first ever Marbled Wren-Babbler failed miserably – again. A family flock of 3 Red-headed Trogon offered some relieve for my disappointment. The sight of a male bird foraging along the forest canopy is like a flaming entity floating about a sea of green. As usual, I was so mesmerized by striking male that I completely overlooked the duller female and immature.

My birding network has informed me (it pays to be nice to your fellow birders) prior to the trip that the Grey-breasted Partridges usually appear twice a day and we returned to the stakeout again in the afternoon only to find a pair of partridges already foraging at the locality.

Fortunately, these birds are now quite accustomed to human presence and our lumbering approach did not alarm them. No chicks were present this time but there are some plumage variances between the pair and I am not sure if it is due to gender or age. I can only assume the one with the reddish throat is the male...

And the other slightly duller bird is his mate...

This encounter lasted longer than the one in the morning - much to my delight. The absence of young birds running around at neck-breaking speeds meant I was not constantly distracted. It also gave me a chance to record a video clip and it was of the ‘male’ bird foraging.

When the second performance of the partridges concluded, we made our way to another secluded area of the hill resort and were duly rewarded. Owls are fascinating animals and they never cease to capture my imagination and admiration. Now, picture one that is active during the day and adorable like a kitten and you will have the Collared Owlet. The characteristic 4-note call of the Collared Owlet can be heard echoing throughout the hill resorts of Peninsular Malaysia. Obtaining good views of this little fellow is another thing altogether. In birding, sometimes things just happen perfectly and we were very lucky to come across this confiding individual calling on a reasonably low perch next to the access road.

Despite our intrusion, it remained unperturbed and even continued to call. I inched closer and shot from a different angle hoping to improve the results. It is hard to believe that such an adorable animal is a formidable predator striking fear in all other creatures of the forest it can overpower. This is an absolutely amazing encounter and one that is up there among my all-time best.

Unfortunately, the presence of the Collared Owlet attracted not only the attention of a couple of birders but a female Black-throated Sunbird as well. The owlet may be adored by its human admirers but to small passerines like the sunbird, the hatred for the owl runs deep. The sunbird mobbed its sworn enemy with such intensity that the latter retreated deeper into the forest almost immediately. And we were left staring on an empty branch but the owlet has left a lasting impression on me. I am not the type that is easily moved by cute and cuddly creatures but in this case, I was giddy like a school boy.

There was a fruiting tree nearby but only one bird came for the fruits and it was a Black-browed Barbet. The resonating call of this species is very much a part of the sounds at every hill resort but only the temptation of an easy meal will draw it down from the safety of the tallest canopy and offer birders a chance to truly appreciate its splendour.

Since we are talking on the subject of splendour and beauty, there is a remarkable bird found here that has almost no equals when it comes to aesthetic appeal. Strikingly plumaged and full of character, the Sultan Tit is Mother Nature’s answer to the Mona Lisa. Unlike the painting, this is a living work of art. As fate would have it, this confiding Sultan Tit lingered in a dimly lighted part of the forest for a prolonged period offering us amazing eye level views.  But my gear struggled in the lighting condition and my images in the end, did no justice to the bird.

Eventually, it did wander into brighter areas where its true beauty could finally be captured by my modest gear. But the vegetation was dense and I failed to obtain any unobstructed images. Well, life is not always fair and you learn to roll with the punches.

We were losing daylight rapidly but there was still time for one last stop before calling it a day. It is rather ironic with the fading light, this next location is a stakeout for extremely active little brown jobs. Today’s results so far have left us feeling invincible but our sense of immortality did not last. A Pygmy Cupwing put us back in our place. I still have trouble believing that a bird can be christened with such a name. I guess if you have to name a bird a Cupwing, this bird would be it. Anyway, this feathered egg was just simply too fast and our humanly reflexes had no chance at all. I can consider myself lucky that one out of the dozen of shots I took of a Grey-throated Babbler that wandered into view later turned out reasonably well.

Another ball of feathers appeared just as we were about to leave and it sported a plumage somewhat foreign to me. A quick glance with my trusted bins and there was no doubt it was a juvenile Lesser Shortwing. I cannot recall if I have ever encountered a young of this terrestrial species before but I certainly have now. It was rather obliging as well but time waits for no man and it soon got too dark for anymore birding to be indulged. However, tomorrow is a brand new day and who knows what awaits the Penang Birder in this blessed land. That will be covered in my next post.

Birding Marathon (Part I)

I decided to start off my central Peninsular Malaysia 3-day birding marathon at the famed forest of Lanchang in Pahang state. Unfortunately, my intention to reconnect with the Malaysian Rail-babbler that I enjoyed here last year did not materialized. The enigmatic forest dweller proved to be elusive again. The stakeout was still a centre of bird activity and I cannot help but notice an increase of bulbul species. The Yellow-bellied Bulbul was still the most prominent species just like my last visit here.

A few Hairy-backed Bulbuls provided some entertainment as they foraged about the locality in search of sumptuous morsels. This bulbul is comfortable both on the ground and vegetation but the overcast condition made it difficult for my photographic gear.

A third species of bulbul did not go unnoticed due to its size and confiding nature. The Grey-cheeked Bulbul is not as common as the two other species present and it will usually earn my attention whenever our paths crossed.

The avian world has many accomplished songsters. Here in Malaysia, the White-rumped Shama is undoubtedly one of them. The male bird, endowed with his amazing long tail has the looks to match his remarkable vocal abilities making him a treat to both your sense of sight and hearing.  

However, the morning at Lanchang belonged to the babblers. It was a bitter pill to swallow for missing out on the Rail-babbler and to add salt to my injury, it started to make appearances again a few days after my visit. The Black-throated Babbler is probably the next babbler in line for me here but it did not provide much good photographic opportunities.

The Ferruginous Babbler is as sleek as always. A few individuals was all it took to brightened up the locality with their bright colouration and grace.

When it comes to character, very few can outdo the Short-tailed Babbler. There were hardly any dull moments when they came into the picture. These adorable babblers outdid the others today and provided my best images for this visit.

I had the companionship of my former schoolmate, Victor, for this trip. In the afternoon, we drove back to Selangor and visited one of his regular haunts – Sungai Congkak. The heavens was unforgiving and threatened to drown out my anticipation of the birding to come. The rain started to ease soon after our arrival and I took as a good omen. With rejuvenated spirits, we made ourselves comfortable at the photography stakeout of the location. It did not take long for the first subject to arrive and it was a juvenile Tickell’s Blue-flycatcher. Although the youngster was beautiful in its own right, I still prefer the plumage colouration of the adult male. This juvenile eventually matured into handsome male Pale Blue Flycatcher and I have to take back my words as it is now almost as significant a record as the Rufous-chested Flycatcher.

I did not drive 4 hours just to see a Tickell’s Blue-flycatcher which is a species one can easily see in Penang Island. The Rufous-chested Flycatcher, on the other hand, is certainly worthy. The lighting condition was challenging and the bird itself, small and active. But I have only seen this species just a couple of times before and this encounter was the first one to make the long drive down from Penang worth the while.

The striking colouration of the male bird is not often revealed as this species spends most of its time in the cover of the gloomy lower storey of the forest. Its minute size also helps to keep it inconspicuous. But today, we enjoyed great views of this elusive forest denizen.

I have a tendency to ignore duller females in cases where both sexes are present but I made it a point to shower the female Rufous-chested Flycatcher with some affection whenever possible which was not very often.

Incredible as it may seem, the Rufous-chested Flycatcher was not my main target for this location. I was after something commoner. The Rufous-backed Kingfisher is a tiny but striking forest kingfisher that occurs throughout Malaysia. I even come across it in some of my local patches back home in Penang. Birding has not finally gotten to me and I am not starting to lose my sanity. I have been birding for more than half my life but I have yet to obtain one single image of this species despite numerous encounters. Most of the time, all I could muster is a burning vision of a small red speck flying away from me. Photography stakeouts like this is often the only time when one is able to photograph and truly admire the beauty of this forest gem and not to mention, other shy forest species as well.

Under normal circumstances, a Blue-eared Kingfisher would have been able to hog the limelight but today is no ordinary day. The Rufous-backed Kingfisher will not be dethroned. Small and timid it may be but stunning and adorable it definitely is.

The rain made the birding condition less than desirable. Lighting was bad, the ground muddy and slippery and my clothes drenched but I finally managed to experience an intimate encounter with the dwarf Rufous-backed Kingfisher and with the photos to show for it and that is all that really matters.

We made a little detour to a park in the suburbs before calling it a day. The Van Hasselt’s Sunbird is a small but resplendent bird that sadly, is declining from my home state of Penang. A few of them are attracted to the flowering trees here and have been regularly recorded of late. The trees were densely foliaged and that made photography challenging. The active nature of the sunbirds only made it worse. Eventually, I managed to obtain a couple of reasonable shots and this little suburban denizen was a great way to wrap things up for a long but rewarding day of birding in central Peninsular Malaysia.

Feeding Frenzy

The virgin jungle of Bukit Wang beckoned me for a return visit and naturally, I obliged. The Macaranga Tree should still be pulling in the birds and I planned to spend a morning there just to see what turns up. Judging from the results I had with my guest a couple of weeks ago, it should quite interesting. I arrived at the car park just at dawn and as I made my way to the tree, it was still void of birds. I was not particularly worried. Fruits were still aplenty on the tree. It was just a matter of time. The birds will come once it gets brighter. Not many will be able to resist the succulent fruits.

True enough, spiderhunters and bulbuls gradually made their way to the tree. It did not take long for the tree to light up this overcast morning with the sights and sounds of forest birds feasting. However, one call in particular caught my ears. It was not a musical repertoire. In fact, it sounded more like mice squeaking but I knew what it was. Sooty Barbets are canopy dwellers and only at fruiting trees does one have a real chance to observe and appreciate this only non-green coloured barbet in Peninsula Malaysia without the neck aches.

Much to my delight, a male Crimson-winged Woodpecker swooped in from the adjacent forest and immediately went after the fruits. You do not usually get woodpeckers at a fruiting tree. Thus the appearance of this common species was not taken for granted.

As I was still enjoying the male Crimson-winged Woodpecker, another woodpecker swooped in and this darker and larger bird certainly had my undivided attention. When I finally locked my binoculars on this new arrival, there was no mistaking its identity. Birders from Penang tend to take the Streak-breasted Woodpecker for granted because it is a regular at the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam in mainland Penang. However outside the boundaries of that small reserve, this northern speciality is rare. If I am not mistaken, this female that has been seduced out of hiding by the fruiting tree is my first ever record outside Penang.

A pair of Buff-necked Woodpeckers was foraging in the vicinity but I guess no amount of fruits can tempt them out into the open...

After the arrival of the woodpeckers, the floodgates opened and the birds flew in from every direction. It was overwhelming to say the least at times. Unlike my visit two weeks ago, spiderhunters no longer monopolized the tree. Even the big bullies, the Spectacled Spiderhunters, only made brief visits and this gave me more opportunities to capture the smaller spiderhunters like the Yellow-eared Spiderhunter.

The Grey-breasted Spiderhunters were having a feeding frenzy and my gear was having difficulties keeping up with their pace in this lighting condition.

Having only recently become a spiderhunter, the Purple-naped Spiderhunter is the smallest one here in Malaysia. There was a male present at the fruiting tree but it was shy and kept himself well hidden most of the time.

Small and active birds are extremely challenging to photograph. This is compounded if they occur in flocks. Throughout the morning flocks of Pin-striped Tit-Babbler and Everett’s White-eye patronized the tree in swift and short raids. I suspect it is the same flock of birds going at it time and time again. I tried to photograph the birds but I just could not focus on them. At the end, the White-eyes managed to elude my camera completely but I got a couple of shots of this particular Pin-striped Tit-Babbler that stayed put long enough.

Bulbuls formed the majority of the birds present at the fruiting tree today with the common Red-eyed Bulbuls leading the way.

The almost similar Spectacled Bulbul made only a single short visit for the feast...

A few Cream-vented Bulbuls also joined in the foray...

Occurring usually in flocks, I was surprised to see this Hairy-backed Bulbul feasting on the fruits alone this time.

Exceedingly wary were the flock of Black-headed Bulbuls. Announcing their arrival each time was their characteristic call but the birds normally feed briefly along the branches furthest away from me before disappearing back into the forest. This behaviour was repeated throughout the morning.

Another bulbul that provided splashes of colours among all the brownish bulbuls was the Grey-bellied Bulbul. Unlike the Black-headed Bulbul, it not hesitate in showing off its true splendour while gorging on the fruits.

The level of activity at the fruiting tree gradually dropped as the noon hour approached and I could finally pulled myself away to explore other parts of this forest reserve. My intention to reconnect with the Pin-tailed Parrotfinches at the clump of flowering bamboo was a lost cause when I caught sight of two workers doing some maintenance work nearby. The sound of two grass cutting machines drown out every other sounds in the vicinity including the piercing calls of the Chestnut-naped Forktails. I only realized their presence when one was spooked by my approach and alighted long enough for me to capture one single shot. Photography wise I have had better days at this birding hotspot but as far as active fruiting trees go, this lofty Macaranga Tree provided a healthy mix of bird species to keep me thoroughly entertained. Not a bad way to spend a gloomy Saturday morning.

The complete checklist of the birds recorded at Bukit Wang today can be found here