Here's a video of Wild Asia's EE programme "From the Hills to the Sea", which I helped to write last year. The hard work of teaching and facilitating was done by Ting Lang Chiee, John Howes and the Wild Asia team. Great work guys!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
8th July 2009: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
The last part of yesterday was spent sitting in a dark ravine waiting in vain for a sporadically calling Rusty-naped Pitta. It got darker and darker and then the heavens opened and we got thoroughly soaked making our way out of the ravine and back to the car!
This morning I was back, feet in soggy trainers, slipping and sliding in very wet forest, to stake out the pitta again. To explain this crazy and irrational behaviour, I can only say that I have tried to see one of these mythical birds since my first encounter with them at Fraser's Hill in 1987, without success. I can claim to have heard one's wingbeats, but have never actually set eyes on one! This bird was behaving equally unpromisingly - calling once or twice every hour or so, distantly.
A pair of Rufous-browed Flycatchers were bringing food to an unseen nest near where I was sitting.
After a couple of hours I decided that I was on another wild goose-chase and made my way back to the road. As soon as I did so, I became aware of a second pitta calling loudly and persistently further up the road. I walked quickly to the spot and played the tape and the bird was immediately responsive. The only problem was that the undergrowth was well nigh impenetrable! Eventually, by standing almost on tiptoe and peering through the foliage, I could see a small amount of forest floor which was dappled with some sunlight. After about 20 minutes I moved away, and sensed that the bird had immediately moved to the place I had been watching. Creeping back, I got bare eye views of the male hopping swiftly up a thin trail. In the patches of sunlight I was surprised at how bright the blue-green back and orange-chestnut head were. YES!!
Over the next half hour I got three more views, and had the bird calling about three feet from me, but totally obscured. All I could see was a branch moving. Eventually the bird hopped into view pretty close and I got the bird in camera. I got one shot, and the flash failed to fire! Arggh! Here's the result - processed to the limit!
The back, tail and legs are clearly visible, and the bird seems to have raised its wings at the sound of my shutter. I think that the head is visible, turned three quarters away from me, but I guess that could be a leaf!
After calling solidly for over an hour the bird shut up. I set up my hide in the area and waited for most of the afternoon, but it didn't call or appear again. Oh well - I'm happy that at last I have actually seen one!
Some other birds seen while pitta searching were Malaysian Hill Partridge (up to four groups calling), and a pair of Lesser Shortwings.
I gave myself a break from sitting in the hide for an hour or two and saw this juvenile (female?) Little Pied Flycatcher...
...an adult Slaty-backed Forktail...
...and yet more Barred Cuckoo-doves!
My last bird of the trip - a Blyth's Hawk-eagle.
This morning I was back, feet in soggy trainers, slipping and sliding in very wet forest, to stake out the pitta again. To explain this crazy and irrational behaviour, I can only say that I have tried to see one of these mythical birds since my first encounter with them at Fraser's Hill in 1987, without success. I can claim to have heard one's wingbeats, but have never actually set eyes on one! This bird was behaving equally unpromisingly - calling once or twice every hour or so, distantly.
A pair of Rufous-browed Flycatchers were bringing food to an unseen nest near where I was sitting.
After a couple of hours I decided that I was on another wild goose-chase and made my way back to the road. As soon as I did so, I became aware of a second pitta calling loudly and persistently further up the road. I walked quickly to the spot and played the tape and the bird was immediately responsive. The only problem was that the undergrowth was well nigh impenetrable! Eventually, by standing almost on tiptoe and peering through the foliage, I could see a small amount of forest floor which was dappled with some sunlight. After about 20 minutes I moved away, and sensed that the bird had immediately moved to the place I had been watching. Creeping back, I got bare eye views of the male hopping swiftly up a thin trail. In the patches of sunlight I was surprised at how bright the blue-green back and orange-chestnut head were. YES!!
Over the next half hour I got three more views, and had the bird calling about three feet from me, but totally obscured. All I could see was a branch moving. Eventually the bird hopped into view pretty close and I got the bird in camera. I got one shot, and the flash failed to fire! Arggh! Here's the result - processed to the limit!
The back, tail and legs are clearly visible, and the bird seems to have raised its wings at the sound of my shutter. I think that the head is visible, turned three quarters away from me, but I guess that could be a leaf!
After calling solidly for over an hour the bird shut up. I set up my hide in the area and waited for most of the afternoon, but it didn't call or appear again. Oh well - I'm happy that at last I have actually seen one!
Some other birds seen while pitta searching were Malaysian Hill Partridge (up to four groups calling), and a pair of Lesser Shortwings.
I gave myself a break from sitting in the hide for an hour or two and saw this juvenile (female?) Little Pied Flycatcher...
...an adult Slaty-backed Forktail...
...and yet more Barred Cuckoo-doves!
My last bird of the trip - a Blyth's Hawk-eagle.
7th July 2009: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
Back at the summit of Gunung Brinchang at dawn, Barred Cuckoo-doves seemd to be everywhere - how had I missed them before now?! The substation compound was busy with birds feeding on insects that had bashed themselves senseless on the lights in the night.
Juvenile Large Niltavas (male above, female below)were all over the place, and I got a brief view of a female Rufous-vented Niltava, which was my second lifer of the trip (no photo though).
Several Streaked Wren-babblers were hopping around on the grass in a most unwren-babbler-like fashion.
A juvenile male Snowy-browed Flycatcher came to join the feast.
Our latest endemic! Robson splits what was formerly Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush into several species. This one is now called Malayan Laughingthrush. Compare this with another, now called Silver-eared Laughingthrush, which I saw at Doi Inthanon last year.
These were feeding on squashed fruits on the road.
The Golden-throated Barbet was on view again in much better light, and it seemed determined to demonstrate how it got its name!
The joys of digiscoping!
I thought the crown pattern was pretty cool!
A couple of efforts with my DSLR - this one without flash...
...and this one with. You get more feather detail with flash, but it really messes up the greens in my view.
This video shows what a fastidious diner the barbet is. I was struck by the fact that it finished off each fruit before moving onto the next, never leaving part of a fruit uneaten. Waste not, want not!
Juvenile Large Niltavas (male above, female below)were all over the place, and I got a brief view of a female Rufous-vented Niltava, which was my second lifer of the trip (no photo though).
Several Streaked Wren-babblers were hopping around on the grass in a most unwren-babbler-like fashion.
A juvenile male Snowy-browed Flycatcher came to join the feast.
Our latest endemic! Robson splits what was formerly Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush into several species. This one is now called Malayan Laughingthrush. Compare this with another, now called Silver-eared Laughingthrush, which I saw at Doi Inthanon last year.
These were feeding on squashed fruits on the road.
The Golden-throated Barbet was on view again in much better light, and it seemed determined to demonstrate how it got its name!
The joys of digiscoping!
I thought the crown pattern was pretty cool!
A couple of efforts with my DSLR - this one without flash...
...and this one with. You get more feather detail with flash, but it really messes up the greens in my view.
This video shows what a fastidious diner the barbet is. I was struck by the fact that it finished off each fruit before moving onto the next, never leaving part of a fruit uneaten. Waste not, want not!
6th July 2009: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
The morning was spent on Trail 5 in the hope of seeing Mountain Peacock-pheasant or Brown Bullfinch - no luck on either account!
Just as well as I discovered that my flash wasn't working, which would have been very frustrating on this shady trail!
Zebra Ringlet, or Ragadia crisilda to the experts!
Once again I had point blank views of Blue Nuthatches, but their frenetic pace was no match for my flashless camera. There were also several yellownapes about, including this juvenile Greater Yellownape...
...and a couple of Lesser Yellownapes. This
female (?) worked methodically at each of the protrusions on this tree trunk, making a small hole in each and then poking its long tongue in.
The male just hung about not doing anything much.
In the afternoon I went to the summit of Gunung Brinchang, which is, memorably, 6,666 feet asl!
A party of Bar-throated (formerly Chestnut-tailed) Minlas took great interest in me.
This race - malayana - has much darker grey ear coverts than the castanicauda race I photographed on Doi Inthanon in Thailand here. Also, the the eye-ring seems much more distinctly bicoloured on the Malaysian birds..
Another upper montane specialist - the treecreeping Rufous-winged Fulvetta. This is the race soror, which has more extensive chestnut on the remiges (primaries and secondaries) than the one I photographed on Doi Inthanon, which I think is 'castaneceps'.
The tiny Snowy-browed Flycatcher is quite common and tame near the summit but easily overlooked as it sits quietly.
In the fading evening light I found this Golden-throated Barbet enjoying supper in a fruiting tree.
After dinner I filmed the full moon rising. I could see swiftlets flying around in its light occasionally.
Just as well as I discovered that my flash wasn't working, which would have been very frustrating on this shady trail!
Zebra Ringlet, or Ragadia crisilda to the experts!
Once again I had point blank views of Blue Nuthatches, but their frenetic pace was no match for my flashless camera. There were also several yellownapes about, including this juvenile Greater Yellownape...
...and a couple of Lesser Yellownapes. This
female (?) worked methodically at each of the protrusions on this tree trunk, making a small hole in each and then poking its long tongue in.
The male just hung about not doing anything much.
In the afternoon I went to the summit of Gunung Brinchang, which is, memorably, 6,666 feet asl!
A party of Bar-throated (formerly Chestnut-tailed) Minlas took great interest in me.
This race - malayana - has much darker grey ear coverts than the castanicauda race I photographed on Doi Inthanon in Thailand here. Also, the the eye-ring seems much more distinctly bicoloured on the Malaysian birds..
Another upper montane specialist - the treecreeping Rufous-winged Fulvetta. This is the race soror, which has more extensive chestnut on the remiges (primaries and secondaries) than the one I photographed on Doi Inthanon, which I think is 'castaneceps'.
The tiny Snowy-browed Flycatcher is quite common and tame near the summit but easily overlooked as it sits quietly.
In the fading evening light I found this Golden-throated Barbet enjoying supper in a fruiting tree.
After dinner I filmed the full moon rising. I could see swiftlets flying around in its light occasionally.
5th July 2009: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
The first bird of the day was a Blue Nuthatch feeding a few feet off the ground, and on one occasion on it - in the garden of the Lutheran Bungalow!
A tail worth flaunting!
This was the first time I could remember looking down on a Blue Nuthatch!
In the afternoon, with the light a little better on the cuckoo-dove perch, I put up my hide to try to get some better shots. The site was a little precarious, on a narrow ridge on the edge of a 10 feet drop down to the stream, with the road edge just a few inches behind me. I needed to sit very still!
But the benefits outweighed the discomforts! This superb male Barred Cuckoo-dove put on a good show.
As did this female.
How many Little Cuckoo-doves fit onto one branch?
Four was my limit!
I'm a bit confused by these Little Cuckoo-doves. Wells mentions only one race as occurring in Peninsular Malaysia - 'malayana'. However, many of these birds resembled the illustration of 'assimilis' in Robson, such as the bird on the right here. On the other hand, if there were two races here, I have difficulty finding males and females of both types, unless the differences are more subtle than I am looking for. I presume that the dull-billed birds are juveniles.
The bird on the left shows an orange terminal bar and subterminal spots on the outer tail feather, in contrast to the pale grey on this feather on Barred.
Male Littles also have an irridescent neck patch.
Portrait of a ... er... female? male? juvenile? assimilis? malayana? More research needed! Any thoughts or opinions welcome!
Well, at least I know this is a male - either Fire-breasted or Buff-bellied Flowerpecker - depending on whether you're a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person!
A tail worth flaunting!
This was the first time I could remember looking down on a Blue Nuthatch!
In the afternoon, with the light a little better on the cuckoo-dove perch, I put up my hide to try to get some better shots. The site was a little precarious, on a narrow ridge on the edge of a 10 feet drop down to the stream, with the road edge just a few inches behind me. I needed to sit very still!
But the benefits outweighed the discomforts! This superb male Barred Cuckoo-dove put on a good show.
As did this female.
How many Little Cuckoo-doves fit onto one branch?
Four was my limit!
I'm a bit confused by these Little Cuckoo-doves. Wells mentions only one race as occurring in Peninsular Malaysia - 'malayana'. However, many of these birds resembled the illustration of 'assimilis' in Robson, such as the bird on the right here. On the other hand, if there were two races here, I have difficulty finding males and females of both types, unless the differences are more subtle than I am looking for. I presume that the dull-billed birds are juveniles.
The bird on the left shows an orange terminal bar and subterminal spots on the outer tail feather, in contrast to the pale grey on this feather on Barred.
Male Littles also have an irridescent neck patch.
Portrait of a ... er... female? male? juvenile? assimilis? malayana? More research needed! Any thoughts or opinions welcome!
Well, at least I know this is a male - either Fire-breasted or Buff-bellied Flowerpecker - depending on whether you're a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person!
4th July 2009: Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
This trip was a combination of a chance to spend a few days with some old friends, meet some new friends and take advantage of an extended Selangor Bird Group stay at a timeshare apartment.
The old friends were Dr Graham and Jenny McAll, and the new ones - Peter and Miranda Harris. Peter and Miranda are the founders of A Rocha - a Christian conservation organization. There's a short video clip of their work here. I read Peter's first book , Under the Bright Wings, some years ago, and have been an admirer of A Rocha's work since. Both the Harris's and the McAlls are here on A Rocha business, holding seminars in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on biblical environmental stewardship.
Peter is what I would call a 'dead keen birder', so it was my job to introduce him to some Malaysian montane birds while the rest of the party relaxed and enjoyed themselves. It was a tough job but someone had to do it!
We stayed at the Lutheran Bungalow, which is at the end of a very birdy lane in an area of CH I hadn't visited before. Pre-dawn this Blyth's Hawk-eagle was already on the alert.
In a wooded ravine not far from the bungalow, large numbers of cuckoo-doves were coming down to drink in a sadly polluted stream. There must have been a hundred or more Little Cuckoo-doves, and about thirty Barred - a lifer for me after many years of looking! This was my first shot - a digiscoped effort.
A couple of flight shots. Robson states that Barred Cuckoo-dove has a 'long, graduated tail with no white or grey markings', but as can be seen here, the outer tail feathers have quite obvious pale grey terminal and subterminal markings, which are lacking in Little.
Later I found a branch where many of the birds would perch en route to or from the water. It was a little dark and in the shade, but at least it gave a chance of a clear shot. Here a female Barred sits alongside a female Little, giving a good impression of relative size and bulk.
The female is well barred all the way down the underparts.
In the sun, both sexes have a gorgeous mint choc chip green sheen to the neck and upper breast feathers.
A couple of Little Cuckoo-doves on the same branch. I think the right hand bird may be a juvenile and the left one a female.
A male (right) moves into a better posing position!
Juveniles were a feature of this trip - obviously this is one of the peak breeding periods - here's one of several young Slaty-backed Forktails we saw.
"Cuckoo-dove valley" held several singing Lesser Shortwings. Here's an obliging subadult male (aged by the brown primaries).
A Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo enjoying the first rays of the morning sun. Most Lesser Racket-tails seem to be minus their rackets, but are easily identified by their square tail and wedge-shaped 'foreheadless' head.
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikes seem particularly numerous in the Cameron Highlands.
A composite picture of a single subadult Rufous-bellied Eagle. The underwing coverts and some of the body plumage is still juvenile. The shape of this eagle in flight is quite similar to Booted Eagle.
A short walk along Trail 5 in the afternoon yielded a few passerines, including this moulting male Black-throated Sunbird...
... and several hyperactive Yellow-breasted Warblers - common but so difficult to get a decent picture of!
A striking leaf!
I thought a pair of Everett's White-eyes were being very obliging, hanging around close by and preening - until I realized that I was sitting a few feet from their nest - so I hastily retreated!
The old friends were Dr Graham and Jenny McAll, and the new ones - Peter and Miranda Harris. Peter and Miranda are the founders of A Rocha - a Christian conservation organization. There's a short video clip of their work here. I read Peter's first book , Under the Bright Wings, some years ago, and have been an admirer of A Rocha's work since. Both the Harris's and the McAlls are here on A Rocha business, holding seminars in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur on biblical environmental stewardship.
Peter is what I would call a 'dead keen birder', so it was my job to introduce him to some Malaysian montane birds while the rest of the party relaxed and enjoyed themselves. It was a tough job but someone had to do it!
We stayed at the Lutheran Bungalow, which is at the end of a very birdy lane in an area of CH I hadn't visited before. Pre-dawn this Blyth's Hawk-eagle was already on the alert.
In a wooded ravine not far from the bungalow, large numbers of cuckoo-doves were coming down to drink in a sadly polluted stream. There must have been a hundred or more Little Cuckoo-doves, and about thirty Barred - a lifer for me after many years of looking! This was my first shot - a digiscoped effort.
A couple of flight shots. Robson states that Barred Cuckoo-dove has a 'long, graduated tail with no white or grey markings', but as can be seen here, the outer tail feathers have quite obvious pale grey terminal and subterminal markings, which are lacking in Little.
Later I found a branch where many of the birds would perch en route to or from the water. It was a little dark and in the shade, but at least it gave a chance of a clear shot. Here a female Barred sits alongside a female Little, giving a good impression of relative size and bulk.
The female is well barred all the way down the underparts.
In the sun, both sexes have a gorgeous mint choc chip green sheen to the neck and upper breast feathers.
A couple of Little Cuckoo-doves on the same branch. I think the right hand bird may be a juvenile and the left one a female.
A male (right) moves into a better posing position!
Juveniles were a feature of this trip - obviously this is one of the peak breeding periods - here's one of several young Slaty-backed Forktails we saw.
"Cuckoo-dove valley" held several singing Lesser Shortwings. Here's an obliging subadult male (aged by the brown primaries).
A Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo enjoying the first rays of the morning sun. Most Lesser Racket-tails seem to be minus their rackets, but are easily identified by their square tail and wedge-shaped 'foreheadless' head.
Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrikes seem particularly numerous in the Cameron Highlands.
A composite picture of a single subadult Rufous-bellied Eagle. The underwing coverts and some of the body plumage is still juvenile. The shape of this eagle in flight is quite similar to Booted Eagle.
A short walk along Trail 5 in the afternoon yielded a few passerines, including this moulting male Black-throated Sunbird...
... and several hyperactive Yellow-breasted Warblers - common but so difficult to get a decent picture of!
A striking leaf!
I thought a pair of Everett's White-eyes were being very obliging, hanging around close by and preening - until I realized that I was sitting a few feet from their nest - so I hastily retreated!
Monday, June 29, 2009
28th June 2008: Johore Bahru
In the hour before we were due to leave JB I had chance to take a few snaps of the common garden birds which I normally overlook.
This male Pink-necked Green Pigeon was busily collecting nesting material.
As was this 'moustached' Yellow-vented Bulbul!
A male Common Tailorbird seemed to be prospecting for possible nest-sites.
A male Red Turtle-Dove in the next-door rambutan tree.
And a female Long-tailed Parakeet flying overhead.
This male Pink-necked Green Pigeon was busily collecting nesting material.
As was this 'moustached' Yellow-vented Bulbul!
A male Common Tailorbird seemed to be prospecting for possible nest-sites.
A male Red Turtle-Dove in the next-door rambutan tree.
And a female Long-tailed Parakeet flying overhead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
