Asian Koel

Asian Koel(Eudynamys scolopacea) is reported to be a resident as well as a migrant bird in this region. The bird which i often seen and heard near my residential area however could probably be a migrant as it could only be seen and heard twice a year. According to Allen J (source: www.mygardenbirdwatch.com), Asian Koel would usually lay its eggs in Common House Crow nest which will then host its nestlings. From my observation, Asian Koel would call as early as 6.00am ie slightly later than oriental magpie robin (5.00am) and yellow-vented bulbul (5.45am). The Asian Koel name was derived from the loud calls it makes which sounds like ko-el and its female partner has a different shades of colors i.e. a striking pattern of brown spots and streaks. Here are some of the images of its male counterpart taken recently at a park near my house:

It was spotted eating berries quietly in the trees. The berries when riped are reddish in color.

Then he saw a human being snapping his picture from below !

Nah he is not a threat, so i will continue eating.

After filling up its stomach, its time for a short rest. Note: Asian Koel (male) is not entirely black. As you can see from the images above, it has some brown colors on its wings. This bird is also probably an adult/matured male.

Here are some photos of the female Asian Koel.

Taman Rimba Ampang

Taman Rimba Ampang or Ampang Recreational Forest is a small recreational forest which is quite close to the city. Its trail is not too long and easy to stroll. Unfortunately this place which is frequented by morning joggers has more primates than birds. Today i noticed that the trees along the trail are either chopped down or collapsed due to soil erosion which renders the place in a bad state. Nevertheless the resident birds are still present but not as many as the previous years. Here are some of them which i have seen today:

This should be the second most common bird here - an Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker (male). Today i saw at least three pairs. So it looks like they are doing well here.

This is a juvenile Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker (male).

And this one is a female Orange-Backed Flowerpecker trying to pluck off a ripe berry.

This is a Yellow-Breasted Flowerpecker (male) showing off its distinguished orange crown patch.

There was also this White-Rumped Munia which was seen looking for nesting materials.

A group of this Scaly-Breasted Munia was also seen nearby.

Today i saw this Buff-Vented Bulbul which was quite silent.

So as this Red-Eyed Bulbul.

Whiskered Treeswifts like this one are also quite common here. This one is a male.

Today this Banded Woodpecker came to greet me. Saw two of them pecking at a tree trunk.

Finally i saw a few of this Rufescent Prinia calling. It looks quite the same as a yellow-bellied prinia except for its vent colors as well as its call which is shorter - ti'chew ti'chew.

Birds around Serendah - 2012

Serendah is a small town near Rawang, Selangor. This place can be unpredictable in terms of bird watching - at times you can see quite a number of birds and other times it can be as dry as a desert. Today i went for a short general birdwatching in late morning and here are some of the bird i have managed to see:

This is a Common Iora which is a common resident here.

This is another common bird which you can find here - a "White-Breasted Waterhen".

At times you may be able to see this Ashy Tailorbird.

and so as this Pied Fantail.

Today i saw this Baya Weaver (female).

So as this Yellow-Bellied Prinia which was singing its favourite song very late in the morning.

This is an Arctic Warbler - has white vent and a shorter supercilium. According to Yang Chong: "The Arctic Warblers will be here even until May. Their breeding season is rather short and some will be back as early as late August /early September. I do not ,however, know of any over-summering Arctic Warblers in Malaysia"

This is a Black-Headed Bulbul which is also quite common here.

Today i saw quite a number of sunbirds - above is a female Ruby-Cheeked Sunbird.

This is an Olive-Backed Sunbird (male).

...and this is a Brown/Plain Throated Sunbird (male). Note: Allen J & Pearson (2012) has actually differentiated brown-throated and copper-throated with the latter said to frequent mangroves area more.

Could this be a Rufescent Prinia?

And finally could this be a Jungle Mynah? Nope its a Javan Mynah although it was seen at the edge of a jungle. Here is what sifu Yang Chong has to say: "Jungle Mynas are now almost exclusively confined to the north and are hardly ever recorded south of the Bidor area. Note there is no blue at the base of the bill in your photo and the upper plumage is much too black. The Jungle is always brownish on the uppers. All the birds in Selangor and south of the state are Javan Mynas"

White-Rumped Munia

Olive-Backed Sunbird (Female)

Little Egret

Robinson's Angle-Head Lizard (Gonocephalus robinsonii)

Recently i came across a lizard which looks like a miniature ancient dinosaur. With the help of Dave and Muin, i found out that the lizard is called Robinson's Angle-Head Lizard. Here is a description of the lizard which i got from the net: "Robinson's angle-head lizard, or Gonocephalus robinsonii is a highland agamid species that is identifiable by its white lower jaw and flap beneath the neck as well as the bluish eyes. This is a common species in mid to upper-level rainforest. Little is known about its ecology. It appears to be endemic to Peninsular Malaysia and is not found anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Length is about 47 cm and can live to about 10 years"

I believe the lizard i saw could be a juvenile as its body color is greenish and it does not have a bluish eyes as described. There was a saying that "most birders are nature lovers but not all nature lovers are birders" ! I don't mind living with that tag. Happy Birding !

Awana Old Pump House - Apr 2012

On the way down from Gunung Ulu Kali, we decided to detour to the famous Awana OPH. It was just an after thought so we actually started birding at very odd hours which is from 12 noon to 14.00 hrs. The usual birds were seen here:

This was the first bird we saw near the entrance of the trail - a "Black-Naped Oriole". It seems to have more black colors on its wings than its lower land counter parts.

Another common bird we saw near the entrance - an "Oriental Magpie Robin". We also saw one at Gunung Ulu Kali earlier.

Could this be an Arctic or an Eastern-Crowned Warbler? I believe it looks more like an Eastern-Crowned Warbler as its supercilium goes right down to the base of its bill. We saw two packs of this bird near some bamboo shrubs - each pack has about 4-5 birds.

This is a male minivet hiding behind the leaves.

These are Grey-Chinned Minivet (female) - id from its greyish-white chin. So i guess the earlier male should be from the same species because they were foraging nearby.

We also saw this Golden Babbler along the trail.

We also saw this Mountain Fulvetta.

Other birds which we have saw and heard are as follows:

i) a Spiderhunter (could not positively id)
ii) a call of a barbet
iii) a male orange-bellied leafbird
iv) a drongo (presumably a bronze)
v) a pair of white-rumped munia which was building a nest nearby the trail.
vi) a lone Chestnut Capped Laughingthrush - calling and foraging