Birding in Sungai Chongkak - July 2013

Today i went to another recreational forest which was nearby my local "playground". Quite a number of common birds seen here but the photos are nothing much to shout about . This was due to the reason that much of the area was surrounded by huge tall trees which have blanketed much of its canopy from sunlight.

One of the many locations here where you could bring your family for a dip. As for me i was waiting for perhaps a forktail or kingfisher to drop-in.

Purple-Naped Sunbird

Looks like this fellow was also a sub-adult. Apparently research has found that the DNAs of these bird sp has some connection with spiderhunters.

Chestnut / Black Headed Munia (L. atricapilla)

This bird was initially thought as a juvenile scaly-breasted munia but after further review of photos and getting the views from experts, this bird was actually a Chestnut / Black-Headed Munia. The funny thing was that this juvenile was all alone and it would flick its wings (like some flycatchers do) ! 

Abbott or Horsfield?

Yup it was just an Abbott's babbler.

Buff-vented Bulbul

Red-eyed and cream-vented bulbuls were also foraging on this same tree.

Yellow-Breasted Flowerpecker

Greater-Racket Tailed Drongo

Checker-Throated Woodpecker

Saw a pair and this fellow was a male. Also saw a Rufous Piculet banging its head on some bamboos nearby but no photos.

Yellow-Bellied Warbler

Ruby-Cheeked Sunbird

The only name i could think off for this bird was a Plain Sunbird - probably a female.

Magpie Crow

Don't ask me why they named this butterfly as such but it was the only butterfly which was kind enough to allow me to take its photo.

Birding along Sendat - July 2013

Sendat river flows along two towns which are Ulu Yam Bharu and Ulu Yam Lama in Selangor. It also offers many level of "white-waters" for the die-hard white-water blazers. This was the first time i have been to this place and i was unsure what to expect in terms of birding. Birding alone in the jungle can be scary ! You just never know what might jump out from the bushes - anacondas, jumping spiders, leopards, snakes, tiger-eating men etc. The last one is the most scariest ! The road leading to the location is all tared although its quite narrow at certain places. Entrance to the recreation area was RM1.00 but you will need to pay RM30.00 if you wish to do photography and another RM200.00 for video shooting. Reached the end of the tared road and started birding at about 9.00am. Saw quite a number of birds but no lifers though. 

Emerald Dove

Saw it just before the end of the tared road. It was seen here collecting fruits from the road side.

Juvenile Blue-Throated Bee-Eater

When i first saw it i thought i might have seen my new lifer but after checking the field guides it was just a juvenile Blue-Throated Bee-Eater. Also saw two adult birds but they did not perch. Nevertheless this was the first time i have seen a juvenile of this bee-eater species.

Asian Dollar Bird

As usual it would perched at the highest tree trunk.

Brown Barbet

The only barbet seen at this place.

Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher

They were the most noisiest bird at that time.

Orange-Backed Woodpecker

The male certainly did not give me any chance.

Black-Naped Monarch

From afar i saw a blue bird taking a few dips into the water. I quickly rushed to the area thinking it could be a kingfisher but found that it was just a black-naped monarch taking a few early bath.

Spectacled Bulbul

Black-Headed Bulbul

This fellow's head has a glossy sheen.

Verditer Flycatcher

Whiskered Treeswift

They seem to be at every places.

There were also a number of butterflies here but only a few have obliged to stay put.

Chocolate Albatross

Banded Yeomen

Commander

Chocolate Grass Yellow

Overall this place has the potential to produce many lifers example owls, nightjars etc. The only advice is that never go there alone. 

Taman Rimba Ampang - Revisited - July 2013

When the waist-line is expending sideways it was time to hit the birding trail. Since my free time is limited to the afternoons one of the nearby places which i could think off is Taman Rimba Ampang. This place used to have plenty of birds but the numbers have dwindled down significantly lately. Today is no exception but it could be due to my birding time which was late in the afternoon or could it be due to the road construction which was just behind the "loji" area? Nevertheless the resident birds can still be seen.

When i initially spotted this fellow from its back i thought it could just be a spiderhunter.

Purple-Naped Sunbird

Aha its a Purple-Naped Sunbird. It was probably the same one which i have spotted last year when it was still a juvenile. You could however spot the yellow gape at the base of its bill but take note of its orangey legs which was contrary to most field guides have depicted.

Grey Sailor?

Watching butterflies has added a new dimension to my birding adventures. When there are a few birds to see the butterflies make up the numbers. Watching butterflies are quite similar to birding. Some can be quite skittish and some just don't stop flying. One also need to spot the subtle features on its upper wings or under wings to differentiate between them. 

Note: Experts have confirmed that the above was a "Short-Banded Sailor".

Another butterfly species which resemble a dead leaf.

Note: experts confirmed that it was a Malayan Leaf Butterfly (Kallima Limborgii)

Grey-Bellied Bulbul

Pacific Swallow

Female Whiskered Treeswift

Spectacle Bulbul

Black-and-Yellow Broadbill

Always a nice bird to see but this time however it perched quite a distance away.

White-Throated Kingfisher

The only highlight of this trip was probably the sighting of the black-and-yellow broadbill. The rest of the birds were quite common at this place.

Yellow-Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)

Yellow-Vented Bulbul should be the most common bulbul which you can find in this region. Its bubbly song can be heard in the early mornings and its diet are mainly fruits. One of the best ways to photograph this bird is when they are enjoying their meals. Here are a series of photos depicting a sub-adult yellow-vented bulbul eating a ficus:

Not sure why is he eating a semi-ripe ficus as these fruits will usually be strawberry-red and then turned purple when they are fully ripe. 

Since the tree is fruiting, it has also attracted other yellow-vented bulbuls.

These birds could have been the sub-adult bird's parent as you can see the difference in the color of its vent which are more intense.