When i was a kid, i used to have many hobbies. Since my house was just a bicycle ride away from rubber estates, paddyfields and jungle streams, catching spiders & bugs, jungle trekking, and catching fish (puyu & sepat benua) were the norms. As we grow older some hobbies will just fade away but one hobby has remained till todate i.e bird watching. Although birders come and go just like the mist at dawn, i guess bird watching is a sustainable hobby. This is due to the fact that we can find birds in every continents. One can find birds even in Antarctica (penguins are considered as birds too) or in the deserts (road runners, some hawks, owls, sand larks etc).
Pacific Swallow
 |
| Hirundo tahitica |
A friendly bird. Photo was taken at a river jetty.
According to the American Birding Association and i believe most birding rules too, a bird must be "Alive, Wild and Unrestrained" in order to be officially considered in a birder's list of sightings. Apparently hybrids don't count either ! This starling seen below was described by some literature as a possible escapee in this region (M'sia) but i reckoned its not.
Black-Collared Starling
 |
| Gracula nigricollis |
Since the above starling was spotted near the border of a neighbouring country, there is a chance that it could be a wild and unrestrained bird. This starling was my first lifer for this year and its a monotypic species, endemic to this region. It was silent throughout but appears weary of its surroundings. It only gave me two photos before flying further away. Some of its photos (in the Web) show a darker plumage at the back and mantle areas while some were more brownish like the one above. Bird experts should be able to explain the reasons.
Ashy Drongo
Note: the blotchy black patches on its body. I believe the feathers could have molted from black to grey and not the other way round since the grey color is more dominant here. Note: some may argue that the above drongo could also be D. nigrescens.
Jungle myna
 |
| A. fuscus |
The one in the foreground (more brownish) is most likely an eclipse adult which had just experienced some molting to its feathers. A full grown adult Jungle Myna is shown below:
 |
| Jungle myna |
From afar i thought the above bird could have been a grass bird.
But as it flew across the long and tall grasses of Chuping, i realise that it was just a Lesser Coucal in non-breeding colors.
 |
| Lesser Coucal (Centropus bengalensis) |
According to some experts here, stonechats in this region are represented mainly by the Ssp S. maurus. But after careful readings, i believe there are two established Ssp of Stonechats in this region which is S. maurus and S. stejneger's where some books have refered them as "Eastern Stonechats". To differentiate between a maurus and stejneger, it would require some careful and detail observations. But both can be differentiated from the "Common/European Stonechat" (S. torquatus) by their larger white patch at the neck area and a smaller orange patch on its chest.
 |
| Siberian or Stejneger's Stonechat? |
Plain-backed Sparrow
 |
| Passer flaveolus |
Many authors have painted this sparrow as a small and stocky bird just like the common tree sparrow but in actual fact their body is slimmer and its tail is much more longer as shown by the above photo. This species of sparrow is monotypic and they can only be found in this region.
Purple-backed Starling / Daurian Starling
 |
| Sturnus sturninus / Agropsar sturninus |
Another monotypic starling but unlike the above starling, this Daurian starling (as they are commonly known now) are more abundant. Sometimes you can see a flock close to 50 birds congregating on a single fig tree. Fortunately both of them can't sing well otherwise they too are destined for the bird trade.
Its intense colors show that he is in full breeding mood. In some countryside, you can still see their nests although their numbers are reducing rapidly.
Another monotypic species and a paddyfield specialist. You can only see it when it makes short flights among the paddyfields otherwise it will remained cryptic throughout the day.
This was the first time i have seen this species carrying an apple snail. Each time i approached this bird it would fly further away. Otherwise it would be interesting to see how it prise the hard shell of the snail with its bills.
Nowadays this pitta is getting bolder as he would just skip a few feet away from you on its way back to its mangrove residence.
Initially i thought the above bird might be a "Collared Praticole" (elongated body, long wings profile, greenish grey color as opposed to brownish and a more rounded head structure). However without any 'hard' evidence like its thin white trailing edge on its secondaries or its extended tail over wings while stationary, i would not dare to argue with the protagonist of the rare birds record committee.
Baya Weaver
 |
| Ploceus philippinus (Male) |
Its intense colors show that he is in full breeding mood. In some countryside, you can still see their nests although their numbers are reducing rapidly.
Cinnamon Bittern
 |
| I. cinnamomeus |
Another monotypic species and a paddyfield specialist. You can only see it when it makes short flights among the paddyfields otherwise it will remained cryptic throughout the day.
Grey-headed Lapwing
 |
| Vanellus cinereus |
A common winter visitor in this region.
A Grey-headed Lapwing with an Apple Snail
Asian Openbill in flight
Its favourite dish is apple snails served raw.
Here are three different types of egrets flying in unison.
Have you ever seen a lady with some long legs and black stockings strolling along the beach?
 |
| Great Egret |
Another lady competing nearby but with a slightly shorter legs
 |
| Little Egret |
Mangrove Pitta
 |
| Oriental praticole |
Purple Swamphen / Grey-headed Swamphen
 |
| P.p poliocephalus |
According to experts here if its head is darker it would be a juvenile bird
They look like spoilers used by airplanes to control air speed and rolling.
Hill Blue Flycatcher
 |
| Cyornis banyumas |
Unlike the above monotypic birds, this flycatcher along with many other birds will soon experience massive changes in their taxonomy and English names. Unlike an earthquake, this seismic changes are expected to happen sometime in August 2019. Well at least i have warned you.
 |
| Banded Kingfisher |
From afar i thought it was a sooty barbet. As i approached nearer and to my surprise it was a female banded kingfisher which i have not seen one for quite awhile. This kingfisher species can be seen in pristine forest as well as up to 1,500 meters asl like the one above.
Like human beings, birds do look at us in many different ways.
Here is a typical side way look
and here is an upside down look.
The guardian of the rainforest. Looking proud and authoritative.
 |
| Garden Fence Lizard (male) |
We are all the sons and daughters of the soil and one day we shall all return to the soil !
Buddhism teaches us that our suffering has its origins in these three negative elements: Ignorance, Hate and Greed.
2 comments:
Hello Ron,
very nice series
I pick the pictures of Stonechat and cinnamomeus in flight
Dr Redzlan,
Thank you for your kind words.
Post a Comment