Birds in April 2022

For the month of April, there are fewer birds seen because less birding trips. Kena marah from wife lah! So have to kwai kwai stay at home. Here are just a few interesting ones.

Blue-throated Bee Eater

They certainly look stunning in their breeding plumage.

Slaty-legged Crake

I went all the way to Penang just to see this uncommon crake. It was the first time this swampy area received such as interesting bird. At first it appeared at 7.30am and I missed it because I have just arrived at 8.00am. More and more birders came later as well.

Most crakes are illusive birds as they are mainly shy and cryptic. So to see such an uncommon crake out in the open its a wonderful sight to behold. 

After enjoying the fleeting views of the crake, one kind birder told me that he spotted an owl nearby. So my next question was "Where"? and off I went looking for it.

Spotted Wood Owl

After a short walk, I saw something dark at the same location as pointed out by the earlier birder. Luckily it was still fast asleep. So it ain't going anywhere.

 

As there were some noises below, it kept one eye open. After while I left the sleeping owl alone and went on to look for other birds. 

Cattle Egret

I usually see humans chewing a twig in the mouth but not a bird. This Cattle Egret was shot from inside my car which was stationed just beside it.

Later that day I went back to my kampung to search for more birds. As I was driving slowly along the gravel road (which was very smooth after someone has repaired it), I spotted a black object dropping on the road from a distance.

Afterwards I saw a big black bird came out from a nearby bush taking away the object. Immediately I knew it was a Greater Coucal. The above photo was taken inside my car. Not an easy shot as I need to shoot while the car is moving.

It went straight back to the roadside bush from where it came from. 

I was curious to know what was the thing which it has taken. So I drove slowly and stop right beside it. Then I realise that it was a mutilated squirrel. I came down and started looking up at the trees thinking it could be the work of a musang or a macaque. 

From where I stood I saw a raptor circling above.

Its a Changeable Hawk Eagle (Dark Morph)

It kept circling above the tree where the 'dark object' had fallen earlier.

Hence I believe the earlier squirrel could have been dropped by this same raptor. It was probably checking whether there is a possibility that it could retrieve its incomplete meal.

After awhile, I guess it gave up and flew further away.

Oops! Initially I thought this could be a Dark-necked Tailorbird but another birder informed me that it is a breeding male Common Tailorbird instead - ID from its long tail streamers !! It was actually looking at the circling raptor above.

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. NEXT POST WILL BE ALL ABOUT WADERS !

Birds with red underwear !

Pittas are probably one of the most sort after birds by birders. They are attractive yet elusive. Their cryptic habits require tons of patience from birders but when they really show up in the open, there's where the adrenalin of happiness starts to flow. Even the not so colourful Rusty-naped Pitta would created a storm of excitement among the birders. 

Recently I had the chance to see a Hooded Pitta which happened to visit my local patch.

While other birders were waiting patiently at the birding port, this pitta decided to explore us from behind. How it managed to escape our eyes is beyond explanation as we have earlier seen it in front of us.

This one was actually playing hide-and-seek with us. Knowing its sneaky ways, I decided to leave the birding port momentarily and went searching for it. From under the thick undergrowth, finally I was able to spot it. 

It was happily hopping away in the undergrowth.

The above photo was the last shot before it flew off to another location.

Since I heard that this Hooded Pitta was very confiding and probably will be staying longer, I decided to look for it again. Nowadays I have behaved like a twitcher - only goes out for uncommon birds when other birders have reported them first. This time I reached the port a little over 8.00am - already quite late according to birding standards. There were already three birders at the same port ready to blast their "bazookas" away. 

Just a few minutes later, it hopped silently out from its hideout. I believe it was the same Hooded Pitta I have seen a few days back.

It came out one hopp at a time.

Instead of hopping onto the log, it decided to go sideways.

It then stopped momentarily. At this time the camera shutters are already working non-stop.

Only its head was moving - first left, then front.

After a few minutes appearing in the open, it decided to hopped back into the bushes again. This time at the opposite side from where it first appear. Later I heard that it did not appear again until about 11.00am. By then I have already went off with a big smile on my face having captured my lifer for the first time.

My next twitcher adventure was slightly further away - this time at a swampy area in Penang mainland. I have actually came to this location to see the more uncommon / scarce Slaty-legged Crake (Rallina eurizonoides) which has made its maiden appearance here. It did not disappoint the many birders here including yours truly. Again I reach this location at about 8.30am and there were already two birders sitting patiently for their quarry. As time past more and more birders came. 

Before the main target came out (i.e the Crake), we were entertained by other birds. First appeared was a Mangrove Blue Flycatcher then a couple of Abbot Babblers and then this magnificent Blue-winged Pitta.

Like typical pitta style, it slowly hopped out in the open.

I have seen Blue-winged Pitta at this location before but not as open like this one.

This pitta seem quite confiding despite that the birders were just about 5 meters away from it.

After a few minutes of doing some catwalk on a concrete slab, it went off to where it came from. Yours truly also went off to look for another lifer - the Spotted Wood Owl. 

ADIOUS! FOR NOW !

Birds in February and March 2022

Sometimes you can be lucky when all birds congregate on a certain location or tree. Should that happened then you can just unfold your portable "fishing" chair and sit there to enjoy the birds. I was lucky recently to experienced such a joyful occasion.

This is a male Raffles Malkoha with a prey (presumably a cricket)

While the male was searching for food in the thickets, the female Raffles Malkoha (above) was up on the tree searching for her favourite meal.

When compared to other malkoha in this region, this malkoha is the smallest of them all.

Lesser Cuckooshrike (female)

Here is the male Lesser Cuckooshrike - much darker and skittish.

Large Woodshrike 

Ah ! this is where it probably got its nesting materials.

You can occasionally see this bird in the jungle.

Striped-throated Bulbul

In the jungle and in this region, the most common bulbuls are those Red-eyed Bulbuls followed by this one.

All bee eaters are beautiful.

Blue-throated bee eater

Flies and bees are their favorite food.

This one looks even 'younger'. It's most likely a juvenile which have yet to assume full colaration.

This one is quite confiding as it allowed close approach.

This is a male Orange-backed Woodpecker.

They would make some calls as they probed into the tree trunks.

Pecking nearby is the female Orange-backed Woodpecker

She would constantly look for her mate whereabout and follow him as they pecked from one tree to another.

Also pecking nearby was this male Banded Woodpecker.

Looks like it has a shorter bill as compared to the above Orange-backed woodpeckers.

After the above two woodpecker species have left, then came this slightly larger woodpecker

This one was silent throughout.

This is a female Common Flameback Woodpecker.

Ironically all the above woodpeckers did not display any territorial behavior when they are around the vicinity although they did kept a distance away from each other.

As I was photographing the above birds then I saw something large flying above me.

It's a Rufous-bellied Eagle

Looks like it is carrying something under its belly.

This is one of those uncommon resident raptor.

As I walked just a few meters away I came across this "cartoon" bird as some birders described this species.

This is a male Black-and-Yellow Broadbill

It came quite close to us.

Another birder next to me just took a few shots and walk away. Out of curiosity I asked him why? He told me that he already have hundreds of photos of this species. 

A very confiding bird and it is mostly found in the forest areas.

Lurking a distance away is this female Black-and-Yellow Broadbill.

After taken a few more shots I bid them adieus.

All the above birds' photos were taken from just one local patch in one fine morning. What a wonderful morning it was . Next are some more birds taken from other regions - the northern region of Kedah.

Mr Dollar Bird

Quite a large bird actually

This is an Oriental Honey Buzzard (male). Most likely on migration.

Blue-tailed Bee Eater with what else - a bee !

Its deep and rich colour probably denote a male which is in breeding mood.

Little Cormorant.

This time I saw two of them and they were circling around the mangroves - searching for suitable nesting site perhaps?

Common Iora

A common countryside and garden bird.

THAT'S ALL FOLKS ! SEE YOU NEXT TIME AGAIN.