Raptor Watch 2018 - An Exhilarating Experience

Once a upon the time, you can find numerous birding couples in this region who like to watch raptors. Some are still quietly active while some new ones are also emerging. There are many reasons for one to watch birds of prey. It could be due to their magnificent and highly variably under wing patterns or perhaps it could be due to their majestic appearance as well as fascinating behaviour. Some ornithologist even spent their entire life to study solely on raptors. At the end of this post you might understand just why.

Here are some of the birds of prey which were spotted in Peninsular Malaysia from Dec 2017 to March 2018. Majority of them were Oriental Honey Buzzards as expected.

Oriental Honey Buzzard (pale morph)

This should be an Oriental Honey Buzzard (OHB), soaring upwards in a truly raptor like way.

My personal opinion: Dark wings tips and narrow tail bands points it to a juvenile. While pale face and narrow trailing edge bands points it to a female.

This is most likely a migrant orientalis which reported to migrate from Siberia and Sakhalin in Russia, North East China as well as from Japan and Korea (HBW alive)

It glides on flat wings. 

From above, its upper wings coverts show a darker coloration and its primaries slightly held upwards. Note: its whitish rump. It was also the same bird as above.

A twitch of its tail were commonly observed in raptors in flight.

Below is a different morph of OHB - Pernis ptilorhyncus torquatus 

According to local birding experts here, this is an adult male migrant OHB. Identified from its greyish face. The resident P.p torquatus (tweedle morph) is reported to have an overall black head. Note its lack of whitish rump.

Its status at the top of the food chain certainly makes it a fearless raptor as it make a small turn and then headed straight at my direction.

With its wings held-up high and head tilted lower, its approach certainly makes it looks like a vulture.

It flew just about 30 - 40 meters away, knowing fully well of my presence but he was not bothered at all as it slowly glides past me. 

Field guides have described OHB eyes as brown, dark brown to orange. 

This was the OHB way of making a fly past.

Below is probably the only one of its kind photo which shows a Changeable Hawk Eagle (dark morph) carrying a domestic chicken ! This raptor is a resident raptor.

Only upon cropping the photo that i realised it was actually carrying a prey.  Its loud calls of "Kwi Kwi" was quite similar to a Crested Serpent Eagle (CSE) except that it has two notes instead of three notes from a CSE.

Here is another raptor (a Brahminy Kite) holding and eating a prey while in flight. 

Crested Serpent Eagle

With a mouth so wide open, no wonder its calls can be heard from quite a distance.

White-bellied Sea Eagle

A truly huge resident raptor soaring overhead.

Here is another migrant raptor which frequent here almost like clock work and continuously every year.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

All the above three raptors are of different individuals.

If you have been regularly watching raptors in this region, you will most likely realised that some migrant raptors actually used this region (especially near the coastal regions) as their staging / re-fueling base. Here are some individuals which i have spotted on different days from the same observation site in Northern Peninsular Malaysia:

Black Baza (Aviceda leuphotes)

From a distance, this raptor looks just slightly larger than a common rock pigeon. According to raptor experts, the more stripes on its body, indicates that of a female. 

This one above should be a male then.

They were seen criss-crossing from the same area on several occasions. Usually in late mornings.

When i first posted online the photo below, it has created some buzz among the local birders here due to its whitish spots on its upperwings and its whitish rump. I have initially thought it was a juvenile pied harrier as well ! 

Luckily for me, this raptor did a "U" turn and it was eventually confirmed as an Oriental Honey Buzzard (OHB) from the above photo! Amazing indeed !

Here are a few more different OHBs which have been observed:

The OHB above was actually diving down towards some swiflets but i think it did not succeed in grabbing anyone.

All these OHBs are different individuals as observed from their wing and tail patterns.

Occasionally you can find them thermaling together. The above OHB presumably either a juvenile/a female was slightly smaller than the OHB below it.

HAPPY RAPTOR WATCHING !

Embracing the Colors of Nature - Birds, Reptiles etc - 2017

In ancient times, the worshipping of animal deities transcend across various cultures of the world. In ancient Egypt, birds for example are considered avatars of the Gods. Watching wildlife in action was like watching an orchestra playing in the jungle. It creates a sense of happiness, serenity and freedom but yet vulnerable in a world full of uncertainties and dodgy characters !

Here are some fascinating photos of nature, birds, lizards etc to wrap-up this incredible year. Hold your breath and enjoy the pleasure of viewing the various colors of nature. 

Dark-Throated Oriole (Male)

Always my favorite jungle bird. Although it has a repertoire of calls but i believe most birds would generally make 3 types of calls. They are: i) alarm calls, ii) mating calls/songs and iii) hunger calls. This male Dark-Throated Oriole was heard making some mating calls at a nearby female.

Dark-Throated Oriole (female)

And here she is. Answering to the calls instantly. 

They would certainly make some nice X'mas tree decos.

Rufescent Prinia

According to the field guides, a greyish head means that it was in a breeding mood.

Pink-Necked Green Pigeon

In my younger days, i would often heard local village folks calling them "Punai Daun" or literally translated as "Leaf Pigeon". This was probably due to their colors resembling some green leaves. When i joined the birding society, i realised that there were many more pigeons which look like "Punai Dauns".  The local name for this bird at the moment is "Punai Kericau" (Wells, 1999).

Purple-throated Sunbird

Experience birders in this region could easily guess where the above photos were taken.

Errrr i know what you will be thinking ! Don't worry just say it loud cos Uncle Sam would not be bothered. They are as big as a coconut. 

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

You can hear them more often from November to December in this region. Essentially a forest bird.

Hello i am up here !  says Buff-Vented Bulbul (Iole crypta)

Every child bearing parents will have high hopes that their children will be given an opportunity to enjoy the meaning of life when they grow up.

Thorny Green lizard?

It was just a common "Green Crested Lizard" (Bronchocela cristatella)

This is a Great Anglehead Lizard (Gonocephalus grandis)

Some people called it a forest dragon and it is certainly an uncommon lizard. A separate post on this reptile will be done in due course.

Copper-Cheeked Frog or also known as White-lipped Frog (Hylarana labialis). Local name for this frog for the time being is: "Katak Bibir Putih" (Norhayati, MYBIS, Dec 2017)

A silhouette of a Yellow-Breasted Flowerpecker

This is a Common Sun-Skink (Eutropis multifasciata)

Spine-tufted Skimmer (Orthetrum chrysis) - male

Thanks to the effort of some local experts, i was able to identify the above odonata.

Attention ! The national anthem is playing now says Streaked Spiderhunter.

Pale-Blue Flycatcher (male)

This male Pale-Blue Flycatcher colors are simply amazing. No color additives were added to the photo. Its pure blue as it was shown here. 

Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher (Male)

Mangrove Blue Flycatcher (female)

The above Mangrove Blue Flycatchers have been the ambassadors in the same location for many years. Attracting and greeting many locals and foreign birders alike.

This is a common Brown Shrike. You could guess that it should be a juvenile female from her fine vermiculations which can be seen here at her flanks.

ENJOY NATURE

&

HAPPY BIRD WATCHING !

The Hunting Behavior of Common Kestrel, Marsh Harrier and Black-Shouldered Kite: A Photographic Documentary

It has been widely acknowledged that many scientific data were obtained from the information provided by amateur birders as well as citizen scientist. Bird watching in a non conventional way does not only involve identification of birds. It may also involved observing the type of prey they eat, how they hunt, the interaction between them and their ecosystem etc. When that happens you have actually inadvertently looking at the ecology of things, which is the study of how living things (in this case, birds) interact with their environment/surroundings.

There are not many birders in this region who have the opportunity to observe or let alone photograph the hunting moments of a Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), an Eastern Marsh Harrier (Circus spilonotus) and a Black-Shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus), all within one location.

I will start with the Common Kestrel which is a winter visitor in this region.

I was cruising along the dirt track when i spotted a raptor on a perch. Going closer i have identified the raptor as a Common Kestrel (female). Immediately i stopped my car about 50 meters away and tried to take a few photos of this uncommon winter visitor. 

At first she look to her right.

Then a bit to her left.

She then took off and flew towards my direction. 

Oops ! there is a strange looking human being inside the car. So she decided to change her flight direction.

Like an airplane, she tried to gain some height. Here she is doing just that - gaining as much altitude as possible.

Once she has gained enough height, the hunt begins. RSPB, UK reported that a Common Kestrel can spot a beetle 50m from its perch. Amazing !

Cruising at about 60-70 meters above, the search for prey begins.

Searching diligently for her morning breakfast.

Then i believe she has spotted something on the ground. Wings folded and she is ready to dive.

And then the moment of glory happened. Diving almost 90 degrees with talons all expanded towards her prey.

Holy cow ! she missed the rat by just a few inches.

She did a u-turn in case the rat was still there.

Nope it has gone.

No luck this time and she was back to her perch waiting for another chance.

Next on the hunting list was a male Eastern Marsh Harrier.

Eastern Marsh Harrier hunting style is different. They would prefer to hunt closer to the ground i.e just a few meters above the reeds.

They are just like a big fat Lancaster. Flapping slowly and cruising silently in their hunt for prey.

Their eyes were constantly looking downwards.

I believe he has spotted something on the ground. 

Did he got the prey?

Oh dear ! no luck as well. Off he went to look elsewhere.

Now here is the grand old master of stationery flight. This Black-shouldered Kite aka "Helang Tikus" was spotted not too far away from where i stood.

Here is the master demonstrating the famous "hover-hunt style".

I did not pay much attention to it as it did some semi circles and a few dives. 

Before i knew it there was already a rat in its talon ! Guess you need to learnt from a local resident on ways to catch a prey in this region.

It was truly an amazing experience to witness all the above spectacular hunting sequence unfolded just right above and in front of me. 

HAPPY BIRDING !