Another Malkoha, Gunung Tampin

A pair of Drongo was seen following a pair of Malkoha in search of food.



Again this Malkoha also showing its rear to the camera.

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Phaenicophaeus curvirostris

One of the drongo without its racquet.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus

Brown bird

Not sure of bird id. I look it up and thinks it is Buff-vented Bulbul. All comments welcomed.

Buff-vented Bulbul
Iole olivacea

Leafbird, Gunung Tampin

There were many leaf birds around this time, more opportunities for photos but lighthing is rather poor under the fruiting tree.

Lesser Green Leafbird
Chloropsis cyanopogon

Malkoha, Gunung Tampin

Second Malkoha of the day, this bird only showing its rear to the camera.

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Phaenicophaeus curvirostris

Red-billed Malkoha, Gunung Tampin

First Malkoha for the day, did not realise its another lifer Malkoha until I reviewed on the camera lcd screen back home. In usual Malkoha shooting mode the shutter goes bang, bang, bang ... you dont know what you get until it over. Didn't have to wait long for the bird to appear, thanks to the fruiting tree attracting birds and insects.

Red-billed Malkoha
Phaenicophaeus javanicus

Kuala Terla birding, Cameron Highlands

Cameron Highlands all-in-one trip yielded a lifer, turned in to Kuala Terla pump house road for a light snack (excuse for birding). Scanned the trees for mountane birds unfortunately none were seen, noticed this bird on the dead tree overlooking the road. The bird was unaware of my presence as it was busy scanning activities below. Neither my bright turquoise shirt nor the flash captured his/her attention.

Fruitful trip considering 3 encounters with broadbills, heard them but didn't get a good glimpse and shot. We even heard and spotted a BR broadbill with naked eye at 7.00pm 20m into the bush along the road towards Tanah Rata.

Imagine the speed we're travelling at to be able to do that.....

Blyth's Hawk-eagle
Spizaetus alboniger

Malkoha dining ...

Reluctant to pack the bag and call it a day, decided to make another round into the plantation. Stumble on a rather big bird on the regular BULBUL tree ...

The bird just caught an insect resembling a leaf and was trying to finish it before the sun goes down. The prey caught explains the malkoha routine of inspecting every tree leaf, looking for leaf like insects.

You must salute the bird for their eye sight, to be able to distinguish this leaf insect from thousands of other leaves on a tree.

After the meal, the bird was completely in-active, sitting on the same spot for minutes giving me ample time  to get a good shot thru the branches. Another behaviour unseen on a Malkoha, in the end I was the one who decided to move on.

Black-bellied Malkoha
Phaenicophaeus diardi

The regular jogger on the plantation track ...

Emerald Dove
Chalcophaps indica

Some where birding ...

Went for a short birding by the river bank somewhere in Segamat.

Spotted Dove
Stigmatopelia chinensis

Shot two birds with one click ...

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus
and
Zebra Dove
Geopelia striata

Pied Triller
Lalage nigra

More Kg Paya birding

Started out early at 2pm+, rewarded with 2 lifers.

A sunbird taking a break from the hot afternoon sun was heard calling from the bush and a woodpecker chanced upon after failing to nail the Raffles Malkoha on the tree next to where it was spotted.

Seems like Hornbill, Malkoha, Woodpecker, Drongo are in season due to the many sightings around this time of the year.



Lifer

Crimson Sunbird
Aethopyga siparaja

Lifer

Rufous Woodpecker
Celeus brachyurus

The hornbills seems to follow a regular path .... fly to this tree, then over there and then here ... observed on 2 consecutive weekends.

Oriental Pied Hornbill
Anthracoceros albirostris

Pacific Swallow
Hirundo tahitica

Pink-necked Green-pigeon
Treron vernans

Even the Mynas seems to follow a regular path .... fly to this tree, go into the hole on the tree trunk, then the old palm ... observed on 2 consecutive weekends. It reflects on myself.

Hill Myna
Gracula religiosa

Buluh Kasap backyard birding

Some backyard birding shots .... heard a new bird call in the backyard that I couldn't resists.

A lifer shot of the huge magpie.

Black Magpie
Platysmurus leucopterus

The very common magpie looks small in comparison to the menacing black magpie.

Oriental Magpie-robin
Copsychus saularis

A typical landscape shot .... NOT. See if you can spot something in the tree.

Closer shot, can you spot it?

That is not a branch or durian. Mynas and magpies were attacking the lizard to guard their nests on the tree. The durian tree is at least 50ft high!!! enough to get out of flood waters in 2006.

A typical starling roosting place ...

A pair of starlings bath in the glowing sunset ...

Asian Glossy Starling
Aplonis panayensis

Kg Paya, Segamat birding ... part 3

On the way out, dropped by the Drongo site to see if they were there. The tree looks desserted. Decide to hang around if any thing happens.

In the trenches, there were 2 to 3 Lapwings with their noisy calls. Manage a few BIF shots.

Red-wattled Lapwing
Vanellus indicus

Shortly after a hornbill glides out from the oil palm plantation to an open tree. Must be my lucky day to have 2 hornbill species in a day. I heard their calls but wasn't expecting them to pop out from the trees.

Oriental Pied Hornbill
Anthracoceros albirostris

I have put together a composite shot of the hornbill in flight of the unforgettable experience to see these gentle giants in flight.

Hill Myna
Gracula religiosa

Kg Paya, Segamat birding ... part 2

Emerald Dove
Chalcophaps indica

Scaly-breasted Munia
Lonchura punctulata

Kg Paya, Segamat birding

Made my way to the previous Drongo site but none of them were around. Maybe its too early at 5pm, so I decided to go into the plantation.

A few squirrels are monkeying around the rubber trees ...

Oooh, what a surprise to see a big dark object in the tree. Not forgetting its still the seventh month of chinese calendar, i decided to go for a closer look.

Closer inspection reveals a hornbill !!! Lucky me, the bird was perched very low on the tree. I quickly snap away for record shots just in case it makes a quick exit. I think the bird was taking an afternoon nap in the low branches as I could not find any fruits on the tree, the bird a bit blur blur as it allowed me to take some very good shots. Distance to the bird was less than 4m away.

This is the best shot of the bird's eye, see those eye lashes ... envy of every gal in the forest. The bird is a female Black Hornbill.

Black Hornbill
Anthracoceros malayanus