Avian Sighting (March 2026) - Black-thighed Falconet

At first I thought it was the Coppersmith but later saw the bird with a kill (eurasian sparrow) This happened in the suburb open garden somewhere in Ayer Panas Setapak. I quickly run back to my house to bring out my Fuji XT5 to capture the bird of prey pecking off the feathers before devouring the bird. It usually start from the head to its body. The last time I encounter the predator was sometime back in Melawati Hill feeding on a migrant flycatcher. In Awana/Bukit Tinggi it is commonly being seen sallying for insects...sad many of the birding route are closed or restricted by you know who. Stupidity at it utmost.

 

Avian Sighting March 2026 - Slaty-breasted Rail

Another surprise find in Bukit Mertajam is this Rail  shot from the canal waterway. If i were shooting from a car I might have got better closeup  photos I can only approach it from 120 ft or so as I walk to close to its liking it just move further away. If you are there you may try to look for  the Black Bittern and the Ruddy breasted Crake which I saw but no chance to shoot.

 

Avian Gear Review Oct 2021- Metabones T mount Adaptor EF- MFT for Olympus Camera

The Brown Shrike was shot at 70-80 ft away in overcast lighting

I acquired an used Metabones EF-MFT  Adaptor for my Olympus OM-D mark III after the mediocre  performance of the Viltrox  M2 put me off. Do refer https://mikebirder.blogspot.com/2021/06/avian-gear-review-april-2021-viltrox.html on my review.

If you buy new the Metabones cost  is  a bomb about RM1600 a piece  compared to the Viltrox booster 1/3 the price so it better work.........

Yes met Lucy there who 

Shooting against the bright overcast sky I have to pump up the EV +3 at a  height of 60-70 ft up I still manage some details of the Glossy Starling abet some sharpening and post-enhancing using Canon Ex

From a distance of 100-120ft  bird details as expected was soft but good enough for blog posting. Here shooting the Grey Heron in partial foreground foliage. The Olympus manage to stay in focus. The good thing is you can do some manual focusing of my EF400mm DO lens

In low light condition but at close range of 30 ft (without crop and post editing) the shots of the friendly Blue-eared Kingfisher was good enough with details)  I managed 1 out of 5 shots that is usable. AF focusing was quick enough 

Here with some dangling foreground I still manage to autofocus on the subject. 

 

Avian sighting March 2026 - Bronze-winged Jacana

 

Wow another good find in Bukit Mertajam and it was an easy sighting at a dumpsite        water-shed. Jacanas have become sort of  residents  here, Batu Gajah  and Perlis with record breeding and nesting with fledgings in tow.

I was shooting in close range of 80-100 feet away. The bird was harassed by a water monitor lizard as it suddenly jump out from the undergrowth to my surprise. It stayed about a few minutes as I was shooting handheld with my Fuji XT5 with the XF100-400mm tele. 

Frankly this is my first time shooting this Jacana in peninsula Malaysia. 

Bunting 1/5 -Yellow Breasted Bunting (Lifer 2026 - 589/688)

Another roll call after the last excursion just a week ago in Bukit Mertajam My gang cannot "chap see" but have to make another 4 hours journey  up north. This time with our  sifu XiaLim in toe. He has already got it but as a diehard birder he is there for better shots. As usual it was very damn hot and sweaty affair. So you guys must plan to bring umbrella, UV overcoat or a shady wide hat to alleviate the hot sunny condition with plenty of fluid. Today we were fortunate that the afternoon it turn cloudy which relieve some of our grievances. Instead we faced another dilemma as they started to burn the padi field  which bring nasty ashy smoke to out location. 

The yellow-breasted bunting breeds in open scrubby areas that consist of dry water rice fields for foraging and reedbeds for roosting, often near water, and is present in Siberia. It lays four to six eggs in a nest on the ground. Its food consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds.  It is migratory, wintering in south-east Asia, India, and North Korea. It is a rare but regular wanderer to western Europe.

Our Lifer appears ......In the late morning XiaLim manage to  shot the female while calling out to us but we were not ready as the bird gave a window of  seconds  to shot. By the time we were there it was already gone into the vegetation. Later  we decided to leave early for lunch at 12 pm. In dire desperation we prayed for a last hope appearance in the afternoon session. Coming to late afternoon our patience wail but   with a shout from ML of the bunting; hope was high. Pointing toward the undergrowth at ground level I was trying hard to see the bunting which blends so well with the surrounding. Scanning thru my viewfinder I was very lucky to see its movement and luckily my Fuji XT5 was able to focus  abate about 30 feet away (in bird focus mode). I managed a few burst hoping for a more open shot. Within 20 seconds the session ended. 

This is my first Bunting for Malaysia. Hopefully  the other 4 species will travel down  for me to see in my life time.

The yellow-breasted bunting (Emberiza aureola) is a passerine bird in the bunting specie Emberizidae that is found across the Boreal and East Palearctic. The genus name Emberiza is from old german Embritz, a bunting. The specific aureola is latin for "golden".The bird's call is a distinctive zick, and the song is a clear tru-tru, tri-tri.

Until 2004, the International Union for Conservation of Nature considered the yellow-breasted bunting to be a species of least concern. Since 2004, it has been gradually upgraded to a status of critically endangered due to rapid drops in population sizes. It is subject to heavy hunting pressure in China, through which most specimens pass during migration. (wiki)

The yellow-breasted bunting is a small passerine, ranging from 14 to 16 cm (5.5 to 6.3 in) in length, and weighing 17 to 26 g (0.6 to 0.9 oz). For a bunting, it is large and rather stocky similar size as our local Baya weaver.

“Rice bird” as they call it ; has been a popular item on the gourmet menu—particularly in Southern China, including Hong Kong. Hunting activities are pervasive. The birds like to gather in large flocks to roost, making them an easy target for hunters. Over the last three to four decades, the species’ population has plummeted from abundant to “critically endangered” because of consumption by humans. They were consider pest. Conservation in Long valley wetland HongKong may see the striving of these specie.

In Malaysia there are record sighting in Kedah padi field, Kuantan side and Penang as well as in Singapore coastal wetlands

Got the male Bunting in the early morning at the edge of bushland but alas it was just a record shot Tq XiaLim

 

Our Lunch in OCH was very rated 3.5/5 @RM132

Bird Site - Bukit Larut Taiping Perak March 2026

 After getting our target bird  in Bukit Mertajam we adjourn to Taiping to  check out the bird life which is famed for the visiting violet cuckoo and emerald cuckoo. The place is now having fruits trees bearing ripening fruits which are attracting many species of bulbuls, the Asian Fairy Bluebird, Leafbird. The highlight was the Red-throated Barbet in splendor colorful head. It was very responsive to the bird call by Dr C. 

Red-throated Barbet 

 

Below a pair of AF Bluebird were also feeding amongst the Scaly breasted, Black-headed, Buff chested, Greybreasted and Red-eyed Bulbuls 

Asian Fairy Bluebird in close encounter

The low lying Macaranga tree give plenty of opportunities of shooting these birds up close and some more eye level. You guys must not miss the opportunity to get these frugivorous in full frame. 

Meanwhile in another location we chance on the rarity of the Malayan Night Heron Subadult in none breeding plummage. Thank you Dr C for the experience Thought not a lifer it is a good find.

The various bulbuls  that we mange some good photos are as below.

Female Asian Blue

Flycatcher 30/32 - Bluethroat March 2026 ( Mega lifer 588/688 - 2026)

Breeding region in brown and winter migrant in green

News of a rarest of the unseen before bird popped out in Bukit Mertajam Penang; set the mood of an early morning trip to catch the Bluethroat. This bird is not listed for Peninsula in my Bird Bible- Robson. It is only listed as a winter visitor from Artic tundra regions of Europe and Asia to Indochina stopping furthest in  Central Thailand (See Map). Though it a common bird in the Northern Asia region it is not been recorded in peninsula Malaysia as far as I know.

It is described as an old world flycatcher but acts like a robin which it like to cock & spread its dark tipped tail. 

The male Bluethroat is very striking with its blue and rufous throat and its flashing reddish tail. However, it normally is very secretive and hard to see as it skulks through thick vegetation. It is easy to see only while it is singing or performing flight displays. When seen in the open, it often jerks or holds its tail up and quickly fans it open to flash the rufous patches at the base. The female is more subtle plain brown colors with white throat a dark malar and gorget.

Angrybird look

Bluethroat is a bird of open meadown openfield wetlands and raw suburb bushland in the case of our encounter. It normally a secretive bird and hard to see as it skulks through thick vegetation. Only way was to lure it out with feed. It is easy to see only while it is singing or performing flight displays. When seen in the open, it often jerks or holds its tail up and quickly fans it open to flash the rufous patches at the base.

As a record the female was also sighted in the same locale. Later it was also reported a yellow breasted bunting was also seen there.