Avian Photo Gear - AI Intelligence Detection Focussing in Bird Photography

FINALLY I am very glad that Camera Maker are heeding my want of AI to auto detect and focus on bird silhuoette which Nikon P1000's  "bird mode" is not  the case though. Here is two Camera Maker which have started the ball rolling. In the near future I would forsee that camera  can be post-programmed  by the user  by setting in/download  specific bird picture themselve into the camera. This will definate ease us amateur birders to get better picture and lifers. FUJI and other brands you better buckle up and follow suit......... 

Olympus OM-D E-M1X  its already here

DPReview "The Olympus OM-D E-M1X is the company's sports-oriented Micro Four Thirds camera that's all about speed. It has a 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor, Dual TruePic VIII processors, a 121-point hybrid autofocus system with intelligent subject detection for trains, race cars and planes/helicopters. The camera can shoot continuously at 60 fps with AF/AE lock and 18 fps with continuous AF/AE. The E-M1X offers a High Res Shot mode for both handheld and tripod use, a Live ND filter (using multiple exposures) and a Pro Capture mode that lets you save images taken before the shutter release button".

Panasonic S1R coming soon in 2019 (NewCamera)

47.3 million pixels Full size sensor · Low pass filter less
5-axis hand vibration reduction within the body with 5.5 steps of effect
Dual IS 2 with 6 stages of effect
4K 60p / 50p video
Sequential shooting performance: 9 frames / second (AFS), 6 frames / second (AFC)
6K photo at 30 frames per second and 4K photo mode at 60 frames / sec
5.76 million dot EVF
The finder magnification can be adjusted from 0.78 times to 0.74 times or 0.7 times
Movable rear liquid crystal with 2.1 million dots
ISO: 50-51200 (Including extended sensitivity – maximum standard ISO is 25600)
Dustproof · Drip-proof · Low temperature-10 °
Picture of 187 million pixels (16,736 x 11, 168) can be created using high resolution mode
Advanced Artificial Intelligence Technology Detecting Humans, Cats, Dogs and Birds
Size: 148.9 x 110.0 x 96.7 mm
Weight: 898 gm

Avian they are not - Robinson's Forest Dragon

A surprise appearance of this Robinson's Forest Dragon aka Robinson's Anglehead Lizard  (malayodracon robinsoni)  My new acquaintance  Steven Wong who is our local reptile expert -herpetologist. You can tag him in  his facebook if you need to id any of your findings.

He mentioned the coloration of the  lizard I shot is when it is in high alert or distress state. Later it fends off a Rufous-crowned LT which somewhat tried to shoosh it away. It hold its ground and continued feeding on the mealworms at the port.

It is a common reptile in pristine montane environment like  in Ulu Kali sometimes sunbathing in the open. Food must be scarce here as it daringly came out amongst the birds here.

Video of the reptile feeding at the log

Avian Sighting January 2019 - Yet another Siberian Blue Robin

 AhLong have setup a new stakeout in the open at the gate.He mentioned this first winter juvenile SBR has been frequenting the port for the past few weeks now.

With the bountiful moths at the Radar station the birds only come to feed at the port in the later hours. So now you can see them at almost every places that  I gone to namely BT Lancang ,TBSA..... Usually it is on its own. This young bird may stay for a year or so. This is a first time a SBR  is seen here I think............

There is a pair of Mugimaki lurking around and they do come out to feed when ever they feel safe. The male stayed away that morning as the female was rather agressive which AhLong says will chase it away. Maybe it is a immature young male. There was also a glass kill at the guard post again. Told AhLong to put some banding sticker to minimise the incident. 

The other resident birds that were active there were the Mesia,  Black-throated Sunbird Mountain Bulbul No good pictures here due to the windy and misty condition that morning

Later at Awana trail I encounter  this Asian Brown which was obliging me with some 30 ft closeup shots in the open. The place was rather quiet during noon time. 

Starling 6/10 - Common Starling aka European Starling (Lifer 520)

This would be the mega lifer for a start  in 2019  in Malaysia. News came late and I am not sure what Starling it was until TK who message me it the European Starling aka Common Starling that has landed in Port Klang Selangor. With the confirmation I took  time off  from my work immediately to tick this  vagrant lifer to Malaysia. Reaching the port  there were many birders there already. You just shoot it from the car. So a beanbag or improvised pillow will do as the can come close to 30-50 ft of your car. If  a birder embark and set up their tripod they then  keep away.

There was only a single  juvenile/first winter   bird following several Rosy Starlings. The latter are also uncommon Starling to see in Peninsula.

Apparently it is a "lapsup" bird in Europe which you can see in the thousands murmuring across open  and suburbs country land. Based on my Field Guide they do land in South East Asia countries of Northern part of Thailand until Myammar & Tonkin  side but never down to Peninsula. My only suspect is the recent monsoon storm  "Baduk" that had brought it to our shore. So guys this  is first record for Peninsula and you should not miss this once a life time sighting!

There was a single non-breeding Common Starling amongst Rosy Starlings which it follow around. This vagrant is most likely a native of northern hemisphere namely Eurasia and is found throughout Europe, northern Africa (from Morocco to Egypt), India (mainly in the north but regularly extending further south and extending into the Maldives) Nepal, the Middle East including Syria, Iran, and Iraq and north-western China. Until somebody tag it and see where it is land on its return trip then only we will now.

Wiki extract: The common starling is a highly gregarious species, especially in autumn and winter. Although flock size is highly variable, huge, noisy flocks - murmurations - may form near roosts. These dense concentrations of birds are thought to be a defence against attacks by birds of prey such as peregrine falcons or Eurasian sparrowhawks. Flocks form a tight sphere-like formation in flight, frequently expanding and contracting and changing shape, seemingly without any sort of leader. Each common starling changes its course and speed as a result of the movement of its closest neighbours.

Very large roosts, exceptionally up to 1.5 million birds, can form in city centres, woodlands or reedbeds, causing problems with their droppings. These may accumulate up to 30 cm (12 in) deep, killing trees by their concentration of chemicals. In smaller amounts, the droppings act as a fertiliser, and therefore woodland managers may try to move roosts from one area of a wood to another to benefit from the soil enhancement and avoid large toxic deposits.

Photo shoot with Coolpix P1000 Tv1/160 post edited.

Avian Field Report January 2019 - Sg Congkak Hulu Langat

Hoping to see the Japanese Paradise Flycatcher on its return leg from down of Peninsula; I was at Sg Congkak to check out the place and the Rbkf Port. The place is still intact and birders continue to visit during the weekend. Got to meet a new acquiantance Hi Chang u r on candid camera. Mingloh was there too and another 3 birders who I am not familiar.

Chang is a newbie but his gear is pro aka Nikon 200-500mm D500

 The Rufous-backed Kingfisher is active again at its port. Looks like they are in  mating mode already in the month of January as the male was seen in its ritual  to impress its mate with its catch and deliverance. The female stayed about 80 ft away from our position while the male was feeding itself and bringing fish to the female on several occasion.

The female  have a more prominant eye patch lores than the male

The effervescent colors of the RBKf is just beautiful when sunlight hits its body. Picture on the right

The male got a fish for deliverance..............

The female staying a bit away waited to be fed. 

Feeding time

Come March there will be more activity of nesting building and hatching activity here in Congkak. Many broadbills like the Dusky and Black & Yellow were calling aloud but not responding to our mimmick calls. Probably mating season is here already. Even the Black Magpie is seen gathering nesting material ..........

Some would have started building nest whilst other are just being amorous and affection. So there are plenty to see soon here in Congkak i the coming months

The Yellow-rumped flycatcher was my first time sighting at the port. Normally it stays away from the local birds unlike the APfc which will follow the locals in birdwave. The YRfc  was not obliging to stay long as the guys were sitting openingly and too near the perch. So guys if you really want better shots do bring some camo netting  or hide. I was using a Camo ponco. This was my only perch shot I got for the day from close up.

 The other first  here is the Grey-headed babblers visiting the port. They only come late in the morning from 11 am onwards. It was a good shoot-out as the lighting is much better. Apparently they tranverse a large area and they stop by only once or twice before moving on. So you got to be patient and wait till afternoon if necessary. Thank DO for the heads-up

The family of 5










The uncommon bird here in Congkak is this  Rufous-tailed Tailorbird  which stayed away at a 50 ft range. This was my best picture of the 30 odd shots. The last I seen this bird was way back in 2012. The common one you can see here is the dark-necked. RTT is a tidy clean looking bird and some people also call it the rufous-crowned or red-headed



The Orange-headed Thrush finally have the guts to feed on the perch late in the morning after many of the guys have left the port. Chang and I set up our poncho hide by then. It came only twice and kept to the background the whole morning earlier.

























The other regulars that we  manage to see and shoot  that morning were as below :-

Starling 7/10 - White-shouldered Starling (lifer 519)

It was a bonus lifer catch in Pulau Indah Selangor whilst shooting the "uncommon" Common Starling. The White-shouldered Starling was always in my wanted list after the sighting at Malim Nawar Perak for the past years. Starlings are gregarious in nature in their native breeding ground where they flocks in the hundreds or even thousands. The only Starlings that comes in hundreds to Malaysia  are the Daurian aka Purple-backed during the months of Nov-Mar.

My encounter here in central peninsula Malaysia was a pair of WST. Apparently they do not mix with the other Starlings and kept to themselves in the  other tree. The bird from afar can be mistaken for the Daurian. The  give away  feature of this bird  is their whitish orangy eyes.

The right bird with a bigger white patch on its wings is the male

I was about 120-150 feet away in my car when David and I spotted the pair. Luckily my P1000 was able to capture some static pictures here after much post editing. My XT-2 failed me here. So I must say the P1000 do come in handy as a secondary camera when I am out birding always.

Now is to wait for the Chestnut-cheeked and Braminy Starlings to drop by next year after their present up north last year or so............They are also rather rare migrant/winter visitors  to  Malaysia.

Wader Egret 4/4 - Chinese Egret (Lifer 518)

Chinese Egret

 The bluish tinge to its nostril face is the tell tale of a Chinese Egret. It has thicker neck  as compared to the Intermediate and Great. It is slight the size of the Intermediate Egret minus the long neck. Photo taken in November last year 2018.

Great Egret with its long and slender neck outstreched

This is another egret having a rather dark broad dagger liked beak which I cannot really identify but point to  a  Pacific white morph ...........

Avian Field Report January 2019 - Japanese Garden Bukit Tinggi

As a weekend birder I expect many visitors to this popular birding enclave in Bukit Tinggi. Sometimes we also shoot the other kind of pretty "bird" She is Thai by the way... The advantage is with my telezoom we can shoot them discreetly from afar.

The boomgate-entrance to the Japanese Garden is now under lock and key. So you guys wanting to escape paying by reaching the guard post in the wee morning....  no more chance fellow birders. So just drive straight to Colmar reception  and pay up and they will  send the SO to open up the boomgate for you. Anyway the charge is now RM16.00 pax which include free entrance to the animal park at the golf course. WTFlower.

Today my purpose to the hill station is to check out the winter visiting birds in the month of January 2019. At past 7.30am I was already set up at the post with my overnite packed breakfast and Essensso coffee. The  first bird awaiting there was this confiding Orange-headed thrush. It was in fighting mood with the local Sharma. The pair of Sharmas were very skittish making hit and run  feeding whilst the OHT  stayed longer during its hourly interval appearance.

The minute or so staring confrontation at the tree trunk....eventually the OHT attacked the Sharma but the Sharma retaliate and chase the former into the fringe undergrowth.

Coming to about 8.00 am WC and Sebastien with a threesome of Japanese bird photogs arrived. Shortly after  a foursome of resident Ferruginous Partridge appeared to their delight. I think 1 adults and 3 offsprings. Only one Mountain Peocock Pheasant was seen for the whole morning. I wonder where the rest have gone to. Later another two local birders then drop by quite late at about 8.30am and the place was full. The action pick up as the bird take turns to come out and feed. At 10.00 am with no new sightings I decided to explore the trail up front  for any lifers especially Scaly Thrush or White-throated. Instead I got the company of an amorous male Red-bearded following me which I have posted previously.

The male partridge always on the look out for any harm to its offsprings 

Two young siblings are always together. No spurs were seen

This is the patriarch  with its 2 spurs on one side

This could be a young male coming of age on its own 

The second winter visitor  that showed up was this rather fine specimen which can be seen at Bukit Rengit lowland forest and even TBSA . Notice that the thigh feather have a tinge of blue feathers

The Artic Warbler are the most common warbler to be seen during the migration period.

Surprisingly there were no visiting flycatchers sighted during my visit there. Maybe because the Black-thighed Falconet was there. It was sallying across the trail catching and feeding on butterflies as bigger preys are not available I guess. BTW I have witness BTF feeding on little flycatcher.

The amorous male with its splendous color and its purplish pink forehead fringes