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MikeBirder - Malaysian Birds

Hi

Welcome to my Malaysian Birding Blog. I migrated to blogspot.com as my blog at multiply.com closed shop in 2012. I wish to showcase all Malaysian birds that I have photographed whether here or overseas. My countdown of lifers started in 2005. Coming to Oct 2022 my countdown of lifers photograph has reached
559/688 species of birds of Malaysia in photos.

My shooting gear was a EF400mm f4 DO lens and Canon 7D body which to me is the ideal setup for mobility and bird chasing at that time. Eventhen the weight over my shoulder is more that 5.5 kg. As of June 2016 I have also acquired a Fuji XF 100-400mm OIS lens to complement my travelling cum birding trip overseas. My Fuji X-T2 went kaput recently and I upgraded to the X-T5 in 2023 ; the weight over my shoulder is much lighter now by 30%. In December 2018 I acquired the Nikon Coolpix P1000 as supplementary camera for distance shooting of 3000mm.
Fuji have finally made available their new XF 200-600mm lens which I yet to decide to spend another RM10,000. As for Fuji body I will stop with X-T5 36megapixel ..........

I am a weekend birder. Do feel free to drop me a line at mikebirding@gmail.com and I see whether you can tag along in my outings. My usual day trip is just an hour ride away to Hulu Langat, Lancang, Kemensah, Krau, Awana, Hulu Kali, Gombak Ole Road, Fraser's Hill , Bukit Tinggi and KSNP & Coastal Sg Janggut Jeram side of the coast . Overnite trip to Merapoh & Cameron, Air Hitam and further north to Kuala Sidim is a seldom affair but for lifer we travel. Panti in Johor is another good birding site that I yet to go. Then there are the Borneo birds of Sabah and Sarawak of Malaysia which I seriously much go to chalk up more lifers. This I did in 2018 to Sepilok Sandakan and Kinabalu Park. Next Danum and LahatDatu.......

WARNING Birding is an addiction once you started its hard to stop. The wifey and children are now birding widow and orphan.

ALL PHOTOS IN THIS BLOG ARE COPYRIGHT OF MIKEBIRDER. KINDLY SEEK PERMISSION FROM THE OWNER IF YOU want to use them for commercial purposes.

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Monday 21 January 2019

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.

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