Iora (3/3) August 2020 - Great Iora (Lifer 542)

 

Finally a fluke appearance of a subadult or  a variant male Great Iora made the trip down  Negeri Sembilan worthwhile. Thanks Tokki for the heads up.

The bird pop out from nowhere as I shouted out  "iora" when  we were shooting a pair of Yuhina or rather Erpornis at a fruiting tree. Scrutinising the wings whether it is plain olive grey.  I was hoping it is a Great.  It sat silently for about a minute or so well behind some foliage in the middle story without calling; just looking at me and the gang . Felt  sorry for Richie who did not manage to sight it nor shoot it from a close distance of 40 ft even as I tried pointing out the yellow bird up on tree. Must bring a laser pointer liao.

The past few years I have tried to get it in Grik Perak a few time but no show. Then David got it in Krau Pahang this year at the bridge side where the Malaysian Blue Fc is often seen. Again no luck then.

The Great Iora is not really that big a bird. It is slightly larger than the other 2 subspecies. It has a sizeable beak like a scimitar babbler though and it wings have no white barring but a tinge of yellow. Its yellow eyering is less conspicuous compare to the others. Usually the adult have blackish head and mane. 

News on this birds

Latest new sighting at Sg Perdik UluLangat in March 2021 by Xialim 

Wader (60/70) August 2020 - White-headed Stilt aka Pied Stilt (Lifer 541)

 

The Pied Stilt or White-headed was always in my look out's list during the migratory period which starts as early as August till December in Peninsula. When news came from TK that there is a sighting here in Sg Balang; it was a no wait and see situation but to drive 170km from KL asap just in case the lifer leaves the spot which did happen for the Wooly, and Glossy Ibis.

It looks like the breeding plumage of the BW Stilt except for its pure white head and body and distinct black mane up to the back of its head. I would note that its head is more rounded (maybe because of the mane) and its beak a bit upturn. It would feed amongst the waterbirds here in the plowed section of the padi fields. It supposed to be smaller but I saw its aggressive behavior of chasing away a BW stilt during a feeding session.

It was the first record in pictures  here in Muar or rather Peninsula Malaysia according to the resident birder, Thank to Ang for his assist.

Below  as a comparison of the more common visitor  the Black-winged Stilt which have oblong head and dirtied white head and inconspicious mane. 

Jungle flycatcher (3/5) August 2020 - Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher (Lifer 540)

In Peninsula Malaysia we can sight 2 subspecies of Jungle Flycatchers. This one here is a resident of Malaysia virgin jungle. whilst the Brown-chested is a winter migrant visitor. The Fulvous Jungle Flycatcher has not being recorded  in  Malaysia as far as I know but in Southern Thailand and Borneo.

We were lucky to  see a pair during our last hour there.

The bird has a pure white triangular throat patch and the chest is buff to grey in color.  Its also has pale lores  with pale brownish eyering. The beak is totally black and they have pale legs.

I will need to go to Borneo Sabah to  see the other two lifers namely the Fulvous and Rufous -tailed .

 

DUCK 11/15 January 2020 - Spot-billed Duck (lifer 538)

I am never good in BIF shooting. Maybe its my Fuji XT-2; which is never meant to be for shooting birds in flight. In Ang Trapeang Thom most of the time you be shooting from the hip and from the sampan. Richard's OMD 1-X should do better on that day but I cannot say about Den's   EF500mm heavy bazooka. I guess he can only watch. Sad. We agreed that bird watching or digiscoping is more suited in Siem Reap as the birds are way too far from us.

Well a lifer is a lifer no matter how blur it is for me. My camera I think have some metering issue Even when I was shooting at 1/2000-4000. the pictures are not good in exposure and blur. Damn I really need to save up to convert to OLYMPUS........... 

WARBLER 11/15 January 2020 - Lanceolated Warbler (lifer 537)

The Lanceolated Warbler is a rare migrant to Malaysia. Its a matter of you going out to grasslands and open fields with thorny shrub and bushy undergrowth. Warblers are usually skittish and sulking. You may have to call it out as they usually curiously expose themselves if you are lucky............

The latest record sighting of this bird was by my fellow perak birder Zhong in Langkap padi fields  in Dec 2019

FLYCATCHER 29/30 Jan2020 - Taiga Flycatcher (Lifer 536)

The last time it visited us in Peninsula was in Air Hitam Dalam Seberang Perai. It stayed for a good period of 8 weeks or so. I missed the chance to shoot it then as it is a bit way off and far from KL. By the time I was back in Alor Setar for a family occasion the bird was already missing.

Later back in SiemReap I manage to be acquianted with another  pair at close distance of 20 ft. It appears to be quite common here.

WARBLER 10/15 Jan 2020 - Two-barred Warbler (Lifer 534)

Possible sighting of this bird in Peninsula during winter migration period from Nov-Jan; are at submontane hills of Awana Genting, Fraser Hill and Cameron Highland. Usually they would be tagging  along with a birdwave of the local birds.

WARBLER 9/15 Jan 2020 - Dusky Warbler (lifer 533)

Another Malaysian lifer from SiemReap. It is considered rare sighting in Malaysia. Unlike Cambodia which have plenty of grassland and open fields Malaysia have ex-tin mining areas and  pockets of scrub land near wet areas like  padi fields, mangrove  or jungle fringe.  Conducive  habitat for warblers can be found  in Langkap Perak, Kuala Gula Perak, Matang side Malim Nawar, KSNP Jeram side and Seberang Perai.

Dusky Warbler is a bit drabby and plain.  Adults resembles Artic Warbler but has greying -brown upperpart but has dark to greyish-brown uppperparts and its wings have no barring unlike the latter. Its underpart is dirty-whitish  and buffish on its breast side and flanks and undertail coverts.

WADER 59/60 Jan 2020 - Bronze-winged Jacana (Lifer 532)

The Bronze-winged Jacana is mostly sighted in the northern part of Peninsula in Chuping Perlis side. It is a yearly ritual there. There is also record of nesting at the reservoir  and chicks were seen together with the parents birds.

This is how far the bird is....

As for my find I have to travel to SiemReap to shoot it. It is more common to see in Thailand wetlands. Over here the birds are skittish and stay afar from humans. Luckily I got my P1000 came in handy in getting a record shot of my next lifer of the year which my Fuji XF100-400mm failed because of the distance of the bird across the pond.

WADER 58/60 / Stork Jan 2020 - Woolly-necked Stork (Lifer 531)

Woolly-necked or White-necked are widespread tropical species which breeds in Africa, and also in Asia from India to Indonesia. It is a resident breeder in wetlands with trees. The large stick nest is built in a forest tree, and 2-5 eggs form the typical clutch. This stork is usually silent, but indulges in mutual bill-clattering when adults meet at the nest.

The Woolly-necked Stork is a broad winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained long distance flight. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched.

The Woolly-necked Stork is a large bird, typically 85cm tall. It is all black except for the woolly white neck and white lower belly. The upperparts are glossed dark green, and the breast and belly have a purple hue. Juvenile birds are duller versions of the adult.

This is another first I think for Peninsula Malaysia which recorded a lone vagrant landed and sighted together with a bunch of Openbills at Sg Balang side. It was a Mega lifer for a few birders who chance on the bird then. It did not stay long and had gone astray with the Openbills. I did make several journeys down but it did not return. 

Usually, it will roost on treetop or high building. It most probably feeds on riverbanks for now  until the padi fields are planted and wet  and there are more preys of fish, frogs and large insects. It would be natural to chance of it again in March-April on its return leg....maybe in Malim Nawar and Seberang Prai.

As for my catch it was in Cambodia when our Guide saw it while driving along the track to T . With our camera ready

I was already shooting from the car before we alighted from our 4x4 to shoot handheld. The Olympus with 1200mm reach  and IS 7.5 times would fair better than my Fuji limited 600mm reach. Den as usual with his EF 500mm  needs to set up his tripod before really get to shoot it. 

For the find   I really had to tip  Rana as to me its a mega Malaysian lifer. It was a 200ft distance shooting from our road track in the late afternoon. We cannot go nearer thru the thick ground

THRUSH 10/13 January 2020 - Grey-sided Thrush ( lifer 530)

This is another unexpected bird to see a Grey-sided Thrush here. In fact it is a first record sighting for Malaysia. The nearest it came down from China North-East Hebei Shanxi side is Thailand's Kaeng Krachan National Park.

So this season we have bear much excitement amongst local birders and Singapore. The Grey-sided thrush is rather aggressive and dominant when feeding at the port. It will chase away all the other birds like the laughing thrushes, Niltavas and the bunch of 5 Siberian thrushes on the day of my visit.

Frankly I like the tidy look of this  plain bird compared to the other thrushes you can see here.

Apparently, there is a pair sighted  recently and that is another record.

Many fellow bird photogs have posted the bird already but I lagged behind for the sake of the bird. Thrushes are common to the submontane jungle of Ulu Kali. Usually they are on passage to the lowland and further south of Peninsula.

Pratincole 2/2 January 2020 - Little Pratincole (Lifer 529 )

Started the Year with some lifers as the migratory arrival is at the tail end. One of the sorts after is this Little Pranticole. The last sighting here was also at the same spot in 2016. That time there were 5 of them then. But early this year there is only a sole bird roosting on the rocky area in the open. I hope there are still some laggards to join it. It is sometime called  Small Pratincole and it was also photographed in Kampar Perak side in 2014. So it is not every year that you can see it in Malaysia. 

They are resident of India, Sri Lanka, Indo-China upto Thailand. It breeds from Dec-Mar on graveland sand banks near rivers and lakes. The bird is about 6-7 inches in length and can be confused with swifts and swallow as they also hawk for flying insects. It is categorized as a Wader though.

This bird has short legs, long pointed wings and a short tail. Its short bill is an adaptation to aerial feeding. On the ground, it looks mainly pale grey (hence lactea, milky). The crown of the head is brown. The wings are grey above with black primaries and black and white bars at the rear edge of the inner flight feathers. The underwings are mainly black. The tail is white with a black terminal triangle. The belly is white.

I would really like to thank Eric T for the head-up & insight on how to approach  and maneuver to shoot this bird in the open. In the morning as I reach the locale; I  met Chris of Semenyih who tell me that I missed it about an hour ago as I only reached the place at about 9.00am. I was adamant to wait till evening for its return as I kept my finger cross. Every hour or so I return to the spot but no sign of it. By 12 noon I decided to go for my brunch in town and try again in the afternoon session. On my return about 2.00pm I spotted a small bird in the middle of the track with my bino about 100m away. In the hazy condition I can profile it as a pratincole and thank my lucky star. 

It is surprising that the bird did not budge from its roost as I slowly approach it from the far side of the track. At about 200ft away the MO is to squat down and do the duck walk at every 10-20 feet interval and  shoot and then moving nearer again. Do not walk tall and hastily towards it. I also used the low hedges as the in-between the bird so that I was less intimidating. 

Even though  lighting was harsh in the afternoon I am happy to get some good photos for the less than half hour session as I back off  to my car without stressing the bird I hope.

Ok now I can close the chapter on Pratincole species for Malaysia. Wait a minute now they saying there s another vagrant from Aussie-  Australian Pratincole..... aiyoh have to reopen book