Avian Sighting March 2019 - Montane Minla

The Barred-throated Minla also known as the Chestnut-tailed is a regularly seen bird in the highlands. The one shot here is a fine specimen with a rather long tail with a roughen up back. The bird usually feeds in a family of two or more. Birders never get bored to shoot this colorful bird whenever it appears. These are my best and sharpest shots so far in the open................

Their ample food is the bountiful half-dead moths that are found dangling or fallen to the ground here. 

Above photo showing the chestnut tail which really not obvious. I would preferred the bar-throated name.

Robin 4/5 - Rufous-headed Robin (Lifer 521)

This will be my best lifer for 2019 as this is a rare vagrant from China Sichuan - probably  Jiuzhaigou National Park. The Rusty-naped lost out here.  It is supposedly the third time sighting in Peninsula Malaysia. The last sighting was in Gunung Brinchang some decades back. It is also called the Red-headed Robin. Hope the migrants keep coming. Yes, a Yellow-browed Warbler was also sighted here in Genting. Wish its the Hume's a split but no record to Malaysia yet.

I posted this earlier but pulled it down on request by MNS and fellow DB to give some privacy to the bird. I actually don't mind sharing the find but the big issue is those unethical bird photogs and bird guide who want perfect shots for themselves or their paying guest who will starts manipulating the natural habitat.

RHR is a plumb robin and it is slightly larger 15cm compared to the slender Siberian Blue 14cm. The latter is shown in comparison. Most of the time the Siberian Blue is the dominant one at the port. But one time saw it chasing away the latter at the port when the Siberian blue stayed too long there.

Immature SBR

Immature RHR 

The weather in March is getting hot in Malaysia. I even saw a Stripe throated bulbul so high up in Genting. There was plenty of action here and birders are gathering in the dozen to tick off this easy lifer. A pair of Siberian Blue Thrush were also feeding regularly at the port.

LATEST NEWS 10th March 2019 : the port has been blocked because somebody posted a photo of birders with the Gate & Radar in the background. This happens previously a few years back when somebody shoot a birding documentary  around the radar station  which eventually got the place fenced up till today. Sorry guys  please be tactful on your posting. Eventually we birders will be the losers. 

Anyway back to this rare visitor. The bird we saw is a 1st winter male with its whitish flaky throat. We hope it will stay long till next year for it to mature to its beautiful plumage. The male has a rufous-chestnut crown, ear-coverts, and nape; black from lores and mid-eye to neck side and across upper breast, enclosing broad white chin and throat.  The female has no bluish tinge coat and its tail is a warm brown over. Some would have identify it as a female SBR if not for the whitish throat.

Breaking News 20th March 2019
I was informed that the bird has moved on and no longer seen at the port.......😌

Avian Sighting February 2019 - Lesser Coucal

There were 2  pair of these large birds in Pulau Indah. For the many time I was there in Jan-Feb I sighted it without fail along the track between the steel  foundry.  It can as closed as 50 feet away

 The tiniest of grassbird Zitting Cisticola with its cheery chirping is a tough bird to shoot here or grassland for the matter. It never let me come close to it even from my car.

A dozen or so Oriental Pranticole have landed here too in February . They are in full breeding plummage.  They do breed here in Malaysia.

Still searching for the Richard's but I only got the common one.....................

 Well I have to wait for next season again.......................

Avian Event 2-3 March 2019 - For Birding Enthusiasts and Freshies

This is a very good opportunity  for startup birders to try out all the camera setup by  Olympus to Fuji amongst the bigger players . So guys you can shoot in real time and then decide to buy in the gear 

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.