CHESTNUT-CROWNED LAUGHINGTHRUSH

Date: 27 December 2018

Time: Morning

Location: Fraser's Hill

Local Name: Rimba Kepala Merah

Spot: 10 meters into the jungle

Distance: Approx. 6-7 meters

Behaviour: Solitary, searching for food on the ground

CHRISTMAS NILTAVA (UPDATED)

Date: 25 December 2018
Time: Morning
Location: Fraser's Hill
Local Name: Sambar Kubung Padi
Spot: 10 meters into the jungle
Distance: Approx. 6 meters away
Behaviour: Just stopping by and perching. Came with a female friend.

Male Large Niltava

Flash was used when it got too dark. The flash brings out the colors of the feathers.

Female Niltava 

Cheers, happy holidays to all birders.

ORANGE-BELLIED LEAFBIRD

Date: 24 December 2018
Time: About noon
Location: Fraser's Hill
Local Name: Burung Daun Perut Oren
Spot: Approx. 3 meters from the jungle edge and up 5 meters on a big tree.
Distance: Approx. 10 meters away
Behaviour: Building a nest.

Today my birding started around 11.30 a.m by visiting my favourite spots along the Telekom Loop road. The day was overcast as it has been raining for the last couple of days with intermittent light rain.  My first spot did not produce anything. My second spot was near a private garage of an abandoned holiday house (never seen anyone here for so many years even though it still looks good). This spot was more lively with a few species of birds like Crows, Black-throated Sunbird, and Orange-bellied Leafbirds. I managed to photograph a female Orange-bellied Leafbird bringing food back to her nest on a big tree.

The bird noticed me standing below with a long lens pointing at her, snapping away a few shots, and was quite uneasy jumping around and making loud chirping sound. I think she was telling me to go away and leave her alone. The light was very low and without a flash it was quite hard to get  clear pictures, some more using an f8.0 lens combination. Below are some shots for your viewing.

My third spot along the Telekom Loop road did not produce anything. I could not complete my birding further along the loop road as it was closed halfway due to landslides. I drove to the Remnant Trail but it too was closed by the Forest Management due to landslides. My birding came to an end at 3.00 p.m due to heavy rain and thick mist afterwards.

Looks like I have to continue my birding tomorrow, the Christmas Day. For those celebrating Christmas, have a merry Christmas.

Cheers.

CUTE PACIFIC SWALLOWS

Date: 23 December 2018
Time: Afternoon
Location: Frasers Hill
Local Name: Layang-layang Pasifik
Spot: On the roof of my hotel
Distance: Approx. 6-7 meters away
Behaviour: Resting and basking in the sunlight

FULL MOON OVER FRASER'S HILL

Date: 22 December 2018

First night after arriving in Fraser's Hill for my last birding trip for year 2018. I did not do any birding at all for the first day as I was tired after two hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. There is no rush as I am going to be here for at least a week and I have photographed most of the birds seen here, except for a few rare ones. Those are what I am after for this trip.

However, during the first night the moon over the hill was full and bright. As the sky was clear I could not just ignore it. So, I took my Canon 5DMK3 with Canon 400 F5.6 and 1.4x teleconverter, and tried to shoot it handheld as my tripod was in the car. It was quite a heavy combination and without image stabilisation in the Canon 400 F5.6, any camera shake will produce a blurred picture. So, I set the shutter speed to 1/1000 sec, set the ISO at 200, aperture at F8.0 controlled my breathing and gently pressed the shutter button a few times.

I was quite pleased with the result considering I shot it handheld without IS and heavy set. Tomorrow I will start my birding, lets see if i get lucky finding rare birds to photograph.

Cheers. Happy holidays.

AN UNEXPECTED GUEST - CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE

Date: 1 November 2018
Time: Morning
Location: Segambut area, KL
Local Name: Helang Kuik
Spot: Wooded area in my neighbourhood
Distance: Approx. 30-40 meters
Behaviour: Perching scouting for food

I have been birding for quite sometime and been to quite a few far away places to search and photograph birds for my blog. Sometimes i came back with a few shots of new species, but sometimes not at all. Luck plays an important role in whether i come back with something to show or nothing at all even with all my planning, strategy and techniques. You just got to be at the right place and at the right time. How many times did some of us come across a perching bird on a light pole that we have been searching for ages when we did not have our gear in hand? Taking a photo with our camera phones just will not do.

My luck changed for the better on Monday just before i had a quick breakfast at the cafe in my condo. Every morning i usually have my breakfast at the cafe in my condo facing a plot of greenery yet to be developed. I get to see a few species like Black-naped Orioles, Common Mynas, Bee Eaters, Spotted Doves, Eurasian Sparrows, Crows or Bulbuls frequenting this spot. However, this particular morning i noticed something different perching on the branch of a dead tree. Initially i thought it was a monkey, but my wife and son told me it could be a bird, maybe an owl. It was like 30 to 40 meters away and i could not see clearly as my vision is not as good as before, normal as we get older. My son took a photo with his phone and enlarged the photo, true it was a big bird. The kind i did not see before in my neighborhood.

I got excited and not sure whether i should eat my breakfast first as i did not have much time before going to work, or scrambled up to my unit and get my 5D3 with 560mm lens(400mm x 1.4x tele-converter). I did the later but without bringing my tripod. I took a few shots while panting and short of breath. I was creating a scene and some residents started to come and see what the commotion was all about!

I was happy to get some good shots of the bird to post here for your viewing. Initially i thought it was an owl which i have not had any luck to photograph until now, instead it was a Crested-serpent Eagle. It is a very beautiful and majestic bird i have to say.

One thing i learned from this episode is to expect the unexpected. We go to far away places to look for them but they might just drop by at our door unexpectedly. It is just lady luck giving us a break.

I wish lady luck give me a break with owls.

Till next time, happy birding.

BAR-WINGED FLYCATCHER SHRIKE

Date: 12th August 2018
Time: Morning
Location: Frasers Hill
Local Name: Rembah Bukit Sayap Putih
Spot: By the roadside on a fern tree
Distance: Approx.5 meters away
Behaviour: Alone. Searching for food

I SEE GREEN - GREEN MAGPIE

Date: 13th August 2018
Time: Morning
Location: Frasers Hill
Local Name: Gagak Gunung Hijau
Spot: Up on the hill slope
Distance: Approx. 12-15 meters away
Behaviour: Perching and eating insects

BLUE NUTHATCH RETURNS

Date: 13th August 2018
Time: Noon
Location: Frasers Hill
Local name: Burung Patuk Gunung
Spot: Half way down to Jeriau Waterfall
Distance: Approx. 20 meters
Behaviour: Searching for insects up and down a tall tree trunk

I have to tell you that this tiny bird was so difficult to find and photograph. You just have to be at the right spot looking at the right tree trunk at the right time. To make it more difficult to photograph it crawled downward around the tree trunk very fast looking for insects at a very high elevation. The autofocus has to be spot-on and quick. Out of around twenty shots I took only these two are good enough for posting here. I should have used my flash and extender to get better details of this cute little bird but there was not enough time. It came, it crawled up and down and around and then it disappeared.

Thanks for viewing. Happy birding.

STREAKED SPIDERHUNTER SHOWTIME

Date: 12th August 2018
Time: about noon
Location: Frasers Hill
Local name: Kelicap Jantung Gunung
Spot: By the roadside
Distance: Approx. 6 meters
Behaviour: Alone, searching for flowers nectar

CHESTNUT-CAPPED/SPECTACLED LAUGHINGTHRUSH

Date: 5th August 2018
Time: Afternoon
Location: Frasers Hill
Local Name: Rimba Mata Putih
Spot: By the roadside
Distance: Approx. 6-7 meters away
Behaviour: Part of a wave searching for food

EGG FOR BREAKFAST

Location: Jelai Resort, Frasers Hill
Date: 5th August 2018
Species: Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush

LUNCH

Location: Frasers Hill
Date: 20 July 2018
Species: Oriental Magpie-Robin

JUST PERCHING

Location: Frasers Hill
Date: 20 July 2018
Species: Drongo

GROOMING TIME

Location: Frasers Hill

Species: Orange-breasted Oriole

Date: 21 July 2018