LUTFIALI BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY

13 March 2024

COLLARED OWLET

Date: 9th March 2024

Time: 3.00 p.m

Location: Frasers Hill

In my last post i mentioned that i was trying my best to add any species of Owl to my photographed wild bird species list, and i have to admit it is easier said than done. I have tried for so many years looking for them either during the night or daytime, but luck was not on my side. I did get tips from some birders and locals on their last spotted locations but still to no avail.

So last Saturday 9th March 2024 i thought of to go for one last outing before the fasting month of Ramadhan started just trying my luck. It was a hot Saturday that day on the Frasers Hill with temperature hanging around 35 Celcius, which is due to the hot season lately. Since there were not many birds around i decided to make my lunch and have a cup of coffee not far from Hemmant Trail junction. At around 3.00p.m some birders were in a hurry to go to a spot nearby. One came to me telling me a Collared Owlet was spotted on a tree right next to the road. I grabbed my 7D2 with Sigma 150-500 lens and rushed to the spot.

It was very difficult to locate the Owlet using my 8 x 42 Bushnell Legend binoculars with the sun blazing in my eyes. I had to adjust my angle of view a few times until i saw this tiny species of owl. Its camouflage feathers just blend in the tree trunk perfectly. It size must be not more than 8 inches head to tail i think. It just stood there between the branches at about 8 feet high from the ground wondering who are these people below, with long lenses and taking its picture and ruining its privacy. I manged to take a few shots for record. My 7D2 and Sigma lens was hunting for the right focus through the tree leaves and branches. But i was happy to get at least the shots below to share here. After about 15 minutes it flew away to some trees across the road. It was difficult to spot the Owlet as the trees canopy were thick.

COLLARED OWLET

Now that i have managed to add this Collared Outlet to my photographed wild bird species list, my next mission is to photograph another species called Wooded Brown Owl, which was reported by some birders to have been spotted along the Bishop Trail on the Frasers Hill.

Till then, happy birding.

30 January 2024

BLYTH'S HAWK-EAGLE

Location: Frasers Hill, Pahang

Date: December 2023

These are just record shots of this lonely Blyth's Hawk-Eagle perching on a tree in a ravine near the entrance of the Bishop Trail. The day was very misty so it was difficult to get a clear shot. The next day i went to the same spot but she was not there anymore. So in life you take what you can get while it is there. I will get another opportunity next time for a better shot i am sure of it.

Happy birding

29 September 2023

EGRETS IN KOTA KINABALU, SABAH.

Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, East Malaysia

Date: 6th September 2023

It has been a long time since my last post in 2020. I have been trying to catch up to normality after Covid19 restriction was lifted in September 2021. Birding became the second priority as work and personal life have become more of a survival.

In the early September this year i had the chance to travel to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to attend my daughter's graduation at UITM about 30 minutes drive outside Kota Kinabalu. On the way there along the coast drive i noticed a swampy area or a lagoon opposite a beautiful Mosque , full of Egrets and some Cormorants. You see, i had been to Kota Kinabalu on two occasions before, both without my camera gear which i regretted. This time i brought with me my faithful Canon 5D3 paired with Canon 70-300L lens, not the most powerful combination but weight was an issue when traveling by plane.

The swampy area was quite large and most of the birds were like 50 to 100 plus meters away. There was a grassy area between the edge of the road to the edge of the water, but since there was a sign warning of crocodiles' presence, i did not dare to go closer to the edge of the water to get better shots of the Egrets. So, you have to forgive me that most of the shots were heavily cropped.

This photo shows the area of the swamp/lagoon/wetland. On the right behind the row of trees is where the coastal road located. The main Kota Kinabalu city centre is like a few kilometers behind those buildings.

There was a sign warning the presence of crocodiles in this area. I think i could take better shots

if i could stand near the sign.

Egrets were all over the area, Cormorants too.

A group of Cormorants can be seen on the left side of this photo.

A Cormorant having issues with an Egret.

An Egret looking for fish.

She managed to catch a small fish.

She happily flew away with her catch for lunch.

This Egret was still looking for her lunch

I was quite happy that i managed to do a bit of birding for the first time in Sabah after three trips including this one. Sabah is a big state in East Malaysia along with Sarawak. It is just not possible to cover such a vast area with just three visits. Maybe one day i will come back and cover the islands.

Until then, thanks for reading, happy birding to you all.

Tomorrow i might go to the Frasers Hills after 9 months absence! Lets see if there is anything i can shoot and post here,

Bye.

1 September 2020

POST COVID 19 BIRDING

Hi all birders, hope you are all safe.

It has been a while since i last went birding, i think it was 16th March 2020, two days before the Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced throughout Malaysia due to the spread of Covid19 virus. Nothing much we all could do since the whole world is dealing with this pandemic still. Even before that i personally was struggling with an issue of blurry vision due to cataract in both eyes, to the point i almost gave up birding and was thinking of selling off my gear. However, i decided to go for the eye laser treatment in July to remove the cataract, and whala!..the whole world looks crystal clear again, 20/20 vision...i could spot the birds in the tree canopies and bushes again. I feel like i was reborn.

So, last Sunday (30/8/20) i went to my regular spot, Fraser's Hill to reconnect with my favorite pastime - birding and a bit of car camping. Boy, was i surprised! The last portion of the road up to the hill was jammed with cars, the whole place was packed with visitors! Never happened before, but not unexpected since we were celebrating Malaysia Independence Day on 31st August. I was telling myself there was no way i could do any birding in peace! Hell, i could not even find a parking spot until later during the day.

Something i noticed even a few months before MCO, the number of birds up in the Fraser's Hill not what it used to be a few years back, i am not sure what are the main reasons. However, i managed to photograph one of my favorite species on Fraser's Hill, a Grey Wagtail visiting his favorite drinking spot - a small stream going into a culvert.

Initially, i could not photograph it because it was very jumpy, he would fly away at the first sight of me, even though i approached the spot with caution, but after a few tries he stayed long enough for a few shots. The thing with Grey Wagtail is it is a bird with a habit, he will keep visiting his favourite spots a few times a day and most of the time the spots are near water source like streams, waterfalls, drains, culverts etc.

I went birding this time looking for one species that has eluded me for so long - Rusty Pitta. The jungle clearing used to be near the parking lot close to the paddock, where it was spotted by so many has gone, filled with thick bushes. MCO gives nature time to heal, with less human activities. Well, maybe next time, and i have to find it elsewhere.

Until then, happy birding and be safe.