28 February, 2010

Closer to You: Rufous Piculet

28th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

 

I’ve shot Rufous Piculets before but they were either too dark , too blurry or too far. Not this time though

Opportunity  presented itself as I was trekking back to the jeep after a not so productive day. She lingered in the area for almost an hour but  her size ( about the size of your thumb) made her extremely  difficult to spot._DSC0728_f

_DSC0729_f

_DSC0736

_DSC0697

 




  

24 February, 2010

Fig fiesta: Pink-Necked Pigeons

22nd February 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

_DSC0822_f

_DSC0811_f




Once again the fig tree at the school is fruiting and attracting lots of birds.

Among them are the Pink-necked Pigeons,  the male with the pink  and the female in all green.

The figs  begin from green to bright yellow and finally to red. The birds  instinctively know the ones to pick.    



23 February, 2010

Just Checking: Blue-Eared Kingfisher

22nd February 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

_DSC0947_f

Had very limited time last weekend for birding so decided to just check up on our little friend nearby and see how she’s getting along. I was thinking maybe she’ll let me have some improvement shots.

She’s still there and was very obliging , kept coming back to the same perch and stayed for a few minutes each time.




_DSC0949  

_DSC0951

22 February, 2010

Female Lesser Green Leafbird

14th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0785 

Lesser Green Leafbirds are quite common here in Kemensah. This female was busy  foraging on the branches._DSC0786

 


 

19 February, 2010

Ruby-Cheeked Sunbirds

14th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0565

Not so brilliant shots of the male (above) and female Ruby-Cheeked Sunbirds. They too were staying out of the sun just as the Babblers were._DSC0586

 


 

18 February, 2010

Wings? : Draco sumatranus

14th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0507

The Common Gliding Lizard, Draco sumatranus. They can spread their ‘wings’ which are actually their ribcage to glide from tree to tree. The  yellow triangular gular flag at the throat is just about visible. I’ve been trying to catch them  gliding, so far without success.

17 February, 2010

White-Throated Kingfisher

14th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0599

 

An hour and a half of waiting, a White-Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) offered a brief moment of excitement. It was a prelude to the full adrenalin rush when the Grey-Headed Fish-Eagles appeared.

 


 _DSC0607

16 February, 2010

Hot Hot Hot: Pin-Striped Tit-Babbler

13th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

I know I’ve posted photos of the Pin-Striped Tit-Babbler recently  but why not! They are just gorgeous  birds. In the extremely hot weather that we’ve been having the last couple of weeks the birds were also feeling the heat. This bird   opened  her beak to stay cool.

_DSC0525

_DSC0538

 


 

15 February, 2010

A pair: Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher

14th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0770

Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers were very active yesterday. The male (Cyornis tickelliae indochina) (above)  has dark blue upperpart whereas the female sumatranensis (right) in the  lighter blue. My first of the male bird.  _DSC0777

 

 

 

14 February, 2010

Lesser Fish-Eagles

14th February 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

Correction: 27th June 2010. Identified as Lesser Fish Eagles

One thing puzzles me, the book says that the male and female Grey-Headed Fish-Eagle (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus) look the same. I’m not sure what I’m seeing here, the size difference between the two birds are pretty obvious and the grey is lighter on the smaller bird. One thing for sure- they were moving as a pair. I presume that the larger bird is the male. (Any additional info appreciated)

_DSC0703

_DSC0712    

_DSC0696

The cry could be heard from quite a distance

_DSC0721
The smaller bird after preening

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

13 February, 2010

Blue-Winged Leafbird

24th January 2010,  Bukit Tinggi, Pahang

_DSC0768

I forgot to post this earlier after the trip to Bukit Tinggi. He’s a male Blue-Winged Leafbird   (Chloropsis cochinchinensis)  
 


 

11 February, 2010

One Fruiting Tree: Other Visitors

6th January 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

_DSC0499 

A  pair of Black-Naped Oriole were also there on the Pokok Beringin. ( Only managed to shoot one).

_DSC0553 _DSC0554

An adult and a juvenile ( with streaks) Asian Glossy Starling. They were present in great numbers.

Overall , quite a good variety of birds from one tree. After  a week of feeding frenzy it’s gone quiet today, I guess they have finished everything there is to eat.

 

 

 

10 February, 2010

Asian Koels

6th January 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

_DSC0457

_DSC0460 

_DSC0454

 

 

They were on the same tree as the barbets and the starlings, picking the fruits and vocalizing loudly. The  male Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopaceus) looks almost similar to the House Crow except for the red eye and light coloured beak.

 

 

 

 

The female Asian Koel

09 February, 2010

Barbets: Big & Small

6th January 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

_DSC0520

_DSC0419

_DSC0509

 

He was there with the Starlings picking the ripe fruits for breakfast. A tiny Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala), you can tell that this is a male by the colourful collar and the red fore crown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The large Gold Whiskered Barbet joined in the party.

08 February, 2010

Purple-Backed Starlings

6th February 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

_DSC0480

_DSC0505

A female with brownish upperpart.

_DSC0555 

 

Only had  a few hours early morning before reporting for duty on Saturday and Sunday, so it’s backyard birding for this week.

It’s been almost a year since I last saw this bird. I’ve been observing them for a week, they fly in a big flock to feed on  a fruiting tree behind my house. They are the Purple-Backed Starlings (Sturnus sturninus)

_DSC0548

 _DSC0537


05 February, 2010

The Entertainer: Raffles Malkoha

31st January 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0913   
There were plenty of calls but the birds were not showing themselves . Luckily he was there to save the day, a male Raffles Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus)  Cenok Kerak.

 

  

04 February, 2010

Yellow-Vented Bulbul: I Remember (2)

31st January 2010, Backyard

_DSC0728

_DSC0715  

 

    
Her  entire outlook changes when she gets excited and started calling for her mate. Jekyll & Hyde? No, more like Cinderella!

 

 

Being the most common of  the Bulbuls, they are often overlooked. I shoot them whenever I get the chance, seen here perching on my neighbour’s fence. Locally known as Merbah Kapur they are good subjects to hone your photographic skill.

03 February, 2010

‘Oh It’s Just a Magpie’: I Remember (1)

31st January 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0904

_DSC0903 
In our  constant quest for  lifers and more exotic birds let’s not forget  those birds that got most of us into birding. Call me a sentimental guy.

Magpies, I salute you.

 

‘Oh  It’s just a magpie, I thought it’s a ……….’ is a  remark  I often hear when people see this bird. Yes, they are very common and  you  see them almost everywhere. In fact I can hear them  behind the house as I’m writing this.
Looking back I can still recall my early days of birding when I looked forward to seeing the Oriental magpie robin in my backyard  for two reasons: 1. their cheerful  sound and 2. being my target for sharpening my shooting skill (they still are). Those days birding was still limited to the  rear garden.

 

 

 

 

 

02 February, 2010

Yellow-Vented Flowerpecker

31st January 2010, Kemensah, Selangor

_DSC0939

At first sight I  mistook her for a Yellow-Bellied Flowerpecker which I shot last week. Upon further review she turned out to be a lovely Yellow-Vented  Flowerpecker (Dicaeum chrysorrheum) local name: Sepah Puteri Rimba , a lifer.

 


 

01 February, 2010

Rufescent Prinia

24th January 2010,  Bukit Tinggi, Pahang

_DSC0645

_DSC0638_f