House Crows of Sekinchan

5 July 2009, Sekinchan, Selangor These opportunistic House Crows (Corvus splendens protegatus) were waiting to try their luck on any unguarded Egrets and Night-Heron’s nests.

Easy to Swallow

5 July 2009, Kuala Selangor, A Pacific Swallow at the Kuala Selangor Nature Park

Resting on a driftwood with dried up barnacles near the shoreline.

Common Moorhen of Bidor

8 July 2009, Frim Bidor, Perak

A Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) feeding on the floating island of water hyacinth. I was expecting to see them with chicks but unfortunately there were none.

Spotted a Dove

8 July 2009, Bidor, Perak.

Took this photo of a dove moving quickly away from me. Couldn't match this specimen against the species in Robson’s Field Guide. She looks like a Spotted Dove with an oversized choker around her neck and she’s wearing Chinese Opera make-up on her face. Any suggestions?

Buffalo Bill? Didn’t Know Bidor Is a Cowboy Town!

8 July 2009, FRIM Bidor, Perak

Sorry, there are no cowboys, just buffalos and beautiful birds. Stopped by Bidor to get pictures of the Eastern Cattle Egrets (Babulcus coromandus) which I missed during my earlier visit. This time I drove around and took photos from the car, it worked! Previously all the egrets fled and did not return after they saw me walking along the ex-mining pool. These Cattle Egrets looked relaxed and were enjoying the free ferry boat ride courtesy of the Water Buffalos.

Banded Kingfisher of Kemensah- Diam Diam Ubi Berisi

11 July 2009, Kemensah, Selangor

As promised, this is the other bird from yesterday’s trip. A lifer

We were walking along a trail heavily shaded by very tall trees with the sun in our eyes when suddenly we saw a silhouette of a bird flying and stopping on a branch. Took one shot in the dark and saw a Kingfisher which I hadn’t seen before. It turned out to be a male Banded Kingfisher (Lucedo pulchella) local name: Burung Kaing-Kaing Rimba. These birds live in the forest, not necessarily near water and feed on insects and small reptiles. Hardly 30 feet from us, we took shots after shots, changed position several times to get better angles, and he just sat still for almost 10 minutes, occasionally raising his blue crown. We were wondering why – this is very unkingfisher-like!      Our question was answered when he suddenly swooped down onto a root of a tree that was jutting out from the steep bank about 10 feet from us to catch a prey and off he went.All the while when the cameras/ flashguns were going off, he was actually observing the area for potential prey. A malay proverb: Diam-diam ubi berisi (Cassava grows abundant in silence, meaning silence not without substance).

They are not Cassavas but I thought I’d post this. They are fruits of a Rattan tree. Took this near the location of the Kingfisher.

Black & Yellow Broadbill of Kemensah

11 July 2009, Kemensah, Selangor

Other than the fruits, birding was also excellent today. Myself and Ilyas hiked to the dam area for the first time, to look for hornbills. No hornbills ( we heard them) but we found two beautiful birds (lifers). This is one of them.

The colours are simply stunning. The Black & Yellow Broadbill (Eurylaimus ochromalus) is one beautiful bird. They are canopy birds and are normally beyond the range of my lens. Tried to photograph one in Bukit Rengit and it was just one tiny speck in the entire picture! But today four of them were well within range, and making sounds as if a helicopter was taking off.             This is a male judging from the continous black collar . I couldn’t get a clear shot of the female, she was hiding behind the leaves.