Abbott’s Babbler

Bersia, Gerik, Perak

 

This Abbott’s Babbler was shot during my trip to Bersia last week. I was not very sure of the birds’ ID, but after some discussions in ‘Bird forum’, Photo Malaysia, it’s confirmed that this is in fact an Abbott’s Babbler instead of a Horsfield’s Babbler.

 

 

The song actually helped me confirmed that this was not a Horsfield’s Babbler

 

 

Only managed a few shots before the bird disappeared into the thick undergrowth. 

Acrobatic Rufous Piculet

Bersia Dam, Gerik, Perak

I was walking along a track on the left bank of Bersia Dam when I noticed some movement among the vines hanging from a tree above me. Since it was very dark, I could not positively identify the creature with the naked eye, so I quickly setup my gear and took a shot and to my surprise, it was a tiny little bird with almost no tail, hanging onto the vines. He was pecking into the dead vine to get to whatever it was inside.

 

Notice that his body is almost perpendicular to the foot , and he effortlessly moved around the vine in a complete circle!  Almost like a gymnast swinging on the high bar but this bird can stop in the middle of the swing! Simply amazing….

 

 

I spotted the female on another branch in better light and I fired a couple of shots.

 

The male decided to pose for me in better light and I managed to capture a couple more shots of this lovely little bird.

Malaysian Hawk-Cuckoo From Temengor

 

I was at Temengor Dam in Gerik, Perak  last Thursday and during my break I went for a walk along the left-bank of  Perak river, downstream of the Dam. While waiting for a Blue-eared Barbet to come within range, I spotted this Hawk-Cuckoo perched on a low branch below the  Barbet which was singing high up the canopy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a clear shot of the bird. I tried to get to a better location but the bird disappeared from it’s perch. Well, I believe most bird photographers know the feeling when their target simply disappear in a flash.

    

 

I guess luck was on my side when suddenly this very secretive and quiet bird appeared again with food between  it’s bill and landed on another branch giving me a chance to get better shots.

 

Notice what  his lunch was? It’s a caterpillar! It made my hair stand when I saw the image on the monitor. Caterpillars are among the creatures that are to be avoided at all cost! I’ve had a couple of painful experience previously where these ‘crawlies’ got under the clothing and you’d feel as if the skin was about to explode!

 

 

To him this caterpillar is a tasty meal, must be…

 

As soon as he swallowed the caterpillar, he quietly disappeared into the belly of the forest again, leaving me with a few frames of blurred images of BIF. This was my last shot before he flew away.

Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker

This is another one of my favorite ‘target practice’ bird. This tiny little bird is super quick in its’ movements and trying to get it in focus is always a challenge to a photographer. Anyway these are some of my shots of this wonderful bird captured  in February 2010.

Even though these images were captured at about 6pm, the lighting was still quite harsh, probably due the clear sky. 

    

 

These images were shot  on an open ground on the bank of Sg. Trengganu, near Kg. Temir, Kuala Brang. Note that the bird was feeding on ‘senduduk’ fruit.

 

This ‘senduduk’ fruit has a tough skin, it is amazing to see this tiny little bird crushed the fruit effortlessly …

 

The fruit disappeared within just a few seconds! These birds not only move very fast, they can also eat very quickly….

Oriental Pied Hornbill

It was a misty morning on my way to work in Sg. Gawi,  Hulu Trengganu. As I was passing by Kg. Basung, I saw a pair of Oriental Pied Hornbill perched on a ‘petai’ tree by the road side. My colleague, Din, immediately stopped the Toyota Hilux we were travelling in by the road side, allowing me to take a couple of shots  of this friendly bird.

 

 

Grey sky and mist certainly didn’t contribute to an interesting image, but this was exactly what the condition was like when I captured these images.

 

Even though they are not as ‘glamorous’ as their larger and more colorful cousins, these OP Hornbills have a feature that’s very interesting – their long, beautiful ‘eye lashes’ – something that most ladies could only dream for

Common Iora

This is another common bird that is always present almost every where, even in the city.

Unlike the Tailor Bird, this is a fairly easy bird to photograph due to it's rather slow movement.

Another good 'target' bird for photography.

 














 

Buff-Rumped Woodpecker 'Fishing' for Ants

It was late afternoon and it was terribly hot. I took a shelter under a tree by the side of the track and to my surprise, there was a pair of Buff-Rumped Woodpecker right above me. I carefully position the camera to get a clear view of the birds but it's always a challenge to get  clear shots through the branches. I fired a few shots and when I looked at the display I noticed that the female bird was actually feeding on ants that got stuck on her feathers.

This was how she 'fished' for the ants : She sat quietly on the branch with the most ants for a while and let the ants climb onto her body and bit her.

And then, she would just pick the ants that were stuck on her feathers one after another....

A very clever trick, indeed....

But the male didn't seem to be interested with the ants 'snack' at all....