Thick-Billed Warbler

18th January 2011,  Kenering, Gerik, Perak

 

Looks like I’ll have to take a break from posting my Bulbul series due to this ‘interesting’ development: I was at a clearing near the Kenering Dam when I noticed some bird activity near a clearing. As I reached the area, I noticed a few pairs of Grey-Bellied, Cream-Vented and Red-Eyed Bulbul busily feeding on a small tree. While walking toward the tree where the Bulbuls were, a small, plain colored brownish bird flew across my path and perched on some tall grass beside the track. I managed to get a couple of shots before it disappeared into the bushes.  Thinking that this could either be a Horsfield’s or Abbot’s Babbler, I didn’t pursue the bird again. Upon checking the C. Robson Guide, I realized that this was not a Babbler. Due to my limited knowledge and experience in bird ID, I posted the images in PhotoMalaysia bird forum. From the responses in the forum, the bird was identified as a Thick-Billed Warbler – a rather rare bird in Malaysia.

Here are the images of the bird that I managed to capture. Could this really be a Thick-Billed Warbler?

 

 

Hope to get comments from all the experts out there…..

Bulbul of Malaysia Part 3

I would say that the following Bulbuls are not as common as Bulbuls in my previous 2 postings, at least at my usual birding sites.

I’ve been trying to get better shots of this Yellow-Bellied Bulbul for quite sometime but yet to get any. They seem to be quite uncommon.

 

I’ve had a few brief encounters with the Ochraceous Bulbul and here are some of their images that I managed to capture.

 

And I’ve got images of this Bulbul which I think should be Puff-Backed Bulbul but I’m not too sure of the ID. May be those experts out there could confirm the ID.

Bulbul of Malaysia Part 2

Even though these bulbuls are not as common as the Yellow-Vented, they are quite easy to find near most forest edges.

Go to most forest edges and you’ll most likely see these Red-Eyed Bulbuls.

  

 

 

Another Bulbul that’s usually seen in the same area is this Buff-Vented Bulbul.

 

Is this a juvenile Buff-Vented or Red-Eyed Bulbul? I’m not too sure of the ID.

 

 

And so too is this Hairy-Backed Bulbul

 

The Spectacled bulbul is also commonly found together with the other ‘cousins’ above'.

Bulbul Of Malaysia Part 1

Bulbuls seem to be the most common bird in Malaysia. They can be found almost every where, from city parks to deep jungle. Common as they are, I still enjoy watching and photographing them.

I believe this is the most common of the Bulbul family, the Yellow-Vented Bulbul, I got these shots near my house in Kelana Jaya.

 

 

Another quite common Bulbul is this Stripe-Throated Bulbul. Go to most forest edges and even villages you’re sure to find them.

 

Also quite commonly found at forest’s edges is this Cream-Vented Bulbul.

Gray-Breasted Spiderhunter

Ulu Trengganu, October 2010

Here are some more ‘yet to be posted images’ from my archive. With their powerful wings and extra long bills they are such a joy to watch. On their perch, they look clumsy and awkward. Their habit of bobbing the heads make them look as if the bills are too heavy for the neck to support them but once they leave the perch, they are immediately transformed into a powerful flight machine, they can even hover like a helicopter moving in forward and reverse directions.

 

They are among the most powerful ‘flyer’ around, when in flight, you will most often ‘hear’ rather than see them.

 

Rufous-Winged Philantoma

Kenyir Lake, Trengganu

 

Hope it’s not too late to wish everyone a ‘Happy and Prosperous New Year’. I was on assignment in the East Coat area since early December and have been without internet access for the whole duration.

The wet season in the East Coast area at this time of the year restricted my photography activities to absolute minimum. Searching through my archive, I found a few photos that were yet to be posted. Among them are photos of this Rufous-Winged Philantoma.

I had my gear setup for the shots of the Scarlet-Rumped Trogon on a tree about 10m away when this bird showed up hardly 3m in front of me! I didn’t have time to remove the flash extender and reset the gear resulting in images with overpowering flash presence.  Could have been better with a much lower flash power. 

     

 

She seem very curious to investigate the photographer!

 

Well, nothing interesting looking at a man standing behind some weird looking equipment!…… these could have been her thought before she disappeared into the forest…..