Shrike Season

Kg. Lawar, Jeli, 16th October 2010

 

Looks like the Shrikes season has started. They seem to be everywhere!

It was almost noon when I spotted this black and white colored bird. From a distant it looked almost like the Oriental Magpie Robin but as I moved closer I realized that it was a Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike.

It’s always tough to get good exposures under such a harsh lighting condition.

 

Shooting against bright sky makes it even tougher…

 

As I walked further down the track, I spotted another Shrike and it was a Brown Shrike. Unfortunately, I could not get a clean shot of the bird.

Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch

Kuala Yong Dam, Pergau, 17th October 2010

 

A truly remarkable bird with the ability to climb up and down tree-trunks and branches while foraging for food.  Note that all photos below were cropped but no rotations were applied.

 

It’s just amazing to watch them move effortlessly up and down the tree-trunks.

 

Unfortunately, the range and lighting was not in my favor to allow better shots of this amazing bird.

 

Yellow – Breasted Flowerpecker

Pergau, 16th October 2010

Another ‘super-active little’ bird, not much different from the Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker in terms of behavior and habitat. They usually make very good targets for shooting practice…

 

They are usually quite friendly allowing me to approach them to within a couple of meters.

 

 

Oops! I think I’ve just encroached into the danger zone! and usually the story ends like the two photos below……. Time to get away……

 

Scarlet Minivet

I was taking a breather under the shade of some tall trees on the upstream of Pergau Dam and I spotted a flock of this colorful bird on the other side of the reservoir and to my surprise, the flock flew across the reservoir and landed on the trees right above me. Luck must be on my side I guess! Unfortunately, their visit was a brief one and I managed to get only a few shots before they flew off deeper into the forest. 

I believe, they are among the most brightly colored birds found in Malaysia. The red and black of this male surely stand out against the forest color…..

 

 

 

 

As commonly seen in the animal world, the female is usually less colorful. Nevertheless, they are still beautiful to look at….

 

 

House Swallows

A very common bird here in Malaysia. Being so common, they are usually ignored by photographers but I find them quite attractive and quite easy to photograph due to their preference for perch in the open area.

 

When other birds fail to show up, these swallows make good company for me…

 

They have the habit of coming back to the same perch over and over again. All the photos were shot over a period of more than an hour when the same bird keep returning to the same perch………

Little Spiderhunter

For the past two months, I haven’t had the opportunity to do any bird photography due to work and other commitments. Digging into my archive, I found some of these photos that I’d like to share with all of you.

This is among the most common of the Spiderhunter family found in Malaysia but I’ve yet to get a decent shot of them.

 

They are quite tame but tend to prefer dark, shaded part of the forest