White Throated Kingfisher

This is the most common Kingfisher found in Malaysia. Being such a common bird,  they can be found almost every where, even in the city.

Common as they are, I still find them very attractive.

I shot this bird at the Kelana Jaya pond near my house.

 

 

A different bird on the other side of the pond

 

A nice breakfast of it’s favorite fish

Raffle’s Malkoha

They are quite friendly but to get clean shot of them is always a challenge. I’ve had a few encounters with these lovely bird and these are some of the photos that I managed to capture.

Came across this lovely couple foraging among the leaves in Kenering recently.

 

To me the female bird looks more attractive than the male, something quite unusual among birds and other animals.

 

 

 

Male has less color compared to the female

Dragon of the Forest

There are times when getting shots of birds are simply too hard and what I usually do is to turn my attention to other creatures of the forest. Here are some of the creatures I shot during those unproductive bird photography sessions.

I was hiding behind a fallen log near a stream hoping that the Blue eared Barbet would come closer but it simply ignored my wish and flew away. Then I noticed a few species of dragon flies busily defending their perch right in front of me, here are the shots.

Black and Yellow Broadbill again

I’ll be off to Kenyir again for about 10 days on another job assignment. Since I may not be able to post regularly while in Kenyir due to poor internet access, I thought I’d post now so I can share some of the images of this lovely bird from my archive.

In my previous post, I’ve mentioned that this is my favorite bird and I have quite a collection of their photos shot from various locations. These were shot near Sg. Telemong, Ulu Trengganu during my visit in June.

 

I was hiding behind a fallen log and dared not move for fear of scaring her away thus missing a clean shot.

Banded Broadbill

Another specie from the Broadbill family. Although they closely resemble the Black and Yellow in both colors and songs, their behavior seem very different. Their preference for middle and upper storey make them very tough to get decent shots.

Here are some record shots from my previous encounters with these birds.

 

Black and Red Broadbill

Here is another bird from the broadbill family that I would not pass up the chance to photograph whenever I get the opportunity. Even though they are usually less accommodating compared to their cousins, the black and yellow, they are still a joy to watch and capture their images.   

They are quite easy to locate in the forest due to their distinctive ‘rasping’ duck like calls.
 

Their unmistakable dark maroon-red, black upper parts and brightly colored bill of turquoise-blue upper mandible and yellowish lower mandible make them stand out against the greens of the forest.
 

Their habit of sitting still on their perch make them quite easy target to photograph.

Black And Yellow Broadbill

Their striking, bold colors coupled with those disproportionately large head, make them look almost like 
clowns, but to me, they are among the most adorable bird to look at and have been my most favorite target bird.   These are ‘cool’ birds, their habit of staying motionless on their perch make them quite easy to photograph. Listening to their songs evoke a feeling of calmness and tranquility in me. The quickening tempo and abrupt end of the songs mimic those R&B and Jazz music.  
They are usually found near rivers and streams in matured broad leaved forest. I’ve photographed them at various places including Ulu Trengganu, Ulu Kelantan, Ulu Perak and Kemensah area. Here  are some of the images of this wonderful bird that I’d like to share  with you.
 

These were shot near Sg. Buluh Nipis, in Ulu Trengganu. I was walking along the river bank when I heard that familiar ‘soothing’ song of this bird. I slowly moved in as close as I could and fired away  several shots.
 

As usual, shooting under thick canopy cover was a real challenge, available light seemed to be at a real premium. Seen here is a male bird identified by the full black ring around the neck
 

The size and shape of the bill justifies the name ‘Broadbill’



In order to keep the post small, I’d post the other images in my future posting.