Saw this pigeon last year but not able to get a picture of it. Finally have some spare time and spent ~2 days waiting to get a open shot for this bird.
it is bit shy, whenever it is open and I try to move myself it will trying to hide from me … not bad for limited angle and time for this
A quick trip to North Peninsular Malaysia (Sedim-Ulu Paip-Air Hitam Dalam-Bukit Merak-Kuala Gula-Malim Nawar-Alor Gajah) and purpose of this quick trip is to verify site for coming few tours for customers.
We didnt spent time for photography as we want to go as many as possible different locations …
1. Sedim Recreational Forest – Ulu Paip – Air Hitam Dalam
– quite slow in the morning and we only managed to have some birds hearing and have White-crowned Forktail near the river
– the activities seem to be warming up after 9am and we have very good view of few rufous-backed kingfishers which only 10-15 feet from us and Diard’s Trogon full view for ~30feet eye level.
– few pairs of Whiskered Treeswift and Gray-rumped Treeswift flying around
– target bird not found at Ulu Paip and we spend 30min near the river but no sighting of any target birds
– Air Hitam Dalam as usual Mangrove Flycatcher welcome us before we start any birding … Brown Hawk Owl also waiting for us and I managed go captured few pictures of the owl
bird list for half a day tour 18 birds
Black-thighed Falconet
Brown Hawk-Owl
Gray-rumped Treeswift
Whiskered Treeswift
Diard’s Trogon
Rufous-backed Kingfisher
Banded Woodpecker
Common Iora
Green Iora
Ashy Minivet
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Arctic Warbler
Black-capped Babbler
Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler
Mangrove Blue-Flycatcher
Gray Wagtail
Green-billed Malkoha
White-crowned Forktail
2. Bukit Merak-Kuala Gula
after lunch we move toward Bukit Merak and Kuala Gula for a long lost bird but no sighting for that target bird too. so we decide just driving around for visit some old sites and relax.
but we still able to sight birds below
Lesser Whistling-Duck
Oriental Honey-buzzard
Red-wattled Lapwing
Large-tailed Nightjar
Brown Shrike
than we went out for Owl sightings at night and we managed to have 3 main target that night
–> a pairs of Spotted Wood-Owl close to us for some pictures
–> than Buffy Fish owl also stay still for picture session
–> shy Barn owl is slight difficult to get a picture but finally we have one allow us to have picture of it
– next morning after breakfast , we trying to locate both Indian Roller and Hoopoe reported recently but both seem left Kuala Gula .
– whole family of Milky Stork relax at the village of Kuala Gula
–> birds sights from Kuala Gula
Milky Stork
Striated Heron
Black-shouldered Kite
Brahminy Kite
Crested Serpent-Eagle
Gray-headed Lapwing
Buffy Fish-Owl
Spotted Wood-Owl
Barn Owl
Stork-billed Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
Collared Kingfisher
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Dollarbird
Pied Triller
Black-naped Oriole
Pied Fantail
Pacific Swallow
Baya Weaver
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
After Kuala Gula, heading Taiping as promise to buy back “Miku” (special plain pau ? but family like it) …. than heading back South
3. Taiping-Malim Nawar-Alor Gajah
under the hot sun , we arrived Malim Nawar and Alor Gajah .. trying to locate Blue-tailed Bee Eater breeding site .. but sad it had been destroy for sand collection 🙁 … and also Oriental Pratincole breeding ground .
lucky a Chestnut-Headed Bee Eater breeding site still active and one nest seem to be ready too . we also have Black Bittern(flying out) and a close Blue-eared Kingfishers for beautiful picture too.
–> bird sights
Red Junglefowl
Crested Serpent-Eagle
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Oriental Pied-Hornbill
Black Bittern
Gray Heron
Purple Heron
Little Egret
White-bellied Sea-Eagle
White-breasted Waterhen
Eurasian Moorhen
Black-winged Stilt
Asian Koel
Blue-eared Kingfisher
Stork-billed Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher
Blue-tailed Bee-eater
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater
Lineated Barbet
And before dusk we heading back to Kuala Lumpur … a not back sites checking tour and we have
1. Black Laughingthrush, 黑噪鹛, 黑噪鶥, Garrulax lugubris, クロガビチョウ, KEKICAU-RAYA HITAM BIASA
– difficult bird to get open, noisy bird
– found this ~700mm from sea level
update 202307
– a very lucky morning with this shy and active bird stay so low and long for everyone good view and picture session
– 非常幸运的一个早上。这么活跃与害羞的鸟，尽然站了这么低这么久让我们看+拍够。
202308, Fraser Hill, Pahang, Malaysia
update 202305
– while we walking for general birding after long wait for the partridge. All of sudden this bird calling from far, we toward the direction and this bird just stand ~10feet from us .. what a lucky day after Malayan Whistling-Thrush, Bamboo Woodpecker, Malayan Hawk-Cuckoo, Mountain Scops Owl and many good birds today.
– newly update it may not belong to the Laughingthrush family
– rare and shy montane Borneo endemic
update 202409
– one of my best moment of 2029, this bird stay close and one of best view of this bird
– 我的2029最好的一刻，这鸟站这个位置真的最好角度看这鸟。
202407, Trusmadi, Sabah, Malaysia
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– another main target of the short trip, it is close and fast .. all of us saw the bird .. but sad my buddies didn’t got the picture of it feeding on “fruit” (think my first time saw this bird eat fruit) …
– the bird moving fast and inside dark bush, 2 of the Z9 failed to got the bird in focus 🙁 lucky me with new R5markii , if bring mark 1 may be also dont have this best moment of this rare bird
– 与朋友的几天，主要目标之一。这鸟来的蛮近的。可是有入常态，动很快，在暗的地方动。朋友们Z9都没办法对上焦（在这站了好几秒大家都看到）。幸好佳能R5Mark ii 好好表现还是对上了几张。这鸟非常害羞，稀有。非常不容易拍照，还加上第一次看到它吃果子（通常吃昆虫）.
202409, Trusmadi, Sabah, Malaysia
#####
update 202408
– before archive the folder, make another picture one of best moment of 2024. This bird stand here more than 3 minutes … making call.. looking at us ..such a handsome
– one of my favorite birds of Malaysia, it is not that rare just too active to have good view. But when lucky strike, me and David enjoy few minutes of best moment with this bird .. amazing bird to look at
I was lucky to visit , monitor, study and capture another rare Borneo Endemic , Dulit Frogmouth . A real great tour which need to transit flights, 4 wheel, walking over the bamboo bridge ..
A bird I dream to get it picture for so long .. and finally I got few good open shots while casual shooting while assist Ahli Chung (http://www.endemicguides.com/) for a bird watching group… with his good experience we actually managed to see this bird open but I was away from the team for short moment and I missed the first chance .. and I was lucky saw it again few hours later and managed to have few minutes with it …
one of the best articles describes the difference from Dave Bakewell https://digdeep1962.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/identification-of-paddyfield-richards-and-blyths-pipits-in-malaysia/
201701, Perak, Malaysia
4. Olive-backed Pipit, 树鹨, 樹鷚, Anthus hodgsoni, ビンズイ, APIT-APIT POKOK TIMUR
1. Black-thighed falconet, 黑腿小隼, Microhierax fringillarius, モモグロヒメハヤブサ,RAJAWALI-BELALANG MELAYU
– normally stand on top of dry tree
– move fast and prey dragonflies, small insects
update 202502
The female remained in the same position for days, made a brief stop, and was quite vocal. Eventually, the male arrived, and the mating session took place—it was a lengthy one, lasting over two minutes in total.
– The only species in Peninsular Malaysia which also one of the world’s smallest raptors, often seen perched high, watching for prey.
– While testing the new Canon R1’s Pre-continuous Shooting and AF performance, I captured one of many frames. I’ll share more from the full sequence in the near future.
2. White-fronted Falconet, 白额小隼, 白額小隼, Microhierax latifrons, ボルネオヒメハヤブサ, RAJAWALI-BELALANG DAHI PUTIH
[Bornean Falconet, 婆罗洲小隼， 婆羅洲小隼]
– special to East-North Borneo Endemic
– almost same behavior of black-thighed falconet, small, stand high
###
update 202405
– a very tiny special Endemic of Sabah. Cute and normal stand high up to look for prey
– another lucky came to this spot normally just for “bird seeing” which the small bird just stand 30-40m above from ground .. but when we arrive and looking for this bird just for bird watch. But after I walk around, I call everyone down it is low !!!! and 2 together ..
– it is weird this bird seem disappear from all common sites, especially almost not found at Danum Valley BRL, Kinabatangan River and etc… but this family found quite near to KK town ..any how, due to location, not all visit can be make there but for last special targets tour. We special arrange to be there and award with 2 in one frame
– after missed the Crimson-Headed partridge at common spot (after wait of ~1 hour), decided to continue to KNP and found this lovely tiny raptor. only with 500mm so it is a bit heavy crop but love to see it doing good and with lovely butterfly
– it is surprise to see it at this elevation again and this time not that high up at canopy, but backlit with quite a lot of shadow and highlight recovery.
– Found across the globe; considerable plumage variation across subspecies
(ebird)
#
update 202104
– we were actually searching the shorebirds near the beach and all of sudden all birds take off and we found this world’s faster bird dive down and trying to hunt the Lesser Sand Plover but it failed… and again it trying to hunt for another 2x Curlew Sandpiper but it failed again and leave without any success.
– it really dives down and flying all direction fast and make many frames out of focus. It can reach over 320 km/h while diving for hunting.
