a very active bird that keep moving around, not a easy bird to photograph
非常活跃的小鸟，几乎都跳来跳去没定向。
update 202401
– it was a quite open place the bird calling and jumping around to allow everyone has good view and photo took some time
– 蛮开发的点，这鸟几乎都跳来跳去也叫不停。可是要让每个人看到拍到，蛮不容易的
202212, Chiang Mai, Thailand
7. Giant Nuthatch, 巨䴓, 巨鳾, Sitta magna, オニゴジュウカラ
– a quite big size for Nuthatch, overall grey-blue and long beak. Like other Nuthatch, very active moving bird
– 蛮大的䴓，灰+蓝的鸟，长嘴。与其他䴓一样，非常活跃的鸟
update 202401
– ours last year bird Photography trip, very misty day and found this bird moving fast .. lovely bird to be photograph
– 我们上一年的泰国鸟摄行，记得非常大雾。可是我们还是把它拿下。
20221212, Doi Ang, North Thailand
8. Gray-headed Swamphen, 紫水鸡, 灰頭紫水雞, Porphyrio poliocephalus, ハイガシラセイケイ, PANGLIN BIASA
update 202601
It was our arrival day, and while waiting for our main target, we were treated to an amazing scene—about 15 of them feeding together in the same open area. Some even started fighting, adding plenty of action. Under the bright sunshine, they looked absolutely beautiful.
We spent our last morning at the same spot and decided to just have some fun with this lovely kingfisher — lots of laughter and great moments. The whole morning was covered in mist, so quite a bit of post-processing was needed to reduce the noise and haze. The bird dived around five times without any success, but this rather unskilled fisherman still gave us plenty of action and a fun session capturing BIF shots.
A short birding trip to northern Thailand turned into a pleasant surprise. After securing our two main targets, we decided to keep birding and see what else we could find. We knew a Crested Kingfisher was around, but the local ranger and guide kept telling us this species is usually only active in the morning.
Still, we decided to try our luck and reached the site at noon. After a few minutes of chatting by the river, a large bird suddenly flew in and perched right in front of us. We all shouted, “Kingfisher!”
The beautiful Crested Kingfisher perched not far away and even fed on a fish, putting on a fantastic show and giving us a great chance for photos. Sadly, I missed the actual fish-catching moment—I couldn’t decide which direction to wait, and just as I was moving, it dived!
“Short North-Thailand trip goals achieved! On our river adventure, our guide asked if we wanted to spot the elusive Black-backed Forktail. I said why not? What followed was pure patience-testing magic! We waited on a rock, and with some playback, the bird kept coming back for more… giving us an epic photo op . Not sure who got the perfect shot, but I’m pretty sure C got it and the others got zilch .”
– another common species across garden, jungle, mangrove etc
– overall yellow-green with light brown throat
update 202209
– a common sunbird, but when look close it is such colorful and beautiful bird.
– from 50d, 80, 7dm1, 7dm2 I never convince APS-C sensor for my wildlife photography. But this R7, something really change my thought. have a look 125% crop
– 非常普通的太阳鸟，可是近距离看多么的漂亮。
– 从以前的佳能半幅相机，我从来不具有任何期望。可是这R7真的很不一样。
202209, Kuala Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia
update 2017 Jan 27
4. Temminck’s sunbird, 特氏太阳鸟, 特氏太陽鳥, Aethopyga temminckii, ミヤマタイヨウチョウ, KELICAP MERAH EKOR API
– Male overall Red-White, female is brown
– sub-montane & montane
– Quite common at Borneo, not that common at Peninsular Malaysia
update 202408
– it is not first time but good chance to record this moment a sunbird feed on small insect. It is keep few times to got the spider on mouth.
– 不是第一次看到太阳鸟吃昆虫。可是这次终于记录到他吃蜘蛛，可是他也不容易试了好几次才捉到。
202408, KNP, Sabah, Malaysia
#####
update 202405
– a pretty common bird found Kinabalu National Park, which cannot be wrong active making continuous noisy call and “red”
– 在神山非常普通的鸟。很少会错，红+吵的小小东西就是它了。
202404, KNP, Sabah, Malaysia
#####
update 202112
– after long lock down finally revisit this place and the bird still same come to say welcome back ..
– last visit was below post 202105
– 已很久没来这点，还好鸟儿都活的一样。上次来，已是5个月前。
202112, Selangor, Malaysia
update 202105
– another good bird that I didn’t see for long and it will be another lockdown begin today.
– again one pair show but we only keep our eye on male which is red-white-yellow
– Peninsular Malaysia mostly found near Mangrove. Borneo garden, mangrove, etc
update 202508
It’s a common sunbird, but I can’t remember the last time I had such a good view of a male. This time, it stayed low and gave us plenty of time for some great shots!
– This is a common bird found in Malaysia’s lowland forests, but it is often overlooked because both the male and female have relatively plain appearances, except for the male’s distinctive blue or dark forehead.
– During our chit-chat session, my buddy suddenly spotted something flying in. He was thrilled to notice it before anyone else—such is the joy of birding: the excitement of discovering it yourself!
– very similar to Brown-throated Sunbird but obvious show “reddish” cheek and throat
update 202508
After so many West Papua posts, it’s time to share a special moment from back home in Malaysia. This bird is sometimes mistaken for the more common Brown-throated Sunbird—but we were lucky to enjoy great views of this rarer Red-throated Sunbird before the heat of the day set in.
10. Crimson Sunbird, 黄腰太阳鸟, 黃腰太陽鳥, Aethopyga siparaja, キゴシタイヨウチョウ, KELICAP MERAH BIASA
– quite common sunbird
– possible urban garden, jungle edge
– male red overall and dark forehead
– female overall light yellow-green
Crimson Sunbird male
#####
101. Black Sunbird, 黑花蜜鸟, 黑花蜜鳥, Leptocoma aspasia, クロタイヨウチョウ, Burung-madu hitam
A small songbird with a long downcurved bill. Male is blackish with iridescent areas: crown glossed greenish or blue, and shoulders, rump, and tail glossed with blue. Throat iridescent reddish-purple in most of range, but blueish in the north Moluccas and Kai islands. Female is nondescript, with a grayish head, white throat, olive upperparts, and yellowish underparts over much of range. In the south Moluccas and Aru islands, underparts are grayish. Juvenile resembles female, but yellower on throat. Inhabits forest edge, open forest, gardens, and scrub in lowlands and hills. Male can be separated from dark-bellied forms of male Olive-backed Sunbird by glossy, iridescent crown and black back. Females differ from Olive-backed Sunbird by absence of eyebrow, absence of white tail tip, white throat, grayish head, and duller yellow underparts. Females lack eye-ring, unlike larger female Brown-throated Sunbird, and are less uniform underneath than female Elegant Sunbird. [EBird]
蛮普通的花蜜鸟，在苏拉威西等附近岛屿。光线不好时，几乎都是黑的。可是在光线好时，它真的很美。
update 202511
One of the most stunning birds in my opinion—and definitely not just “black”!
We missed it at the usual location where it only perched far away. But today, while we were escaping the afternoon heat in a shaded area, this beauty flew in and stayed for a long time right in front of us.
– a bird with good lighting, it become so colorful instead of “black”
– 在光线好的时候，这鸟不是黑的！
202304, Tomohon, Sulawesi, Indonesia
####
update 202304
– last evening birding, we enjoy the cold weather. surprise so many small birds come to same area in close range. It look like we are birds photography instead of watching.
– we enjoy so much all the small bird such a good view and pictures
– the good evening light make the “black” bird so beautiful.
Breeding male is unmistakable: bright green with a long tail. Non-breeding male is duller but usually still shows some iridescent green and an elongated tail. Female is a big, dull sunbird with a long bill. Found in fynbos, moorland, grassland, scrub, and exotic tree plantations. Restricted to high elevations except in South Africa, where it occurs down to sea level. Song consists of “tyep” notes and emphatic rattles. Female similar to female Bronze Sunbird but larger, duller below, and with a fainter eyebrow. [Ebird]
During our first few days near Sani Pass, this was one bird that caught our attention every time we saw it. Its bright metallic green plumage and long tail were mesmerizing (we even saw it displaying to attract a female). Among the many sunbirds we encountered, this one truly stood out as exceptionally beautiful.
One of our team members discovered this beautiful sunbird repeatedly returning to the same flower to feed. Even though there were many other birds to look for, we still spent some quality time at this spot. I also took the opportunity to capture some BIF shots of this lovely bird.
Besides discovering many new bird families, even the familiar ones here in Kenya feel extra special. Many are incredibly colorful, and some—like this one—have long, elegant tails. When the light hits just right, their feathers shine beautifully. Truly a stunning bird from Kenya.
As of day 12, we’ve photographed 366 bird species!
Day 1 of our Kenya birding tour, and this was the fifth bird we photograph. It was incredibly close, completely ignoring our presence while feeding calmly on flowers near the ground. So far on this trip, we have photographed three different long-tailed sunbird species, a very rewarding start to the tour.
We arrived too early to check in, so we squeezed in a quick birding session. What a great decision! This stunning bird came down low and close, giving us fantastic photo opportunities. Within the first hour alone, I think everyone easily shot more than 500 frames of this beauty!
On our river adventure, our guide asked if we wanted to spot the elusive Black-backed Forktail. I said why not? 
What followed was pure patience-testing magic! 
We waited on a rock, and with some playback, the bird kept coming back for more… giving us an epic photo op 
. Not sure who got the perfect shot, but I’m pretty sure C got it and the others got zilch 
.”
