Panti FR :: 11th Sept 2010

8:00 am to 9:30am

The morning was dry, I couldn't even find bulbuls along the bunker trail. So I was glad to meet some friends from NPX along the way! We headed different ways though so the chances of spotting something rare is higher. Luenny and I went to the 1st stream, but mins later, two families came to picnic at the stream, with children running around wild! One family was busy chainsawing a fallen trunk, to make chopping boards for sale i guess!

(left to right: Luenny, Micky and Chris Li)

Our luck turns around when Chris Li gave me a paging call on the talkie that a Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (migrant) was spotted 200m away from me. We arrived mins later, saw Chris and Micky were busy photographing the YRFC on a fruiting tree, but the fruiting tree also attracted a lot of other species of birds like female Red-throated Sunbirds, HB Bulbuls, Spectacled Spiderhunters and a few unidentified small birds. We were only interested on the YRFC then because of its "migrant status"! :)

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia)

Sambar Belakang Kuning*白眉姬鹟*マミジロキビタキ*Đớp ruồi vàng

The Spiderhunters, were acting like the fearsome owners of that fruiting tree, chasing other species of birds away perpectually with its loud slapping wings. So it was really difficult for us to shoot the YRFC, as it could hardly perch for 5sec! The YRFC were wings-slapped a few times by the Spiderhunter and was moving non-stop up and down, left and right.....

Spectacled Spiderhunter (Arachnothera flavigaster)

Kelicap Jantung Besar*大黄耳捕蛛鸟*オオキミミクモカリドリ*Bắp chuối bụng vàng

Red-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes rhodolaema), male

Kelicap Pinang*棕喉食蜜鸟*ノドアカコバシタイヨウチョウ

(female Red-Throated Sunbird)

Our climax reached to the peak when a male Red-throated Sunbird and a Buff-necked Woodpecker came to join the noisy party, the woodie responded to our calls by perching reasonably low in the open across the road, We were delighted that the woodie perched still for a few mins despite all the commotion at the tree..

Buff-necked Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tukki)

Belatuk Leher Kuning*黄颈斑啄木鸟*カレハゲラ

With over an hour of excitement of shooting under the humid weather, we finally got tired and took a rest, and Chris, Luenny and Micky decided to walk to the 2^nd yellow signboard in search of other species. I was too tired (lazy!) and decided to stay.

Oriental Cuckoo (Cuculus saturatus)

Sewah Gunung*中杜鵑*ツツドリ*Cu cu Phương đông

10:30 am

And mins they were gone, an Oriental Cuckoo came perching still and low at the same fruiting tree! A good lifer for me indeed and I was extremely thrilled by its sudden appearance.

At around 2pm, we parted over lunch at the Panti Official 5-star cafeteria ( the shabby roti prata shop at Sedili exit), my cousin called saying he was on his way to Panti, so I went back to join him and on my way out, I saw this beautiful juvenile Crested Serpent-eagle perching low along the bunker trail…

Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

Helang Kuik*蛇鵰*カンムリワシ*Diều hoa Miến Điện

I must say it was quite an eventful day for me!