Panti Again! Black Hornbill!

March 4th, 2012

My last visit to Panti was almost 5months ago, so it was no surprise that my arrival at the guest carpark greeted by lots of strange bird calls. It actually took me more than 20mins to realize that those were the calls that i used to hear when i frequently make weekly trip to Panti. White-rumped Shamas must be breeding successfully last year as quite a few young adults were begging anxiously to be photographed as i walk into the Red Leech Trail.

But before I venture further into the trail, I decided to back off as i have not worn my leach socks!  Besides, my favourite anti-insect spray (Hansaplast) was left at home! Arrrr.....

A brief drive into the Main Bunker trail I was soon welcomed by a waiting male Black Hornbill, Its call was unmistakable however. Strange that i have never encountered a lone Black Hornbill in Panti. They usually travel in pair, or a group of 4-6. And the fact they they always perch high and never roost at trees along the Main Bunker Trail makes me wonder  if it was ill.

Black Hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus)

Enggang Gatal Birah * 黑斑犀鸟 * クロサイチョウ * 

Calao charbonnier  * zobákorožec čierny * Чёрная птица-носорог * นกเงือกดำ

Malaienhornvogel * Sort Næsehornsfugl * Cálao Malayo * Zwarte Neushoornvogel

I must have lost my touch on bird-in-flights photography! Despite the hornbill was shuttling left and right quite a few times at low level, I could only managed one acceptable shot, the rest were simply as blur as those usual UFOs/bigfoot eyewitness' shots!

And pic below, must be the closest I have ever encounter with a hornbill in Panti. It was less than 20' above me, due to its large size i have to back off quite a distance to get the half-bodied shot.

By 9:30am and two hundred shots later i honestly feel like going home for my fav fish balls noodle beside Kulai's Centrepoint! :)

I spent another two hours later at the 1st stream (5km mark) and there were plenty of bird activities except i wasn't really in the mood of taking more pictures as the heat was quite immerse, and the fact that i forgot to bring my hat and sunglasses makes me tear when looking up for birds against the bright sun!

Blue-winged Leafbird (Chloropsis cochinchinensis)

Crested Green Lizard!

A brief record of birds sighted/calls heard for the day:


- Yellow-bellied flowerpeckers,
- Scarlet-rump Trogon, male
- Diard;s Trogon, both male and female,
- RT Drongo, 
- Rufous Woodpecker
- Black Hornbills
- Banded Broadbill
- Black-capped Babbler,
- Blue-wing Leafbird,
- Banded Pitta, male
- Banded Kingfisher, female 
- Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler,
- Crested Serpent Eagle,
- Raffle's Malkoha
- Red-bearde Bee-eater, 

- White-rumped Shama,

- White-fronted Babbler,

and a ground bird that looked like Partridge 50m before the famous Ah Gong's ODKF's nesting!