Black Magpie, finally!

26th Jan 20100`

I am still excited over the capture of Black Magpie yesterday because I have been waiting two years for this opportunity. They are not rare but they love to hang around tree tops, the Black Magpies never perch low, at least not in Panti. The only regret was it only stayed for less than 10ses and I only managed to capture two shots!

Black Magpie (Platysmurus leucopterus)

Burung Kambing * 白翅鹊 * クロカケス

Geai à ailes blanches * strakana cepcová * นกกาน้อยแถบปีกขาว

Weather was terrible in the morning and in fact, after taking pics of the Leafbird I spent more than 3 hours (napping, literally) in the car due to the heavy rain.

Blue-winged Leafbird (Chloropsis cochinchinensis)

Burung Daun Sayap Putih * 蓝翅叶鹎 * Chim xanh Nam bộ

Verdin à tête jaune * zelenácik modrokrídly * นกเขียวก้านตองปีกสีฟ้า

But despite the occasional drizzles in the afternoon, many species of birds were still very active but I spent much time watching them in the car.

The Tiger Shrike was sighted when I actually stopped for a breather when the rain had stopped momentarily.

Many of them have moved deeper into the forest as their calls can be heard regularly, as compared to two months ago they were frequently seen along the main bunker trail.

Tiger Shrike (Lanius tigrinus)

Tirjup Harimau * 虎纹伯劳 * チゴモズ * Bách thanh vằn

 Pie-grièche tigrine * strakoš velkozobý * นกอีเสือลายเสือ

@1st Stream.

The Duskys must be familiar (and mad) with my car by now as they were making loud frantic calls on my arrival. And within mins, the Black Magpie made a brief appearance (pic on top) and a bird wave soon followed, both the Chestnut and White morph Asian Paradize Flycathers (Long-tailed) were spotted in a mixed flock of White-eyes and Minivets but a sudden heavy downpour kept me in the car drooling,....  

When the rain stopped 30mins later I took a walk between the 1st Stream and  3oom after the 2nd Yellow Sign Board, I found these.

Banded Woodpecker Picus miniaceus

Pelatuk Merah * 镶红绿啄木鸟 * シマベニアオゲラ * 

 Pic minium * žlna pásikavá * นกหัวขวานแดงลาย

 Chestnut-breasted Malkoha

Drongo Cuckoo (Sumiculus lugubris)

Burung Hamba Kera * 乌鹃 * オウチュウカッコウ * Cu cu đen

Coucou surnicou * kukucka drongovitá * นกคัคคูแซงแซว

Female

Red-naped Trogon (Harpactes kasumba)

Kesumba Tengkuk Merah * 红枕咬鹃 *アカエリキヌバネドリ

 Trogon à nuque rouge * dravcík kasumba * นกขุนแผนท้ายทอยแดง

Panti :: 4th 6th Oct 2010

Last Sunday visit to Panti were greeted with 3 bird waves, first was at the main gate, then 2^nd at the Rock Shrine and 3^rd was after the 1^st stream. But the birds were extremely fast, those Nuthatches at the Rock Shrine were basically impossible to track and focus, all 6 of them, hence I ended up shooting the leftover, those that stay behind or rather lazy to fly after the waves, the White-rumped Shama, Chestnut-breasted Malkoha and the Yellow-bellied flowerpecker.

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris)

Cenuk Birah * 栗胸地鹃 * チャムネバンケンモドキ

White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus)

Murai Rimba * 白腰鹊鸲 * アカハラシキチョウ * Chích chòe lửa

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker (Prionochilus maculatus)

Sepah Puteri Raja * 黄喉锯齿啄花鸟 * キムネハナドリモドキ

Today’s visit was in hoping to get a better shots of the Tiger Shrikes, they were here two weeks ago and plenty of them. But they are still shy with the new environment, often responded from deep inside the forest. A scene which I recalled similar to last year, migratory species often acted cautiously when first landed in Panti, give them 2 months, you can almost whistle them to oblige you for a portrait shot, hopefully that is the case here!

Rather quiet along the trail until I reached the first stream, a huge birdwave of woodpeckers, Malkohas and Parakeets, Bulbuls and leafbirds! Before i could setup my gear, the birds have already flown into the forest and not a single shot was fired, the grey-cheeked bulbuls were the only leftover this time! Funny I have never seen woodpeckers in wave before, there were 2 chequered-throateds and 2 rufous-backs.

Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrike (Hempius hirundinaceus)

Rembah Sayap Hitam * 黑翅鹟䴗 * ハグロヒタキサンショウクイ

As I was pondering where to go next, another birdwave came, this time my gear was ready, but there were too many small birds among 4-5 leafbirds, all look like white eyes to me against strong backlight. Only one was perching still, the rest were hovering and hopping non-stop, so I only managed to capture this bird, and fortunately, it turns out to be Black-winged Flycather-Shrike, something I have never even seen and heard before! :) A Lifer!

(And thanks to Mr. Wong Tsu Shi and JKC for their help in ID)

As I was packing my gear to leave at the carpark's hut, I saw this monkey with her beautiful child perched on a nearby tree as if pleading for a family shot....how i wish birds are as big and as friendly as monkeys!

( not sure about this species though....)

And what fruit is this? I am always temped to eat this, see closely, they are all in twins, love fruits maybe! And I would probably bring back a few to let my noisy neighbors try first before i eat them!