Panti where got Banded Pitta? :))))

I have shot the Banded Pitta twice in the past, but either the head was fully blocked or the image was so blur which makes it look more like the chick of Ayam Kampung than anything else! Many times I was frowned at when the subject of its sighting was brought up in the discussion, and what follow was usually "ARE YOU SURE???"


Situation turned around slightly when when a pair were spotted 100m into the trail barely 20' away in one of the birding trips with my friends a few months ago. 

But for an hour we couldn't get a good shot due to thick undergrowth. However it was the moment of truth for me as one of my friends patted me on my shoulder and said "I believe in you now!" (Sobs...sobs.....)

Banded Pittas are not that rare in Panti. According to my observation in the past, they occur in  many locations but mostly deep in the forest/side trails. Occasionally they do venture very near to the Main Bunker Trail, but they are not as habitual as the Mysia Rail Babbler, i.e. if you see them (usually in pair -male/female) in one spot just don't hope to see them around the same spot the next day.

Extremely shy and getting a good shot is a real PITA (Oops!), as they like to move around quickly in the canopy of thick undergrowth. So you either run out of shutter speed  due to lack of light or out of breath chasing them in the wood. I have missed capturing their images at least 5 times despite they were just skipping cheekily around me barely 10' away.

"WUI! BAND BAND BANDED....P.... I.... T... T... AAAAAA!", shouted my Sifu!

So in Panti today and when one my friends gave me a loud yell 100m away, I probably dashed faster than Carl Lewis, with full gear on my shoulder forgetting I have not fully recovered from my illness. 9.8s later I reached the spot and told him if it was a joke I would probably kill him with my new Gitzo tripod! But it was all big smiles from all of us seconds later as the Banded Pitta made a brisk appearance in a well-lit patch of the ground, grinning at us almost like "Haha! See if any of you fools can get me this time!".   

And after one hour of seek-and-hide with the PITA, finally I managed to get some improvement shots and video recording of the Banded Pitta of Panti! Phew! I was thrilled naturally and suddenly the pain of my stomach cramp that tortured me for the last few weeks seemed to have gone suddenly and forever!

For once, I actually like a bird's name in chinese, Banded Pitta is actually 
called "Blue-tailed-eight-colored Pitta!" Make sense to me!

Banded Pitta (Pitta guajana)

Burung Pacat Berjalur * 蓝尾八色鸫 * キマユシマヤイロチョウ * 

Brève azurine * pita pásikavá * Синехвостая питта * นกแต้วแล้วลาย

Blauschwanz-Pitta * Gyldenbrynet Pitta * Pita Barrada

And some of the pics taken on both Saturday and Sunday. I am still excited with my Nikon D5100 so all imgs were captured with it, with 500mm VR F4 TC1.4.

 Crested Serpent-Eagle (Spilornis cheela)

Buff-necked Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tukki)

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithacus)

Rufous-collared Kingfisher (Actenoides concretus)

White-bellied Woodpecker (Dryocopus javensis)

Scarlet-rumped Trogon (Harpactes duvaucelii)

And is this ID correct?  

Grey-rumped Treeswift (Hemiprocne longipennis) ?

Two More Stars are out!

Panti - 12th March 2011

The Frogmouth's sudden appearance 2 weeks ago must be the cause for the significant increase of visitors to Panti recently. But it looks like more will come soon as two more Stars of Panti have emerged, the Rufous-collared Kingfisher and the Black-backed Kingfisher! Both are highly sought after by bird watchers and photographers around the region.

The Rufous-collared Kingfishers occur in many spots in Panti and they are not too difficult to find between March and August, as their calls can be heard frequently. Two pairs were sighted around the car park's vicinity on my arrival and I soon forgot the Frogmouth that perched tamely nearby.

While most male birds look prettier than the female, the RCKF is the other way round. The pale green and light yellow dotted spots on the female's back make her much more attractive to the photographers than the male. And similar to last year's observation, the female tends to perch lower than the male. So like the Banded Kingfisher, when you see a female at low perch always look out for the male on top

female

Rufous-collared Kingfisher (Actenoides concretus)

Pekaka Rimba Besar * アオヒゲショウビン * 

Martin-chasseur trapu * rybárikovec zelenohlavý * Малайская альциона * นกกะเต็นสร้อยคอสีน้ำตาล

male

The Black-backed Kingfisher, as commonly known as the Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher now, is one species rarely seen compares to its cousin, the Rufous-backed Kingfisher, so let alone taking its photograph. 

But I was indeed lucky this time as my friend Mr Ong had shown me the bird which he snapped a few sec earlier was still within sight, and after a 100m hot pursuit in the forest without leech socks again, managed to get one decent shot. 

Another 5 leeches (besides the 8 I got for the RCKFs earlier) on my feet literally turned my white Nike socks into Ferrari Red, but it was worth it as I have only seen the Black-backed Kingfisher 4 times over the last two years in Panti.

And I have to admit, the Black-backed Kingfisher is the most beautiful bird in Panti, for me least!

Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithacus)

Pekaka Api * 三趾翠鳥 * ミツユビカワセミ * Bồng chanh đỏ

Martin-pêcheur pourpré *  rybárik džunglový * Трёхпалый лесной зимородок * นกกระเต็นน้อยหลังดำ

I met up some friends later at the Tower and an over-fed Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker that perched still for 30mins gave us much photography joy. It was seen earlier feeding frenziedly on a fruiting tree next to us.

Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker (Prionochilus percussus)

Sepah Puteri Pelangi * ムネアカハナドリモドキ * 

Dicée poignardé * bobuliar modrochrbtý * Персидский цветосос * นกกาฝากอกสีเลือดหมู

all guns were at the Crimson-breasted flowerpecker!

The Frogmouth was easily sighted near the same location again and provided much excitement to those who see and shoot the very first time. And you would grin like us when your hear its call, an eerie, ghost-like scream simply gives us uncontrollable laughter every time.

Javan Frogmouth, female

Raffle's Malkoha, female

Red-naped Trogon, female

And just in case someone (the same guy actually) ask "Where is the male Red-naped Trogon that you always say easily find?", See pic below which I took behind the satisfied couple, whom later bought me sumptuous dinner! 

Take a closer look at her camera's LCD screen! Fullframe I think! :)))

Panti :: 13th Feb 2011

It has been the norm for me in Panti that if a Trogon is sighted on arrival in the morning, it is likely that i would get to see many more for the day. 

The Diard's Trogon was sighted again, (ahem..) in the morning, but I wasn't very keen at it as i was very much attracted by the loud calls of the Moustached Babbler which filled the air around the same spot. A quick blast on my X-minis I saw at least 10 Moustached Babbler popping out of the bush! A bit unusual as I always see one individual.

Moustached Babbler (Malacopteron magnirostre)

Rimba Bermisai * 须树鹛 * ヒゲチャイロチメドリ

Akalat moustachu * dudroš fúzatý * นกกินแมลงหัวสีน้ำตาล

But I guess I am too old for the Babblers, they were quick and hardly perch still, all I have got was just one shot, and while searching for them along the main bunker trail hoping to sight one tired or old babbler that perch still, accidentally I saw this sub-adult Red-naped Trogon just 5-6'' in front of me, likely to be responding to the perpetual calls of the Diard's across the road. 

Red-naped Trogon (Harpactes kasumba)

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

rogon à nuque rouge * dravcík kasumba * Краснозатылочный Трогон * นกขุนแผนท้ายทอยแดง

So I abandoned the babblers quickly because I have never seen a subadult RNT before! Mins later, the adult female (presumably the mom!) made a quick appearance followed by an adult male ( Dad i think! ). The female was shy as it stay on guard and watch at around 50m deep in the foliage. The adult RNT made a surprise perch on a branch overhanging the trail.

So I was surrounded by 4 Trogons! And just a week ago when I brought along a friend  who wanted to snap some pics of Trogon there was none, around the same spot.

Scarlet-rumped Trogon 

(Harpactes duvaucelii)

Kesumba Puteri * 红腰咬鹃*  コシアカキヌバネドリ

Trogon de Duvaucel * 

dravcík malý * 

Красноспинный Трогон * 

นกขุนแผนตะโพกแดง

I took a 1km walk around the 2nd YSB location with my setup and sighted a subadult Scarlet-rumped Trogon, ok so five trogons were sighted and I tell myself if another one turn up i promised not to take a look even though if it perches around my nose!

The greatest surprise of the day was the sighting of Rufous-collared Kingfisher. They usually appear around April-May. By then you could hear its call on several locations along the trail.

Rufous-collared Kingfisher (Actenoides concretus) male

Pekaka Rimba Besa * 栗领翡翠 * アオヒゲショウビン

Martin-chasseur trapu * rybárikovec zelenohlavý * นกกะเต็นสร้อยคอสีน้ำตาล

If I could remember correctly, a total of 5 Yellow-rumped Flycatchers were spotted since august last year but none had stayed at the same spot for more than a week, except a male on a fruiting tree after the 1st stream.

So it was delightful for me to see a male YRFC not far off from same spot again and 2 hours were spent with it before heading home! A lot of patience is needed to get a decent shot as its size is small and with a fullframe dslr I have to shoot at min focus distance of 10', so much time was spent waiting for it to perch in front of the cam then to endlessly going after for it, which usually send it to perch high.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia),

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

Gobemouche à croupion jaune * muchárik zlatý *  Мухоловка даурская желтоспинная * 
นกจับแมลงตะโพกเหลือง

I was wondering why the orange patch on its chest and according to 

Craig Robson's SEA Bird Guide, it is a male(Spring).

On my way out, another SRT was sighted on a super clean branch 2' above ground but I didn't stop not bacause I had promised, but I was late for a CNY dinner! :(


Other shots ::

Spectacled Bulbul