Panti :: Black Magpie & Orange-backed Woodpecker!

I guess I am Trogonised somehow, last weekend a total of 10 Trogons were sighted , 7 on Saturday and 3 on Sunday. But wait, before you start yawing and fall asleep with more Trogon pics, let me freshen you with two species that I have always wanted for some improvement shots - the Black Magpie and the Orange-backed Woodpecker!

Black Magpie (Platysmurus leucopterus)

Burung Kambing * 白翅鹊 * クロカケス

Geai à ailes blanches * strakana cepcová * นกกาน้อยแถบปีกขาว

The 3-hour wait for the Blk Magpies to perch low was rewarded reasonably well, with an Orange-backed Woodpecker landed on a trunk nearby, motionless for more than 10mins. And thanks god that it didn't move as another few inches up or down my view would be partially blocked by the branches in front. Around 30 shots that all looked similar was the only regret though!

Orange-backed Woodpecker (Reinwardtipicus validus) male

Belatok Dada Merah * 橙背啄木鸟 * アカハラコガネゲラ

Pic vigoureux * zlatoš tmavokrídly * นกหัวขวานหลังสีส้ม

Quite a few parties were seen looking for the Banded Kingfisher on both Saturday and Sunday, A species that I have quit searching after learning that they are more easily seen perching quietly low unexpectedly than luring them with music only to see them perching higher than Petronas Tower. 

When I chance upon a ODKF near the Forktail's Corner, I told GCWong to stop his car as I wanted this common species on my blog and he had a good laugh while agreeing we should take a breather. Before I could setup my gear the ODKF was screaming and fleeing as if she just saw Jack The Ripper! 

While I felt insulted by the fleeing ODKF, my pet birds show up, male and female Red-naped Trogon! And Across the road, a male Scarlet-rumped Trogon. I am Trogonised!

Forget the SRT I told GCWong, lets concentrate on training the RNTs, and while I do the usual old man trick to the RNTs, a convoy of photographers from across the borders whom were earlier seen at the BKF spot, arrived with gloomy faces, so needless to say the BKF did not show up. 

Red-naped Trogon (Harpactes kasumba). male

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

"But I have Red-naped Trogon here for you guys!" I smiled! Trust me, within 10sec 10 sets of bazookas were already pointing at my pet! Naturally all were very thankful as the RNT was cooperative, making two clean perches at reasonably close range of around 20', and I actually forgot to tell them that the Scarlet-rumped was just across the trail at low level! The female RNT was shy on the other hand, hiding behind the thick foliage all the time. 

I spent the later part of Sunday looking for the Blk Magpies again after the 2nd YSB. They showed up cautiously and I advised most of my friends that make sure that the thumb is glued to the shutter release as they could come very near for a 3-sec surprise perch! It did happen twice but none of us get the shot due to some blockage. 

And the rest of the species for the last weekend....

 Black-winged Flycatcher-shrike

 Hairy-backed Bulbul

 Scarlet-rumped Trogon, male

Scarlet-rumped Trogon, female

My first trip to Panti 2011!

Panti :: 5th Jan 2011

I never have a good and close shot of the Red-billed Malkoha until yesterday.

It came incredibly close, hunting right abv me ~50m before the Temple Trail. RBMs are rarely seen along the main bunker trail of Panti, compared to the commonly seen Chestnut-breasted  and the Raffles's Malkohas.

Red-billed Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus javanicus)

Cenuk Api * 红嘴地鹃 *アカハシバンケンモドキ
Malcoha javanais * malkoha cervenozobá * นกบั้งรอกปากแดง

It was a very lucky timing for me to arrive the first stream at 10:00am. The resident Dusky Broadbills were performing their usual rush hour frenzy, flying to-and-flo across the trail calling non-stop. and then I realized later it was the 2 white-bellied Woodpeckers that were feeding on their usual 'hang around' tree that caused the commotion. 

The screaming of the Dusky helps attract many other species "drop by" to investigate hence gave me the opportunity to shoot a few species in one location within a short period of time. 


Many just came close to me as if i was the controversy between the WB Woodpeckers and Dusky Broadbills though.

Grey-breasted Spiderhunter (Arachnothera modesta)

Kelicap Jantung Bukit * 灰胸捕蛛鸟 * ハイムネクモカリドリ * Bắp chuối bụng xám
Arachnothère modeste * pavuciarka sivoprsá * นกปลีกล้วยท้องเทา

A huge bird wave can be very frustrating for photographer as often they tend to perch high and hop around quickly. So this time round i stay put at one location photographing those easy ones instead of chasing every species like a clown, which usually ended up getting nothing at the end.

Dark-throated Oriole (Oriolus xanthonotus), female

Burung Kunyit Leher Hitam * 黑喉黄鹂 * ムナフコウライウグイス 
Loriot à gorge noire * vlha ciernohrdlá * นกขมิ้นหัวดำเล็ก

The WB Woodpecker is the largest woodpecker species found in Panti,  and the two i shot here looked small, so more like juveniles..... maybe that helps explain why my presence did not scare they off at the first place. 


WBW are not rare and frequently heard at their usual spot, but often, the adult would fly away before you could set up your gear.

White-bellied Woodpecker (Dryocopus javensis)

Belatok Hitam Putih * 白腹黑啄木鸟 * キタタキ * Gõ kiến đen bụng trắng
Pic à ventre blanc * tesár bielobruchý * นกหัวขวานใหญ่สีดำ

Buff-rumped Woodpecker (Meiglyptes tristis)

Belatuk Belakang Kuning * 黄颈斑啄木鸟 * カレハゲラ
Pic strihup * rúbac jarabý * นกหัวขวานลายตะโพกเหลือง

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris)

Cenuk Birah * 栗胸地鹃 * チャムネバンケンモドキ
Malcoha pettocastano * malkoha hnedoprsá * นกบั้งรอกเขียวอกแดง

Dusky Broadbill (Corydon sumatranus)

Takau Besar *  暗阔嘴鸟 * ガマヒロハシ * Mỏ rộng đen
Eurylaime corydon * loboš tmavý * Суматранский ширококлюв * นกพญาปากกว้างสีดำ

Greater Racquet-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus)

Cecawi Hamba Keran * 大盘尾 * カザリオウチュウ * Chèo bẻo cờ đuôi chẻ

Drongo à raquettes * drongo zástavkový * นกแซงแซวหางบ่วงใหญ่

And as usual I reward myself with a cup of icy cold "Gui Ling Gao" for the numerous catch! 

And in case you want to know what GLG is, here is the link, nothing to do with bird!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilinggao

I ventured into 2nd Stream after lunch and 3 Greater-tailed Drongos were making their usual noise with White-rumped Shama singing happily along, I stopped to snap the Drongo and only to find the Rufous Woodpecker perching quietly nearby.......

And a Raffles's Malkoha drop by for a quick bite....

Raffles's Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus chlorophaeus)

Cenuk Kerak * 棕胸地鹃 * クリイロバンケンモドキ
Malcoha de Raffles * malkoha hrdzavá * นกบั้งรอกแดง

Rufous Woodpecker (Celeus brachyurus)

Belatok Biji Nangka * 栗啄木鸟 * クリチャゲラ * Gõ kiến nâu
Pic brun * vlikác krátkochvostý * Рыжий дятел * นกหัวขวานสีตาล

And on my way back at 3:00pm, the angry couple of the Scarlet-rumped Trogons were again sighted at the usual spot....

female

male

~ 200m before the first stream!