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

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, female

I actually got this female YRFC on the 14th Sept., three daya later than the male at the same fruiting tree after the 1st stream in Panti. So far 2 males and one female were spotted along the bunker trail.

Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia), female

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

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!