Ian in action - with a pair of woodpecker

This trip covered a few different habitats (mangrove, lowland forest and highlands) with specific targets. Ian is an Aussie birder + photographer and he has been to Panti for birding in the past. So there will surely be some overlapping species. Nevertheless, we enjoyed all the birds that gladly show up for us. 

Arrived at location

Nice parking spot for birding too

Beware, you should not stop here for too long

Unless you need to get a few birds along the trail

Birding in the mangrove

Birding in the mangrove

Another different location

Waiting for the target kingfisher to show up

A quick Roti Canai meal after birding

 

A misty morning

Scanning....

Got it! Time to shoot

There are some species that prefer to move higher

In the lowland bird hide, there are different species to see and photograph

Spotting for birds among the thick vegetation

Overnight in a thematic resort

Time for Peacock-Pheasant and Partridge

 

Did we get it? of course, we did! Here's the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant

 

.....and Ferruginous Partridge

 

Ian hoping for better shots of the Mountain Peacock-Pheasant and Ferruginous Partridge while sitting a bit further

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After our first trip to Fraser's Hill, this will be Martin's 2nd trip with me. We covered 2 sites today, Shah Alam and Hulu Langat. Yesterday, I couldn't see or hear the Blue-winged Pitta and again, the BWP did not show up! :( Hooded Pitta was giving us very good view and good opportunities for taking photographs. In the afternoon, we drove to Hulu Langat for Rufous-backed Kingfisher.

A Black-and-Red Broadbill teasing us while we were walking into the forest

Hooded Pitta just wanted to perch here

  

this is the view of the forest from where we were sitting and waiting for the targeted Rufous-backed Kingfisher

Looks like Martin saw the bird hidden behind the leaves

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This is a half-day photography trip to a local site for Pitta. For the past month, 2 species of Pitta have been sighted here. Although it was the Blue-winged Pitta that dominated this station but somehow today we only managed to get the Hooded Pitta. There were several landscape maintenance workers at the back of the station - cutting branches and removing dried leaves. :(

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I was guiding when I received the news that European Starling and Rosy Starling were spotted near Kuala Lumpur. I was so excited but unfortunately I need to pay attention and focus on my guiding assignment. As soon as I completed my first tour of the year, I went to the spot the very next day with my portable gears - Nikon 1 V1 attached with CX 70-300mm, Kowa TSN-501 Spotting Scope, Kowa 10x32 binocular and Zoom H2N audio recorder. Did I managed to see the bird? Did I managed to get some record photos? Did I managed to get an audio recording of the Starling's call? Well, you bet I did! Very happy about this short morning excursion. :D

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I met Madam Choo many years ago, back to the days when I was still working in Putrajaya Wetland. She was (still is) a very enthusiastic birdwatcher. She contacted me to arrange for a short trip to Shah Alam after my posting on Facebook. After checking the schedule, she picked today as her first day coming out for birding with me. I picked her up very early in the morning and drove to Shah Alam. We were surprised to see many cars at the parking lots and I suspected there is an event going on, and true enough, another cross country run. We need to find the target birds as soon as possible before the runners cross our path. Our first bird....not a Pitta, but 2 Black Hornbill and a large flock of Purple-backed Starling (Daurian Starling). We continued our walk.....

Blue-winged Pitta shot through the spotting scope with iPhone

I guessed we were pretty lucky that the Blue-winged Pitta and Hooded Pitta came pretty fast. Even a Siberian Blue Robin showed up for a short while. Plenty of spiderhunters around but mainly Grey-breasted and Little. No sighting of Spectacled Spiderhunter today. As we continue our birding, we heard and saw Banded Broadbill. Seen well through the spotting scope. Then, there were Rufous Woodpecker, Raffles's Malkoha, Little Green Pigeon, Thick-billed Pigeon, Pink-necked Pigeon, Red-whiskered Bulbul, Olive-winged Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Blue-throated Bee-eater but the Plaintive Cuckoo was not cooperative enough. Other notable species for this half-day birding were Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker and Large Woodshrike.

Hooded Pitta (shot with Kowa Spotting Scope & iPhone)

Raffles's Malkoha (Kowa Spotting Scope & iPhone)

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My first trip for this year. A group of 3 photographers from Japan. Actually, I was invited by fellow bird guide, Andrew to co-guide in this trip. We covered a birding spot in Shah Alam, the forest in Hulu Langat, the highland resort of Bukit Tinggi and also went up to Fraser's Hill for the main target (unfortunately we could not get in 1 full day due to site deterioration).

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"Thank you for your guide and sending our photos. We are perfectly satisfied. Thank you again." - Furuya-san, Japan

I had 2 day trips at the end of 2018. Both days with the same birders from Japan. It was a pretty relaxing birding with cracking views of Mountain Peacock-Pheasant and Ferruginous Partridge! Furuya-san finally saw his first hornbill. It was an Oriental Pied Hornbill but we also heard a Black Hornbill in the first morning. A Blue-winged Pitta came out as soon as we arrived at the usual spot. We also added Black-and-Red Broadbill, Spectacled Spiderhunter, Grey-breasted Spiderhunter, Little Spiderhunter, Little Green Pigeon, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Orange-bellied Flowerpecker and many more into our 2-days bird list.

Hope to see them back in Malaysia again some time soon.

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After a hectic bird guiding year in 2018, finally took amother relaxing day to do casual birding with good pals Ding Li and Tun Pin (although I have corresponded with him for many year, this is the first time we met).

We covered several spots in Selangor - open field, mangrove and lowland forest. They had cracking views of Greater Flameback, Cinereous Tit and Blue-winged Pitta but of course, we saw more than that! :D

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Andrew is back again in KL! We went to the forest nearby Kuala Lumpur and traveled to one of the highlands in Peninsular Malaysia. Stunning views of some target birds in his life list including Bar-throated Minla, Rufous-winged Fulvettta, Siberian Blue Robin, Orange-headed Thrush and Hooded Pitta. 

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I guided Japanese birders for the first time! The primary target was a species of (elusive) Pitta from the montane forest of Titiwangsa Main Range. We spent some amount of time waiting and looking for it but unfortunately, the closest we got were calls from the bird about a few feet away from our hide. Well, that's the reason why it is one of the most sought after birds in Peninsular Malaysia.

Although we may have missed our prized target, we did get a Blue-winged Pitta, Pygmy Cupwing and several other species during these 2 days.

Hope to guide them again in the near future.

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