A Malaysian Birder

Lothar on a "hunt" again

This month end, Lothar is here again to hunt for more birds. We started off with a boogie bird which eluded Lothar many times previously. So, on our first day we were all focus on nailing this species first thing in the morning at Cyberjaya as I have seen for the past few months. As usual 2 individuals were spotted. Next, we proceed to our next target Crimson Sunbird. Without much effort except for the long walk and few minutes of waiting. We were greeted by Black-and-Red Broadbill going into the nest on the other side of the pond, and there were also Yellow Bittern, Germain's Swiftlet, Barn Swallow, Pacific Swallow, Little Egret, White-throated Kingfisher, Pink-necked Green Pigeon, Brown-throated Sunbird at the spot we were waiting. Next on our list - Copper-throated Sunbird and Mangrove Pitta, so we drove to the coast. Almost instantly we saw a pair of our targeted sunbird but there is no sign of the pitta. We decided to give it a miss and head to the next pitta, a Hooded Pitta. Upon arrival at the site, we heard the call and Lothar was surprised to see this so easily compare to the Mangrove Pitta.

Laced Woodpecker (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

On our second day, we headed to the highland stakeout for the Mountain Peacock Pheasant.After 3 hours of waiting (and de-stress at the bushes behind the stakeout), 1 lone Mountain Peacock Pheasant emerged from the forest. Of course, we were also entertained by Ferruginous Partridge, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Tiger Shrike (another boogie bird for Lothar), Siberian Blue Robin, Orange-headed Thrush, Ochraceous Bulbul and White-rumped Shama. Then we drove down to the lowland forest for babblers and bulbuls. We managed to get Yellow-bellied Bulbul, Hairy-backed Bulbul, Black-throated Babbler, Black-capped Babbler, Hooded Pitta (again!), a pair of Scarlet-rumped Trogon, and a pair of Banded Kingfisher.

Orange-headed Thrush hidden in the darker comfort zone early in the morning

A Tiger Shrike was seen just a few feet away from the Orange-headed Thrush

Ferruginous Flycatcher (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Ferruginous Partridge (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Orange-headed Thrush (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Rhinoceros Hornbill (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Scarlet-rumped Trogon (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Banded Kingfisher was calling the whole afternoon

Hooded Pitta (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Hairy-backed Bulbul (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Next, on our third day we went up north for specific targets in which we managed some unexpected species too. Although a very exhausting day, it was still a rewarding day for both of us. Today highlight includes Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Greater Flameback, Copper-throated Sunbird, Little Cormorant, Bank Swallow / Pale Sand Martin, Greater Painted Snipe, Osprey, White-bellied Sea-eagle and Banded Woodpecker.

After spending a night in the northern region, we make our way up to Fraser's Hill. Lothar was here with me to look for the Malaysian Partridge previously but we were not that lucky then. This time, with a little more patience, we finally have it on our trip list along with Long-tailed Broadbill, Silver-breasted Broadbill, Large Scimitar Babbler, Chestnut-backed Scimitar Babbler and many more. We also spent some time in Taman Negara Kuala Tahan and Krau Forest to get more lowland birds.

Black Hornbill (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Green Broadbill (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Grey-and-Buff Woodpecker (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Malaysian Partridge (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Long-tailed Broadbill (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Olive-backed Woodpecker (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Red-headed Trogon (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Silver-breasted Broadbill (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

White-rumped Shama (Nikon V1 + CX 70-300mm VR)

Day Trips to Fraser's Hill March 2017

"I had one of my most memorable birding trips in my life thanks to Wengchun with whom I went on a full day birding trip from KL to Frasers Hill. Wengchun picked me up early in the morning and it was a pleasure to chat with him. He is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I told him that the red headed trogon was on my wish list and we birded the whole day and i got more than what i wished for !! I had 40 lifers in this trip including some real beauties including the red headed trogon, Mugimaki flycatcher, Large Niltava, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Silver-eared Mesia and many more
On the whole wengchun is someone who would make any birders day great and i would whole heartedly recommend him to anyone who has a day to spare to see the avian wonders of malaysia !!!" - Dr Gopi, India

Done 2 day trips to Fraser's Hill for 2 separate guests. Both wanted to take photographs. I realized now that I am having more guests that came to Malaysia not only to see the birds but some were here to take photographs.

Pygmy Wren-babbler (Pygmy Cupwing) with Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Red-headed Trogon (male) with Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Rufous-browed Flycatcher with Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Photography Trip to Selangor, Perak & Pahang

This is a joint trip with 2 different guests (Thomas was one of the 2 guests) but only for the first day. The subsequent days, I was guiding 1 guest. Anyway, the trip was fantastic and rewarding for the guests and myself! We started the day very early in the morning (it was still dark in Lanchang), and one of our targets was hit but no chance to get good photo as the bird was not at a preferred perch.

Black Hornbill (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

When we entered the forest, light was considered poor, but the Rufous-collared Kingfisher greeted us as soon as we setup our gears. Ok....lighting was not ideal for my hand held equipment. Here is a photo to convince you how bad the lighting was then.

Rufous-collared Kingfisher (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Black-capped Babbler (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Yellow-bellied Bulbul (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Several other species came later but we also spent our half day outing in the open area. Our highlights for Lanchang include Black-throated Babbler, Black-capped Babbler, Yellow-bellied Bulbul, White-rumped Shama, Hooded Pitta, Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker, Lesser Green Learbird, Asian Fairy Bluebird, Blue-eared Barbet, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Sooty Barbet, and more. Next we drove back to KL for our next target and we nailed both Blue-eared Kingfisher (a lifer for Thomas. both of us have tried a few times looking for it prior to this sighting) and Stork-billed Kingfisher.

On Day 2, we went to get the next kingfisher, a Rufous-backed Kingfisher. We were there waiting at the location with several other photographers in the morning. Waited for the bird to land on the ideal spot for almost 2 hours before it eventually came close and show itself well for a few good minutes, which is more than enough for everyone. In the later part of the day, we had Hooded Pitta. It was not easy at the first stakeout, so we retreated to a second stakeout - almost instantly the Pitta performed right in front of us! Without wasting time, we drove to our next location which is few hours away. Here we had Blue Rock Thrush, Bllue Whistling Thrush, Java Sparrow and Plaintive Cuckoo.

Rufous-backed Kingfisher (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Hooded Pitta (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Java Sparrow (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Blue Rock Thrush (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Blue Whistling Thrush (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Buffy Fish Owl (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Greater Flameback (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Plaintive Cuckoo (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Emerald Dove (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Malaysian Partridge (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Long-tailed Broadbill (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Mugimaki Flycatcher (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Red-headed Trogon (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Silver-eared Mesia (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Streaked Spiderhunter (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Lesser Shortwing with Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

We missed the sunrise, but luckily we did not miss the birds. As soon as we arrived, we stationed ourselves at designated area for observing and taking photos of birds. The weather in the first hour was almost perfect, but slowly the mist approaches and ruined the session. After a few minutes the mist has cleared and we get good light! (darn it! speak too soon), another round of mist....

Nevertheless, we secured some of our target species along with a pair of Snowy-browed Flycatcher.

Siberian Thrush (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Large Niltava (Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR)

Blue-tailed Bee-eater with Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Today target is (again) the Crimson Sunbird, Purple-throated Sunbird and Black-and-Red Broadbill. However, we managed to secure 2 targets out of 3. No sign of the Purple-throated Sunbird. The guest today may not be interested with dark or dull birds, but I saw the 2 White-vented Myna again in the morning, this time within the park. I was also excited to see Plaintive Cuckoo at a close range, perched much lower than what I have seen on my previous trip to this park.

Plaintive Cuckoo with Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Kuala Sepetang / Taiping 15th - 16th February 2017

Miguel and his wife admiring a star bird on a misty morning

Easy target at the town centre however, need to pay more attention to the traffic situation here

“Weng Chun was a fantastic guide and we would highly recommend using his services. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Fraser's Hill and saw over 60 different types of birds and several different mammals as well! Weng Chun knew all the special locations to see particular birds and we didn't stop birdwatching even on the way home. He was able to see and hear things we could not - a real talent. We will take away a lot of knowledge from our day and try and imitate some of his skills when we return to birdwatching at home.” – Miguel & wife

Crimson Sunbird

Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Me and Thomas has been talking about White-vented Myna for several weeks. So today, we were lucky. We nailed the boogie bird along with other species which include Black-and-Red Broadbill, Crimson Sunbird, Plain-throated Sunbird, Pied Triller, Plaintive Cuckoo and Hooded Pitta (which is very elusive today). So what did we missed out in our target list? Let's see....Purple-throated Sunbird! Only missed out 1 target bird for today.

White-vented Myna a.k.a. Great Myna

Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Actually, we were just chatting while driving towards the birding spot and jokingly I said there could be White-vented Myna among all those Javan Myna by the roadside and neither of us believe our eyes when 2 different looking Myna landed on the grass. What else? I quickly stopped the car by the roadside and both of us pull out our binocular and camera to record our 1st bird of the day (a lifer for Thomas!).

While in the garden, we walked towards the Broadbill nesting site after a tip-off from other bird photographers several days ago. No effort was necessary as 1 Black-and-Red Broadbill flew past me and perched on a tree branch near where Thomas was standing. We only spent the next few minutes at the open area observing another bird perching at the opposite side of the lake before we resume our walk to look for the remaining targets. Some where near the Bottle Brush tree, we heard a Pied Triller calling. After a few seconds, there were movement up on a Melaleuca tree....a Pied Triller!!!! lifer for Thomas. Then, we walked back towards the broadbill nest. Numerous sunbirds were heard and seen with one unusually dark sunbird high up on a tree caught our attention. After carefully observing the bird, we noticed that it was not dark but reddish! That's our target - Crimson Sunbird! Hooray!!!! Somewhere near the broadbill nest, a Cuckoo was calling. We looked up, and got another lifer for Thomas in the form of Plaintive Cuckoo. And the bird really went cuckoo for several minutes before flying away. We tried hard for our next sunbird target but no avail. We just could not find or catch a glimpse of a Purple-throated Sunbird. Nevertheless it was a good day.

Before we ended our morning session, we drove to another bird stakeout for Hooded Pitta. What was suppose to be easy target turned out to be really difficult one. The Pitta didn't appear at the stakeout nor did it call. We walked around and waited.....there were Spectacled Spiderhunter and Grey-breasted Spiderhunter but still no Pitta. Knowing that the time is getting late, we walked back to the main entrance and suddenly heard the Hooded Pitta calling. It was testing our patience. We walked around and continue searching for the bird among the dried leave and logs. After few minutes, Thomas finally manage to see the bird well while I only managed a glimpse. It is still a good to end the day with a boogie bird.

Plaintive Cuckoo

Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

Long-tailed Parakeet

Nikon V1 + Nikkor CX 70-300mm VR

An early morning drive from KL and after several hours on the North-South Highway, we reached Kuala Sepetang. For the next few hours, we found Greater Flameback which is much easier to see than Common Flameback (unlike the situation in Kuala Selangor), the uncooperative Copperthroated Sunbird, Olive-winged Bulbul, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Ashy Tailorbird and Chestnut-winged Babbler. There were also Crested Serpent Eagle perching silently, giving us good opportunity to see and take photographs of it. Further on, we saw Black-capped Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Cinereous Tit, Pacific Swallow, Brown Shrike, Asian Glossy Starling, Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, Brahminy Kite, White-bellied Sea Eagle, Lesser Adjustant Stork, Little Egret, Great Egret, Striated (Little) Heron, and Black-crowned Night Heron.