Panti 30Jul16

From Con

Unable to read a calendar, this Black-and-Red Broadbill thinks nesting season is now!

Johor 23Jul16

From JS

After nearly a month-long break from our weekly birding in Malaysia, it is nice to return together to find the increasingly rare lifers. Among the four of us, only Kok Hui and I still have unfinished business. I am still needing a perch view of the White-fronted Scops-owl and Malaysian Blue-flycatcher, while Kok Hui is missing the latter and the elusive Crestless Fireback. Considering how many years we have spent birding in the forest of Johor, it is remarkable that there is always that few species which will prove to be our nemesis...

Starting the morning at pre-dawn, we were welcomed by the sight of a near-full moon. That was nice but the nightbirds were not in the mood to be seen. Apart from calling frogmouths and brown hawk owls, we did not hear my much-wanted White-fronted Scops-owl. However, it was worth noting that the Large Frogmouths were still in the vicinity of where we last found them, so let's hope the pair will make the spot their home for the years to come.

After owling, we did some roadside birding, stopping for any birds - except bulbuls. In reality, we never fail to stop for the bulbuls. Usually my dad would call out a rare bird only for us to find out that we had just stopped for a bulbul. This time, it was me who was guilty of it - I stopped the car for a Black-and-white Bulbul. Well, it was not some ordinary bird, considering it was our first sighting of the species at this site. Unfortunately, we could not photograph it. Instead, we got a Buff-Vented Bulbul...

Today was going to be different because I was the one who called bulbul while my dad called Rufous-collared Kingfisher. Spotting it from the car, my dad's sharp spotting resulted in us enjoying nice eye-level views of a beautiful male Rufous-collared Kingfisher. Great!

With the fog clearing and sky getting brighter, we went to look for the Large Wren-babblers. These skulkers are usually hard to find and even harder to photograph. This time, we did not find any. Moving on to the Malaysian Blue-flycatcher spot, we fared no better because only I had a glimpse of the flycatcher flying away. Still no perch view for me.

For the rest of the morning, it was just plain, slow birding where we covered the distance in search for any sign of movement. Noteworthy species recorded were Orange-backed Woodpecker and Grey-cheeked Bulbul. Unfortunately, no lifers for us on this trip. Nevertheless, it felt great to be birding together again after a month-long hiatus.

1. Great Argus (h)
2. Crested Serpent Eagle (1)
3. Changeable Hawk Eagle (1)
4. Rufous Woodpecker (1)
5. Buff-Rumped Woodpecker (2)
6. Orange-Backed Woodpecker (1)
7. White-Bellied Woodpecker (1)
8. Great Slaty Woodpecker (2)
9. Swiftlet spp.
10. Whiskered Treeswift (1)
11. Brown-Backed Needletail (1)
12. Emerald Dove (1)
13. Red-Bearded Bee-Eater (h)
14. Chestnut-Bellied Malkoha (1)
15. Chestnut-Breasted Malkoha (1)
16. Rufous-Collared Kingfisher (1)
17. Large Frogmouth (h)
18. Blyth’s Frogmouth (h)
19. Brown Hawk Owl (h)
20. Malaysian-Eared Nightjar (h)
21. Little Green Pigeon (h)
22. Green Imperial Pigeon (h)
23. Blue-Crowned Hanging-Parrot (>8, including a family of four.)
24. Banded Broadbill (h)
25. Black-and-Yellow Broadbill (h)
26. Green Iora (>5)
27. Hill Myna (h)
28. Scarlet Minivet (1)
29. Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo (1)
30. Spotted Fantail (2, pairing observed.)
31. Velvet-Fronted Nuthatch (>1)
32. Bar-Winged Flycatcher-Shrike (1)
33. Malaysian Blue Flycatcher (1)
34. Magpie Robin (1)
35. White-Rumped Shama (1)
36. Blue-Winged Leafbird (1)
37. Lesser Green Leafbird (1)
38. Dark-Throated Oriole (1)
39. White-Bellied Yuhina (>1)
40. Cream-Vented Bulbul (>7)
41. Red-Eyed Bulbul (>3)
42. Black-and-White Bulbul (1)
43. Buff-Vented Bulbul (1)
44. Grey-Cheeked Bulbul (2, pairing observed.)
45. Grey-Bellied Bulbul (2)
46. Black-Headed Bulbul (2)
47. Hairy-Backed Bulbul (>7)
48. Chestnut-Winged Babbler (3, including a family of three.)
49. Moustached Babbler (1)
50. White-Chested Babbler (1)
51. Rufous-Crowned Babbler (>5, including a family of three.)
52. Sooty-Capped Babbler (1)
53. Short-Tailed Babbler (h)
54. Black-Capped Babbler (h)
55. Rufous-Fronted Babbler (h)
56. Fluffy-Backed Tit-Babbler (1)
57. Striped Wren-Babbler (h)
58. Chestnut-Backed Scimitar-Babbler (h)
59. Brown Fulvetta (>3)
60. Dark-Necked Tailorbird (1, including 1 seen collecting nesting material.)
61. Rufous-Tailed Tailorbird (>1)
62. Yellow-Breasted Flowerpecker (1)
63. Crimson-Breasted Flowerpecker (2)
64. Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker (1)

CCK Park 16Jul16

From JS

Although I have seen many different Changeable Hawk Eagles, this was my first time seeing what appears to be an intermediate morph. Interesting! Photo was taken on 16 July 2016 at Choa Chu Kang Park.

Poyan 17Jul16

From Danny

The Blue-winged Pittas are right on time. Good to see the Chestnut-bellied Malkoha again.

	Species	Count
1	Red Junglefowl	2
2	Rufous Woodpecker	1
3	Banded Woodpecker	4
4	Common Goldenback	4
5	Lineated Barbet	5
6	Oriental Dollarbird	1
7	White-Throated Kingfisher	1
8	Collared Kingfisher	2
9	Blue-Throated Bee-Eater	5
10	Banded Bay Cuckoo	1
11	Chestnut-Bellied Malkoha	1
12	Lesser Coucal	2
13	Blue-Crowned Hanging Parrot	2
14	Rose-Ringed Parakeet	3
15	Red-Breasted Parakeet	13
16	Long-Tailed Parakeet	4
17	Swiftlet Spp.	43
18	Spotted Dove	15
19	Zebra Dove	5
20	Pink-Necked Green-Pigeon	48
21	White-Breasted Waterhen	2
22	Red-Wattled Lapwing	6
23	Brahminy Kite	2
24	White-Bellied Sea Eagle	2
25	Blue Winged Pita	3
26	Large-Billed Crow	1
27	Black-Naped Oriole	10
28	Pied Triller	3
29	Greater Racket-Tailed Drongo	3
30	Common Iora	8
31	Asian Glossy Starling	37
32	Common Myna	0
33	White-Vented Myna	42
34	Pacific Swallow	4
35	Straw-Headed Bulbul	4
36	Yellow-Vented Bulbul	16
37	Olive-Winged Bulbul	2
38	Yellow-Bellied Prinia	2
39	Oriental White-Eye	11
40	Common Tailorbird	5
41	Dark-Necked Tailorbird	2
42	Ashy Tailorbird	2
43	White-Crested Laughingthrush	8
44	Striped Tit-Babbler	2
45	Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker	6
46	Brown-Throated Sunbird	2
47	Purple-Throated Sunbird	2
48	Olive-Backed Sunbird	11
49	Crimson Sunbird	2
50	Paddyfield Pipit	1
51	Baya Weaver	1
	Total No.	364

NTL2 17Jul16

From Con

	Species	Count
1	Sunda Woodpecker	1
2	Banded Woodpecker	1
3	Laced Woodpecker	2
4	Common Goldenback	2
5	Collared Kingfisher	3
6	Blue-Throated Bee-Eater	4
7	Plaintive Cuckoo	1
8	Rusty-Breasted Cuckoo	1
9	Lesser Coucal	2
10	Red-Breasted Parakeet	3
11	Long-Tailed Parakeet	7
12	Swiftlet Spp.	45
13	Spotted Dove	15
14	Zebra Dove	2
15	Pink-Necked Green-Pigeon	8
16	White-Breasted Waterhen	7
17	Purple Swamphen	2
18	White-Bellied Sea Eagle	2
19	Grey-Headed Fish Eagle	1
20	Purple Heron	2
21	Great Egret	1
22	Striated Heron	1
23	Large-Billed Crow	1
24	Black-Naped Oriole	15
25	Pied Fantail	4
26	Common Iora	4
27	Oriental Magpie-Robin	1
28	Asian Glossy Starling	5
29	White-Vented Myna	25
30	Pacific Swallow	1
31	Yellow-Vented Bulbul	20
32	Yellow-Bellied Prinia	1
33	Common Tailorbird	1
34	Ashy Tailorbird	2
35	White-Crested Laughingthrush	3
36	Abbott'S Babbler	1
37	Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker	1
38	Olive-Backed Sunbird	2
	Total No.	200

Serangoon 16Jul16

From KH

The usual birds at Serangoon. No migrants.

	Species	Count
1	Sunda Woodpecker	7
2	Rufous Woodpecker	1
3	Common Goldenback	1
4	White-Throated Kingfisher	2
5	Collared Kingfisher	2
6	Blue-Throated Bee-Eater	1
7	Banded Bay Cuckoo	1
8	Little Bronze Cuckoo	2
9	Asian Koel	1
10	Rose-Ringed Parakeet	4
11	Red-Breasted Parakeet	23
12	Long-Tailed Parakeet	1
13	Swiftlet spp.	10
14	Rock Pigeon	5
15	Spotted Dove	6
16	Zebra Dove	8
17	Pink-Necked Green-Pigeon	1
18	White-Breasted Waterhen	1
19	Little Tern	1
20	Brahminy Kite	1
21	White-Bellied Sea Eagle	1
22	Grey Heron	1
23	Striated Heron	10
24	Black-Crowned Night-Heron	1
25	Golden-Bellied Gerygone	1
26	House Crow	3
27	Black-Naped Oriole	8
28	Pied Fantail	8
29	Common Iora	10
30	Oriental Magpie-Robin	4
31	Asian Glossy Starling	5
32	White-Vented Myna	34
33	Pacific Swallow	8
34	Yellow-Vented Bulbul	8
35	Yellow-Bellied Prinia	3
36	Common Tailorbird	4
37	Ashy Tailorbird	10
38	Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker	1
39	Brown-Throated Sunbird	4
40	Olive-Backed Sunbird	12
41	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	8
42	Scaly-Breasted Munia	5
	Total No.	228

Fraser's Hill 11-15Jul16

From Con

Great Hornbill (male), flyover, Fraser's Hill, today. No tape. In obvious moult.

Gold-whiskered Barbet, the largest of the peninsular Malaysia barbets. Normally high in the canopy, luckily this bird was pretty low on the New Road at Fraser's Hill.

One my favorite shots from Fraser's Hill. Long-tailed Broadbill. Nicknamed the Elvis bird because of it's black hair and long sideburns.

Finally got photo of Bamboo Woodpecker, but only the female.

Other birds of note include a Scaly-breasted Bulbul at around 600 m elevation, Large Scimitar Babbler, and Crimson-winged Woodpecker at Telecom Loop at 1290 m elevation!

Panti 07-08Jul16

From Con

Spent the past two days with Gerard Gorman author of Woodpeckers of the World and friends. Here's one of the nicer woodies we got during that time, male Crimson-winged Woodpecker.

Rufous Woodpecker (male) from Panti Forest.

The Asian Paradise Flycatchers are still there in wonderful breeding plumage. They've been there over a month now. Must be some type of irruption of this species, there are a number of birds, both males and females. They start calling even before dawn!

Also heard a Helmeted Hornbill on Thu early morning. Great Slaty Woodpeckers were back at the second stream.

---

Panti 3-5Jul16

From Con

Three species of hornbills: White-crowned, Bushy-crested, Rhino. Lots of Rail Babblers, 4 pairs calling. Banded Pitta. No trucks.

Panti 29Jun16

From Con

The sand trucks were running even in the dark, so while looking for frogmouth a few were passing. Altogether the sand trucks were pretty annoying today, in combination with the usual HiLux, Ferraris, motorbikes, cement mixer, etc. The army was also there with a big camp at the second stream.

The weather was nice, but the accumulated damage the heavy equipment has done to widen Bunker Trail so the sand trucks can drive a little bit faster is rather sad. It also seems to me there is less activity along the roadside.

Not much of interest today, very few woodpeckers. No Rail Babblers or Argus calling. I confirmed that the Asian Paradise Flycatcher (at least 2 or 3) are still around and singing loudly.

The main item of interest, while walking in on Woodpecker Trail, I flushed a Black-capped Babbler off the ground who exploded in flight across the trail and disappeared. Thinking this was a bit odd I put my bins on where the babbler had come from and discovered a nest with one egg. I would have thought small bird like babbler would have multiple eggs. Anyway, I waited an hour and came back but the babbler was not on the nest.

You can see the nest is carefully woven with fine twigs and surrounded by dried leaves and overhanging foliage. The nest is right on the ground.