Johor 18-19Aug18

From KH

I went Johor forest birding with Con and Danny this weekend.

It was babblers galore.

Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers duetting. Striped Wren-babbler singing.


Grey-headed Babbler


Short-tailed Babbler

The other birds here included:

Purple-naped Spiderhunter

White-bellied Woodpecker

Male Grey-rumped Treeswift

Whiskered Treeswift: female and male

Mt Kinabalu 03Jun18

From KH

Today, we had Alim as our guide. He is the go-to person for birding beyond the Timpohon Gate. Our target was the endemic Friendly Bush Warbler, which we failed miserably at, as it was simply not calling... What an unfriendly bird!

Nevertheless, we did have a few of the endemic Fruithunters. This one was having what else but fruit for breakfast.

The endemic Mountain Black-eyes were very common up here. They really like these flowers.

The endemic Mountain Wren-babblers came in small flocks, and made very distinctive calls.

Another endemic - Bornean Whistling-thrush, right at Timpohon Gate.

This endemic Bornean Green Magpie was also at the gate.

The other common endemics are the Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrushes and the Chestnut-crested Yuhinas.

Alim brought us to a known nesting site for the endemic Bornean Swiftlet and sure enough a bird was sitting on the single nest. This species is easily confused with the Plume-toed Swiftlet, which is also present here.

The endemic subspecies of Flavescent Bulbul, the Pale-faced Bulbul, were not only far away, but also looking away...

Below are some of the non-endemic montane birds here.

Indigo Flycatcher. Female Little Pied Flycatcher feeding juvenile.

Sunda Bush Warbler. Mountain Leaf Warbler.

Mountain Tailorbird. White-throated Fantail.

There was a nice Trilobite Beetle larva showing well.

We also saw nice red pitcher plants.

What else to do at the end the day but to enjoy the sunset.

1. 1 Red-breasted Partridge - Heard
2. 1 Little Cuckoo-Dove
3. 2 Sunda Cuckoo - Heard
4. 1 Bornean Swiftlet - nesting along a trail
5. 30 Plume-toed Swiftlet - nesting under entrance
6. 2 Golden-naped Barbet
7. 1 Maroon Woodpecker - Heard
8. 2 Gray-chinned Minivet
9. 1 Blyth's Shrike-Babbler - Female
10. 1 White-throated Fantail
11. 3 Bornean Green-Magpie
12. 3 Bornean Treepie
13. 2 Flavescent Bulbul (Pale-faced)
14. 4 Mountain Tailorbird
15. 4 Sunda Bush Warbler
16. 4 Mountain Leaf Warbler
17. 10 Chestnut-crested Yuhina
18. 12 Mountain Black-eye
19. 6 Mountain Wren-Babbler
20. 6 Chestnut-hooded Laughingthrush
21. 4 Bornean Whistling-Thrush
22. 1 White-crowned Forktail (Bornean)
23. 1 Snowy-browed Flycatcher
24. 2 Little Pied Flycatcher
25. 1 Indigo Flycatcher
26. 3 Fruit-hunter

Vietnam May18

From JS

6 May

Just touched down in Hanoi.

8 May

Today, we saw 12 species of birds on Mt Fansipan. Quang says that we got perfect score for all the high elevation birds... All the birds we saw are the endemic subspecies... Another consolation is that the birds are still hanging on to degraded habitats... Still need to look for Pale-throated Wren-babbler.

Bar-winged Wren-babbler - a species not even inside Craig Robson 2015 edition.

White-browed Fulvetta - common endemic subspecies

Slender-billed Scimitar-babbler - unknown subspecies

Black-faced Laughingthrush - endemic subspecies

Scaly Laughingthrush - endemic subspecies

Fraser's Hill 15-18Apr10

From KH

Once again, it's time for our annual migration to Fraser's Hill. 93 species were seen/heard this time, with a number of lifers. Sighting highlights are:

1) Streaked and Pygmy Wren-babblers, and Lesser Shortwings: didn't know they are roadside birds!
2) Male Hill Blue FC at Old Gap while leaving for home!
3) Grey-capped Woodpecker at Old Gap
4) Striated Swallows at Silver Park.
5) Dark Hawk-cuckoo at Silver Park and Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo at Old Gap
6) Raptors: Black Eagle, BHE, CHE and a Japanese Sparrowhawk.
7) Malayan Whistling Thrush heard behind guardhouse. Didn't know they call late in the afternoon too! Waited in the morning, heard but no show.
8) White-hooded Babbler, female Red-throated FC and Chestnut-backed Scimitar-babbler only seen by JS.
9) Juvenile Crake, possible Slaty-legged as the legs were not red.
10) An Otter jumped out of the undergrowth while we were engrossing with the Pygmy Wren-babbler. There was a stream in the undergrowth.

Male Red-headed Trogon

Black Eagle under harsh lighting, resulting in a "Rainbow Eagle"!

Impressed Tortoise. There's a crack in its shell, but it's well and alive.

From JS

Here's the list of birds seen/heard at Fraser's Hill (including Highway 55) from 15-18/4/10.

1. Hairy-backed Bulbul (2)
2. Red-eyed Bulbul (2)
3. Mountain Bulbul
4. Yellow-vented Bulbul (>5)
5. Ochraceous Bulbul (3)
6. Black-crested Bulbul
7. Malaysian Hawk-cuckoo (h)
8. Dark Hawk-cuckoo (1)
9. Drongo Cuckoo (1)
10. Indian Cuckoo (h)
11. Collared Owlet (h)
12. Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (1 nest located)
13. Bronzed Drongo (1 nest located)
14. Orange-bellied Leafbird
15. Blyth's Hawk-eagle (4)
16. Crested Serpent-eagle (2)
17. Black Eagle (2)
18. Japanese Sparrowhawk (1)
19. Large-billed Crow
20. Common Myna (1)
21. Javan Myna
22. House Swift
23. Glossy Swiftlet
24. Swiftlet
25. Silver-rumped Spinetail (2)
26. Pacific Swallow
27. Striated Swallow, badia (>15 seen at Silverpark Resort)
28. White-bellied Yuhina
29. Yellow-bellied Warbler
30. Rufous-crowned Babbler (h)
31. Grey-throated Babbler
32. White-hooded Babbler (1)
33. Golden Babbler
34. Buff-breasted Babbler (>5)
35. Black-browed Barbet (>5)
36. Streaked Wren-babbler (>7, 1 juvenile confirmed)
37. Pygmy Wren-babbler (2)
38. Eye-browed Wren-babbler (h)
39. Fire-tufted Barbet
40. Red-throated Barbet (1)
41. Brown Shrike (>3 Breeding)
42. Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
43. Black-eared Shrike-babbler
44. White-browed Shrike-babbler (>5)
45. White-throated Fantail
46. Large Scimitar-babbler (h)
47. Chestnut-backed Scimitar-babbler (1)
48. Mountain Tailorbird
49. Dark-necked Tailorbird (2)
50. Mountain Fulvetta
51. Black-throated Sunbird
52. Lesser Yellownape
53. Greater Yellownape
54. Lesser Shortwing (5, 2 wrayi male)
55. Long-tailed Sibia, wrayi
56. Little Cuckoo-dove, malayana
57. Emerald Dove (1)
58. Mountain Imperial-pigeon (>2)
59. Rufous-browed Flycatcher, malayana
60. Pale Blue Flycatcher, harterti? (1)
61. Verditer Flycatcher, thallasoides? (>3)
62. Red-throated Flycatcher (1 non-breeding/female)
63. Little Pied Flycatcher (>3)
64. Hill Blue Flycatcher (1 male)
65. Asian Paradise-flycatcher (3, 1 white morph  male)
66. Speckled Piculet (>4)
67. Spectacled Laughingthrush
68. Malayan Laughingthrush (>3)
69. Grey-breasted Spiderhunter (1)
70. Little Spiderhunter (1)
71. Streaked Spiderhunter
72. Magpie Robin
73. Javan Cuckooshrike (>9)
74. Lesser Cuckooshrike (1 male)
75. Black-and-crimson Oriole (>5)
76. Silver-eared Mesia
77. Crake (1), possibly Slaty-legged
78. Red-bearded Bee-eater (h)
79. Blue-throated Bee-eater (>25)
80. Grey-chinned Minivet
81. Blue Nuthatch (>7)
82. Large Niltava (4, 1 juvenile male seen)
83. Rusty-naped Pitta (h/s?)
84. Common Green Magpie (>3)
85. Red-headed Trogon (>4)
86. Long-tailed Broadbill (>3)
87. Sultan Tit (>6)
88. Everett White-eye (>10)
89. Blue-winged Minla (>3)
90. Ferruginous Partridge (h)
91. Slaty-backed Forktail (2)
92. Malayan Whistling-thrush (h)
93. White-tailed Robin (h)

Adult Streaked Wren-babblers. During this trip, we first encountered these birds along the road outside Bishop Trail and there was a family of 4-6 of them. We saw another few along Jalan Lady Guillemard. And then another two birds at Telecom Loop, again along the roadside.

Juvenile Streaked Wren-babbler - one of the family members outside Bishop Trail.

Another Wren-babbler, a Pygmy Wren-babbler. When KH first sighted it, he thought an egg was rolling on the road!

Male Lesser Shortwing. It makes a very musical tune and responds well to playback. However, it always remain in the undergrowth, making clear shots tough.

A family of three Speckled Piculets were found at the Old Gap. The juvenile is shown on the left, while the right shows an adult feeding the youngster.

Adult Dark Hawk-cuckoo. The photos below were taken on our first day right outside SilverPark. It made this distinctive ascending call that made it easy to identify. However, it still took some sharp eyes to locate it.

Now we have photographic confirmation of the existence of these hypothetical birds. This juvenile Hodgson's Hawk-cuckoo was seen at the Old Gap. While the photo shows the front view, we had a good view of the back, showing the prominent white tertials.

The Japanese Sparrowhawk was seen at SilverPark, while we were shooting the Striated Swallows. It was flying very high up. Only sharp-eyed JS could've spotted it!

This bird is not even on the hypothetical list! It's a immature/female Red-throated Flycatcher. JS saw it flicking its tail.

This Black Eagle was sighted close to the Jeriau Waterfall carpark.

A House Swift in flight.

A female White-browed Shrike-babbler.

From Danny

Refer to the Striated Swallow below, notice the streaked throat, rufous rump and deep folk tail - only found at SilverPark ?

Mountain Imperial Pigeon at Telecom Loop. It perched there all the time until we lost interest.

Regarding the Crake:

After checking out on the possible crakes from Internet, I have ruled out the 1st winter banded-bellied, as the underpart bars are confined to the belly behind the legs, the bird we saw had extensive thick black bars. I tested out yellow lights (like my car headlights) on different color surfaces in the dark, red came out clearly but grey/blue/black tended to appear yellowish. The crake we seen had plain headsides and wings, no red on legs, ruling out red-legged crake. I am for 1st winter slaty-legged crake.