Woodpecker Birds

proficient ... if the name used to follow the sound of birds melayu .. that birds belatuk this sound ... tuk tuk tuk .. when he knocked on the main stem ..

This conference main kat kat pink hill near Rice Paddy Cerakah


Belatuk Merah
Banded Yellownape
Picus miniaceus

kat bukit Cerakah jugak, tapi kat arboretum.

Belatuk Leher Kuning
Buff-necked Woodpecker
Meiglyptes tukki


Belatuk Pinang Kecil
Common Flameback
Dinopium Javanense



Belatuk Biji Nangka
Rufous Woodpecker
Celeus Brachyurus

Natural Talent.

Just imagine, never used a dslr before, have no experience in birding..

when the camera was given to her, Showed how to operate the manual focus knob on the Tair 300mm manual focus lens.. And her result is one of this.. One of it is my shot.. Same bird same branch..can guess which is hers?

That is what I say is a natural talent.. for myself, i took few years to improve my bird pictures .

What if her skills is honed, given the proper equipment, perhaps she could be a good photographer. No doubt..

Now is my so and so shot of the rufous-browed flycatcher sponsored by HSBC ;)

btw: her shot is the second pic.

here is another shot.. what do you think?

Rufous-browed Flycatcher

Birding at Pandan Waterfalls

I got an invitation from a friend to visit Sg Pandan Waterfalls at Kuantan for the weekend, so I got on the bus, check in a hotel and went to the waterfall in Sunday morning. Never went birding in the east coast before, so I was quite exited. So here are the record shots I managed to shoot!

A Common Yellow Vented Bulbul catching insect?

nope,

A pair of Eastern Crowned Warbler, my 1st lifer

Eastern Crowned Warbler
Cekup Daun Tongkeng Kuning
Phylloscopus coronatus

or maybe a different species, maybe..

This site is a good reference for this species

next is the

Grey-headed Flycatcher
Sambar Kepala Kelabu
Culicicapa ceylonensis

another lifer..

then on top of the waterfall, found the White-rumped Munia(Pipit Tuli). How I wish it is the White-bellied munia.

then we came down from the top of the waterfall and took a dip in the cool water..

but then, notice a bird carrying nesting material to its unfinished nest at a branch on top of the stream.

It is the Munia's nest, waste no time to grab my camera.

I went nearer,and wait...

but the pair just sit in the nest and sometimes pecking at the wall, maybe weaving it it tighter.(it in the early afternoon already)

spend more time doing macro and waterfall shot, then we head to cherating.

Where we saw some birds at the sand...

took a while to id this ...

Greater-Sand Plover(Rapang Besar)

Cameron Highlands - WVGFM2D72AZV

During the Chinese New Year holidays, I took a gamble to went up to Cameron Highlands for birding. It has been 3 or four days after CNY already, so I tought the hotels might be a bit clear and might get a room cheaply.. I didnt make any reservations then.. hehe..

By the time I went to the first cheap accomodation of my choice, the place already fully booked. So I went to downtown Tanah Rata where there are quite a selection of hotels available, got a rm70 per night room and without wasting my time went to search for the trails..

Fortunately I got my Sgps enabled phone and with malsingmaps, got there in no time..

I picked trail 3 for the afternoon.. Quite an experience as I entered the mossy forest alone, the earth is like sponge, almost under every tree there is a hole ,like any creature might pounce at me.. hehe...

The moss is everywhere... at the branches, at the trunk, on the ground, on the rocks... There are birds there alright, but the darkening sky and shadow of the trees doesnt help in getting a descent photo. And spoting them is quite hard on my first day.. The whining sound that keep following me doesnt help either..;)

The next day, I was the first one to went out of the hotel, have to wake up the keeper to open the door. Have 2 half boiled eggs and teh-tarik for breakfast and go off to the parit falls..

How this Fraser Hill bird got here?

Silver-eared Mesia
Rimba Telinga Putih
(Leithrix argentauris)

then took the trail to the forestry dept, A rather distict "tiiieeeennnngg" sound coming from the river. I just dismiss it for now for I just cant find what makes that sound..

At last got this bird that are mocking me at fraser... laughing then hide from me...

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush
Rimba Mata Putih
(Garrulax mitratus)

The drizzle didnt stop me...

On the way back to my car, managed to spot the bird that make the "tiiieeeennnngg" sound. It a Slaty Backed Forktail!

Slaty-backed Forktail
Cegar Tengkuk Kelabu
(Enicurus schistaceus)

It went upstream and downstream from time to time, just wish it land nearer.

It basically ended up my birding for the morning before I check out at noon.

After searching around at Tanah Rata and Brinchang for affordable accomodation without success, I figure that I just went down before dark.

I stop by a stall by the roadside selling fried bananas and drinks. A foreign couple stop by ask for direction to parit falls from the 'makcik' the goreng pisang seller. The makcik gave directions to the robinson falls instead. Huh! talking about local knowledge.!

After finishing my 'cekodok', I drive my car to the robinson falls. If I see the couple maybe could give them a ride to the right location but they are nowhere until I reach the falls. Only as I walk in did I see them coming out. Boy! they do walk fast!

At the robinson falls, I saw this lone male

Grey Wagtail
Kedidi Kepala Kelabu
(Motacilla cinerea)

foraging on the rock. I just spend my time watching it until the time to go back home.

btw: The whining sound on the first day is my own breathing, its soo quiet there. ;)

SUB SPECIES Murai Batu (Copsychus malabaricus)

Hobbies generally more familiar with birds in Indonesia Murai Batu on one type only, ie sub-species Copsychus malabaricus tricolor (White-rumped Shama). This sub-species has a pattern of three colors, namely black, brown and white. The dominant color on the head, neck back and tail usually black. Color brown chest and abdomen, while the lower back (buttocks) and secondary tail feathers are white.

Copsychus subspecies malabaricus tricolor (White rumped Shama)

This sub species most commonly found in P. Java and P. Sumatra. Because of differences in habitat and geographic location of each place is different, then even this subspecies has a striking physical differences. For Murai Batu who live on the island of Java, the local community is more familiar with the title of birds Larwo (Copsycus malabaricus tricolor-Javanus). Birds of this species have indicated very rare (perhaps already extinct).

While sub-species that live around the Sunda Strait, Krakatau, Lampung coastal and inland, people familiar with the name Murai Batu Lampung. This MB has a tail length of about 10 cm - 12 cm. For those hobbies that often follow the birds sing competition, this type is less enthused. Some argued that this type of mentality MB is low and less good booms.

Photo: Magpie Lampung

For the sake of the birds singing contest or competition, the more liked hobbies in Indonesia Jambi MB. They reasoned than sonority of his voice, a bird of this type have the stamina and movement of the beautiful tail. Maybe they are right because their structure is the long tail ranges from 14 cm - 17 cm allowed the bird to move swiftly and are not burdened with the weight and length of the tail. MB Jambi naturally live near Bengkulu, South Sumatra, Jambi, Kepulauaan & Siberut Mentawai and the peninsula of Bukit Barisan

Photo: Magpie Jambi

Other types Murai Murai Batu Batu Medan or Aceh, Medan MB designation actually refers to MB that comes from Aceh province and surrounding areas. This title is attached as the largest trading center and collectors in the area of Medan, precisely Star Bird Market. In this Provinci also survive a variety of other types of stone magpie, one of which is the MB tail of this type of Black and others have a larger body and a long tail about 20 cm - 25 cm and that have even longer tail that is about 25cm - 30cm. MB MB Medan and Aceh are very interested in, even have become the most favorite pets. Apart from a melodious voice, his appearance at the time of singing is very attractive, ie the ability of its tail swinging (nge-fl), however this type rarely MB lowered or carried by the hobies arena of competition.

Photo: Magpie Medan

Murai Batu other types of long-tailed than is found in Aceh province, also found in Penang, Malaysia, Burma, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand. Physically the same shape, the difference is perhaps the thickness of the thin tail only. Murai Batu in Malaysia has a relatively long and thin tails, putting a bit small. While most dicarai Murai Batu by the hobbies of Singapore and Malaysia are living Murai Batu diperbatasan Thailand and Malaysia. Although physically smaller than bodynya Murai Batu Aceh, but has a longer tail r and somewhat shiny black color and the color of indigo (blue).

Look closely Murai Batu differences following picture:

Malabaricus Copsychus subspecies melanurus (Black-tailed Shama)

This sub-species in Indonesia known as thrush or Murai Batu Nias Nias, because most of the population and its habitat is in P. Nias and surrounding areas. This bird is also found disebagian region of Aceh province. In addition melodious voice, this bird is not too aggressive, so for the hobbies who want to develop this bird breeding, is relatively easy compared with other types that have three colors. These animals are relatively more affection towards his children, so rarely found in the case of breeding Magpie Nias kill her own child.

Based on observations in the field, birds of this type is hard to find or maintained by hobies in Indonesia. This case there are various factors:
1. The competition objective factors

Because of the judging system emphasizes the mental aspect and voice, the hobbies in the country, less fond of this bird because of the lack of aggressiveness at the time contested, they are more like a bird with an aggressive type (fighter).

2. Factors of Trade Exodus

Birds of this species is a popular bird and the most sought after in Malaysia and Singapore. Because they are different from the competition system in Indonesia, their interest to have a very high. This is due to the bird is easily tamed and sound very melodic and varied, making it suitable to be used as pets at home. This has encouraged traders and collectors of birds to export large there. Price per head to tail length of 10cm-20 cm approximately U.S. $ 200.00. Even that has been found to have a long tail 25cm-30 cm, but the sound quality is far from the first.

Sub–spesies Copsycus luzoniensis (White-browed Shama)

Sub-spesies Copsychus M. Stricklandii (White-capped Shama)

There are two types. Habitat in P. Borneo (Kalimantan-Indonesia), Sarawak and Sabah (Malaysia).

MB ekor coklat

Chocolate Tails

Black & White Tail

Sub-spesies Copsychus Niger (White-vented Shama)

Habitat: Sabang, Palawan-Philipina

Sub-spesies Copsycus Cubuensis (Black shama)

Habitat: Philipina