08.09.2019 Brown Barbets at TBNSA

I visited Taman Botani Negara again the next day after I spotted the Blue Eared Barbets. Yes, again at the fig tree. Again, I struggled due to the low light situation. I followed the same route as yesterday to tge fig tree. It was rather quiet at the oil palm trees unlike yesterday, filled with the calls of the Blue Crowned Hanging Parrots. However, at the fig tree, there was quite a party going on.

I manage to sight the Red Eyed Bulbuls, Black Naped Oriole, Hill Mynas, and Sooty Barbets! I sighted the Sooty Barbets for the first time during my first visit to this park, more than a year ago. Unfortunately I could not get a good photograph of it, since it was quite dark under the canopy. Plus I was not that sure to use fully manual mode to shoot. Those days I was just too comfortable with shutter priority mode instead of using manual mode.

Red Eyed Bulbul

Sooty Barbet

Sooty Barbet

Sooty Barbet

Sooty Barbet

I was going around the fig tree for a good angle to shoot the Sooty Barbets. I was well entertained by the call of the White Bellied Woodpeckers, far at the woods adjacebt to the orchard. I spent quite some time with the barbets. I noticed that the Sooty Barbets did not mash the figs like how the Blue Eared Barbets did yesterday. The Sooty Barbets swallow the figs whole. They do tossed the figs.

That toss!

After some time, a small group of Javan Mynas joined the feast. I then walked to the other side of the orchard and suddenly notice my spectacle's frame damaged due to rusty screw. I didnt see that was coming. I wont be able to get a good focus without my spectacles. I had to run back to my car and looked for a spare spectacles. Lucky me! It was there. I quickly walked back to the orchard and waited. 

I sighted a lonely male Long Tailed Parakeet (or Reddish Cheeked Parakeet) on a quite high perch. It was rather impossible for me to get a good shoot due to the height, but I still manage to get some shots. It was giving out the usual flight call "ngiek...ngiek...ngiek"....but it ends with a single squeek sound with a wag of it tail. I am not sure what type of call it was, either a mating or a territorial call. It was continueing the call for a couple of minutes. 

A male Long Tailed Parakeet on a high perch.

A male Long Tailed Parakeet

Suddenly a flock of green pigeons flew from the woods and perched high on the tree nearby. First I thought it were the Little Green Pigeons. No! It was actually a small flock of Thick Billed Green Pigeons. Lifer! Not much of activity I saw since the pigeons were just perched and waited before they flew away.

Lifer - Thick Billed Green Pigeon, female on the left, male on the right.

After that I went to paddy field area, it was already full with visitors and it was indeed noisy. Then I went back home.