14.12.2019 My First Owl at Taman Botani Negara, Shah Alam

It was raining last night and was drizzling a bit in the morning. I reached Taman Botani Negara earlier...perhaps the earliest in my history anyway. The weather was so gloomy as the sky is covered with rain clouds already, like it can rain anytime. I will have hard time in focusing my subjects since the lighting is rather bad. I went in half hearted actually.

As usual, I went to the paddy field. I saw a small group of White Headed Munias having their breakfast at the paddy field. There were 4 Blue Tailed Bee-eaters at the fig tree in the middle of the field. No sign of any egrets or herons this time. I manage to get a lifer, which was perching quite far, very high up on a dead tree. It was a pair of Great Myna or also known as White Vented Myna.

Blue Tailed Bee-eaters at the paddy field

Great Myna Pairs on a very high perch

Then I proceed towards the animal park, there was a fig tree, full with small ripe fruits. A tiny bird was busy feeding on the figs. It might be a flowerpecker, for its size. It was another lifer...Yellow Vented Flowerpecker. It mashed then swallowed the ripe figs.

Yellow Vented Flowerpecker

While I was busy with the flowerpecker, I heard the distress call of (Javan) Mynas. I turned back and saw a huge bird been chased by the Mynas and it finally took refuge on a nearby tree. I first thought it could be a Crested Serpent Eagle. However that silent wing beats of that bird made me think twice. It was a Barred Eagle Owl...another lifer and the first owl that I had photographed. I had reduce my shutter speed to 1/100s since its rather dark up there where it roosted. It didnt move from there and I could it already slept. Within an hour I already bagged 3 lifers despite of the bad weather condition.

Barred Eagle Owl

Barred Eagle Owl

I walked towards the lake and did see some other birds such as the Arctic Warbler, Blue Winged Leafbird pair (busy harvesting the Melastoma bushes) and Large Woodshrikes. I continued to the "pitta track". No pittas so far. I bumped with a birder who told me he saw a broadbill. However he used bird call playback to make it come out to open. I was quite reluctant to do so.

I continue to survey at the lake side and manage to bag another lifer...a Green Iora, foraging insects. It was raiding quietly among the foliage, 3 meters above the ground level.

Green Iora - Female

Green Iora - Male

It was indeed a fruitful day, even if the weather was not on my side.
4 lifers in total!