08.06.2018 Eco Rimba Park (Kuala Lumpur)

I manage to visit the Eco Rimba Park of Kuala Lumpur which is located near the KL Tower. It was 12pm and the weather was rather cloudy. Just could see some very much common birds; Oriental Magpie Robin, Yellow Vented Bulbul and Asian Glossy Starlings. I head straight to the canopy walk and its kind of aweful to see a gang of Long Tailed Macaques sitting at the entrance of the suspended bridge. They are quite brave enough to attack even if you are not disturbing them. I barely escaped one of such attempts. 

I was looking for the Silvery Langurs or Silvered Leaf Monkeys (Trachypithecus cristatus selangorensis). They are very much "friendlier" than usual as they would avoid human. Anyway they are still wild animals...so just dont be to brave to get closer. Monkeys are really unpredictable indeed. 

Mostly arboreal species with a long non prehensile tail. Largely feed on leaves. As their name implies, they have black fur with grey tip which give the silvery look. Females are distinguished with a white fur patch on their groin area. Babies are orange in colour. 

Next sighted a Grey Bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps concolor) busy raiding a wild banana flower for nectar. 

15.04.2018 Jalan Kebun Again...

Back to Jalan Kebun again, hoping to take some shots at the dead tree area. Before I turn ito the spot, I saw a Greater Coucal sunning on a pine tree, about 10 meters from the ground, quite a rare scene since they dont really fly that high. I did took it as a good sign.

Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) sunning itself on a high perch.

This is an excellent place to shoot Yellow Bellied Prinia, from a close distance. All you need is, as usual, is to wait patiently.

Yellow Bellied Prinia - Male (Prinia flaviventris)

I moved to the area filled with Melastoma malabathricum shrubs, hoping to see some fruit lovers. A pair of Scarlet Backed Flowpecker landed and fed on the fruits. 

A male Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker (Dicaeusm cruentatum) gulping Melastoma malabathricum fruit.

Scarlet Backed Flowerpecker - Male (Dicaeum cruentatum)

A male Pink Necked Green Pigeon (Treron vernans) flying over Melastoma malabathricum bushes.

I then moved to the dead tree, I found nothing on it this time. I saw a sunning Purple Heron near to that dead tree. A while later I heard a loud cry on a breadfruit tree, which was near to me. It was a Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, looking for its food.

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea manilensis)

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker (Yungipicus moluccensis)

A nesting Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

Then I saw a pair of Cinnamon Bittern burst out from the water hyacinths and flew into the covers. I manage to spot them both by luck. One is a female and another one is a juvenile male Cinnamon Bittern. You don't see them much since they always moving under covers along waterways. When threatened or seen, they will be in "threat posture", where they will be motionless with their bill pointing upward to "blend" with the reeds. I saw them moving their head slowly to have a good look on me while maintaining their threat posture.

A female Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) on "threat pose".

Cinnamon Bittern - Female (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus)

A juvenile male Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) in "threat pose".

31.03.2018 Putrajaya Botanic Garden

I have been to this place twice, that was the time when I had my compact camera, just shooting around the flowers and sceneries. Two lifers found in each visit, one was the Red Banded Woodpecker and one more is the Stripe Throated Bulbul. 

I reached the Botanical Garden at 8.40am. I hit a lifer again here. Its a Lineated Barbet. I couldn't make a clear shot as it came and go in a zap! The presence of coconut trees her also attract the Brown Throated Sunbirds. This place now is well populated by Black Naped Orioles, Javan Mynah and Oriental Magpie Robins.

Lineated Barbet (Psilopogon lineatus)

Oriental Magpie Robin - Female (Copsychus saularis)

Brown Throated Sunbird - Female (Anthreptes malacensis)

I even surprise to see a pair of White Collared Kingfishers here near the lakes. I never sighted any during my previous visits. At the fig trees area, I manage to spot a Coppersmith Barbet and male Asian Koel. The Asian Koel is a large migrant cuckoo species which can be seen often between December and June. They are parasitic brooders. Males are black and females are brown with pale spots all over. The female's plumage helps as a camouflage while it lays its egg on other birds' nest...unnoticed by the nest owner.

Asian Koel - Male (Eudynamys scolopaceus)

Black Naped Oriole (Oriolus chinensis diffusus)

Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)

Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis)

Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)

Pied Thriller (Lalage nigra)

Baya Weaver - Male (Ploceus philippinus burmanicus)

White Collared Kingfishers (Todyramphus chloris humii)

White Collared Kingfisher (Todyramphus chloris humii)

Javan Myna (Acridotheres javanicus)

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)

Malaysian Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica)

What disappointed me was I missed a nightjar...it was too quick! I walked back to the parking, and managed to click on Brown Throated Sunbird, White Breasted Waterhen and a female common Flameback Woodpecker.

common Flameback Woodpecker - Female (Dionopium javanense)

White Breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus)

Brown Throated Sunbird - Male (Anthreptes malacensis)

18.03.2018 - Meeting the Coucal at Pulau Carey!

On 18.03.2018, I had to continue the temple cleaning works at the another portion of the temple at Pulau Carey. Once again I went earlier to take some shots. Again at the rain tree, near the bridge. I was greeted by a flock of Ashy Minivets and of course, the Yellow Vented Bulbul, which was busy having their breakfast.

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Yellow Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)

Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata)

Then I proceed to the another usual spot, the dead pine tree. I managed to click on the Blue Tailed Bee-eater and the Black Winged Kite.

Black Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus)

Blue Tailed Bee-eater (Merops philippinus)

Few meter away, I saw a big bird picking up a small stick on a grass patch adjacent to the plantation area. It was a Greater Coucal. I tried to get closer and it flew reluctantly, then perched on a oil palm tree. Greater Coucal is know as "semputru paravai" (செம்புற்று பறவை) or "shenbaga paravai" (செண்பக பறவை) in Tamil, is often associated with the mythical Sanjeevi herbs and for its usage in some Tantric rituals. This bird had been named as "Greater Crow Pheasant" by a British naturalist, G.H.W. Davison during the colonization era here in Malaysia. Greater Coucals are known to forage on the ground for food, which made them to be classified wrongly as a game bird.

Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis)

I would like to share some information on the Coucal and the mythical root of Sanjeevi, which I had read in an article in the 1990's. Sanjeevi root is a mythical herb which can make invincible against any physical attacks. In order to find the root, one has to find the nest of the Coucal with its nestlings. when the parent bird is gone to find food, tie a piece of steel wire on the nestling's feet and move away from the nest. Pick a good observation point and see if the parent bird returning to nest. As soon as the parent bird return to the nest for feeding its young, it will realize that its young's leg is being tied by the wire. It will then flew away and bring a "root" to the nest. As soon as it place the root on the steel wire, it will snap and the parent bird will flee from the location with its young. The nest is then careful taken to a small stream. The nest materials were let in the stream piece by piece in order to find the root. How? While all the ordinary nest materials flow along with the stream, the Sanjeevi root will "flow" against the stream's flow direction. One has to quickly grab the root, and embed it in the right thigh. This will grant the invincibility.

Another version of the story mentioned that the abandoned nest need to be burnt. Since Sanjeevi root cant be burnt, one can recover it from the ash of the burnt nest. There is another version of the story mentioned that the mythical root can be recovered from the nest of a Brahminy Kite. No one knows which is true. In Indonesia, the bird is used to prepare a traditional ointment which is applied for joint and muscle aches. The methodology, you may google about it...its pure cruelty.

I proceed further in and spotted a Crested Serpent Eagle sunning itself on a utility pole. There were many other birds which I had "heard" here, some of them giving out weird calls. One with a call similar to a puppy and one more like a hog. They were unseen till this very day. I hope to shoot them soon.

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis)

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis)

17.03.2018 - Pulau Carey...with a Migrant

I went to Pulau Carey on 17.03.2018 for temple cleaning works. I reached the spot earlier just to spend an hour plus to shoot the birds. I stopped at a big rain tree (Albinia saman) near a bridge. I was surprised by a group of shrike-like bird foraging for insects and caterpillars on that rain tree. It was a group of Ashy Minivets (a new entry to my birds list). They kept moving actively with soft shrills. Ashy Minivets are considered as migrant here, since they can be found between October and April, annually. The party later joined by a lonely Coppersmith Barbets, Common Ioras, Javan Mynas and Magpie Robins.

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Ashy Minivet (Pericrocotus divaricatus)

Zebra Dove (Geopelia striata)

Then I moved to a spot near to settlements of the estate workers. Tall coconut trees are common here. Olive Backed Sunbirds, Dollarbirds and Magpie Robins are common here. I found a "long lost" bird, which was a common species at my neighbourhood in Bidor. It was the Brown Throated Sunbird! This species is associated with coconut trees since they are fond of feeding on nectar from coconut inflorescence. This is also had been indicated in its Malay name, which is " Kelicap Mayang Kelapa". I never found this species in any other places in Selangor before. It is much larger than its much common cousin...the Olive Backed Sunbird.

Brown Throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis)

Olive Backed Sunbird (Cinnyris jugularis)

Oriental Magpie Robin - Female (Copsychus saularis)

I proceed towards the dead pine trees to have look on the Black Winged Kite. I managed to find one, along with White Throated Kingfisher, a pair of Blue Tailed Bee-eater and of course the Yellow Vented Bulbul. Then I head to the temple for the cleaning works.

On my way, I spotted a Crested Serpent Eagle perching on a utility pole. One of its leg looked bit unusual to me. A small snake was coiling around its leg. Meal time I guess. It was my first time to see a Crested Serpent Eagle feeding. I managed to take some shots as well. Then I continued to drive to the temple.

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis) with a small serpent in between its talon.

Lunch Time: Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis) gulping its prey.

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis) after meal.

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis) taking off.

Once the work done, I went to the open land near the temple to see if I could find the Red Wattled Lapwings, since I had spotted one during my previous visit. It was busy harassing a Crested Serpent Eagle in mid air. I manage to find one but to far for my camera. For me, it is the most difficult bird to approach unless with the help of some bushes to hide. White Throated Kingfishers were common at the open land, together with the Blue Tailed Bee-eater. The final shot was a Purple Heron near the junction of the Sime Research Center.

White Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis perpulchra)

White Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis perpulchra)

Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis tigrina)

Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea manilensis)