A lifer of the Raffles Malkoha

Raffles Malkoha (Rhinortha chlorophaea) - male of the species

After a slight rain in the morning was over  I decided to explore the jungle behind where we stay. At Botanic Island One I,  my attention was directed to some movement in the branches above me.  I quickly get my zoom lens ready and then it was a series of clicks, clicks, clicks.. Checking in the camera later and counter referencing with my birding guide book I was pleasantly elated to discover that I had come across a lifer.  It was the Raffles Malkoha (Rhinortha chlorophaea).  On this encounter I was not able to meet its female as it is commonly reported that this species prefer to foraging with its partner.  The main characteristics that strike me was its white-tipped tail and its beautiful rufous upper parts.

The Large-tailed Nightjar has laid two eggs.

 Ssssshhhhh…..now you see it, now you don’t.  The Nightjar is still around and what a surprise – it is settling on two eggs!!

The Large-tailed Nightjar has always been a permanent resident of the park.  Here they hunt for insects and  produce a familiar garden call which sounds like ‘tok,tok,tok’.  The sounds can be heard every day here at dusk and dawn and throughout the night.

The Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus ) has a black bill and a body that is very well camouflaged with its preferred environment of open grassland.  It does not build the typical nest and would lay its eggs on bare ground.  The eggs (see inset)  as if by rule are two in numbers and are blotched.

Early days of March

View of Zone I, northwards from Zone D.
Note the Hill Myna at the lower branch, left of tree.

Zoom in view of 'Tiong' (Hill Myna) 

 The early days of March have seen a return to the 'normal' climate of Bintulu which is rain at night and most days sunny.  There is thus plenty of time to do birding.  The very tall and huge jungle tree at Zone I which has been standing proudly was the arena of loud calls from the Tiong bird (Hill Myna).  Walking around the park is a daily routine to observe as many wildlife, plant life and scenery.  The Jambu Air tree ( Syzgium aqueum) is starting to bear more and bigger  fruits. The preservation of original jungle habitat as in the form of botanic islands have ensured the survival of stick insects of various types and sizes.

Early morning view

Jambu Air (Syzgium aqueum) - Zone B

Miding at Zone A.

Stick insect at Botanic Island Two

Botanic Island One with 'Draceana kambatika' at foreground

The Chestnut -breasted Malkoha pays a visit

It was another thrilling encounter this morning when I stumbled upon the Chestnut-breasted Malkoha ( Phaenicophaeus curvirostris)   I could sense its presence about 20 meters away by its peculiar low call when I was approaching Botanic Island One.  After a while of looking its whereabout and keeping still beneath the tall trees and dense canopy, my eyes were suddenly attracted to a dark moving figure among the leaves and branches.  My patience was rewarded when the Malkoha came out more in the open.  Here are a few shots on this morning encounter.

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha ( Phaenicophaeus curvirostris) 

One up for the park- a juvenile long-tailed Nightjar

Early April the Long-tailed Nightjar was seen frequenting the open ground near the Cempedak Hill and I was hoping that the adult bird will produce an offspring.  Today, after a lapse of a few weeks I decided to catch up with the bird.  To my greatest surprise I saw a young Nightjar chick at the spot where the adult frequented before.  I did not have the chance to see the eggs since I was away in Kuching.  Nevertheless, the presence of the juvenile Nightjar  is one up for the park as a wildlife sanctuary.

The Large-tailed Nightjar in plain sight

3 April'17

3 April'17

6 April'17
Large-tailed Nightjar nesting on open ground, Cempedak Hill, Zone G.

I have been tracking the presence of a Large-tailed Nightjar near the tall Cempedak tree at Zone G.  She is of course a perfect camouflage.  You cannot actually recognise it immediately because its body and feathers resemble the colours of dead leaves, vegetative matter, wood, stones or just earth. Furthermore it does not utter any sound or call.  Whether the bird is going to lay eggs, time will tell.  But I'm on the watchout from now on.

The Dollar in sight

Dollar bird perches on a tall dead tree branch at Licuala Hill, Zone I

 Today I'm extremely lucky to have another shot of the Dollar bird, belonging to the Roller family.  From my experience so far, I have only seen this bird coming to town solo.  Its red beak and bluish body is very attractive.  From far, I couldn't specifically recognise this bird because the shot was taken from about 100 meters.  After zooming in on the image then it's confirmed.  This Dollar bird is known to build nest in a hole of the coconut tree.Apparently on this sighting it did not utter any call or sound.

In the background is the Dollar bird, abut 100 meters away. Note the colourful red flushes of a jungle treelet at the foreground.
View from Botanic Island Two, Zone I, looking north.

A Plaintive Cuckoo in plain sight

View of the park  18 Dec'16

 It looks like a lazy Sunday.  At around 7 am I took a walk around the park to check out the greenery and nature.  The mix of leaves, branches and colour are a delight to my eyes, as I wander around the park to seek for surprises.  This year the month of December has been a let down.  It should be raining on daily basis but for about a week now the rainy monsoon left no down pours. The ground thus remain dry where ever I walked.  Have the global climatic changes elsewhere resulted in a drier monsoon for Bintulu? I am fortunate to be engulfed by massive structures of greenery as I walked underneath the canopy of tall trees of various species. This is the kind of living world that I seek, a silent walk in nature to help  re-collect my mind as often as possible.  The surrounding landscape makes me admire nature for the many stories it want to tell me. And today nature gives me a rare insight into one of its bird species.  For about an hour I was hearing the familiar call of the Plaintive Cuckoo, a bird more heard than seen in Bintulu.  In my mind it must have signaled me to hunt for the bird and perhaps photograph it.  I was camera ready when I saw the Plaintive cuckoo in plain sight.  It was perching on the branches of a dying Cempedak tree.  I took several shots of it from various angles to capture what was once a tremendous challenge for me.  This morning walk was well paid for with the capture of the bird and the music it made.  The Plaintive Cuckoos utters an ascending call which I hear every day in the morning and evening but fail to capture the origin until today.  The call sounds like " teet- teet- teet -teet ta ta tay".  In zooming the pictures, I noticed it has a grey head, neck and upper breast.  Its lower breast to under-tail coverts has a pastel orange colour.  Its feet yellow and has a black bill.  What strikes me was the position of its perching, as if it was sitting upright and  parrallel to the branch.  Indeed this morning walk was a moment of truth for me with the sighting of the Plaintive Cuckoo.

Plaintive Cuckoo seen at a distance 

Close-up of the Plaintive Cuckoo.
Location : Zone E

Well, just birds

Oriental Magpie-robin (Lopsychus saularis)

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

 It has been raining since dawn this morning till past noon time. There is not much outside activity that could be done except walking around the park looking for some active wildlife especially those of the feathered species.  The big birds were hardly seen but their smaller relatives were everywhere merrily making music.  The Oriental Magpie-robin, Pink-necked Pigeon. Chestnut Munia and the Spotted-necked Dove made up the day's list.
At close to ground level (near Zone F)  I saw one juvenile Chestnut Munia without the characteristic black hood.  It was busy plucking the grass seeds from a long branch that bent on its weight.  A pair of Spotted-necked Dove seemed to enjoy moments together, while up on the Cempedak Hill the colourful Pink-necked Pigeon surveyed the neighbourhood from the tallest perch of the Cempedak tree. Well, today was just birds!.

Juvenile Chestnut Munia ( Lonchura atricapilla) - "Pipit Rawa" (Malay)

An adult Chestnut Munia with the typical black hood.

Spotted-necked Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) - "Tekukur" (Malay)

Breakfast on wings

In between flights the birds takes a breather while battering the bees on the branch to a knock-out before devouring them
Location : Botanic Island Two

Malay : Berek-berek Tadah Hujan
Blue-throated Bee-eater
(Merops viridis)

 At around 7.00 am,  I took an early morning walk in the park before the sun has risen over the horizon.  The greenery and cool morning air was invigorating.  On nearing Botanic Island Two the atmosphere above the canopy sounded noisy with cluttering sounds, somewhat familiar.  It has been a while since swarms of bees get blown to the park.  This morning was another occasion of this much awaited phenomena.  There were hundreds of the Blue-throated Bee-eaters circling and making sallies as they grab the bees with their beaks in mid-air.  The lighting conditions for photography were not so ideal but nevertheless the opportunity of seeing with my own eyes some fierce battle in the air was an amazing experience.  These birds pass by the park everyday in a north-south direction but seldom do pay a pit-stop unless swarms of bees are present like this morning. Well, they had an early breakfast on wings at the park.  Thank you for dropping by and come again soon whens the lights are better.

The bees taking a breather while battering their prey to a knock-out
Location : Zone C

Battering the bees on branches

Little Spiderhunter comes a calling

Little Spiderhunter at the Yellow Ixora bush
Zone C

Date : 27 Aug'16

August is the month of Malkoha

A male Chestnut-breasted Malkoha identified by the pale blue iris.
Location : Botanic Island Two

 This month the Malkohas seemed to be coming in droves.  The uncommon Black-bellied Malkoha was sighted the other day.  On many occasions the sounds or calls of the Malkoha have been heard at many locations in the park this month.  Today was special in that a male Chestnut- breasted Malkoha was caught in good sight.  He came along with a partner but the female was not so easy to photograph.  The pair was seen moving around the trees and branches at Botanic Island Two.  They glided between the canopies with striking glossy blue-green bodies.  What is attractive of the bird is the pale green bill and its medium sized body.

Malkoha in flight

Banking on the grass seeds

Chestnut Munia ( Lonchura atricupilla) with characteristic 'black hood'

Heads down to pluck the seeds

 The Pipit Rawa (Malay) is a very common bird in the park but is not usually easy to get a good picture of it.  This is because being  a social bird it travels in a small flock like what I encountered today.  I had to hide behind a wall of bushes to enable me a closer view of the birds.  It was my lucky day as one of the birds was not alert to my presence and thus afforded me a little bit of luxury in getting up- close and personal images of the bird eating the grass seeds.  I have seen its habit of hanging on the grass stalk and while the grass bends the bird would attempt to pluck the grass seeds heads down.   At the inset , the bird has to bend low in order to pluck the grass seeds.  Its stout beak is perfectly structured to assist in crunching the seed before consuming it. The presence of grassland at the park has proven the wisdom of maintaining them to function as food banks for little birds like the munias.

 

A 'black hood' makes this bird very likeable.  The feathers seemed well-groomed.  The chestnut colour throughout the body is attractive against the greenery.
Grassland at Zone F

Re-connecting with nature again

The Tiongs ( Hill Myna birds) at Licuala Hill

Physalis minia - showing more ripe
fruits

 It is so good to be back at the nature park.  It is a place to re-connect with nature after having been away for two weeks in Kuching,  The first thing I checked out in the late afternoon was the Tiong birds.  I have left them for about two weeks and today they assured me of their confidence in the safety of  the park.  I saw a pair moving about the tall branches at one of tallest perches at Licuala Hill.  From the distance I observed that the birds looked somewhat bigger now.  Having encountered them I then proceeded to get back home sooner, consoled by the thought that the nature park has passed a stringent litmus test as a wildlife sanctuary with the continued and uninterrupted presence of the Hill Myna birds.

Licuala palms at Licuala Hill, just below the tall tree where the Tiongs perched this afternoon.

Close-up of the Tiong birds (Hill Myna)