Black-winged Kite

Black-winged Kite

On a short birding trip yesterday (25 Dec'14),  along the Pantai Temasya Drive, I was overwhelmed when I saw this beautiful Black-winged Kite (Elanus caerulueus).  Her back and rest of upper parts are dark grey with black wing coverts forming a distinctive shoulder patch.  Obviously she was looking at me with piercing eyes.   The underparts especially her neck and breast were fluffy white.  Another distinguishing mark was her striking reddish orange yes and yellow feet.  It has been noted that it is now a common lowland resident throughout Sarawak.  Whatever it is, it is  a lifer for me.

Scaly-breasted Munia

Results of a birding trip on 13Nov'14 at Bako
Picture shows Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) - Pipit Pinang (Malay)

Beautiful flowerpecker and woodswallow

Above are results of a brief birding visit to the Pustaka grounds on 12 Nov'14.
It is interesting to see the White-breasted Woodswallow on the lawn and the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker picking up the ripe fruits of the 'Senduduk' (Melastoma malabathricum)

Playful and loyal Dark-sided Flycatcher

Dark-sided Flycatcher (Muscicapa sibirica)
Date taken : 23 Oct'14, Zone B

 I am astonished by the loyalty of this bird.  It is my first sighting at Kambatik Park, a few days ago.  Today she was again at the same perch the last time I met her.  Is she trying to make me her friend?  The three times I met her she repeatedly moved about three or four low perches at Zone B around me.  Three times I went there in the morning she would be there as if we have fixed our appointment time. Upon checking the literature and pictures I am convinced that the bird is the Dark-sided Flycatcher . It is a winter visitor to the tropics from Northern and Central Asia (Himalayas and Yunnan). It seemed a playful and lively bird.

Birds on the hill

On the 12th of October, I went for a brief walkabout at the Kambatik Park and managed to photoshoot a few of the feathered species.  The full story is here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/10/there-are-birds-on-hill.html

Tiong making good its nest

A Hill Myna bird  (Tiong - Malay) whistling from its favourite perch at Licuala Hill

Making good its nest

A long grass blade used for additional comfort for its  'nest' at hole in the tree

Get together before flight off...

I was watching the Hill Myna birds at Licuala Hill this morning.  It is obvious that they need additional padding to their nest which is a hole in the tree.  After placing the long grass blade inside the nest and there's nothing more on the agenda, they flew away probably to look for food.  As is customary now, they would return home around 5 in the afternoon.

The camera-shy Malcoha

Chestnut-breasted Malcoha (Phaenicophaeus curvirostris borneensis)

Bluish-green body and tail

 I was going to checkout for anything interesting at the Provinsi Liana early this morning.  When closing in to the area I saw some movement among the branches of the oil palm fronds next to the provinsi area.  Instantly I thought it mus be the squirrel.  So I slowly advanced towards it and before I arrived at the location  I saw an object flying off to the tall trees .  I kept on watching at a dark object among the leaves when suddenly I saw a large bluish body and tail about 20 meters away.  I waited for it to reveal itself from among the  maze of leaves.  My patience was rewarded when a full picture of it appeared above me.  It was the Chesnut-breasted Malcoha, a female of the species.  The female has a bright orange iris, its bill a pale green.  Malcoha are camera-shy, preferring to stay quiet and hidden. Thus far, I notice that malcohas are occasional visitors to the park. 

But-But Kecil or the Lesser Coucal

But-But Kecil (Malay) - Lesser Coucal ( Centropus bengalensis)

It is a large bird that sometimes drop by at the Kambatik Park, Bintulu.  Checkout the full story and images here

The Black Hornbill

Black Hornbill (Anthracoceros malayanus)

The Black Hornbill is a rare visitor to the park.  Here's one occasion when it dropped by.  Please follow the story in another blog of mine  here

The Black-headed Bulbul

Merbah Siam (Malay) - Black-headed Bulbul (Pycnonotus atriceps)

The Black-headed Bulbul is not a common visitor to the Kambatik Park, Bintulu.  Checkout the story here...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search?q=black+headed+bulbul

Perenjak Padi or the Yellow-bellied Prinia

Perenjak Padi (Malay) - Yellow-bellied Prinia

It is a shy bird and not easy to photograph because it is normally among the grasses.  But I got lucky one day and had a chance to come close and personal with the bird.  Checkout the full story and images here ....>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search?q=prinia

After the bees and nectar

Blue-throated Bee-eater (

 I started early this morning to do a little bit of birding at the park, between 8.00 - 9.00 am.  I went to three birding look-out points.  At the Cempedak point (Zone G) I encountered two Blue-throated Bee-eaters.  They were having a field day chasing and catching bees.  From the perches they organised many sorties and after catching them in mid-air rushed to the branches to batter their prey.  The bee-eaters are a regular visitor to the park.  Everyday they would pass the place to go southerly towards Tatau and in the evening would return using the same route.  At Heliconia point (Zone C) I was rewarded with a sporting Little Spiderhunter.  She gave me the opportunity for a photoshoot session.  Hiding behind the Sawit or oil palm  tree I was able to take images at close range using my Nikon D5100.  The Little Spiderhunter was at the Heliconia 'Sexy Pink'  to have a go at the nectar.  Obviously she succeeded well in her job.  Finally I walked up to one of the hilly areas at the park i.e. Zone I where two Hill Mynas were happily getting ready to go out for a shopping spree in the close neighbourhood and far beyond.  I know they would only return by evening time to their 'temporary hole' called home at their favourite dead but standing tall tree.

Little Spiderhunter at Heliconia 'Sexy Pink'

Hill Myna

Emerald Dove

2

This is a rare sighting at the Kambatik Park, Bintulu.  The Emerald Dove or Punai Tanah is a beautiful bird but it is not easy to photograph it....This story is a re-post, please follow this link ...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-emerald-dove.html

The regular Little Spiderhunter

Little Spiderhunter at Ixora coccinea shrub, Zone C.

 Today the Little Spiderhunter visited the Yellow Ixora shrub many times to enjoy the sweet nectar..  Just like the other day the Little Spiderhunter came by the ixora shrub many times to allow for a photoshoot session.  What was interesting in the last photoshoot session was to see the bird pulling away the style from the tube to have a taste of the nectar.  The full story is here.

Notes: The above pictures were taken today, 6 October,2014.  Time: 1000 hrs - 1030 hrs.

Large-tailed Nightjar

Young of the Large-tailed Nightjar

 I have a lot of encounters with the Large-tailed Nightjar all of which I experienced at my own nature park in Bintulu.  I have stumbled upon its eggs on bare ground and saw its newly born chicks.  I managed to photograph them when they were tiny chicks till they flew away from my hands.  They gave me the experience of a lifetime.  This is a re-post of the stories of the Large-tailed Nightjar at the Kambatik Park, Bintulu....please follow this link ...>>>http://kambatikpark.blogspot.com/search/label/Large-tailed%20nightjar

Large-tailed Nightjar at Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

Attack of the Sea Eagle

White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

 It was a memorable moment for me to watch the White-bellied Sea Eagle performing its spectacular attack by the mudflats area at the Pantai Temasya Drive.  I saw it first circling high above the area, making many rounds of flying before zooming on its target.  The action happened extremely quick.  Once the eagle decided to dive,  it collapses its body like one big stone dropping from the sky and then steered its flight direction to the fish below.  In a matter of split seconds it grabbed the fish and then flew up high and higher with its prey caught in the claws.  The eagle made a few more circular rounds of flying before deciding to devour its victim in the cover of casuarina trees nearby.

The White-bellied Sea Eagle closing in on the mudflats area

On attack mode - seconds before catching the fish

Flying up with prey in claws

It's a fish!

Flying for cover in the casuarina trees to devour the catch of the day.

Note: All images taken on 3 October, 2014.  Birding time : 3.30 - 5.00 pm, Location : Pantai Temasya Drive, Tanjung Batu, Bintulu.