Serpent Eagles in the park.

A beautiful Serpent Eagle with features clearly seen in my closest encounter so far.

 Before the end of the year I woud like to put on record that in 2018 I had some quite close encounters with the Serpent Eagle at the Kambatik Park.  On one occasion (23 Oct'18) I was able to take pictures of it taking off from its perch and then in flight.
I am pleased that the Kambatik Park lives to its name as a wildlife sanctuary by attracting birds of prey.  For one it testify to the presence of wildlife that these birds prey on.  It is my hope that these majestic birds will make it a point to frequent the park in future.

The Large-tailed Nightjar in broad daylight

LS of the Large-tailed Nightjar, seen at Cempedak Hill, Zone G,
The Kambatik Park, Bintulu..

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.

Orange-bellied flowerpecker enjoying the Ixora berries

 Yesterday I have been observing the antics of the Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonstigma) when it frequented a bunch of ripe fruits of the Yellow Ixora.  The male bird first strike the skin of the fruit, peeling it off before pecking deeper into the flesh.  On another instance, it had the berry caught between it beak before swallowing it.  At the park here this bird is considered a permanent resident.  It is around the place every day, attracted by many kinds of berries and fruits, mainly the Jackfruit. Though tiny it is nevertheless a very attractive bird for its contrasting colours i.e. orange versus blue.

 Orange-bellied Flowerpecker (Dicaeum trigonstigma)

Black-bellied Malkoha

After a few days of sighting a medium-sized black bird flying about in the park that seemed difficult to take a photo of, my luck turned good on the 5th of June.  On that day the 'black bird' somehow appeared in plain sight.  It was among the tall branches of jungle trees at Botanic Island Two area that I had a good look at it.  It was a Black-bellied Malkoha and is the second time that I stumbled on the species.  A remarkable thing happened when the bird attacked a big jungle grasshopper and I was excited when the seizure was captured in camera as shown below.  This is a silent bird and the Botanic Island seemed to be its favourite habitat, being in the lowland primary forest it is. Of course many other malkoha species have been sighted here over the years. The bird's  bill is light green, feet is dull blue-grey and the body an attractive rich-bluish green.  The skin around the eye is a rich crimson colour.  Its tail has white tips.

Black-bellied Malkoha with a big jungle grasshopper at its beak.  Note the white tips at its tail.

A breeding pair of Tiong

The female is checking the nest while the male scours the neighbourhood.
Location: Licuala Hill, Zone I
The Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

 This morning I saw a breeding pair of the Hill Myna bird, locally known as 'Tiong' close by their nest.  I was there around 9 in the morning and it seemed they have just said hello to the world.  They could have called it a lazy day as it rained heavily the previous night with a little  shower in the early part of the morning.  They were not really bothered with my presence and that allowed me to take more shots of them.  After spending a couple of minutes at their nesting tree they flew a short distance (50 - 60 meters)  to another tall tree to preen themselves.

The female bird shows how to enter the nest.

The male bird busy preening itself.

The female makes an early morning call.

A photo rendition of the scene.

Three in one encounter

Banded Woodpecker (Picus miniaceus) as seen through the jungles leaves and branches
Location: Licuala Hill, Kambatik Park, Bintulu.

When I heard a piercing short call over the park this morning I kept telling myself that the sound was most unfamiliar. So I started to collect my gear and ready for any encounter. I first rushed up the Cempedak Hill where the call kept pushing me moving uphill but cautiously. I didn't want the bird to see me too soon. The call was repeated again while I was just below the masses of leaves and branches of the Cempedak tree. In between the leaves I glimpsed of a bird somewhat holding on tightly to a branch in an upright position. The moment I held the camera to have a good shot the bird instantly took off. Hard luck. About half an hour later, I heard the call coming from the Licuala Hill area. Quickly I set foot ready for another attempt. Upon reaching Licuala Hill the very piercing call which sounded like a baby cry or a cat's scream was not heard again. So I thought I must have lost the bird and started to look around for other interesting objects. At Licuala Hill I stumbled upon a beautiful jungle tree in flowering. For the record this tree is not as mature as the one at Botanic Island One. But the flowers are the same. For many years now I have not been able to identify this jungle species. While kept busy admiring the yellow jungle flowers, the call broke the silence of the jungle and this time I thought it came from just above me. I moved position and took a few shots through the trees. I then moved slowly out of the jungle into the open in order to have a better view of the bird. There it was perching on one of the tallest dead tree of the neighborhood. I took several aims hoping one or two hit the target. Back on the computer desk I anxiously transferred the pictures and 'Yahoo!!' let the pictures do the talking. Shared below are the results of my Xmas morning birding session. It is a three in one Xmas gift. The Banded Woodpecker at the very top and below a pair of Brown Barbet.

Three in one capture - Banded Woodpecker at the top, and a pair of Brown Barbet below.

Brown Barbet (Calorhamphus fulinginosus)

Male of the species is above with black bill while female is below with pale grey or purple bill.

Banded Woodpecker at the tip of one of the tallest dead tree in the park, making a piercing call over the neighbourhood.

A colourful Trogon and what a lifer!

Scarlet-rumped Trogon or "Kesumba Puteri" (Malay)

 Today has been  most auspicious.  This morning was the first time in my life I encountered a Trogon.  It is really an amazing bird, very colourful and quite playful.. It was seen above me (about 3 meters)  at Provinsi Rattan, Zone I .   In the cool morning atmosphere I heard an unfamiliar call.  It sounded like Kir- rrrr. Within seconds I saw something orange moved infront  of me.  I remained still and the bird did not seem to be bothered with me.  Slowly I took the camera out of the bag and started to aim, before the bird took flight.  But no.  Surprisingly the bird wanted to 'play' with me.  It was moving about the branches above me and that afforded me many angles to shoot the bird.  It was gazing at me behind its shoulders and on one occassion turned around facing me straight with its sharp eyes.  Trogons are brighly coloured with a short, broad bill.  The tails look like as if  the feathers were square-cut. It has brown iris, with eyelid of cobalt blue.  I noticed its bill was blue.  Its head black with a nice orangish red breast.  It is a rare bird and is the first time for about more than 10 years staying at the park that I encountered it. What a lifer!.

The orangish red rump...or 'scarlet-rumped' is plainly seen just as well as the square-cut tail.  The bird was seen gazing curiously at me over its shoulders.

Harpactes duvaucelii ( Scarlet-rumped Trogon)
Seen at Kambatik Park, Bintulu..

Looking straight at me.

Black Hornbill at abandoned coconut plantation

An abandoned coconut plantation with tall mature trees.
The hornbill is seen at the left of the picture, perching on the coconut frond.
Location : Setipuk, Jepak- Kuala Tatau Road.

A mature Black Hornbill with a white huge bill and typical 'casque' (i.e. horny excrescence at the top of the bill)

I have found a new birding place at Setipuk near Kpg. Jepak.  The Setipuk site is sandwiched to the north by the open South China Sea (which I think by now should be called the Asean sea) and a mixed forested area to the south.  On the borders of the site is a road that links Kampung Jepak to Kuala Tatau, the latter being a remote fishing village in Bintulu. On 30th October, while doing some oral history research in the area, I chanced upon a Black Hornbill perching on a coconut frond in an abandoned coconut plantation.  It was the brays and brunts of the hornbill that helped focused my attention and then the camera lens of a simple Samsung handphone (Note 2) to the subject.  It was a good record to start with.  I guess the abandoned coconut plantation could be its nesting ground.  I hope to re-visit the area often in future to gather more close up pictures of the bird.  It is believed that hornbills naturally build holes in trees  and these nest would be used by the breeding pairs for years onwards.

A lifer sighted at the park - Rufous Woodpecker

Rufous Woodpecker (Coleus brachyurus)

 Today (4 Sept'16) has got to be a very special day for birding at the park.  This is because I was ready to meet the Rufous Woodpecker.  The rains that drizzled since dawn was not yet over by noon, and made me decide to just trek the jungle for any interesting subjects with the camera ready.My ears were thrilled by the calls of a bird not yet familiar to me as I approached Botanic Island Two. The sounds moved to another location still retaining it clear loud calls.  I walked on quietly and spared my steps so as not to be obviously seen or make undue disturbing noise to the birds.  The loud calls attracted my eyes to a small durian tree and then came the moment of truth.  I spotted a brown bird clinging on to the durian tree in an upright position.  In an instant I snapped as many pictures as I could from a distance of about 30 meters.  The pictures tell it all.  It was a Rufous Woodpecker and a lifer at that.  The sighting today was auspicious because it is the first time that I could enter the word 'woodpecker' in the labels list of this blog.  Lucky me.

The Rufous Woodpecker is seen in the middle of the picture, clinging on the durian tree branch.

Capturing the Little Spiderhunter

Little Spiderhunter (Arachnothera longirostra)

 I have been on the hunt for the Little Spiderhunter for a period of a week from 22 - 31 August'16.  It is a very cheerful and lively bird.  In order to get close to the bird I had built a small hideout close to the Yellow Ixora bush which it visited daily over the last week, (and I guess many more weeks to come).  I believe this bird is a permanent resident of the park.  Other plants that naturally attract it are the various Heliconia species, the Shrubby Dillenia, Chinese Hat plant and Red Hibiscus to mention but a few.  I noticed that the bird comes a calling at the Yellow Ixora bush on almost every hour of the day, starting as early as 7.00 am till around 5.30 pm.  Here are some better images that I have managed to capture for the week 22 - 31 August'16.

Sipping the nectar from the Yellow Ixora flowers
Zone C

At the Chinese Hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea)

Cherish the moment seeing the Black-bellied Malkoha

Black-bellied Malkoha at Botanic Island Two

Just the other day, I spent an hour or so birding in between two botanic islands in the park. At Botanic Island Two I encountered a small party of Black Magpie. Unnoticed at first, I was pleasantly surprised later to watch at a nearby tree what seemed to be a malkoha among the leaves and branches. Its greenish and glossy back attracted my attention as it moved quietly among the branches of the tall trees. Once I got a good angle, free from obstacles I just simply click on my camera to get some images. It was early morning and the light conditions were far from perfect. When I uploaded the images in the computer I was amazed at the image because it was not the familiar Chestnut-breasted Malkoha which are a frequent visitor to the park. The Black-bellied Malkoha is a lifer for me. What attracted me was its grey neck and breast. Its tails have white tipped feathers. Iris are of pale blue with a red skin patch around the eyes. It is interesting to note that according to the literature, this bird is uncommonly seen in the lowland areas of Sarawak or Borneo for that matter. My encounter with this bird is therefore a rare moment to be cherished.

A moment to be cherished upon seeing this uncommon bird.