Steve Happ Photography Ramblings and dissertations

Pulau Pangkor – Teluk Nipah

Yesterday afternoon I went up to the mountain between Sungai Pinang Kechil and Teluk Dalam. I stopped a few times and was rewarded with some good views of Cream-vented Bulbuls. This morning I went to Teluk Nipah and walked along the track to the waterfall. Not much there and it started to rain a little bit. Lucky I got back early beacause it poured later on.

Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis)

I think this one might be a male. I mistook it for an Oriental Pied Hornbill. Lucky I checked in the book. The last one i saw was in periyar, Kerala, india in 2017.

Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)

The Malay Name is Merbah Mata Putih. You cannot mistake these ones with the huge white eyes.

Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)

Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)

Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)

Thick-billed Green Pigeon (Treron curvirostra)

White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)

grey glider

Not its real name. They are grey and they glide so gracefully.

Pulau Pangkor bird list

Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis)
Cream-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus simplex)
Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)
Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Thick-billed Green Pigeon (Treron curvirostra)
White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)

mal200321

Pulau Pangkor – Hutan Lipur

I grabbed my rental motorbike at about 8am and set off around the island pas Telok Dalam to Hutan Lipur, a bit of forest that has been forgotten about with a wrecked road and a resort at the end of it that is deserted. After that, I kept going to Telok Nipah and found a few more birds. Nothing new today, it was actually a bit of a dud. But you never know.

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)

The striated heron (Butorides striata) is also known as mangrove heron or little heron.

Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)

Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)

Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis)

You would not know that this photo was out of focus, would you? Unless I told you.

Pulau Pangkor bird list

Striated Heron (Butorides striata)
Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Olive-backed Sunbird
White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Brahminy Kite
Pacific Swallow (Hirundo tahitica)
Brown-throated Sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis)
Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)
Dark-necked Tailorbird (Orthotomus atrogularis)
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)
Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

Resources: Black-crowned Night Heron Identification.

mal200320

Pulau Pangkor 3 – Telok Dalam

I got on the motorbike early this morning and I had got to a track just after the sun would come up. The only problem was it was overcast so there were not that many birds around. Eventually after doing a lot of searching I came up with a couple of new birds and some relatively decent photos. So the morning was not a complete waste.

Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)

“The Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) is a medium-sized passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. It has a distinctive plumage that sets it apart from other wagtails and has the habit of wagging its tail sideways unlike the usual up and down movements of the other wagtail species.” (wiki)

Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)

From the side, showing the two white wing stripes. From the front, they have two black bands.

Van Hasselt’s Sunbird (Leptocoma brasiliana)

Van Hasselt’s Sunbird used to be considered a subspecies of the purple-throated sunbird. The Malay name is Kelicap Belacan Biasa.

Van Hasselt’s Sunbird (Leptocoma brasiliana)

From the front showing the layers of colours.

Changeable Lizard (Calotes versicolor)

Also known as the oriental garden lizard or the eastern garden lizard.

Long-tailed Macaques

They used their tails to balance as they walked along the tight-rope wire.

Pulau Pangkor bird list

Forest Wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus)
Van Hasselt’s Sunbird (Leptocoma brasiliana)
scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum)
common tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)
Yellow-vented Bulbul
Olive-backed Sunbird
White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Brahminy Kite

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Pulau Pangkor – Sungai Pinang Kechil

I hired a motorbike this morning to go see around the island of Pangkor. I stopped at a few chinese cemeteries and got some photos of some bulbuls. There were heaps of Oriental Pied Hornbills around. Last night I counted more than twenty near the road just before sunset. I went right around the island. I was a bit late so I did not worry about chasing birds so much as discovering places that I could come back to later. I found quite a few. Let us see what tomorrow may bring.

Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)

Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)

Pangkor Island bird list

Red-eyed Bulbul (Pycnonotus brunneus)
Olive-winged Bulbul (Pycnonotus plumosus)
Javan or Jungle Myna ?
Blue-throated Bee-eater (Merops viridis)
White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster)
Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

Resources: Javan Myna vs Jungle Myna identification
https://ron-nature-adventure.blogspot.com/2012/03/javan-myna-versus-jungle-myna.html

mal200318

Pulau Pangkor – Sungai Pinang Kechil

I got the bus from the Cameron Islands really early, like 8am, and I did not get to Pulau Pangkor until late in the afternoon, 3pm. Such a massive journey. I found my guest house and settled in. This morning I was up a bit late, and went for a walk along the road that circles the island.

Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)

“Glossy black myna with bright yellow head wattles. Also note bright candlewax-orange bill and white wing patches that are most apparent in flight. A species of mature humid forest and forest edge, often seen in pairs or small flocks flying between or perched up in tall trees. Famed for its wide repertoire: gives a myriad of screams, squeaks, chirps, and whistles. Threatened by its popularity in the cage bird trade.” (ebird)

Germain’s Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani)

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)

House Crow (Corvus splendens)

Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster )

Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)

“The Asian brown flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The word Muscicapa comes from the Latin musca, a fly and capere, to catch. The specific dauurica refers to Dauria, an area of south-eastern Siberia named after a local nomadic tribe.” (wiki)

Long-tailed Macaque

Pulau Pangkor bird list

Germain’s Swiftlet (Aerodramus germani)
Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja)
House Crow (Corvus splendens)
Common Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa)
Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)
Olive-winged Bulbul
Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)
Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis)
Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)
Black-naped Oriole
Jungle Myna (Acidotheres fuscus)
Common Myna (Acidotheres tristis)
Asian Glossy Starling
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)
White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster )
Brahminy Kite
Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Resources:
ID help for Common Sandpiper – https://www.hirenkhambhayta.com/gallery/common-sandpiper/

mal200317

Cameron Highlands – Tanah Rata Day Three

This morning I got up a bit later and wandered down to the start of the Trail 4. There were some black clouds up above the mountain, and it was a bit cold and windy. Consequently there were far fewer birds around than yesterday. All in all a very lean morning’s birding. And the photos are not that great either! Very low light and hard to get decent focus.

Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)

Yellow-breasted warbler (Phylloscopus montis)

Mountain Fulvetta (Alcippe peracensis)

Yewww. Such a bad photo. I still have not got a good one of these Mountain Fulvettas.

Mountain Tailorbird (Orthotomus cucullatus)

Cameron Highlands bird list
Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)
Mountain Tailorbird (Orthotomus cucullatus)
Yellow-breasted warbler (Phylloscopus montis)
Mountain Fulvetta (Alcippe peracensis)

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