Great Hornbill sign for Great Year Ahead!

Dusky Broadbill - this is the first time I have had a good sight of this broadbill species in Telapa Buruk, Negeri Sembilan. The other broadbills, Green, Black and Yellow and Silver-breasted were calling that Monday morning from amongst the thick foliage and trees of the sub-montane forest - I could only listen to and appreciate their calls that day. Broadbills bonanza for me even though the other broadbills stayed hidden from my view. 

Together with friends from Sarawak, we had earlier attended the 3rd AGM of Wild Bird Club Malaysia which was held at Selesa Resort, Bukit Tinggi, Pahang. More on that at AGM 2018 and Post-AGM Birding at Genting Highlands: Website about birdwatching and birdwatchers in Malaysia. The Great Hornbill was seen that Sunday morning as we walked up the Old Pumphouse Road, Goh Tong Jaya, and surely this was a sign for Great Year ahead! The Ferruginous Patridge that early Saturday morning was also a much-awaited bird for me since I had missed it earlier during a day trip to Bukit Tinggi with my Wader Sifu, Ang Teck Hin and his wife, Lwee.   

Checklists of birds seen, heard have been recorded through eBird Malaysia, and are available at  

Bukit Tinggi, Ulu Kali Genting Highlands, Telapa Buruk and Diamond City, Semenyih. 

Birdwatching with friends from Sarawak 

eBird Introduction Video below was a timely New Year 2018 gift from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, USA. Adds to my one of my New Year Resolution, which is - to be a Better Recreational Birder!

Last Day of Birdwatching in 2017 and Hello 2018!

Dollarbird's Purplish tinge in the neck was something I never noticed before. The pictures above and below were taken on a cloudy and windy afternoon, along an inner road in Pulau Indah, Selangor. Seems there is a subspecies of Indian (Indochinese) Roller from Thailand which has purplish tinges on its neck as well. Dollarbird originates from the same family as the Rollers. Easy to understand that they come from the same family of species when I see them sharing some similar features such as neck colours and turqoise blue plumages.     

Leaf monkeys - three to be exact were relaxing in this tree (see picture below). I drove my car along (and parked) at a backlane along a row of single-storey houses to get a closer look at these mammals. My heart skipped a beat when a flycatcher flew out of the bushes and perched on a branch in a tree nearby the monkeys.

Leaf Monkey looking at me looking at the flycatcher

My lifer as 2017 comes to an end - Korean (Yellow-rumped) Flycatcher. It was a very quiet flycatcher which perched on a branch for a few seconds before it flew and disappeared into the nearby bushes. Only had time to take a single picture in poor lighting of this flycatcher.  Full list of birds seen, heard at Pulau Indah, Selangor that Saturday afternoon was recorded and entered into eBird Malaysia and is available here. Birds Korea website has detailed Bird ID Notes on this Flycatcher species which can be read here. Pulau Indah has gone through extensive development with warehouses, factories, refineries in its midst. It is adjacent to the busy Port Klang (historically known as Port Swettenham and largest in Malaysia), with trailers and lorries constantly on the move. The road connecting Selangor mainland to the island is badly in need of repairs and maintenance. The lights are not functioning in certain stretches of the road which was a frightening experience for me, since trailers were barreling down the roads. Am grateful I reached KL safely to prepare for the New Year ahead. The Mangrove Pitta remains elusive.