Streaked Spiderhunter

纹背捕蛛鸟 (俗名芭蕉鸟)

In our young and early days, when we encountered a low banana flower bud at the end of a banana bunch cluster, we sometimes would pluck the finger-liked flowers, open its cover to sip a drop of clear crystalline nectar adhering deep inside at the base of the flower. It tasted as sweet and concentrated as honey. The older brownish looking flowers tasted even sweeter.

Here in the early morning on top of Fraser’s Hill, we saw one of those targets the nectar is actually created for. An olive yellow streaked spiderhunter clipping on the flower bud with its sharp claws, was feeding on the syrup with a long-curved beak specially adapted for this purpose, a very satisfying and pleasing scenes to me.

(8/5/2016, Fraser’s Hill)

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White-headed Munia

White-headed Munia 白头文鸟 When the paddy fields turn from green to golden yellow, it is about time ready for harvest, it is also a time of celebration for a variety of birds that include these lovely white-headed munias. For certain reasons, white-headed munia seems to be less commonly seen nowadays in comparison with scaly-breasted munias. I only saw a flock of 4 over half a day in the paddy fields. When we were small, large flocks of more than 30 birds is often seen flying a cross abandoned tin-mining pools. (June 2016, Balik Pulau Penang) When the paddy fields turn from green to golden yellow, it is about time ready for harvest, it is also a time of celebration for a variety of birds that include these lovely white-headed munias.

Tanjong Tualang - An extensive wetland habitat

For several decades until 1980s, tin mining industry especially in the Kinta Valley played a key role as one of the major contributors to the Malaysian economy at that time. I was one of those boys who grew up in the neighbourhood of tin-mining towns where most of my neighbours, relatives and childhood friends depend on tin-mines for a living. Recently, my birding hobby had given me opportunities to visit such towns. They included Pusing, Sipueh, Tronoh, Batu Gajah, Tanjong Tualang, Gopeng, Malim Nawar, Kampar etc. The extensive sandy land between these towns and outside of the main roads are now hundreds or perhaps more than a thousand abandoned mining pools of various sizes. Some of these pools have been put into uses and converted into farms for fish, ducks and other livestock. These ponds and its vegetation form important habitat of extensive areas for many different species of wetland birds.

Green Magpie

Green Magpie 蓝绿鹊 The moment we arrived at Fraser’s Hill, we noticed many banners hanging on lamp posts along main roads promoting the upcoming Fraser’s Hill annual bird race event. The large bird image that is printed on the banner is that of a green magpie, which I have not seen live or photographed before. On the second day, quite unexpectedly but delightfully, with the help of some birder friends, we were lucky enough to be able to capture the images of this beautiful bird. (8/5/2016, Fraser’s Hill)

Feathers

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