Monday, February 8, 2010

A Lifer Indeed...Tawny-breasted parrotfinch...

Last saturday...6 Feb 2010...


Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!
Not again.
Four phrases.
Constantly playing in my mind, over and over again, like a broken old record.

I was so very afraid that it would be a repeat of last week, it looked like it.
Quiet. Windy. Chill-to-the-bone-breeze. Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. And quiet.
Geez! I even managed to doze off. Not once tho. But a few times.

It was slightly past 12.30 noon when I rang hubby to bring him to lunch. That's considered quiet early. Well, I mean what better to do than have lunch when one has not even fire a single shot since after breakfast. At least I have something to think about. Get the mind to work a bit. Like, think what shall I have for lunch. Talk about pathetic, wooohhhh.

I have the mind to bring hubby home considering the situation. I was not in a jolly mood I'm afraid. That's what the quietness and the chilliness do to oneself. It gets on one's nerves. We just finished lunch and I was arranging my lines to hubby when I turned my head to the right and saw a familiar face.

I could feel my gloomy face broke into a wide smile. I nudged hubby, "It's Encik Alim". We quickly shook hand with him and then I headed off straight to our car. I needed to get something from the car. I have this unfinished business with Encik Alim.

...my unfinished business...I forgot to get his autograph for his book...I had brought it with me a few times not knowing that I would met up with him one day...I am very proud of this book...proud because without his assistance and knowledge, this book would not have materalized...a fitting contribution I guessed for our local talent...one of the pioneer in this field...it is always a pleasure to hang around with the experts..like hanging around with our Birder friend Jason...you get to learn more...you get that extra eyes and ears...;)



...'checklist updating'...wow, that's big..."How I wished I could update you with something out of the ordinary Encik Alim, that would really be something" came to mind when I read his autograph...

I was standing next to hubby when he pulled out the book to look at what Encik Alim's has scribbled when I heard a sound. A faint sound. Then from the corner of my right eyes, I saw something drop on the rock. My first thought was that it was a fallen leave. A deceiving movement. Deceving coz one would thought that it's a bird. We have that most of the time as a result of the strong wind.


I did not take my eyes off the spot tho and then no sooner I saw something moving...


Self : Hey, there's a bird...
Hubby : Where, where...
Self : (pointing my camera)...on the rock...is it the shortwing (talking to myself)...
Hubby : Where, where...
Self : Oh my God! Oh my God! It's green...It's green...can you see it...can you see it...

Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch (Erythrura hyperythra) - female

First Appearance
...it was playing hide and seek with us...poking it's head behind the rock...



...I followed her from the other side of the stream...I was praying very hard...'don't fly off'...'don't fly off'...'stay put'...'stay put'...



...kept on hopping from rock to rock...


Self : What was that...
Hubby : Parrotfinch...
Self : Category?
Hubby : Not sure...



We just could not wait to get our hands on the guide book. We lingered for a while hoping for it to make another appearance. But we only heard her call.

While making our last round before going home, I decided to go back to that spot. I was waiting for the Indigo Flycatcher, if I'm lucky I would get it bathing yet again was what I was thinking.

I sure did not expect to hear that new familiar sound again. But I did and I heard it twice before quickly unlodging my backpack to the ground and stay very still. I squint my eyes to get a better view and there she was, right before my eyes.

I kneeled and started gunning the shutter button. I took my BB out and rang hubby. He did not answer. I called again. Still he did answer. And still he did not call me back. And when he did call, I gritted my teeth answering him. I was angry coz I wanted him to be there to get the photo. His lens is much more reliable than mine was. His hands were much more steadier than mine were.


Second Appearance






We were on our way to KK to get me an external drive on Sunday when hubby sms Encik Alim on our find...I was behind the wheel when hubby read Encik Alim's return message...

When Encik Alim said the bird is very rare...
...I was grinning from ear to ear...
When Encik Alim said no one has photograph it yet...
...my grin went right to the back of my head...
I am still you know...
...grinning...:D

11 comments:

Ron said...

hahaha... congrates! paling manang oh. sharp habis. for the 1st time joe playing 2nd fiddle. congrates!

Alphons said...

This is so nice.. Wonderful job. Congrats..

Zaiton Yunus said...

Ron...hahaha...thanks...mother luck is really looking down at me that time...now he's playing 2nd fiddle la...wait till he bumped into it again...hangus tu kali oleh dia...:)

Phon...thanks...bah nanti kita pi impa tu burung...:)

ClarityDefinesYou said...

congratulations! the bird was so beautiful! a wonderful catch indeed :) two thumbs up from me :)

Jordan Sitorus said...

Kau ni ah ron...rusak psikologi sia...jan ko tlampau picaya tu..sia cakap "tu nah..tu nah"..bukan "where where" tu..sia kestau dia ma...ambi ehhh...suta ata maaa...hehehe

Congrates babe...the first & best ever pic taken from Kinabalu!!!

Zaiton Yunus said...

Clarity...thanks...it is indeed a beautiful and rare catch...:)

Babe...(still grinning)...:D

louisebah said...

wow those are amazing pictures of the bird ton!

that is some camera you have! worth every sen you paid for it!!

mrsjordan said...

thanks dear...the camera is a hands-me-down from hubby...the expensive part is that the bird is very rare and was told that no one has photograph it yet at our mountain...that's really priceless...:D

louisebah said...

wow! double kudos to you!!! it deserves some kind of due recognition then! award ka, masuk book of records ka, a plaque at the knp ka.... really!

abd. halim hadi said...

"travel blogger crossing.. fast but fun reading"
i tried some eagles n tell story the way u did,,,

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