3, 2 ,1...Action...

My 'got landslide at Ranau' was answered with 'one lane is still passable' by hubby. One could hardly deny his enthusiasm when it comes to birding. And I was not expecting any less from him.


Saturday, 5 December 2009...

Hubby : Called Alphon, asked him where the landslide is...

Self : (on the phone)...where's the landslide...
Alphon : ...about 3 kilometres from the junction to Kota Belud...
Self : Where are you now...
Alphon : ...at Bundu Tuhan...it's raining and foggy...


Hmmm...that is not a good sign. Not a good sign at all. A definite no no for photography.

In anticipation to the landslide and also a warning from Alphon pertaining to traffic congestion nearing the landslide site, we departed early from Tuaran than usual. Even the canteen has not opened when we arrived. It was drizzling and the dreaded thick fog did not seem to want to go away any sooner.

We were having our breakfast when we heard loud bird sound...

Self : Magpie or the treepie...
Hubby : Magpie...
Self : They sounded very near...
Hubby : Yeah...
Alphon : Sometimes they are not that near...they sounded near as they are very loud...


While hubby and Alphon was dilly dallying, I finished my Maggi quickly and rushed behind the hall. I was thinking that maybe, just maybe the magpies are nearby as they are just too loud. I held up my head all the time, trying to locate the sound. They sounded just too close for comfort. The fog was of no help at all and I have to squint my eyes harder for clearer vision.

Then I caught a movement from up high. I saw a pair of them sort of fighting each other off. I quickly aimed my camera and started gunning the shutter button.

With my forefinger pressing down hard on the shutter button, I yelled at the top of my lungs for hubby and Alphon, my voice echoing around the park...


Self : Hurry up, hurry up...there's two of them...they're eating something...
Self : Hurryyyyy uppppppp...not two...there's four of them...


As expected the images are not of the high quality ones, didn't even come close. But I enjoyed myself nonetheless as it is not always everyday that one would came across the opportunities watching the antics of the feathered ones.

Short-tailed Magpie (Cissa thalassina)

...saw a pair of them...they had their back on me...

...I still could not make out what they're up to...

...a tug of war ensued...I thought it was a snake...

...until I saw the claw...I think it was a gecko...

...survival of the fittest...

...the agony of defeat...I think...for now...

...anddddddd...
cut...

Birding heartaches and joys...

Two Saturdays ago...


My chest tightened. It felt like someone is tugging hard at it. I put my hand over my chest. I could feel my heart racing hard and fast, thudding against my palm. My breathing became laboured. I was breathing very hard. I was out of breath. I gulped the air as slow as I can. As gentle as I could.

I could see that my hands were shaking. I opened up my palm. It was pale. I clenched it. I unclenched it. In my oxygen deprived lungs, I reached inside my pocket. With unsteady hand, I took out my BB and scrolled hubby's no.

Self : I felt like throwing my camera...
Hubby : Huh?
Self : It's here...just under the bridge...
Hubby : So, did you get a photo...
Self : (voice shaking in agony)...yaaa...but all blurrrrrrrrr...it's just too fast...too quick for my cam...


My eyes started to burn. I just could not believe it. It was a first time for me. I could hardly believe that I nearly shed a tear. I nearly reduced to crying. Just because of her...the White-Browed Shortwing. Our recent find. The cause of our sleepless nights.

On our way back home, I could not help talking endlessly about the shortwing. Hubby patiently listened to my repetitive narration on the missed opportunities. I guessed he could see the disappointment written all over my face. He could hear the frustration in my voice. But when hubby suggested that we do another trip the next day, thrilled that I was, I did not give him the thumbs up right away.

For one, I would be breaking the rule...no birding on Sunday or a day before work day. The other one would be the kids. They would definitely do not take this into stride. So, we devised an idea. We would take them along for a half day affair at the mountain. And to our surprise but I have to admit much to our delight they flatly rejected the idea.

So, in order to compensate our absence on Sunday, we treated the kids to Dinner at Tuaran Chicken Rice and later got them their food supplies. I was happy with the turn of event and my obsession with the shortwing took me to another level when I dreamt of it that night...


On Sunday...


On our way up, I could not hide my excitement. I chatted non-stopped and when I do stopped I chanted the shortwing name in silence. I willed it to come out and showed itself. I have to see it again. I have to get a photo of it. That's my mission.

While hubby went into the trail to look for the Whitehead Trogon, I lingered around the stream around the park. It has become my favourite spot ever since I spotted not only the White-Browed Shortwing but also the endemic Crimson-Headed Partridge.

It was not long before I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. Being extra careful, being extra quite, I think I even stopped breathing completely while clicking furiously at my shutter.

I was on cloud nine when I managed to nail these photos. The best that my camera could reach. The best that my camera could give me.

...The White-Browed Shortwing...Brachypteryx montana...

...The Eyebrowed Jungle Flycatcher...Rhinomyias gularis...

...an endemic that is highly territorial...it will chase off other birds that went into its "claimed" spot...



...The Indigo Flycatcher...Eumyias indigo...

...saw one of it bathing the day before...it was a treat watching them taking turns dipping in the cool water...

...I heard hubby called out to me..."take both of them, you're at the right angle"...only then I realised that both of them preening at the bank of the stream...

To be able to appreciate the sheer beauty of these winged ones among us...
...is a noble act...
To be able to see and captured their sheer beauty on camera...
...are life's small pleasures...

Catch of the Day

I guessed deep down everyone was disappointed. No significant catch was recorded. No significant sightings were available. The high expectation is diminishing quickly. The high hope is losing ground by the minutes.

When Chai suggested that the group tried out the new place that he had discovered before, everybody was game. It is still early and I believed nobody wanted to go home without any prize trophy under their belt.

This time round the birds did not disappoint us. The guys were having a great time and tried their best to outdo each other. I on the other hand did not fare well. No one's fault actually, all entirely mine. Hubby always told me practice makes perfect. He walked the talk. I did not. And that is a no no when shooting bird photo as they never stand still. The camera should act as part of your limb, moving harmoniously with you. Mine seemed like an artificial limb.

I was preparing myself for disappointment but as fate would have it, I was saved by this...

The guys spotted this nest located about 30 feet away from the roadside. It was on eye level. They even caught glimpses of its occupant but could not determine the species. Based on its whitish underpants with rufous and dark streaks they guessed that it might be a cuckoo. Ron was almost attacked twice by the bird. We believed that it is the parental instinct going full throttle. Any parent would do that to protect their youngs. On the way coming down, we saw the same bird for a fleeting second. It did not return to the nest. We then decided to rest a while at the hut and returned again later.

...only an eye and a small part of the head was visible...

The bird was in the nest when we arrived and everybody started hitting their shutter button furiously. With speed as lightning, it flew out quickly as soon as it spotted us.

This time round we stay put and waited. It was a long wait but still we did not budge from the spot. The bird flew around a few times and at one time tried to attack hubby. Based on its gliding motion, the guys were convinced that it was a raptor. They also theorized the attack on hubby as due to this...

...the night before the trip, hubby camouflagized his white lens...from afar it looked like snake skin...the bird of prey might have mistaken it for food...we could not stop teasing hubby about it...we even wanted to make him as bait to lure the bird out...LOL...



We spread out at the spot to get the best angle when I suddenly spotted a movement further up high on one of the trees at the back. I zoomed out the camera. Yes, it was the elusive bird alright. Even at its maximized length, I could not be sure if I could get a decent shot at the raptor. Hitting the shutter button, I called to the guys giving out its location. I did not know if they had managed to get a shot at it. I was content with my catch. A very minimal catch tho. I prayed hard that the image will turn out clear even if it is one image.

Besra (Accipiter Gularis)

...the original shot using my Canon EOS400D, using EFS55-250mm, f/4-5.6 IS lens...

...after cropping (thanks babe)...a much clearer image of the bird of prey...

...the raptor must have pitied me...it turned around and gave me a different pose to shoot...(thanks again babe)...

It was a long shot.
It was my savior shot for the day.

Birding Photography...

Bird photography is no easy task.
I knew then.

I know now.

But I am grateful with these results.

These are among the best shot taken, my shot that is.

Temminck's Sunbird (Aethopyga Temminickii) ...a petite beauty...to get a decent shot is truly a struggle...

...need to crop the photo in order to enjoy the beauty of this sunbird...

...the sunbird drying itself...

Hubby will be coming down this weekend.
Chai has made a good offer.
Mesilau or Kinabalu Park.
Hope Chai could spare a space for me.
Crossing my fingers...