Tuesday, May 22, 2007

21st May, Ulu Paip Forest Reserve, Kedah

Our friends from Brisbane were here for a few days over the weekend. We enjoyed some excellent birding together last October in Australia, so now it was my chance to show off some of Malaysia's finest for a day.



We started off in the morning whistling for Blue-winged Pittas. After a while we located a pair, one of which flew straight to us and sat in a tree almost overhead looking at us. Later on it started calling from a tree a little further away.

In the forest proper we spent some time scouting around for Blue-banded Kingfisher, and were eventually rewarded with good views of the male. This wasn't photographable, but there was plenty else that was.



This large damselfly, a male Neurobasis chinensis, sits on its territorial rock in mid-stream, opening its wings occasionally, flashing irridescent green wing patches. Several other males occupy similar rocks nearby, and a lone female, distinguished by her reddish wings, plays it cool not far away.



This Kuhl's Gliding Gecko has lost its original tail, and the replacement is definitely not up to the required standard!



This agamid lizard is a kind of water dragon, but I'm not sure which one. In breeding condition, this male's throat will flush bright pink, adding to the already impressive array of colour.




This Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker had a problem with these juicy-looking fruits - the spiky hairs at one end.




It manouveured the fruit smooth end inward, and then proceeded to suck the goodies out without eating the skin.



Problem solved! The skin is sucked dry then discarded.

After a good lunch we went to check up on an Oriental Pratincole breeding site.



Several birds were in evidence, but there was no sign of breeding having begun yet.



All the birds were in wing and tail moult (new secondaries, old primaries), and their plumage was generally heavily abraded.



Several pairs of Red-wattled Lapwings were also present, in a similar state of wear and tear.

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