12th June 2009: Penang Hill, Botanical Gardens

I took a brief break from work today to go check out a report of a pair of White-tailed Flycatchers on Penang Hill. The species has not been recorded from the island before.

I hauled my unconditioned body up a gazillion steps to the place where the birds had been reported.



On my up a came across this Greater Racket-tailed Drongo parent which did NOT want to feed its offspring, despite much pleading!



Once at the spot I spent a good amount of time scouting around, but only succeeded in seeing this Tickell's Blue Flycatcher.



After giving up on the flycatchers, I went back down the gazillion steps to the Botanical Gardens. Here there was a fruiting tree that was quite busy with Thick-billed Pigeons, bulbuls, flowerpeckers, and this Asian Fairy Bluebird, but none came close enough for good shots. By the way, Asian Fairy Bluebirds are one of the prettiest birds you could wish to see from above, but from below they're just black!



Brown-throated Sunbirds are one of the commonest sunbirds, but I still haven't got a decent pic of a male. I tried again with this bird, but never succeeded in getting it out in the open. So I still haven't got a decent pic of a male... Nice coverts though.



The male was feeding this juvenile, which was easy to photograph of course!



While watching the sunbirds this fine Clouded Monitor blundered into view, on the look-out for fallen fruit probably.



Not much else to report, except a troop of Long-tailed Macaques caught in the act of thieving unripe rambutans.