Palawan island has 27 endemic bird species today. Its avifauna is different from the rest of Philippines because of its geographic links with island of Borneo during the ice age. Many of the Bornean bird species can be found in Palawan but did not cross over to the main islands of Philippines. Some have evolved into endemic and near endemic species over the millennium due to the island effect.
Typical lowland forest edge habitat in Palawan.
Here are a few endemics that look similar to the Malaysian species that I photographed during the two days of birding there. Many thanks to the affable Totic Failana, whose local knowledge and expertise helped to find these birds.
Palawan Sunbird female. It is the recent split of the Olive-backed Sunbird that got me to fly to Palawan to tick this sunbird which looks like our female Ornate Sunbird. The male has an orange breast band.Palawan Flowerpecker resembles the Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker. Pale Spiderhunter looking like the Spectacled Spiderhunter. This is the only spiderhunter in Palawan.Ashy-fronted Bulbul was once con-specific with the Olive-winged BulbulHard to separate the Philippine Pied Fantail and the Malayan Pied Fantail. This fantail is one of the few Philippine endemic that can be found in Palawan. Spotted-throated Woodpecker was lumped with the Common Flameback complex.The mostly black White-vented Shama does not have the white-rump. Palawan Crow’s bill is not as big as the Large-billed Crow.Palawan Drongo formerly considered to be con-specific with the Hair-crested Drongo.Palawan Bulbul was formerly a subspecies of the Grey-cheeked Bulbul.
Reference: Maia Tanedo, Robert Hutchinson, Adrian and Trinket Constantino. A Naturalist Guide to the Birds of the Philippines. 2015 John Beaufoy Publishing Limited.
Jeju is a volcanic island south of the Korean Peninsula. It is a popular tourist destination for both Koreans and oversea visitors due to its mild climate and beautiful coastal scenery, lush nature and fresh seafood.
My wife and I spent a week in mid June driving around the island, mainly to visit the waterfalls, nature parks and touristy spots. I searched through eBirds for birding hot spots close to where we stay or enroute. Luckily for us, most of the hot spots were within short driving distances from our hotels. No problems getting here using the rental car’s GPS.
These are some of the sites that we visited: Ongpo-ri, an estuarine wetland and Hallim Park in the Eastern part of the island; Cheonjieon Waterfall Forest Park and Saeseom Island at Seogwipo in the South: Hado-ri Bird Sanctuary, Seongsan Wetlands and Jondal Bay in the West and the Ramsar site at Dongbaek Dongsan in the north.
Ongpo-ri Estuary and Park.Japanese Cormorant at the Ongpo-ri estuary. Can be found as far south as Taiwan.Brown-eared Bulbul, a native of East Asia is a common and widespread noisy species in Jeju. In winter they migrate to the southern part of their range.Oriental Greenfinch, another common species in the parks and gardens.
Unfortunately June is not the best time to bird as most migrants have gone up north. But it is the breeding season for most of the passerines. I ended up with only 35 species ( Checklist at the bottom) but we still enjoy visiting these birding sites for its natural beauty.
Cheonjiyeon Water Falls. The forested area of the park is good for birding as well. Japanese White-eyes at the Cheonjiyeon Park.Seongsan Wetlands, a major site for waterbirds in the eastern part of the island. IUCN Endangered listed Black-faced Spoonbills at Seongsan WetlandsHerring Gull 2 CY at Jondal Bay. This is the only seabird I encounter during the trip. No terns seen.Herring Gull, Non-breeding adult of the Vegae race? with Little Ringed Plover. This gull group has a ring distribution around the northern hemisphere. Hado-ri Bird Migratory Bird Sanctuary consists of abandoned fish farms and aquaculture. One of the richest wetland in Jeju and an important stop over for migratory waterbirds.Juvenile Blue Rock Thrush, a common parkland species in Jeju. Dongbaek Dongsan Wetlands. The rests of the park are covered by Camilla forest. White-backed Woodpecker (female) at the Dongbaek Dongsan Ramsar Wetlands. This is the largest of the spotted woodpeckers in the western palearctic and ranged from central and northern Europe all the way to Japan and Korea in the east. Nesting Japanese Paradise Flycatcher at its breeding site at Dongbaek Dongsan Ramsar Site. We came across three active nests at this site. This is the only paradise flycatcher found on the island.
Reference: Wikipedia. eBirds, Birdlife International. Birding Korea. Birds of Japan.
Seeing a snake in the wild in Singapore is not that easy. Most will slither away, spooked by the sounds of your footsteps, movement and vibrations on the forest floor. Not many snakes hunt in the day time. Some like the Pit Vipers stay motionless in the undergrowth and wait for their prey to come to them.
MacRitchie end of the shady Lornie Trail.
Bronzebacks are diurnal and move around the forest floor looking for lizards and frogs. I was lucky to come across this Kopstein’s Bronzeback, Dendrelaphis kopsteini, along the Lornie Trail on 11 June 2023 stalking a Green-crested Lizard, Bronchocela cristatella. Here are a series of photographs of its successful catch. It is survival of the deadliest!
(Unpleasant images. If you are squeamish, stop and don’t scroll! )
Prey in sight. Poised to strike.One strike, one kill! The Kopstein’s Bronzeback is not venomous, but it managed to paralyze the Green-crested Lizard instantly with one bite.It quickly pulls the lizard up from the forest floor away from other would be predators.The lizard is still alive, the eyes are still open, but it is helpless and did not put up a struggle.The powerful jaws were able to hold on to the lizard while it slowly pulled the lizard up. The incredible strength of its muscles and backbone to be able to lift a lizard half of its body weight,can be seen in this photo.Now it got some support from the horizontal twig for it to regain some of its strength, but is still able to hold on to the lizard by its teeth.A few more centimeters to get the lizard wedged in between the fork of the branches. The bornzeback bit into the lizard’s neck. Then a final twist of the neck to make sure it is dead. It then hung the lizard to a fork and began the slow process of swallowing the lizard.
Reference: Nick Baker & Kelvin Lim. Wild Animals of Singapore. 2008.
I wished I had taken an interest in the butterflies and insects during my early birding years. I would have seen hundreds of rare and beautiful butterflies during travels from Irian Jaya to the Masai Mara in the 90s. Like they say, better late than never. I am so glad that I now stop and photograph these colorful butterflies and insects when I go birding.
Ob Khan Nature Park at the foothills of Doi Suthep. A lesser known park but great place for butterfly watching and very birdy. The unique feature of this park is the rocky gorge that runs down the spine of the park. The landscape is softened by mixed and evergreen forests on both sides of the gorge.
In a few days in March 2023, I collected a good number of uncommon butterflies and moths, most of which were new to me, during my birding trip to Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon guided by Boontam Inthanon Birder. The Ob Khan Nature Park just west of the city was surprisingly good for butterflies. Many thanks to the experts for their help with the ID in iNaturalist.
A colourful day moth. Milionia zonea, a member of Geometer moth enroute to Ob Khan NP.Met an uncommon French Duke at Ob Khan Nature Park.Chocolate Soldier, Junonia iphita, at Ob Khan Nature Park looks like our Chocolate Pansy. We have knights and barons butterflies in Singapore. Now I get to meet the humble soldier. Angled Red Forester at Ob Kham NPCommon Duffer at Ob Kham NPOwlFly? found in a lowland Ob Kham Nature Park Lady Slipper’s Orchid Garden, devoted to growing and research on slipper orchids. Another quiet park worth spending a few hours exploring. Birdlife is good. Found good number of new tits and flycatchers here. You can rent rock tavens inside the park to experience life as a cave man.A dead Hill Jezebel at Lady Slippers Orchid Garden. Green Commodore Sumalia daraxa at Doi Inthanon. Ranged all the way across to India, Lucky this male? came down to puddle for this open wing shot.Wachirathan Waterfall. A popular rest stop on the way to Doi Inthanon.Rangbon Doi (Mountain Nest) at Doi Inthanon where we stayed. We do most of the birding at the hill forest behind the chalets Small Cabbage White Pieris rapae crucivora shot at Mountain Nest Homestay InthanonAnother colourful day moth. Coryptilum rutilella, a member of the Fungus MothCoeliccia chromothorax, a member of the White-legged Damselfly from the forest behind Rangbon DoiGreen Jumping spiderFlatid Planthopper.Moth CaterpillarCommon Baron Euthalia aconthea found inside the garden of the Ratchpruek Lanna Boutique Hotel outside Chiang Mai. The lush gardens of the Ratchpruek Lanna Boutique Hotel.
Grateful for the privilege of witnessing a pair of Black-naped Orioles nesting on the Rain Tree right outside my fifth floor balcony last month. Over the years I have recorded more than 50 species visiting this tree. A few like the Long-tailed Parakeets, Oriental Pied Hornbills, Collared Kingfishers and Common Flamebacks came to look for suitable nest holes here. But the Black-naped Orioles were the first to have successfully nested here. Below is a photo essay of the successful nesting.
5 April. I did not see them building the nest but found the parent bird sitting in a cup nest tied to a thin twig well hidden among the leaves. I can only guess that it was Incubating the eggs. 9 April. The chicks must have hatched but they are too small to be seen. The parent bird seen bringing back a morsel of an insect to the nest for the first time.18 April. First sighting of not one but two chicks around nine days after hatch.24 April. The younger of the two chicks at 13 days old.25 April. Three days before the first chick, nearer to camera, fledged. 28 April. First chick fledged after 19 days, exercising and flapping its wings ready to take flight.
28 April. Even though the chick was out of the nest, the parent bird still had to feed it as the chick cannot fend for itself.29 April. The second chick quickly followed the first chick out of the nest the next day. Stretching its fully formed flight feathers ready for flight.29 April. Second chick begging for food from the parent. 29 April. Second chick getting fed outside the nest.The parent bird waiting to remove the faecel sap.
The two chicks were seen moving around the branches of the tree the next day but were not seen again. Neighbors told me that they have seen both the parents and chicks around the gardens of the estate. Glad to know that another generation of our only oriole will be gracing our parks and gardens.
I often wondered what it was like birding in Singapore at the turn of the 20th century? Unfortunately none of us were even born then. We can only imagine what the forests and the birdlife were like then.
Lenggor Forest Reserve. Johor
Before the founding in 1819, the island of Singapore was covered by primeval forests. Clearance of forests for agriculture and development began as early as in the mid 1800s. By the turn of the century, 90% of the primeval forests have been cleared.
Male Malayan Banded Pitta in its foraging habitat.
Despite this, the last tiger survived until 1930 making their last stand with many of the lowland Sundaic bird species. So if a birder trekked through the remaining primary forests in 1900, many of the pheasants, trogons, broadbills, barbets, jungle babblers, woodpeckers and hornbills would be on his list. Sadly all had extirpated since. A few have made short unexpected returns as visitors, mainly due to the clearing of forests in southern Johor.
Foraging habitat of the Malayan Banded Pitta
But if one takes the trouble to drive a few hours across the Causeway, you can experience what it is like birding in Singapore in the 1990s.
White-bellied Erpornis. We had our first record in June 2020 at BTNR.
Gim Cheong and I went to the Lenggor Forest Reserve at southern Johor early this month to look for the Malayan Banded Pitta that was seen there a few days earlier. The forest edges were alive with foraging lowland insectivorous birds. They learn to move in mini bird waves helping each other to flush out the insects among the foliage.
Brown Fulvetta retreated mostly to the forests north of Panti.
The enchanting dawn chorus greeted us on arrival. The loud “kow-wow” calls of the Great Argus Pheasants startled us as it was very close to the road. But they were not easy to see in the dark undergrowth. A few inquisitive Brown Fulvettas were checking us out while skirting through the mid-storey.
A pair of Red-naped trogons were mate calling each other from both sides of the road. The Green Broadbills were zipping in and out of the forest edge. We think that they are nesting building. All these four species were former residents in Singapore.
Red-naped Trogon mate calling.
Other birds seen this morning were the White-bellied Erpornis, Blue-winged Leafbird, White-rumped Shama and Cream-vented Bulbul.
The list from other birders who visited this forest were equally impressive. Rufous-winged Philentoma, Crested Jay, Malayan Rail Babbler, Raffles Malkoha, Little Green Pigeon, Red-bearded Bee-eater and Sooty Barbet among the more uncommon species seen.
So if you want to go back in time to bird, it is just a few hours away! This must be what birding was like in Singapore in the 1900s.
Just remembered to apply for entry permits as this is a forest reserve. (19 April 2023)
With Scoot flying direct to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, it was an easy decision to go and check out some of the flora and fauna of this landlocked country. This completed my birding visits to all the nine Asean countries, which includes working visits to Brunei.
Open country and farmland habitat at the Phou Phanang National Biodiversity Conservation Area with the hill forests in the background.
As it was a sight seeing holiday with my wife, we went to only two sites to bird. The first was Phou Phanang National Biodiversity Conservation Area, about 45 minutes drive north of Vientiane and the other was Beung Khiet Ngong Wetlands, a Ramsar site, at Southern Laos.
Tad Yuang Waterfalls at the Bolaven Plateau
Most grateful to Ding Li for introducing Santi St to us. He is lecturing at the Environmental Science at the University of Laos and former consultant with IUCN. He drove us to Phou Phanang, an easy flat open forest fringed grassland habitat dotted with rice fields and lotus ponds. It was quite birdy with the expected open country and forest species competing for our attention. We end the morning with 41 species thanks to Santi’s local knowledge and experience.
Convenient Wealth Coffee Cafe for breakfast at the start of the walk at Phouphanang.
While I did not get any lifers, I was happy to get re-acquainted with the Indonchinese Rollers, Burmese Shrike, Streak-eared Bulbul, Black-collared Starling and native Red Avadavats. You can get a nice breakfast at the Wealth Coffee Cafe at the carpark to start your day. How nice!
Sooty-headed Bulbul Phouphanang
Ding Li recommended that I visit the Beung Khiet Ngong Wetlands since I am going to Pakse, southern Laos. We were glad to be able to spend an overnight at the Kingfisher Ecolodge overlooking the wetlands and bird there.
Panoramic view of the Beung Khiet Ngong Wetlands from a viewing pavilion.
We were not expecting such a luxury lodge but soon realized that this lodge was owned by an Italian who sold it to an Vietnamese American. The individual bungalows we stayed in were huge and well designed. The balcony, viewing pavilions and restaurants all have a full view of the wetlands. But I loved the one of its kind swimming pool built right up to the edge of the marshes, best. You can bird watch with a BeerLao in your swimming trunks. How cool is this?
The owners of the Kingfisher Ecolodge build a pool right at the edge of the wetlands for bird watching.
Birdlife around the lodge was good. First bird we saw was a Shikra perched outside of bungalow. Most of the trees were left intact and it was easy birding walking along the boardwalks around the lodge. Got some great photos of the Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher just outside of my bungalow.
Grey-headed Canary Flycartcher.
The main birding is done from the viewing pavilions that acts as open hides with panoramic views of the wetlands. The setting sun behind us was perfect for catching the egrets, herons, swamphens, martins, swallows, drongos, ducks, lapwings and jacanas going about their pre-roost routine. Best bird and lifer for me were the Common House Martins, which was only identified after processing the photos. These are the eastern race, with some authorities listing it as the Siberian House Martin, Delichon lagopodum. It has a deeper fork tail and an extended white rump down the tail when compared to the Asian House Martin.
Common House Martin Eastern race as listed in ebirds also listed as Siberian House Martin after the split.
The tour agency Biig Travel arranged a resident bird guide to take us around the village and farms surrounding the wetlands. Lae, a suntanned resident bird guide in his 50s is familiar with the birdlife here, but I can see that he finds it hard to identify the more difficult species. But the two hours morning walk before breakfast was very productive. I get to walk through the village and see the villagers going about the morning activities.
Tad Yuang Waterfalls view point and surrounding forests.
I added a breeding male Bluethroat to the list for this site when I photographed one at the edge of a cassava farm.
Male breeding Bluethroat, a old world flycatcher with a wide range across Europe and North Asia.Male Chinese Blue Flycatcher at the Tad Yuang Waterfalls, new addition for the site.
The disappointment was not seeing a single bird at the Mekong River despite crisscrossing and cruising on it for most of our time there. The consolation was picking up a stray bird here and there while visiting the waterfalls and temples. My wife saw two forktails while we were having lunch next to a small waterfall. I missed it! But not the Chinese Blue Flycatcher and the Yellow-bellied Warbler at the Tad Yuang Waterfalls and a Hill Prinia that allowed us to get close at the UNESCO Wat Phou.
Yellow-bellied Warbler Tad YuangPlain Prinia a common open country resident taken at Phou Wat.
The bird to see in Laos is of course the endemic Bare-faced Bulbul. But the site was not on our itinerary which means that we will have to come back to Laos to bird again. All in it was good to have a feel of the birdlife in Laos which shares borders with five countries and their similiar fauna.
The Chequered LancerPlastingia naga and the Yellow Chequered LancerPlastingia pellonia are the only two Plastingia species in Singapore. Both are forest species and like to rest in the shade of the undergrowth with folded wings. The only time they open their wings is to bask in the sunshine when puddling. The former is uncommon and the latter is rarer.
Resting with folded wings under the shaded forest.
I have yet to see the Yellow Chequered Lancer but have encountered the Chequered Lancer on two occasions at Dairy Farm Nature Park and Upper Seletar Reservoir Park. Unfortunately they were too quick for me to get any photographs.
Over the year, there were several sightings of the Chequered Lancer along the forest trails at MacRitchie Reservoir, which I missed. So it was third time lucky when I came upon a tame individual resting by the side of the trail on 1st Sept 2022.
Underside view of the forewing showing the spots.
What made this encounter special was getting photos of the top view and the side views of their full wing spread. I cannot find any photos of the Yellow Chequered Lancer upper wings but I read that both look similar with the white spots of the Yellow Chequered Lancer appearing larger than the Chequered Lancer. Whereas the underside is very different. The markings of the Yellow Chequered Lancer are yellow while the Chequered Lancer markings are white, giving it a black and white chequered look.
The upper wings of both Plastingia look similar with the Chequered Lancer’s white spots being smaller.
The grass and reed beds by the sides of our inland reservoirs is a micro ecosystem by itself. It is teeming with insect life, mainly dragonflies, damselflies, grasshopper and some butterflies. I have been visiting the wetlands around our freshwater reservoirs mainly to photograph the odonatas.
Typical wetland habitat at our reservoirs.
Fong and his brother were photographing what looked like a Saint Andrew’s Cross SpiderArgiope versicolor, wrapping up a motionless Common Scarlet dragonfly that got caught in its web.
The female St. Andrew’s Cross Spider wrapping up the Common Scarlet dragonfly.
All my past sightings of the St. Andrew’s Cross Spiders were by the forest edges and along the jungle trails in our nature reserves. This is the first time I seen it with its web across the long grasses by the water edge. How and why did this spider move out of the forest to a very different habitat was a puzzle to me. Could it be that there is a lack of insects or looking at a change of diet?
Another female just a meter away waiting to snare a dragonfly. The zigzag web is supposed to draw the prey to the web.
I did some checking in Biodiversity of Singapore and found that this is the Yellow-Silver St. Andrew’s Cross Spider, Argiope cantenulata, ( Marcus Ng), also known as a Grass Cross Spider. This orb-weaver spider is found from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.
A helpless Common Scarlet falling victim to a smaller predator.
It preys mainly on dragonflies that hunt and breed in this habitat. Once it flew into its web, the spider quickly immobilizes it by spinning and wrapping the prey with its web. It then injects digestive enzymes into the victim to break down its body tissues. The spider sucks up the pre-digested tissues and repeats the process again. It seems to be locally common with most of the sightings along the edges of reservoirs. Apparently they are quite common in the padi fields in Malaysia.
Birders to the montane forests of northern Borneo pay more attention to the Whitehead trinity of Broadbill, Trogon and Spiderhunter than the other bird species named after another ornithologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck.
The three Whiteheads are rarer which made their quest more rewarding. John Whitehead, an English explorer and naturalist was the first documented person to scale Mount Kinabalu. He also was the first collector of the Whitehead Broadbill and had 10 bird species named after him.
Coenraad Temminck, a well known Dutch ornithologist and zoologist was the first director of the Leiden Museum of Natural History. He inherited a large collection of bird specimens from his father who was a good friend of Francois Levailant, another well known French ornithologist and wildlife collector.
Male Temminck’s Sunbird at Tras Madi. Lacks the purple forehead of the Crimson Sunbird.
There are 20 birds and 14 mammal species named after Temminck. During our trip to Tras Madi, Sabah in June, I added the Temminck’s Babbler,Pellorneum pyrrhogenys, to my list of two species i.e. Malaysian Eared Nightjar,Eurostopodus temminckii and Temminck’s Sunbird, Aethopya temmickii. I missed Temminck’s Stint at Sungei Balang by an hour.
The Temminck’s Babbler is found in the sub montane forests of Borneo and Java. There are four subspecies with the ones in Borneo having a grey face instead of the brown-grey face of the Javan subspecies.
Female Temminck’s Sunbird has a grey face and head.
The Temminck’s Sunbird on the other hand can be found in the lower montane and lowland forests of Peninsular Malaysia, West Sumatra and Central Borneo. The nearest population to Singapore is at the Panti Bird Sanctuary but not often seen. It looks like the Crimson Sunbird with its reddish head and back but the Temminck’s has a silvery white belly and a red upper tail compared to the greyish underbelly and dark tail.
Reference: Eaton, Rheindt et al. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago. Wikipedia.
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