Right at the entrance to the Taman Negara National Park in the middle of Malaysia you have the chance to experience an early bird show. So one morning I was standing with a group of bird watchers near the campsite between construction vehicles and looking into a fruiting tree. Undeterred by the hotel staff and… Continue reading Hard Birding Taman Negara
Category: Bird Trips (Pictures & Stories)
What could be seen, what to see, the landscape…
Large Hawk-Cuckoo in mangroves of Malaysia
The labyrinthine mangroves of Malaysia, where twisting roots intertwine like the veins of the earth, are home to many mysterious birds. One of these, spending at least some time during migration amidst the humid heat, dense foliage and murky water, is the elusive figure of the Large Hawk-Cuckoo (Hierococcyx sparverioides). It is a bird with… Continue reading Large Hawk-Cuckoo in mangroves of Malaysia
Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) in Kuala Selangor Nature Park
In the middle of the day in the sparse mangrove thicket of the Kuala Selangor Nature Park the heat is murderous. But this is probably no surprise for a landscape almost at the equator. Suddenly a brown bird flies up from the side of the path that runs along a dike through the mangrove forest.… Continue reading Large-tailed Nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus) in Kuala Selangor Nature Park
Spring migration of birds of prey at Cape Rachado in Malaysia
It has been known since the middle of the last century at the latest that wintering populations of the Oriental Honey-buzzards (Pernis ptilorhyncus) and at least four other species of birds of prey migrate northeast from Sumatra each spring via the Strait of Malacca to the west coast of Malaysia. This migration is part of… Continue reading Spring migration of birds of prey at Cape Rachado in Malaysia
A split: Delicate Prinia and sister species
Emirates Golf Club – or Ghantoot after all? Somehow I can’t find the direction to the south. Road traffic in UAE is a thing of its own. As I drive north, Safa Park is actually the first on the route. All right, I’ll take that. Unfortunately it’s still too early and I still have to… Continue reading A split: Delicate Prinia and sister species
Chestnut-breasted Malkoha at forest edge in Taman Negara NP
After I had observed a pair of Abbott’s Babblers (Malacocincla abbotti) for a long time and photographed them well (the voices from the tape did the rest), the activity of the singing babblers suddenly increased. Both individuals now come into the open areas of the forest edge more clearly and for longer periods of time.… Continue reading Chestnut-breasted Malkoha at forest edge in Taman Negara NP
A Special at Green Mubazzarah: Leucism in Desert Lark
After a successful morning in first light and 2 hours afterwards in the Green Mubazzarah, at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, I’ve just come back from a photo tour of both the Plain Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus neglectus) and a pair of Hume’s Wheatears (Oenanthe alboniger). I walk over the thick pebbles that make the Wadi… Continue reading A Special at Green Mubazzarah: Leucism in Desert Lark
The Cunning Magpie: A Feathered Hunter’s Encounter with a Serpent in Romania
In the wilderness, nature stages captivating dramas that unfold in completely unexpected ways. Today the scene is in Bucharest. Unfortunately, Stirbey Park is filled with horrible, loud gypsy music. It’s a shame, nowhere is you safe from it. We check out different places. But nothing to see. In the heart of the park, which features… Continue reading The Cunning Magpie: A Feathered Hunter’s Encounter with a Serpent in Romania
Pied Lapwing on boat trip at Rio Aquidauana
Due to the long drive from Campo Grande to the Pousada Toca da Onca, I arrived on the first day in the southern Pantanal in the late afternoon. But it was not too late to join a boat trip. It is very cloudy, but also very warm and humid. The clouds in the sky indicated… Continue reading Pied Lapwing on boat trip at Rio Aquidauana
Andean Cock-of-the-rock at Tunquini Field Station from a camouflage tent
A beautiful day announces itself with a perfect starry sky. So I can really throw myself into the adventure. First I try my luck with the Nikon Nikkor AF-I 4.0/ 600 on the Nikon F 5 set up on the fruiting single tree on the slope where I couldn’t find anything yesterday. I’ve barely taken… Continue reading Andean Cock-of-the-rock at Tunquini Field Station from a camouflage tent
Good tips for a trip to the Kakamega Forest
If you are keen to hear the morning roar of the Guerezas (Colobus guereza), just one of seven resident monkey species in the heart of western Kenya, and see a Green Hylia (Hylia prasina) or a Yellowbill (Ceuthmochares aereus) in the semi-darkness of the forest, you should take your time for the Kakamega forest in… Continue reading Good tips for a trip to the Kakamega Forest
Epaulet Oriole in the Pantanal: Taxonomy issues
The morning is still fresh and I want to visit the light gallery forest within the Fazenda in the morning. Again a great sunrise. I start walking with my Nikon Nikkor AF-I 300mm f/2.8 D ED on a Gitzo Monopod and a Metz flash MZ-5. Right at the beginning, there is light forest with its… Continue reading Epaulet Oriole in the Pantanal: Taxonomy issues