Half day birding at Desa Anthurium, Cameron Highlands

I went to the Cameron Highlands recently for a private visit. 

Avolid going up there on Sunday, as all tourist sites are crowded with heavy traffic. I spent a few hours photographing a common highland bird. 

Here are a few pictures captured with a short 400mm f5.6 telephoto lens.

Desa Anthurium, Cameron Highlands, sunrise @ 6:59am

Anthurium flowers; The apartment name may originate from this flower.

This flamingo flower, or elephant ear plant, fetches a high price during the COVID-19 MCO (movement control order) pandemic.

Blue-winged Minla (Minla cyanouroptera)

This rather small (14–15.5 cm) babbler hopped in the pine branches looking for insects.

Blue-winged Minla

Everett’s White-eye (Zosterops everetti)

The white-eye also joins the forage.

Pink Hibiscus and Female Black-throated Sunbird - (Aethopyga saturata)

The mountain fulvetta (Alcippe peracensis)

This mountain bird landed on a Giant/King Fern (Angiopteris evecta) fern leaf.

Cameron Flower Pink day-lily flowers

Jungle Crow makes a loud noise in a tall forest tree.

Hume’s White-eye (Zosterops  auriventer).

Medinilla speciosa flowers Cameron Highland

Mountain Bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii peracensis)

Cameron Murai and  Angel’s Trumpet Flowers

Magpie Robin - male

Cameron Pink daylily flowers

Spotted Dove- adult and juvenile

Cameron Highlands White Eye on the pine tree branch.

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Cameron - Agapanthus africanus (African lily)

Common Myna brings nesting material (grass)

Common Myna is cleaning its beak on a street light metal beam.

Common Tailor bird perched on hibiscus tree.

Spotted Dove drying its feather, morning backlighting shows a nice water droplet.

Plantain Squirrel

birding location

Photographer in action from the 4th-floor balcony.

Cameron Tahi Ayam Lantana camara Flower

Stripe-throated Bulbul - (Pycnonotus finlaysoni)

 

Birding at Taman Tasik Raub

Taman Tasik Raub is a lake that originated from the activity of extracting gold.

Raub has a well-known history for its gold mining industry. The term Raub comes from the term "Raub," which refers to the act of digging or searching for gold.

People come here for walking or jogging every morning and evening. A few are present to unwind with their loved ones. I arrived with a large camera lens to photograph the beauty of this location.

Taman Tasik Raub, Pahang

A pair of Baya Weaver.  The breeding male has a bright yellow crown.

Male Baya weaver (above left) bringing food to the chick

Active nest of Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus  infortunatus)

New fresh (green) nest

                           

Early morning view of the lake from the far end

Five egrets in a blurry shot

Little egret landing

Little Egret ow fly passes the Taman Tasik Lake bank.

The Intermediate egret (Ardea intermedia )- in flight

A flock of Pacific Swallows and House Swifts foraging close to the water surface.

A few of them scoop the water on the fly, or are they catching food?

 

A mix of Pacific Swallow and House Swift.

I have seen the Pacific Swallow drink water on the fly, but this action is not drinking because the swoop is forceful.

Could they forage for insects on the water surface that float, like water striders, fishing spiders, and mosquitoes?

I shot from this yellow concrete platform. It is very difficult to focus on those tiny and fast-flying swallows.

Jogging starts from the front, near the car park. One loop or lap equals 1km.

Striated heron with a nesting material (stick).

The striated heron (Butorides striata)

foraging in the Willow tree, (Salix species).

                                                                    

Three juvenile Striated Herons hiding in the willow leaves

An adult-striated heron is not hiding from the photographer.

This Brown-throated Sunbird (male), head is partially hidden also on a willow tree.

You can't ignore this Common Tailor-Bird chirping loudly on the bush on the lake bank.

This yellow-bellied Prinia (Prinia flaviventris) also makes a loud call to show its presence.

The Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator  macromaculatus) shows its forked tongue.  

uses its forked tongue to sense from which direction a smell is coming and swims toward it.

Link from Smithsonian Magazine

searching for food at the lake's dam

                                                                          

Red Leaf Heliconia

 A man is sitting in a chair, looking at his phone, or is he photographing me?

                                                                 

sunrise 

concrete-paved path