A 'sitting' Serpent-eagle

When would a stately-looking bird like the Crested Serpent-eagle perch like this?  Only when it's too wet, I guessed.
Perhaps it was too embarrassed to be seen perching like a hen (!) that was why it sought this shady perch, the lighting so atrocious that I struggled to shoot it, and the moment it spied me it took off.

Lovely but stinky Bug

The Shield/Stink Bug (Pycanum Rubens) may be a common bug but it was the first time I had come across it in the taman.  It was its lovely colours that stopped me in my tracks.  So I wanted to make sure that I got it from as many angles as possible.
This bug looked almost adorable with its leaf-shaped eyes, tiny head and banded rear ends, its appearance certainly belies its noxious characteristic, ie that stink bugs 'stink' when threatened.

"They get their name because when viewed from above, have a distinctive shield-like shape.  Shield bugs have glands in their thorax between the first and second pair of legs which produce a foul smelling liquid. This liquid is used defensively to deter potential predators and is sometimes released when the bugs are handled carelessly.  For this reason, they are also referred to as stink bugs."

The infrequent Woodpecker visitor

I have to say that this was only the second time for me to come across a Rufous Woodpecker in the taman.  It's not so regularly seen as the other Woodpeckers.  Nevertheless not even backlighting could prevent my excitement at this presence.  Fortunately it lingered just long enough for me to get some decent shots.

Without the harsh sunlight on it, its colours display best, and I would even venture to say that perhaps a well-known label could have even 'borrowed' its signature pattern from this winged one!

As I was passing by

Thanks for the pose!

Falconet vs Shrike

Both can be considered carnivorous - the Black-thighed Falconet is the smallest raptor but the Tiger Shrike strictly speaking is not a bird of prey although its behaviour is akin to one.  
Having seen how the smaller birds fly off when both birds are in the vicinity, my first thought was to zero in on their common and distinct hooked beak, its natural hunting weapon.  It's indeed fascinating to note the similarity in their beaks.

"... The Black-thighed Falconet (Microhierax fringillarius) is one of the smallest birds of prey, typically measuring between 14–16 centimetres (5.5–6.3 in) long...."

"... Shrikes have earned the nickname “butcher birds” because they impale prey on thorns or spikes in order to tear it with their relatively weak talons. These birds generally prey on insects, small birds, lizards, and similar animals...."

Barbet on the hunt but ....

It was a rare opportunity to observe the Lineated Barbet scouting for a nesting site.  What alerted me was the pair calling out to one another, and hurrying to the location I could see one of them flying about.  I eventually managed to track one and saw it checking out a potential site as it proceeded to chip at the tree top, not easy to track as the top was heavily blocked, which I immediately thought was a great choice of the bird.

However soon after, another one, not sure if it's the same bird was seen at another tree.  It proceeded to peck too into the tree but I had my reservations about this choice because it seemed pretty low for comfort.  Having observed the birds' presence around the area for a couple of days, it looked like they too found the location unsuitable because this site too was eventually abandoned.

As I was passing by

Thanks for the pose!

A raptor passes over

A flying beauty, rarely captured in full open flight.  Despite the Crested Goshawk being a resident, it's not easy to get it this way.

And then this one was above too, the resident Crested Serpent-eagle regularly heard and seen, over and in the taman.

As I was passing by

Thanks for the pose!

A long-awaited Cuckoo sighting

Ever since I sighted the Indian Cuckoo in the taman the year before, I've been dying to have a photographic record and have not been successful todate till I saw this one although it was in Bukit Kiara.  No matter though in the big picture.
I gather that this Cuckoo is a migrant and being so, could originate from the Indian sub-continent to Siberia, Korea or China.  It's known to keep to the upper canopy going for insects up there.

This female Indian Cuckoo did not make any sound at all, typically kept mainly to the upper canopy and I would have missed it if it had not flown about a couple of times.  I had to contend with these images for when I returned the next day it was nowhere to be found or heard.

Rare Amur close-up

There are very rare or high moments in birding when a bird pop up right before you, and on this occasion the Amur Paradise Flycatcher came so close to me that I had to take a step back to enframe it.
When it first appeared all I wanted was for it to remain and emerge fully long enough for ideal images, instead I was shockingly presented with extremely close range, which is totally uncharacteristic of this bird to fly so low.

An extremely unique moment when this skittish bird perched and was almost only an arm's length away.  It's heart-thumping moment like this when one held one's breath and hoped that one can still go on clicking with a steady hand.

Unexpected Surili opportunity

It was fortunate that I decided to check out the sounds of jumping and swinging, and falling twigs and leaves.  It turned out to be a group of White-thighed Surilis, a species of the Leaf Monkeys.  They are also known as Pale-thighed Langurs, taking their name after the whitish fur on their legs.  My previous encounter in the bukit with these monkeys were that they were very shy, watching from atop trees and moving on when spotted, unlike the more aggressive Macaques.  Thus I was pretty lucky when these few spotted were very much preoccupied, and those that were not, did not take off immediately when they spotted me.

This was the first one that I spotted and it went on chomping on what I could make out to be young leaves even when I was photographing it although it spied me, but it did move on eventually when I tried to get closer for my shots.
It's interesting to learn that these primates have multi-chambered stomachs to help in digestion of leafy matters and for toxins to be neutralised.

Close-ups of the beautiful Surili and its fine fur.

Its distinct dark tail was so long I couldn't fit it into my usual bird portrait shot.

Meanwhile a couple were seen lazing about.

My prized images would be of this adult and young.

A typical monkey moment as the young bit into the adult.

We could take a lesson or two from these two how to slump and de-stress, that is until one spotted me.

I felt that I was intruding when this one saw me and I did quickly move on, leaving the group alone, grateful that I had such an extended time getting precious images of this shy species.

Some facts/extracts on this species:

1. The white-thighed surili is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List and is listed on Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species).

2. The white-thighed surili lives in a variety of different forest types, including forests in lowlands and hills, swamp and lowland wet forest, and even disturbed areas such as plantations and orchards ... The loss of extensive tracts of forest in Southeast Asia poses a significant threat to the white-thighed surili.

3. ... the white-thighed surili (Presbytis siamensis) is a medium-sized, slenderly built monkey with a long tail, a short muzzle and relatively long fur. The top of its head and its back tend to be a dark greyish-brown, while the underside of the body, including the undersides of the tail, legs and arms, tends to be a lighter pale grey to white. There is also a large whitish patch on the outside of the legs, from which the white-thighed surili gets its name. The hands, feet, and outer half of the white-thighed surili’s tail are black.

The white-thighed surili’s face is characterised by poorly developed brow-ridges and indistinct pale rings around the eyes, with the rest of the facial skin being dark grey to blackish ... there is a crest of fur on the head.  Infants are lighter in colour than the adults, with just a dark cross-shaped pattern up the back and across the arms.

4. ... the white-thighed surili is a diurnal forest dweller, with a diet consisting of leaves, flowers, fruit and seeds. The proportion of fruit and seeds in its diet is quite high compared with most other species in its genus.