Yellow-rumped Flycatcher

Passeriformes - Muscicapidae - Ficedula zanthopygia (Sambar Pinggul Kuning)

Gaudy male striking, with yolk-yellow underparts and rump and black upperparts set off by white supercilium and wing patch. Female less brightly colored but still distinctive, with brown upperparts, a smaller yellow rump and white wing patch, and whitish underparts with faint scaling on the breast. Breeds in broadleaf and mixed forests, especially groves in riparian areas. Can be encountered in a wide range of wooded areas outside of the breeding season, from coastal scrub to pristine hill forests. Song is a short, thrush-like series of burry whistles.

(eBird)

 

"Love and do what thou wilt."

Siberian Blue Robin

 Passeriformes - Muscicapidae - Larvivora cyane (Murai Biru Siberia)

A slender, long-legged songbird with a “crouched” profile. Adult male is unmistakable, with blue upperparts and snow-white belly separated by black running from the eye to the bend of the wing. Female warm brown with blue-tinted rump and whitish underparts. Juvenile resembles female but grayer above. Like most other robins, shy and retiring, inhabiting forested areas with dense undergrowth; on its breeding grounds, most easily detected by its song, an explosive “tsi-tsi-TEWEE-TEWEE.”

(eBird)

"No matter how dark, the hand always knows the way to the mouth."

Western Hooded Pitta

 Passeriformes - Pittidae - Pitta Sordida (

Widespread and beautiful, this jewel of a bird bounces about on the shaded forest floor like a luminous ball, where it can be surprisingly difficult to spot. If seen, note emerald-green body, black head, ruby-red lower belly, and powder-blue wing patch. Birds from the Himalayas east to much of mainland Southeast Asia have a warm brown crown stripe; these birds are migratory, and may turn up in unexpected places, such as city parks. Listen for loud, barking song in a range of wooded habitats, from deep forest to plantations. Formerly grouped together with several other closely related species as “Hooded Pitta.

(eBird)

"The coming to consciousness is not a discovery of some new thing; it is a long and painful return to that which has always been."

Red-legged Crake

 Gruiformes - Rallidae - Rallina fasciata (Sintar-Merah Kaki Api)

Small, brightly-colored crake of wet patches in dense forests; occasionally can be found in parks and edge areas with suitable habitat. Brown with an orange head and zebra-striped sides. Bright red patch of bare skin around the eye gives it a somewhat startled appearance. Candy-red (instead of dark) legs distinguish it from Slaty-legged Crake, and dainty, smaller-billed appearance distinguish it from Ruddy-breasted and Band-bellied Crakes. Generally shy and unobtrusive, moving quietly through wet vegetation. Tends to be difficult to see, but generally common and reliable in Singapore and some areas of Thailand.

(eBird)

"... We could never have guessed, we were already blessed 

There we were, where we are ...."

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Passeriformes - Muscicapidae - Muscicapa dauurica (Sambar Coklat Asia)

Plain brown flycatcher with a large-eyed appearance. Note bright white eyering and unmarked throat and underparts. Appears shorter- and plainer-winged than other similar brownish flycatchers. Favors broadleaf forests; also found in more open habitats on migration and wintering grounds. Sallies from exposed perches; cocks tail and flicks wings when perched. Song comprises high buzzy trilling and whistles. Calls include dry rattling and chittering.

(eBird)

Why hesitate - the door is as shut as the eye sees not.

White-breasted Waterhen

Gruiformes - Rallidae - Amaurornis phoenicurus  (Wak-wak)

Medium-sized, fairly common chickenlike marsh bird found in meadows, ditches, riversides, marshes, as well as parks and farmlands in close proximity to humans; often seen foraging in the open. Adults are dark slaty above and white below, with a rusty patch under the tail. Juvenile similar but duller in color. Remarkably variable song is a series of hooting, grunting, or rasping notes or phrases, repeated monotonously, often from an exposed perch.

(eBird)

Seen as common but rare as one of a kind.

Large-billed Crow

Passeriformes - Corvidae - Corvus macrorhynchos (Gagak Paruh Besar)

A large crow that varies in size across its range; note its relatively long, daggerlike bill with curved top. Entirely black with a variable amount of glossiness. A frequent scavenger, feeding on carrion, leftover food from humans, and food stolen from other birds. Often gangs up to attack and chase other birds, especially raptors. Occurs in a wide range of habitats including woodlands, urban landscapes, agricultural fields, and open scrub forests. Call varies, generally a harsh or croaking crow.

(eBird)

Do not trust solely the eyes when in definition of beauty.

Sunda Brush Cuckoo

 Cuculiformes - Cuculidae - Cacomantis sepulcralis (Mantinak Dada Jingga Biasa)

A medium-sized cuckoo, with a warm buff colored throat, chest, and belly. Gray eyering and heavily barred tail. Some females are quite different, a rich reddish brown with heavy black barring. Similar Plaintive Cuckoo is generally paler, with a contrasting gray hood. Most frequently encountered by its incessantly given song, an even series of high-pitched clear whistles that are slightly upslurred.

Love begins with the eyes, stays with the heart.

Gray Heron

 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae - Ardea cinerea

Generally quite common and conspicuous in wetland habitats from marshes and tidal flats to small ponds, ditches, and wet fields; nests colonially in tall trees. Mainly seen as singles or in small groups, standing quietly in or at the edge of water, less often hunting in fields. Plumage mostly gray overall, with paler neck; adult has white crown, black eyebrows, and black shoulder patch. Like other herons and egrets, flies with neck pulled in to form a bulge.

(eBird)

One's misapprehension, another's treat.