Orange-headed Thrush

When I was pushing myself hard during hiking, my pair of ears were always kept wide open, to be alert of the surrounding, and to catch up with any whisper of the trees, but my pair of eyes were only stayed focus at the trail, just to watch my steps.

My ears did not help this time, but my eyes caught something moving in front of me, on the ground, and then flew to the bushes.

It was no way for me to spot this Orange-headed Thrush if it just stayed quietly in the bushes. And it was 7:20am in the morning, inside the forest, with not much sunlight.

"The adult male Orange-headed Thrush has an entirely orange head and underparts, uniformly grey upperparts and wings, and white median and undertail coverts. It has a slate-coloured bill and the legs and feet have brown fronts and pink or yellowish rears."

This was the first time I came across a Orange-headed Thrush, but they must be very common over here at Cerok Tokun. Why do I make this conclusion? I could always hear the soft tchuk calling which kept me guessing who was actually out there. It was silent this time but the clues on the voices and colours from the searching works led me to its identity. I must be very right this time.

It was not so shy, at least to me. We kept a distance of not more than five feet away. It allowed me to take shots after shots. And until I noticed I could have a choice to use my zoom lens, it waited for me during my panic changing process.

It looked as if we were closer, in distance and friendship after this, but not until, again, the interruption by a passer-by.

Oh yes!! I have seen an Orange-headed Thrush. What can I say? "Every day does seem the same, but the memories of times, and years past make all the difference."