LONGOT E3A - the start of thermal birding

Since started night birding, we tried different methods like random searching, torch searching, play-back (remembering the close Mountain Scops Owl in Taiwan but did not show up) and red-light torch searching (found the Mountain Scops Owl [again] in Malaysia).

In this Jan, before the global outbreak of Covid-19, I was lucky enough to borrow a thermal scope (LONGOT E3A) from my friend in mainland. Tried several months in South Africa and Hong Kong, I would say this is a revolutionary birding tool specific for night birding. So I am gonna share some experience here.

the one I am testig is LONGOT E3A

the specification for four models, E3A is better for searching (easier) because of the focal length. The other three are either too short or too long, hence too wide or narrow angle of view.

generally speaking just four buttons here, easy to use. This scope can be connected to smart phone or pad with the APP by Wifi. You can take/share photos/video or even use the phone/pad as the screen. (though I did not try the video function)

front view, from top tot bottom there are torch (I tried but not really useful, especially I got my own torch which is more powerful), the lens and laser pointer

the plastic cap can be broken very easily (and it did finally). 

Well, same as my Leica Noctivid... so what then

the screen - powered by two 18650 batteries, again easy to use

but i think the screen can be better fit in future design, also the charging/transferring probe is mini USB type, which is quite uncommon now. I will prefer micro or type-C connection.

There are several modes in this model, white-and-black (showing warm object in white), black-and-white (reverse), red (showing warm in white and red, as this boar) and color (red/yellow vs blue/purple). I love the red mode personally and more easy to search birds or mammals in dark. As in the screen, the top right corner showed the battery of the screen while the bottom left corner showed the battery of the scope. As the one I tested was a sample scope, the battery is not as good as I expect, but still enough for a night.

more than 50m in low light, we could not see the dog barely - these photos are taken by the scope directly

Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron

some tips for using, as the metering system is still slow, and useless when there is high contrasting background environment (like you cannot search anything of canopy with sky background, you will only see a screen of black or white, unless the object is close or large enough and you will sense the red), so you better scan slowly and observe carefully, then walk closer when you spot any suspect on the screen. Sounds difficult but just need more practice (and give up the canopy). 

From my experience the owls and roosting birds are not really high at all.

Can you spot the Night Heron?

I would say the E3A is very good enough for amateur or general surveyor, if you are rich or professional, choose the more expensive or military grade then you can get photos or video like the BBC or Night on Earth. I found this Collared Scops Owl behind branches by the thermal scope but I could not see even I torched, so the E3A is far better than enough to me! 

the white-and-black mode can show the boar clearly too behind branches

a nest of Collared Scops Owl, three were seen in this pic. The pointer can help searching target faster. (more useful when pointing together with the laser)

Collared Scops Owl

for example here, you can see the laser pointer (red dot), then you can torch and identify the species with bino.

this is a pair of Oriental Magpie Robin

some times the shape of the object can help identification as well, this is a Eurasian Woodcock

To me the E3A is an excellent tool for night birding/mammaling, especially in trip like we found some lifers (roosting birds, mammals) in South Africa. The picture quality is not good but remember this scope is used for searching in acceptable costs. 

I strongly recommend to nocturnal birder.

It is time to experience the new nocturnal world.

* please feel free to search my posts tagged with Thermal Birding, nearly all the photos at night were taken with the help of LONGOT E3A

* anyone who is interested to buy or wanna know more information, please contact me

* the official website of LONGOT as here: http://www.szlongot.com/en/index.asp

LONGOT E3A:

Pros:

- easy to use (just four buttons)

- small and light

- Wifi available 

- quite sensitive to hot/warm object  (quite important!)

- acceptable cost

Cons:

- easy broken cap and screen not 100% tightly fit

- not micro/type-C connection

- need better battery for the scope

- metering system can be improved (rather slow and useless in high contrasting background environment Eg. canopy vs sky)

Tai Mo Shan and Kam Tin - another car watching day

No Owl, no Lesser Cuckoo, no Black Baza, only rain and Lesser Coucal.  So went car-watching in pm after Bai Shan, at least, confirmed the model to test.

Tai Mo Shan: https://ebird.org/checklist/S70362902
Kam Tin 1: https://ebird.org/checklist/S70366478
Kam Tin 2: https://ebird.org/checklist/S70366351
Po Fook Hill: https://ebird.org/checklist/S70370443

Hair-crested Drongo

Lesser Coucal

Tea time

and choose Noah finally, still waiting to test next week before order

Afternoon Tea time

Afternoon Tea time

Singapore and Malaysia 21-25 Aug 2019

HDD birding during Covid-19, and finally finished sorting the Singapore-Malaysia trip last year, right after coming back from West Papua within 24 hours.

Thanks Alan, Catalina and other for organizing😃, we mainly visited urban parks in Singapore and Panti in Malaysia in 5 days.

------------------------------------------- The trip list as follow:

Red Junglefowl Gallus gallus

Red Junglefowl - female

Red Junglefowl - female

Red Junglefowl - female

Red Junglefowl - male. Junglefowl are quite friendly in Singapore

Red Junglefowl 

Red Junglefowl - the back

Red Junglefowl 

Red Junglefowl 

Red Junglefowl 

Rock Dove Columba livia

Eastern Spotted Dove Spilopelia chinensis

Zebra Dove Geopelia striata

Zebra Dove

Grey-capped Emerald-dove Chalcophaps indica 

Little Green-pigeon Teron olax

Little Green Pigeon

Little Green Pigeon - Malaysia birds are not really close if not fed...

Pink-necked Green-pigeon Treron vernans

Pink-necked Green Pigeon - very common in Singapore

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Pink-necked Green Pigeon

Green Imperial-pigeon Ducula aenea 
- 4 seen in Singapore

Green Imperial Pigeon

Large-tailed Nightjar Caprimulgus macrurus 

Large-tailed Nightjar - did not spend too much time on this species in this trip

Grey-rumped Treeswift Hemiprocne longipennis 

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Grey-rumped Treeswift

As Straight-A-Student Pingping (學霸瓶瓶) suggested this is a molting Grey-rumped Treeswift

Grey-rumped Treeswift - tail molting

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Grey-rumped Treeswift

Whiskered Treeswift Hemiprocne comata 

Whiskered Treeswift

Swiftlet sp. N.A.
- including possible Black-nest Swiftlet

Germain's Swiftlet Aerodramus fuciphagus 

likely Germain's Swiftlet

likely Germain's Swiftlet - identifying swiftlet is always challenging and uncertain

likely Germain's Swiftlet

likely Germain's Swiftlet - rump is pale

Swiftlet sp. - in this angle the wing is long and tail is also long, can't rule out Black-nest

likely Germain's Swiftlet - lighting can make unerparts paler

likely Germain's Swiftlet

likely Germain's Swiftlet - the P8 is molting

Germain's Swiftlet - same bird showing forked  tail

more swiftlet - Germain's ? or Black-nest ? rump looked not really pale

but the wing is short and forked tail - likely Germain's?

Swiftlet sp. - too far to ID, put it into Germain's the commonest

Swiftlet sp. - too far to ID, put it into Germain's the commonest

Swiftlet sp. - too far to ID, put it into Germain's the commonest

Asian Palm-swift Cypsiurus balasiensis 

House Swift Apus nipalensis 

Raffles's Malkoha Rhinortha chlorophaea 

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha Phaenicophaeus curvirostris 

Chestnut-breasted Malkoha

Western Koel Eudynamys scolopaceus 
- heard only

Little Bronze-cuckoo Chalcites minutillus 
- heard only

Violet Cuckoo Chrysococcyx xanthorhynchus 
- 1 seen in Singapore

Violet Cuckoo

Violet Cuckoo - I dipped during my last visit, but encountered one this time!

Violet Cuckoo

Violet Cuckoo - small cuckoo and not easy to photo

Violet Cuckoo

Violet Cuckoo

Red-legged Crake Rallina fasciata 
- 1 seen in Singapore

Red-legged Crake - friendly and closeup

Red-legged Crake - why not a band-bellied...

Red-legged Crake

Red-legged Crake

Red-legged Crake

White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus 

Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax 

Striated Heron Butorides striata 

Striated Heron

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 

Little Egret Egretta garzetta 

Malay Plover Charadrius peronii 
- 1 seen in Singapore

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover - the distinctive mottled upperparts is a good camouflage

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover - also note the black hind collar, with Lesser Sand Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover

Malaysian Plover with Lesser Sand Plover

Malaysian Plover - in flight with Lesser Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus 
- seen in Singapore, atrifrons group

Lesser Sand Plover - the black forehead and lack of black breast collar are features of atrifrons group

Lesser Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover

Lesser Sand Plover - I guess they are early migrant in Singapore?

Lesser Sand Plover with Malaysian Plover

Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos

Little Tern Sternula albifrons 

Sunda Scops-owl Otus lempiji 
- 1 seen in Singapore

Sunda Scops Owl - only managed to see one in last morning

Sunda Scops Owl

Spotted Wood-owl Strix seloputo 
- 2 adult and 1 immature seen in Singapore

Spotted Wood Owl

Spotted Wood Owl - finally in my pocket

Spotted Wood Owl - adult and juv

Spotted Wood Owl

Barred Eagle-owl Bubo sumatranus 
- 2 seen in Singapore

Barred Eagle Owl - showed in the last minute!

Barred Eagle Owl - I was lucky as I only got one night slot for this species in Singapore

Barred Eagle Owl 

Barred Eagle Owl - another individual

Blyth's Hawk-eagle Nisaetus alboniger 
- 1 seen in Panti

Blyth's Hawk Eagle - just killed a mouse deer!

Blyth's Hawk Eagle 

Changeable Hawk-eagle Nisaetus cirrhatus 
- seen in Malaysia

Changeable Hawk Eagle

Changeable Hawk Eagle

White-bellied Sea-eagle Haliaeetus leucogaster 

Grey-headed Fish-eagle Icthyophaga ichthyaetus 
- 1 seen in Singapore

Grey-headed Fish Eagle

Brahminy Kite Haliastur indus 

Scarlet-rumped Trogon Harpactes duvaucelii 
- heard only

Diard's Trogon Harpactes diardii
- 2 seen in Panti

Diard's Trogon - I need some more luck for trogon...

Diard's Trogon

Diard's Trogon

Oriental Pied Hornbill Anthracoceros albirostris 

Blue-throated Bee-eater Merops viridis

Blue-throated Bee-eater - only saw the young birds in this trip

Blue-throated Bee-eater

Blue-throated Bee-eater - nikon's focusing system is good but metering system is shit

Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis

Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis 

Banded Kingfisher Lacedo pulchella 
- 1 seen in Panti

Banded Kingfisher

Banded Kingfisher 

Stork-billed Kingfisher Pelargopsis capensis 
- heard only

White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis 

White-breasted Kingfisher

White-breasted Kingfisher

Collared Kingifsher Todiramphus chloris 

Collared Kingfisher - common but I love the combination of blue and white

Collared Kingfisher 

Collared Kingfisher 

Collared Kingfisher - also a noisy bird

Collared Kingfisher

Malay Brown Barbet Caloramphus hayii 
- seen in Panti

Malay Brown Barbet - also called Sooty Barbet

Malay Brown Barbet 

Malay Brown Barbet - nice camouflage 

Malay Brown Barbet - where m I

Coppersmith Barbet Psilopogon haemacephalus 
- heard only

Red-throated Barbet Psilopogon mystacophanos 
- heard only

Red-crowned Barbet Psilopogon rafflesii 
- seen in Panti

Red-crowned Barbet - finally in my pocket too

Red-crowned Barbet 

Red-crowned Barbet 

Red-crowned Barbet 

Yellow-crowned Barbet Psilopogon henricii 
- heard only

Lineated Barbet Psilopogon lineatus 
- seen in Singapore

Lineated Barbet 

Common Flameback Dinopium javanense 

Common Flameback - nice to watch woodpecker in urban parks

Common Flameback 

Common Flameback 

Common Flameback 

Rufous Woodpecker Micropternus brachyurus 

Rufous Woodpecker

Banded Woodpecker Chrysophlegma miniaceum 

Chequer-throated Yellownape Chrysophlegma humii 

Chequer-throated Yellownape - showing the throat pattern

Chequer-throated Yellownape

Chequer-throated Yellownape

Chequer-throated Yellownape

Chequer-throated Yellownape

Crimson-winged Woodpecker Picus puniceus 

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Crimson-winged Woodpecker - building nest

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Crimson-winged Woodpecker

Laced Woodpecker Picus vittatus 

female Laced Woodpecker

Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker Picoides moluccensis 

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cacatua galerita 
- seen in Singapore

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo - introduced but cute!

Black-crowned Hanging-parrot Loriculus galgulus 

Black-crowned Hanging-parrot - only able to take flight shot this time

Black-crowned Hanging-parrot

Red-breasted Parakeet Psittacula alexandri 

Red-breasted Parakeet - a flock

Red-breasted Parakeet

Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri 

Dusky Broadbill Corydon sumatranus 
- 4 seen in Panti

Dusky Broadbill - bill is broad

Dusky Broadbill

Banded Broadbill Eurylaimus harterti 
- 1 seen in Panti

Banded Broadbill

Banded Broadbill - bill is always broad

Golden-bellied Gerygone Gerygone sulphurea 
- heard only

Dark-throated Oriole Oriolus xanthonotus 
- seen in Panti

Dark-throated Oriole

Dark-throated Oriole

Dark-throated Oriole

Dark-throated Oriole

Black-naped Oriole Oriolus chinensis 

White-bellied Erpornis Erpornis zantholeuca 

Pied Triller Lalage nigra 

Pied Triller

Pied Triller

Pied Triller

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike Hemipus picatus 

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

Common Iora Aegithina tiphia 

Common Iora

Green Iora Aegithina viridissima 

Green Iora

Sunda Pied Fantail Rhipidura javanica 

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo Dicrurus paradiseus 

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo - over explosure...

Black-naped Monarch Hypothymis azurea 

Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach 

Long-tailed Shrike

Long-tailed Shrike - not much difference with the E Asia one

Malay Black Magpie Platysmurus leucopterus 
- 1 seen in Panti

Malay Black Magpie - not on my target list so quite surprised to see this species

Malay Black Magpie

Malay Black Magpie

Malay Black Magpie

House Crow Corvus splendens 

House Crow

Common Tailorbird Orthotomus sutorius 

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird Orthotomus sericeus 

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - a lifer finally after hearing so many times

Rufous-tailed Tailorbird - thanks to Canon focusing

Dark-necked Tailorbird Orthotomus atrogularis 

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Dark-necked Tailorbird

Ashy Tailorbird Orthotomus ruficeps 

Ashy Tailorbird

Ashy Tailorbird

Ashy Tailorbird

Ashy Tailorbird

Pacific Swallow Hirundo javanica 

Hairy-backed Bulbul Tricholestes criniger 

Buff-vented Bulbul Iole charlottae 

Buff-vented Bulbul

Buff-vented Bulbul

Buff-vented Bulbul

Buff-vented Bulbul

Buff-vented Bulbul

Buff-vented Bulbul

this maybe Buff-vented too because of the huge bill

Bulbul is also hard... this one... maybe Buff-vented too?

Streaked Bulbul Ixos malaccensis 

Streaked Bulbul

Streaked Bulbul

Straw-headed Bulbul Pycnonotus zeylanicus 
- 3 seen in Singapore, heard in Panti

Straw-headed Bulbul - always love to see this species

Straw-headed Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus goiavier 

Yellow-vented Bulbul with chick

Yellow-vented Bulbul with chick

Yellow-vented Bulbul chick

Yellow-vented Bulbul

Olive-winged Bulbul Pycnonotus plumosus 

Olive-winged Bulbul

Cream-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus simplex 

Cream-vented Bulbul - in nest

Cream-vented Bulbul

Cream-vented Bulbul

Cream-vented Bulbul

Cream-vented Bulbul

Cream-vented Bulbul

Cream-vented Bulbul

Bulbul 1 - not much choice for pale-iris bulbul, maybe juv Cream-vented?

Bulbul 1

Bulbul 2

Bulbul 2

Bulbul 3

Bulbul 3

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul Pycnonotus brunneus 

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

Asian Red-eyed Bulbul

Spectacled Bulbul Pycnonotus erythropthalmos 

Spectacled Bulbul - still IDable

Black-headed Bulbul Brachypodius atriceps 

Swinhoe's White-eye Zosterops simplex 

Swinhoe's White-eye - was Oriental before

Swinhoe's White-eye

Swinhoe's White-eye

Grey-headed Babbler Stachyris poliocephala 
- seen in Panti

Grey-headed Babbler

Grey-headed Babbler

Pin-striped Tit-babbler Mixornis gularis 

Pin-striped Tit-babbler

Pin-striped Tit-babbler

Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler Macronus ptilosus 
- seen in Panti

Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler

Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler

Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler - so cute

Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler - showing the fluffy back

Fluffy-backed Tit-babbler

Chestnut-winged Babbler Cyanoderma erythropterum 
- seen in Panti

Chestnut-winged Babbler - another babbler I wish to see

Chestnut-winged Babbler

Chestnut-winged Babbler

Moustached Babbler Malacopteron magnirostre 
- seen in Panti

Moustached Babbler

Moustached Babbler

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch Sitta frontalis 

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Common Myna Acridotheres tristis 

Javan Myna Acridotheres javanicus 

Javan Myna

Javan Myna - much better photo opportunity than in West Java

Javan Myna

Javan Myna

Javan Myna

Common Hill Myna Gracula religiosa 

Common Hill Myna

Asian Glossy Starling Aplonis panayensis 

Asian Glossy Starling - numerous

Asian Glossy Starling

Oriental Magpie-robin Copsychus saularis 

Asian Fairy-bluebird Irena puella 

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Greater Green Leafbird Chloropsis sonnerati 
- seen in Panti

Greater Green Leafbird - poor view but still can see the yellow throat of female

Greater Green Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis moluccensis 

Blue-winged Leafbird - commonest leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Blue-winged Leafbird

Flowerpecker sp.

not a good photo to ID - maybe Plain?

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus maculatus 

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker

Yellow-breasted Flowerpecker

Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker Prionochilus percussus 

Thanks to Canon.... again and again

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker Dicaeum trigonostigma 

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

Orange-bellied Flowerpecker

likely Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - juvenile

likely Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - juvenile

likely Orange-bellied Flowerpecker - juvenile

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker Dicaeum cruentatum 

Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker

Spiderhunter sp. N.A.

Little Spiderhunter Arachnothera longirostra 

Little Spiderhunter - cannot imagine this was a lifer!

Little Spiderhunter

Yellow-eared Spiderhunter Arachnothera chrysogenys 

Yellow-eared Spiderhunter

Yellow-eared Spiderhunter

Purple-naped Spiderhunter Arachnothera hypogrammica
- brief view to me in Panti, dipped

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird Chalcoparia singalensis 

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

Ruby-cheeked Sunbird

Brown-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis 

Brown-throated Sunbird

Brown-throated Sunbird

Brown-throated Sunbird

Brown-throated Sunbird

Brown-throated Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis 

Olive-backed Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird

Crimson Sunbird Aethopyga siparaja 

White-rumped Munia Lonchura striata 

Scaly-breasted Munia Lonchura punctulata 

Scaly-breasted Munia

Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus 

Paddyfield Pipit Anthus rufulus

Paddyfield Pipit

Time for some other animals.....

Smooth-coated Otter - maybe some small-claw gene

Smooth-coated Otter 

Smooth-coated Otter 

Lizard

Squirrel

Monkey - Gibbon, if I didn't remember wrongly