Monday 21 November 2011

19/11/2011: Pulau Burung (Penang)


I was contemplating if I should go or not to this locality tomorrow for the Garganey that was first seen by Dave a few days back. As it will be a working Saturday for me, I can only spare a couple of hours after dawn to look for this rather uncommon migrant. The reason for all the thinking is the fact that I seen this species once before and that is back in 2004 with Kanda at the mudflats of Bagan Tambang. Anyway, Choo Eng helped me come to a decision when I received a text message invitation from him to join him for a fast trip to look for the Garganey and the Little Stints as it was also a working day for him. And at first dawn, the two of us together with James were scanning the marshlands for the Garganey. It did make a brief appearance before it took cover among the dense vegetation after being spooked away by a Lesser Whistling-duck. Soon after, it started to rain and that drowned out any chance we had of relocating the duck.


How could you guys? Bad, bad ducky…


A lone Wood Sandpiper provided another “Reflections of Wings & Inspiration” image for my archives.


By the way, we got both the target birds as the Little Stints were still foraging in the same vicinity as my encounter with them last week. However, they were a little too far this time for my current setup but not Choo Eng’s…


Alarm bells started ringing in my head when I caught a fleeting glimpse of a slightly darker looking Ringed Plover scurrying around the vicinity. Unfortunately from Choo Eng’s record shot, it turned out to be a Little Ringed Plover in breeding plumage and not the rarer Common Ringed Plover as I had hoped. But one can always be optimistic, right?

2 comments:

Ron-Nature Adventures said...

Very envy with you guys on the Garganey. Seen only one? Hope it will still be there until Apr next year!

Choy Wai Mun said...

Yes, Ronnie - there's only one. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the celebrity guest will stay that long.