Friday 29 March 2013

A little birding to help get through the week (28/03/2013)


A quick detour to the wetlands at Batu Kawan, Penang did not yield anything out of the ordinary. In the absence of the weekend anglers as it being a weekday, I basically had the place all to myself. That itself is a luxury that I rarely get to enjoy at this locality. I have had a couple of great encounters with the Common Kingfisher here and today, a female hunting from a reasonably close perch provided the highlight of the day.



Big herons like the Grey Heron and Purple Heron are a common sight and the populations here are thriving. In fact, I think this is the best place to observe them in Penang. This young Purple Heron, positioned against all-green background, was a photographic opportunity that was hard to turn down.


A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a MNS waterbird survey by boat along the coastline here. Apart from the usual waders, we did manage to see 4 Lesser Adjutants foraging on the mud but there was just no way to get close enough for any reasonable shots. However, a Large-tailed Nightjar that was nesting among the grassland close to the jetty where we boarded the boat provided some excitement for the trip. Because this species has adapted so well to living within human settlements, it is by far one of the commonest nightbirds in Malaysia and its signature monotonous call can be heard in most neighbourhoods. Despite of this, it is not easy to come across one in the daytime and encounters like these are far and few.



10 comments:

Tank said...

cool series bro..many thanks for your support..happy birding

Choy Wai Mun said...

Thank you, Sulaiman and same to you.

Ayuwat Jearwattanakanok said...

Interesting shots of the nightjar. Seems like that's its aggressive pose. Never seen one during the day....

Choy Wai Mun said...

Thanks, Ayuwat. But I think it's just hot as the sun was really blazing that day.

Redzlan aka Tabib said...

Great Common Kingfisher pics - the only missing is fish/food..
Nightjar cool off by panting with open bill.

Choy Wai Mun said...

Thanks, Tabib. I tried to but it was only taking small fries. Too fast for me.

Phil Slade said...

Stunning Kingfisher shots, hard to see how anyone could better those. Good to see the nightjar in a daylight pose too - I'm guessing it thinks it can't be seen on the ground there and is relying on its plumage to"hide".

Choy Wai Mun said...

Thanks, Phil. The nightjar was certainly an exciting for us.

Wong Tsu Shi said...

Stunning Common Kingfisher and Nightjar. I have yet to see a nightjar in day time.

Choy Wai Mun said...

Thank you. It is not easy to see it here as well.