When I came to know of a Wader
Workshop conducted by the MNS that will include a practical session along the Selangor coast, it sounded very interesting and tempting. The
workshop was held in Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP) which is another birding
site that I have not been to in ages. Together with Choo Eng, James and Beryl,
we braced through the horrendous Friday evening traffic along the Penang Bridge
and gradually made our way south. Accommodations and food was provided for at KSNP.
They were nothing fancy but you will not hear a whim from me. After all, it is
not the food and board that I look forward to in any birding trip.
I
managed to squeeze a couple of hours of birding in the park before the workshop
commenced. Now, I have been through all sorts of stuff in the name of birding
and so far, nothing can be much of a hindrance. But the mosquitoes here are in
a class of their own. Relentless and unforgiving, I had to dig deep to carry on
birding after the first quarter of an hour. I have encountered the mosquitoes
here before during my past visits but I cannot recall it being so bad.
The
adorable Coppersmith Barbet was calling from an open perch a little too far for
my liking and did very little to help me get over the bloodsucking ordeal.
The
only other shot that I took within the boundaries of the park was this Lesser
Adjutant. Flying low but against the sun, the image turned out pretty much how
I had expected.
The
main objective for the workshop was to create awareness and educate about the
importance of wetland conservation and the wonders of waders. It included an
identification course and when it comes to waders, one does not stop learning
about this fascinating family of waterbirds - no matter how long you have been
at it. I can always use a few new pointers to help me in the field. The
next day, we had our practical session at the coastline of Sungai Janggut which
was a short distance from KSNP. In order to take full advantage of the receding
tide that day, we had to be there at first light. Admiring the morning sky
flushed with brilliant hues of purple and pink was a great way to start off the
day.
The
timing was near perfect as the waders were waiting on the sandy shore for the
tide to recede. Apart from the usual peeps, there were a good number of Ruddy
Turnstones - another common species that has eluded my attempts to obtain good
images. A few of them were showing flashes of their brilliant breeding plumage
and I tried to get as close as possible without putting them to flight.
I
was very conservative with my approach as I do not want to risk being the
reason the rest of the group has nothing but sand and mud to look at.
The
arrival of a Eurasian Curlew diverted my attention from the turnstones. We were
still in the 'golden light' hour and that improved my image tremendously.
The
highlight for this excursion was this lone Asian Dowitcher. Not quite in the
same league as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann's Greenshank, it is
still a rare wader and a good sighting. Despite its shortcomings, it is fending
quite well for itself. This trip was certainly a memorable affair that will
certainly go down as one the best. Being in a restricted is a blessing in
disguise for the wader roosts at Kapar and they stand a very good chance of
surviving in the world of man.
6 comments:
"A lifer is a lifer..." as you say, no matter how distant.
It's good to know the waders and other birds can do their thing relatively undisturbed at a place like Kapar.
Yes, finally got the Caspian Tern. Kapar is an exceptional place but access is difficult.
Overwhelming masses of birds. Glad you got your lifer and chance to look at some old friends too.
Thanks, Wilma. It was certainly quite an experience.
That was certainly a wonderful if perhaps overwhelming experience. It makes quite a change to have too many birds to go through. Well done in finding those Nordmann's Greenshanks and congrats on the Caspian Tern.
Thank you, Phil.
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