Compared to yesterday’s two-hour
drive to the interiors of Kedah, the drive today to the mangrove belt of Merbok
was a breeze. We were delighted to find this presumably female Japanese
Sparrowhawk out hunting. This small but deadly raptor is usually shy - typical
of all Accipiters. The only reason this girl was so confiding is because she
knows fully well I will not be getting any great images of her due to the poor lighting
at this hour.
Once we ventured onto the
mangroves, it did not take long for Stuart to start ogling at the star bird of
the locality, the ever-striking Mangrove Pitta. Looking splendid as usual, it
thrilled us with its electrifying presence from among the undergrowth of the
swamp.
The resident pair of Abbott’s
Babblers were next in line to make an appearance and their character makes up
for their lack of colours.
The sweet musical song of the
Puff-throated Babblers echoed through the vicinity long before the birds were seen.
I may have grown slightly accustomed to the accommodating nature of the birds
found here but for a visiting birder like Stuart, it was overwhelming to say
the least.
Our next destination was the
Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest. We had gloomy skies the day before but
fortunately, that was not the case today. Good weather will often result in better
yield and Stuart soon found himself surrounded by the sights and sounds that
make this little patch of birding haven what it is.
The White-chested Babbler is
a regular here but to obtain good views hard work and lots of luck are required.
Scampering around the forest undergrowth, this species is habitually difficult to
photograph even in close proximity. The angle from which I took the shot may be
unflattering but it is still one of my best efforts to date.
Golden-bellied Gerygones have
provided me with a number of close and intimate encounters here in the past and
today, I got to share one with my foreign guest. Three inquisitive individuals wandered
very close to our positions and together with their vocal abilities, resulted
in an intriguing encounter.
We came across a Brown Shrike
hunting unobtrusively along the access road. Although it is a common migrant
throughout the country, the confiding nature of this individual did not go unappreciated.
Woodpeckers have been a rare
sight so far for Stuart here in Peninsular Malaysia and that does not happen
often in my tours. Thankfully, the resident pair of Common Flamebacks put on a
relatively good performance for my British guest. And I, could finally breathe
a sigh of relief.
The migratory Black Kites are
back in full force at this wintering ground of theirs. A few were soaring
aimlessly in the sky above most likely prompted by hot and sunny weather. Despite
being a scavenger by nature, this raptor is graceful in flight and I could not pull
myself away from their mesmerising aerial display.
For the scarce migratory Taiga
Flycatcher, Air Hitam Dalam is very unfamiliar land. Unfortunately, it appeared
just long enough for my guest to add another tick for his maiden trip to Peninsular
Malaysia but yours truly, not even a single image. On the other hand, one of
the resident pairs of Mangrove Blue Flycatchers was accommodating enough to provide
ample views. This is the dominant pair that frequents the rear car park area and
it is good to know that the recent floods did not effected them much.
Olive-winged Bulbuls are
common residents here but one’s unbelievably confiding nature even took me by
surprise as they kept to the cover of the vegetation throughout most of the
morning.
Our final destination of the
day was the paddy planting district of mainland Penang. As usual we searched
for recently ploughed or planted areas that are like magnets for water birds. Both
the Grey-headed Lapwing and Black-winged Stilt are regular winter visitors here
and they were in their hundreds today. Distance can be an issue at times and
the only reasonable image I took while admiring this congregation of water
birds was of a foraging Lapwing.
There was a good number of small
waders or peeps as they are so affectionately called, present today and
scrutiny is required to confirm their identities. The most numerous of them all
are the strikingly marked Long-toed Stints but they did not present any good
photographic opportunities. I could tell Stuart has a soft spot for water birds
like me as he took the effort to bring his spotting scope along for the trip
and that certainly came in useful for enjoying peeps at a distance.
On one occasion, we came
across two rather uniformly coloured peeps. I knew what they were immediately. The
Temminck’s Stint is generally a scarce migrant to Malaysia but at this site, it
is an annual visitor in small numbers. Using our vehicle as a mobile hide we
managed some outstanding views. I was utterly delighted with the images
obtained this time. I just cannot explain how I could get so excited over a dull-looking
bird like this but I can and will. Come to think of it, a lot things are beyond
explanation when it comes to birding.
There is no mistaking the
distinct shape of the Ruff and there was a small flock foraging at a flooded
patch. The Ruff is a unique wader because the male Ruff is bigger than the
female Reeve. Judging from the sizes there was one Ruff in the company of three
Reeves.
With the aid of our vehicle
again, we managed to sneak closer to our subjects. The lighting was good and when
the birds got accustomed to our presence, the encounter turned out to be one of
the best I have ever had with this species. The Reeves were the ones to let
down their guards first and continued with their daily routine.
The male took slightly longer
to reveal himself completely from the cover of the paddy stalks. The Ruff is
one of the most exceptional birds on the planet because of his unbelievable striking
breeding plumage. The change from its dull non-breeding plumage is so remarkable
it borders the line of fantasy. I have to accept the fact that we will never
have a chance to see one in breeding plumage here in the tropics. A good thing
God make humans with the ability to imagine because that is the only
consolation I have.
This shot depicts the sexual
dimorphism for this scarce winter migrant. We spent a considerable time with
both the Temminck’s Stint and the Ruff. Although these birds are neither new
nor rare to Stuart, he was just as enthusiastic during the encounters. I guess as
a water bird lover, he understands the significance of coming across rare ones that
are performing well in the field. And these two species certainly fit the bill
here in Malaysia.
A flock of Pacific Golden
Plovers was the last bird to be photographed for the trip. There are three species of Golden
Plovers in the world of which two are not known to occur here in this region. But
they all do look similar. Stuart reminded me of that fact and since we were on
a roll, there was no harm scrutinizing the flock for a miracle. However,
Christmas is still almost a month away and we had to be contented with what we
managed to racked up for the past two days and we certainly had it good.
The checklist of birds recorded during this trip can be found here:
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