Better late than never

 

There was only one reason I found myself at the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam in mainland Penang for the second consecutive time and it was to attempt for the rare migratory Slaty-legged Crake again. In fact, it could well be my final try as spring migration will draw to a close soon. This species would be a significant addition to my life list and naturally, anxiety was high despite my calm appearance. After all birding is about luck and lady luck has been unkind to me so far.

As I patiently waited for the distinguished visitor to reveal itself, I tried my best not to be distracted by other species present in the vicinity. But a little brown job flitting about the foliage of the forest could not be taken lightly especially at this time of the year. During passage, one has no idea what might decide to make a stopover at one of the few remaining forests in mainland Penang. Upon further scrutiny, it turned out to be an Asian Brown Flycatcher. It may be a common migrant to this part of the world but a confiding individual like this deserves some attention.

The resident pair of Mangrove Blue Flycatchers serenaded the locality with their pleasant territorial calls. The striking colouration possessed by these birds also helped to pass the time during my tedious wait for the Slaty-legged Crake.

There is not much aesthetic appeal to be found on the Abbott’s Babbler but an adult bird with a recently fledged juvenile in tow indicated yet another successful breeding season for this robust undergrowth dweller.

A Blue-winged Pitta in full view would have normally made my day because pittas are such amazing creatures. However, I was a man on a mission today and the stunning beauty of the Blue-winged Pitta did not have the usual influence over my emotions.

I sighed in relief when the Slaty-legged Crake finally strolled into view. It was a young bird as it lacks the colour intensity of the adult birds. Not that it mattered. I was transfixed on the rhythmic gait of the crake. The exhilaration was intense and I struggled to keep my hands steady as I accumulated digital memories of the encounter.

Almost as soon as it appeared, the rare migrant disappeared back into the swampy undergrowth and the performance was over. I managed to obtain the images I wanted but most importantly, acquired a lifer which is a rare thing for me nowadays.

My companion and I decided the explore the surrounding areas but by then, the temperature had started to soar. A lone Dollarbird seemed unperturbed by the scorching heat and took no effort to seek some shade. Inevitably, the harsh lighting made photography of this attractive bird difficult.

April is the best time to catch the Pond-Herons in their breeding plumages before they undergo the journey back north to breed. We recorded all three species on this trip but unfortunately, none were confiding enough for any memorable photographs. This mediocre image of an Indian Pond-Heron foraging in a sea of paddy stalks still managed to wriggle its way into this blog post. Being the rarest of them all has got absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with it.

The scrubland habitat was ideal for Red-wattled Lapwings and we found several individuals in the vicinity. The absence of any other notable species cut short our exploration here and we turned our attention to the coast.

The timing of our arrival at Kota Kuala Muda was ideal with the rising tide pushing the waders and other water fowl to the high tide roost. However, it was a case of so close and yet so far. There was no safe walking access to the roost and inevitably, we made our way as far as the sandy beach was willing to take us.

We had some consolation in the form of Common Terns. A few of these graceful coastal terns decided to roost on the beach and they provided the best photographic opportunities here.

One of them has a deformed lower mandible but judging from its overall appearance, life goes on as normal for this determined individual.

Some waders were also found roosting close to shore but the heat wave was too overwhelming for any decent photographs. Nevertheless, the sight and sounds of thousands of roosting water birds is always a breath-taking affair. As Hor Kee did a final sweep of the roosting flocks for any surprises with his scope, I took the time to enjoy the spectacle before we wrapped things up for the day.

The surf runner

September is usually a wet month for northwest Peninsular Malaysia and this year is no different. To visit the forest surrounding Pedu Lake at this time would be a gamble especially after it had rained the day before. However, the forest denizens of Pedu were not the primary targets for today’s excursion. The promise of a gathering of waders at the high tide roost of Kuala Kedah was. It will be the highest daytime tide for the rest of the year and we were hoping for a rewarding wader watch. Anyway, the weather conditions gave the lakeside environment at Pedu a mesmerizing aura. As Hor Kee, Michael and I soaked in the scenery, I said a silent prayer for the weather to hold until we have concluded our birding.

Apparently, we were not the only ones drawn to the view. A flock of five Large Green-Pigeons alighted on a dead tree overlooking the lake and took a prolonged breather as they prepare for the day ahead. These largest of our green-pigeons is not rare at this birding hotspot but encounters are usually of flocks flying powerfully above the forest canopy. Although all that I could obtained this time were distant shots, the flock still provided a good start to the day.

We found the usually deserted access road surprisingly busy this morning. In fact, this was the most number of vehicles I have ever encountered here before. Thankfully, the birds were still out and about despite the unprecedented human intrusion. Good photographic opportunities were hard to come by though. A flock of Hairy-backed Bulbuls patronizing a fruiting tree finally gave me a reason to lift up my camera again.

At a particular stretch along this forested road, a pair of vocalizing Black-and-Yellow Broadbills caught my attention naturally. Scanning along the canopy level yielded a female bird with a successful hunt. She enjoyed the rewards of her effort partially hidden from view and this was my best attempt in documenting this adorable forest gem.

While I was still observing the Black-and-Yellow Broadbill, a Banded Broadbill started to call and judging from the volume, it was particularly overhead. I managed to glimpse this yet another striking representative of this family of birds moving about the foliage of the forest. As I struggled to try and obtain better views, a flock of Dusky Broadbill announced their arrival with their persistent high pitched calls and my attention was then diverted to them. Dusky Broadbills are the rarest of them all at this birding locality and I took no effort to conceal my excitement. Like the other two species, which were still present, the flock foraged from the cover of the forest canopy. I could not take a single shot until one decided to alight on an exposed perch. There is a God after all...

Determination had me follow the movement of the Dusky Broadbills which was relatively easy because the birds appeared hesitant to wander far from my position. Dilemma set in when my ears picked out the mournful notes of the stunning Diard’s Trogon and it too was in close proximity. Unbelievable as it may seem, a Green Broadbill then started to call in the vicinity as well. For the first time in my life, I have four different species of broadbills present at a single spot. It was just incredible. Earlier on, we had a Black-and-Red Broadbill and that made it five broadbills today – another first for me. However, I could not break from the spell the Dusky Broadbills had me under. In the end, I managed another distant shot of the Dusky Broadbill and missed out on the rest. I guess too much of a good thing may not always be a good thing.

I know forest birding can be frustrating and photography, even more so. But today reminded me how enticing forest birding can be. A bird wave stirred up even more exhilaration with a pair of Black-winged Flycatcher-Shrikes being rather cooperative to my photographic efforts. I rarely get to shoot anything during birdwaves as the participants tend to be restless and these images were much appreciated.

Minivets, babblers, warblers and sunbirds slipped past my gear as they succumbed to the feeding frenzy of the wave. The Great Iora, a species I have been trying to obtain better images but without much success all these years, cruelly taunted me from the very top of the canopy level.

By late morning, things began to sizzle down. It was also about time for us to retreat from the forest and head for the coast to our next destination. A vocal Long-billed Spiderhunter had just enough charisma to hold us back momentarily as we admired its namesake. This forest dweller is not common anywhere but a particular group of flowering trees here in Pedu will occasionally be graced by its presence. The photographer in me was frustrated one last time here in the wilds of Pedu and this odd pose by the spiderhunter was the only image good enough to be shared.

I have been to the coastline off Kuala Muda in Penang state for birding before but this particular high tide roost is new to me. Sometimes, the journey to a destination is half the experience. In a way, I think it applies here.  First, we had to manoeuvre pass dozens of poultry as we walked through a somewhat open coop. Then wade along a submerged, narrow wooden bridge. One wrong step will land you in almost waist deep of tidal water. A sandy beach greeted us at the end of our little adventure and upon further scrutiny, thousands of roosting waders. More than four thousand individuals as a matter of fact.

My better equipped companions got down to work as they scanned and counted the waders present. I, without the aid of a scope, was busy gawking at this breath taking sight because it has been a long time since I marvelled at a spectacle of roosting waders.

I noticed two rather pale waders scurrying about the shoreline and the first thought that came to mind was Sanderlings. And Sanderlings they certainly were. The foraging pair was a fair distance away but this would only be my third ever sighting and the duo certainly had my undivided attention. With both my previous encounters from my digiscoping days more than 15 years ago, I have now being given the chance to finally obtain some images of this scarce migrant.

Sanderlings are known for their penchant for hunting right at the edge of the tideline – rushing in for a quick jab or two into the sand when the tide goes out and a making a hasty retreat when the tide returns. This behaviour is a good indication that the pale peeps you are looking at is a Sanderling. And I just love the way these surf runners teased the raging waters of this ‘super’ high tide.

A Red-necked Stint momentarily joined one of the Sanderlings and it provided a good comparison shot between the two species. A Sanderling sporting its pale winter plumage is not that difficult to identify. It is basically an oversized Red-necked Stint and of course, there is always its surf running habits.

True to its nature, the Sanderlings stuck to the far end and there was no way of reducing the distance between us without scaring off the rest of the waders. When the adrenalin started to wear off, I diverted my attention to the other waders present. Although this was a distant shot, it depicts two very similar species together – the Great Knot and Red Knot. In breeding plumage, there is no mistaking the vivid colouration of the smaller Red Knot. This one still has traces of its breeding colours but in the near future, there will only be subtle differences to tell the two species apart.

The Greater Sand-Plover is not rare but care must be taken to identify it positively. The smaller but much commoner Lesser Sand-Plover look remarkably similar and just to make things interesting, these plovers can be variable in size and built. When seen together, the Greater Sand-Plover is usually distinguishable and there is little doubt of this one’s identity.

Earlier in the post, I made a comparison between the Sanderling and the Red-necked Stint as the latter is one of the most abundant winter migrants in Peninsular Malaysia. I scrutinized the flocks of stints present the best I could just so I do not overlook the remarkably similar (here I go again) but much rarer Little Stint. Or God forbid, a Spoon-billed Sandpiper. The joys of wader identification are boundless...

Anyway, all stints including the Red-necked Stints are certainly adorable. Despite their minute size, they are accomplished long distance travellers. Wader migration is one of the wonders of the natural world and there is certainly more to these little bundle of feathers than what they appear to be.

Here is one bird that is more easily recognizable – a dark morphed Pacific Reef-Heron (yes, it is now a heron). And it was a true goliath when roosting next to the waders.

As the waders grew accustomed to our presence, we shifted to a more strategic position to continue our observation. A lone juvenile Lesser Sand-Plover wandered exceptionally close and provided one of the best images here at this Kuala Muda high tide roost.

Just when I thought there was nothing else I could expect from the Sanderlings, one gradually made its way towards us. And I shuddered in anticipation for what is to come.

A wintering Sanderling may not possess much colouration. But there is beauty in simplicity and the individual dashing about this bleak coastline in front of me is undeniably beautiful. The sand had a colour tone dark enough to compliment the fair appeal of the Sanderling. It has been quite a day of birding especially with the broadbills and all at Pedu but the moment provided by this confiding Sanderling surpassed all else.

The roosting flocks became restless when the nearby fishermen prepare to venture out to sea again. When all the commotion could not be tolerated any longer, the waders took flight in unison. A mass of wings and feathers swirled across the coastal sky before vanishing beyond the horizon. Nothing remained but the reminiscence of an endearing little Sanderling.

Giving back...(24/01/2015)

The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) is an annual event coordinated by Wetlands International. Each year in January, volunteers from across Asia and Australasia will conduct the AWC in their respective countries. I am no scientist but I derive endless fascination from birds. That is why whenever I can, I do my part and help out in some conservation work. The AWC and My Garden Birdwatch (MYGB) are just some of the citizen scientist projects that I commit myself to. For the AWC this year, we did counts at two sites. Together with Dave and Hor Kee, we started off the first count at the sandy shores of Kuala Muda in mainland Penang.

Once we got ourselves comfortable, it was down to business. Here, on the exposed sandbars, a high concentration of terns rest in between feedings and tides. Egrets and a small number of waders will also use these resting stations. The count was conducted from the shore and it was a fair distance from the birds. There is no point to risk spooking the birds when doing a count. Stationery birds are much easier to count than flying ones - believe me. By mid morning, we concluded the count here. It was a good session as there were about 3,000 terns present consisting mostly of Common Terns and as well as a few Brown-headed Gulls.

The resident dark-morphed Pacific Reef Egret provided the photographic highlight for me after the count. This coastal species is the rarest egret after the globally endangered Chinese Egret in Peninsula Malaysia. The coastline here is one of the few spots in Penang where it is regularly encountered.

The elevated rocky outcrops next to the coastline where the egret had landed to forage provided the ideal cover for me to sneak up on my subject and successfully obtained my best images of this species to date. Being the only the egret in Malaysia with two colour morphs makes it unique and it is a species that I have always wanted to obtain good images. Looks like I got my wish today...

We had a few hours to kill before the next session of our AWC. The nearby paddy field was a very inviting option to pass the time. Upon our arrival, a flock of about 60 Asian Openbills were seen riding the thermals further confirming the fact that these enigmatic storks are still present in my home state. The paddy fields had quite a number of egrets about. Here is an image depicting the differences between the Great Egret and the Intermediate Egret.

I had a frustrating time trying to obtain decent shots of the Red-throated Pipit during my last birding trip that is at the grasslands of Chuping in Perlis. We came across a handful of these uncommon migrants again today but unfortunately, they are not any better than their northern comrades. I will get you guys one day...

Our second AWC session was by boat as we counted roosting waders along the Bagan Belat Important Bird Area (IBA) coastline which was not too far from the first count site. We were joined by Choo Eng and a few others including representatives from the local council. It is part of the Malaysian Nature Society's effort to get this site protected and turned it into some kind of an ecological reserve for tourists and future generations to enjoy - with the help of the local council.

Our 'guests' were in for a treat as we came across a few high tide roosts that had thousands of waterbirds. As we were doing the count on a boat, good images of individual species were difficult to obtain due to the distance and the constant rocking of the boat.

No matter what the distance, the Eurasian Curlew is almost impossible to miss because it is one of the largest waders in Malaysia and with a bill that is almost as long as its body.

A flock of Bar-tailed Godwits was looking very comfortable roosting at the water's edge. This is another species that spots an impressive looking bill.

Flocks of Common Redshanks are another species that were easy to pick out because of their vocal nature and distinct colouration.

This distant shot is of a flock of Common Greenshanks and Marsh Sandpipers. There were no Nordmann's Greenshanks here as initially thought (Thanks, Dave for the correction).

The Asian Dowitcher is another scarce winter migrant to Malaysia and deserves just as much attention.

Larger waterbirds were easier subjects for our guests to observe and appreciate. The resident Grey Herons were certainly one of them.

The Great Egrets also did their part to help keep the boat trip interesting...

We, on the other hand, required no such motivation to earn our undivided attention. The presence of 10,000 waders was more than what we could ever ask for. This was certainly a much better session of our AWC - as expected. Another exciting discovery was the 300 Brown-headed Gulls resting at one of the high tide roosts. This is probably the highest concentration of gulls in Malaysia.

A few of the gulls were quite near to our boat and they provided some great photographic opportunities.

This is a juvenile as it lacks the characteristic wing 'mirrors' of the adult bird.

Some were also swimming in the vicinity like this juvenile that has just caught quite a sizable meal. Beginner's luck, perhaps?

And if that was not enough, there were at least three of the much rarer Black-headed Gulls present as well. This adult bird was flying not too far from our boat and provided the only image I could obtain of them.

Initially, only the commoner terns were counted like this Common Tern...

That was until our boat passed some mussel farms out at sea. Consisting of cement poles jutting out from the water, they provided the perfect perches for the sea-loving terns to rest on.

The majority of the terns recorded here were the Great Crested Terns - much to our delight.

Beautiful and majestic even in non-breeding plumage, this uncommon species provided the photographic highlights for the afternoon session.

The poles were quite crowded as there were about 55 Great Crested Terns present in the vicinity. Squabbles for space were inevitable…

Among the Great Crested Terns, there was a lone Lesser Crested Tern which is the rarer of the two species. It was almost too good to be true as I have had very little photographic opportunities with both species in the past. And now, here they are together at the same spot and so obliging. Truly a magical moment…

The Common Terns that were also making full use of the poles and are dwarfed by the larger Crested Terns. The former are outnumbered here because they prefer roosting on the sandbanks of Kuala Muda where we conducted the first session of the count.

A lone Whiskered Terns was present as well and I took a few shots of this widespread marsh tern just as we were about to head back to the jetty. This year's AWC was probably the most memorable and rewarding one that I have ever had. It just goes to show that it does pay to give back to Mother Nature once in a while.