Counting waterbirds...

The emergence of the Chinese Egrets in Penang Island revived my passion for tidal habitats and the birds that find sanctuary there. I used to spend hours on end at the mudflats of Bagan Belat back in the day. Back when hundreds or even thousands of waders were present at this coastline. Sadly in recent years, the objects of my obsession have shifted to rather inaccessible areas. This and the destruction of most of the good wader sites in my home state has kept me away from indulging in wader watching. Each January, the Asian Waterbird Count (AWC) takes place throughout the continent and on this beautiful Saturday morning, I decided to do my part.

The tide was about right and the weather was good. But as expected, not much variety of waders were present at the extensive mudflats of Bagan Belat. Common Redshanks were the most numerous species present and it has been that way for quite some time.

A huge flock of white birds with black wings started to fly out from the mangroves and alighted beyond the edge of the mudflats. The birds were too far for me too positively identify them. Habitat may be ideal but they sure the hell were not Milky Storks – not in this kind of number anyway. Asian Openbills are a better bet and this is the first time I am encountering them in a marine habitat.

Eventually some of them flew over to my end of the mudflats and their identity were no longer in doubt.

One can always hope of something rare when gazing at flocks of waders out in the mudflats. Imagination can only take you so far but when seen well, it is not easy to misidentify a Common Greenshank for a Nordmann’s Greenshank.

All the egrets present were scrutinized to make sure I do not overlook a would-be rarity. I have recorded the globally vulnerable Chinese Egret here once before but today, only the Great Egret provided any form of excitement from this family of birds.

The resident pair of Brahminy Kites were up to their usual routine of scavenging and the occasional piracy of egrets’ fresh caught preys. However, what goes round comes round and the kites have to put up with the constant mobbing of the House Crows.

A fair number of Whiskered Terns were also present and the river mouth seemed to have their undivided attention today. A short walk along the rocky wave breaker got me into a better position to photograph these angelic and graceful birds. It is not easy but the good lighting helped tremendously.

Poetry in motion – the bird and not the photography…

After the AWC, I swung by the swamp forest of Air Hitam Dalam only to find a group of schoolchildren making their presence felt along the canopy walk. This location holds the status of an educational forest but judging from the level of noise and disturbance this group was making, I doubt there will be much education to be learned from this trip. The wintering Square-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo has been quite tolerant to human presence so far this season but nothing could have prepared it for the commotion that was now taking place. Inevitably, it was nervous and skittish and a record shot was all I could muster.

The male Scarlet-backed Flowerpecker is an exquisite creature despite his common status. Naturally he had my attention and from the look of things, I had his too (in a bad way). Not today, huh bud?

By the later half of the morning, the temperature started to soar and so did some of the birds. More Asian Openbills were seen again and this time at much closer proximity.

Poetry in motion – again the birds and not the photography…

Ever wondered how this stork got its name? Apparently only mature birds will sport this distinct gap between mandibles.

When a striking adult Brahminy Kite leisurely glided into view it was deja vu again. First the Openbills and now this common raptor.

I was just thinking to myself that there is another species that often patrols the sky above the swamp forest here this time of year and just like a staged performance, in came a trio of Black Kites from the adjacent paddy fields.

The kites were probably back to rest after the morning’s hunt and their favourite site is the row of big trees across the river. Enjoying the sight of a tree full of Black Kites is something you rarely get to say especially here in Malaysia.

This male Common Flameback signalled his arrival by uttering a series of his loud territorial call. Although this species is a regular here, I have always adored his vivid colouration. Today, he was particularly obliging and I think I took some of my best images of the species to date.

After the exciting encounter with the Common Flameback, I was ready to call it a day. The heat of the midday sun was starting to wear me out. But, this birding hotspot was not quite done. A male Banded Woodpecker alighted so close that it gave me a startle. This species can be exceedingly tame here at times and this was certainly one of those occasions. He was somehow attracted to a clump of Nipah Palms and most probably is about food. A dried palm frown coincidentally provide an interesting backdrop for the photo.

By that time, lighting was getting harsh. Despite the confiding nature of the woodpecker, some of my images somehow do not quite hit the mark. Nevertheless, like the woodpecker, I took my time to gradually move out of the vicinity. My last visit here was rather mundane but today was a whole different story. And it did not even involved one single uncommon species.

I would have missed the last bird of the day had I not seen it fly onto the perch. Indian Cuckoos are common migrants and there are at least two individuals wintering here this season. It is no award-winning photograph but sometimes, experiences matter more. And observing this handsome male Indian Cuckoo resting among the shadows of the canopy foliage is an intriguing experience indeed.

A day with a tantalizing tattler

It has been quite a while since my last twitch. Lifers are now a very rare commodity for me. The sighting of the fourth Grey-tailed Tattler in Penang by Hor Kee (and the Hums earlier last month) at Sungai Burung certainly caught my attention. Enough to make me embark on a quick visit for this scarce wader before work. Even though I have seen this species once before, I do not have any images yet. It was an overcast morning when I arrived at the river mouth where my quarry was last seen but the weather could not dampened my spirits. I was on the hunt for a Grey-tailed Tattler and hopefully, with some photos to show this time round.

I scanned along the water’s edge and it did not take long to locate the Grey-tailed Tattler. The absence of the sun on this cold morning was of no significance because I found my sunshine. I could not recall the last time I was so excited at a locality in Penang Island. Looks like the Pearl of the Orient still has what it takes to light up my life.

The tattler was rather confiding and my intrusion did not seem to interfere with its morning ritual of crab hunting. However due to the lighting conditions, its constant movement was a real test for my photography gear. Those few occasions that it was stationary were the highlights of this morning’s short excursion. The Grey-tailed Tattler is a drab looking bird in winter but to a birder that has a thing for waders, it is one of the most exhilarating species to encounter in this part of Peninsular Malaysia.

My presence did not go unnoticed by one of the residents of the nearby fishing village. From the expression on its face, life is easy and good here in this more rural part of Penang Island away from all the hustle and bustle of Georgetown City. Anyway, this feline kept me company throughout my visit and it received a deservingly prolonged pat on the head before I head to work a happy man. I wish this was my first experience with the Grey-tailed Tattler as my first encounter a few years back at Batu Kawan was only a brief one. But this one was just incredible.

As my working day drew to a close, I could not suppress my yearning for better images of the confiding tattler. So I found myself at the faithful river mouth again in the evening and as expected, the lighting was much better. The Grey-tailed Tattler was almost at the same spot as this morning and with a little effort, I got relatively close to it.

On one occasion, it wandered towards me and that took my breath away literally. When it comes to photographing waders, distance is always an issue – especially for the rare ones. Murphy will usually make sure of that. Anyway there I was, at a birding site I usually ignore, gawking at a Grey-tailed Tattler strolling right in front of me in good light. Perfect moments usually do not exist in birding but this one came pretty damn close.

Whenever I could pull away from the spell the tattler had on me, I will have a quick look at what other birds were about. A muddied Common Redshank almost fooled me into thinking it was something else.

The Common Sandpiper is somewhat a smaller version of the Grey-tailed Tattler but by now, I had enough field experience to differentiate the two by jizz alone. The latter usually has a lower posture but the main characteristic is the longer and slenderer appearance.

There must be something in the air today as another wader wandered towards me instead of the other way round and this time it was a Terek Sandpiper. This coastline has always being a refuge for this adorable species and I have encountered it on numerous occasions. However, today was by far the closest I have ever been to one and the following images reflect my good fortune.

There is probably at least one Striated Heron in every stretch mudflats throughout the state or even the country. It comes as no surprise when I counted at least half a dozen present in the vicinity.

The light was disappearing fast from the evening sky. I took advantage of the last rays of the sun to capture a few more images of the Grey-tailed Tattler before calling it the day. The setting sun cast a golden hue on my subject and set my heart aflutter. I have probably taken enough photos of this bird to last me a lifetime. But judging from its confiding, I will probably be back again before it flies back north.

A small group of shutterbugs had gathered at the river mouth as I was making my way out. They had no intentions of shooting the scarce Grey-tailed Tattler. The sunset was what they were after. To each his own but I will take a rare migrant over a landscape anytime. I began the post with a view of the river mouth at Sungai Burung at the break of dawn and it is only fitting that I should end it with a view at dusk.

The checklist of birds recorded this time can be found here:
1. Sungai Burung

A happy Chinese New Year indeed (06/02/2016)

The Penang Botanic Gardens is not exactly the kind of place that you will find me on a birding Saturday. No doubt it is a beautiful place with lush green landscapes and probably provides shelter to quite a number of birds. However, it is a popular tourist and recreational destination and it can get a little crowded at times. I do not consider myself to be antisocial. There is one thing though – I do prefer to do my birding in peace far away from all those stares and interruptions. It has been more than 25 years since I took up birding and yet, up to this very day there are still people who cannot grasp the thought of someone who loves and appreciates birdlife so much that he will travel far and wide just to observe and enjoy these wonderful and inspirational creations of Mother Nature.

I found myself walking alongside morning walkers at the break of dawn as I made my way to the Lily Pond section of the gardens. It must take a very good reason to risk exposing myself to the torments from my fellow human beings and it is an Orange-headed Thrush reported by a few birders that has been showing well at that vicinity. This migratory thrush may just be uncommon here in Malaysia but to me, it is rare as I have only seen it once before and with no photos to show. It was still dark when I reached the spot where the thrush was last seen and made myself comfortable on the narrow cemented forest trail and waited patiently for my quarry to show itself.

I did not have to wait long. The Orange-headed Thrush appeared out of nowhere and started foraging along the trail. There was enough light for me to enjoy the beautiful plumage of the thrush through my binoculars but my photography gear just could not cope under such conditions. Inevitably, I laid down my camera and just watched the thrush hopped along the trail (and into my heart) as it looked for breakfast while waiting for more light to pierce through the dense canopy. It was a stunning bird and its tolerance to my presence made the encounter priceless. The setting and close proximity brought back memories to a time when Penang Hill was still a birding haven. For a few seasons, a male Siberian Blue Robin would forage along a cemented trail next to the Southview Bungalow. Back then, I did not even own a camera. I just sat on the trail and cherish the encounters through my binoculars. Birding was definitely simpler then. I did not have to worry about lighting, composition, exposure, etc.

When the lighting condition finally improved, so did my images. The encounter was now complete as I was able to obtain reasonable images. Being under the cover of the forest, the lighting was far from ideal but you will not hear a peep from me. Giving and receiving Mandarin Oranges are very much a part of the Chinese New Year tradition. With the New Year just two days away, this ‘orange’ from Mother Nature is a gift that will be treasured for a long time to come.

All my years of birding has made my sense of hearing relatively sharp and there was no mistaking the calls I was hearing coming round the bend of the trail – human speech. I avoided eye contact hoping that the group will move past me as fast as possible without jeopardizing all the efforts I have put in to gain the trust of the thrush. But I guess sitting on a forest trail alone with birding equipment was too much for most humans to ignore and I tried to be as courteous as possible when thrown with the normal array of questions. This was the first of the three groups that walked past during my observation. With each passing group, it took the thrush longer to return to the trail again. After the last  group, I had to come to terms that there was no chance of the lighting condition improving and very likely, more recreational walkers will be marching down the trail. So, I decided to pack up and proceeded to the mudflats at Bagan Belat for some time at the beach.

One of my main reasons for this visit was to try and get some improvement shots of the Slender-billed Gulls. During my last visit, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of gulls present and picking out the rare Slender-billed Gulls was tedious work. This time it was a whole lot easier as there were only seven gulls present. If only the Slender-billed Gulls were among these Brown-headed Gulls. This outcome devastated Andy (chairman of Wild Bird Club of Malaysia) who was back in Penang for the Chinese New Year more than me because the former would have been a Malaysian lifer for him.

The number of waders at the high time roost has decreased since the last visit. I never expected this phenomenon to last but I did not know it would be gone so soon. Utter disappointment...

The only wader that provided some good photographic opportunities was the Common Redshank. As usual, it will forage quite close to the shore line and will even disregard your presence if you do not pose to be of any threat to it.

Surprisingly, the highlight of this visit to the mudflats did not come from the mudflats but the sky above. When I first arrive at the river mouth, there was a pair of White-bellied Sea-eagles resting on some poles not too far from the coast and the waders. Since the waders are not perturbed by their presence, then neither should I. Midway through my visit, the eagles took to the air and were flying in unison. That can only mean one thing – we were in for a treat.

Most fish eagles throughout the world have spectacular aerial displays during the breeding season. The White-bellied Sea-eagle is certainly one of them. These large eagles lock talons in mid air while plummeting down to Earth spiralling. And just before they make contact with the ground, they release their love hold. Like the scene from The Big Year, one of my all-time favourite movies, where the three birders doing their big year actually took the time to enjoy a pair of common Bald Eagles performing a similar display. Usually they tend to exaggerate the truth in movies but there is no exaggeration about this scene. It is just as breath taking in real life. This is my crappy attempt to capture the moment and it does no justice to the courting pair.

I also bumped into Mr and Mrs Hum, some of the most senior birders in Penang, and their friend further down the coastline. Mr Hum has been shooting birds for as long as I could remember and his photographs are a true inspiration to me when I first took up bird photography to compliment my birding. However, the mudflats are unlikely to spring any more surprises and I decided to head to one last location before calling it a day. By the time I arrived at the Air Hitam Dalam Educational Forest, the sun was at its zenith and bird activities have dropped to a low point. But this is Air Hitam Dalam. You do not usually go home empty handed. This confiding Lineated Barbet certainly made sure of that.

The final bird of the day was a soaring Brahminy Kite. Red is an auspicious  colour for the Chinese New Year and an ideal way to wrap things up for this last trip before the New Year as the Brahminy Kite is a reddish bird after all. One last thing. Note to self – never pack up your camera until you are next to your vehicle because just do not know when a ever-wary Black-capped Kingfisher suddenly decides to alight on the rope of the boardwalk right in front of the gazebo you are resting in. Well, life goes on...