Enjoy the little things

I awoke to a Saturday morning that was simply too beautiful not to be out in the field. It has been a while since my last visit to Sungai Burung – a local patch located at the south-western corner of Penang Island. The scenic drive that cuts through the central hilly region to get to the site is now marred with the massive construction of an elevated highway. Luckily, the site itself remained pretty much the same as I last left it. In fact, I found the rural landscape to be more captivating than usual today. Or perhaps it is because I have been away for far too long.

The Black-naped Oriole is one of the most attractive birds that occurs within human settlements. I came across one resting on an electrical cable and it appeared to be in no particular hurry to start off the day and neither was I. Besides, I could use some colours in my life right now and the radiant plumage of the Black-naped Oriole will certainly do.

Feral species usually do not do it for me but Barbary Doves are still relatively uncommon here in Penang. Two pairs were seen perched suspiciously just outside a village house. The doves could well be free flying pets as they exhibited very little fear of my approach.

One pair had no intentions to conceal their feelings for each other. And I guess in no time, Barbary Doves will be a regular sight here but hopefully, not the entire island. We have more than enough Feral Pigeons flying about everywhere as it is.

An immature Blue-tailed Bee-eater was also making full use of the electrical cables. Unlike the doves, the youngster was using this man made structure to hunt for breakfast rather than procreation.

Along the access road next to the mangroves, the resident Collared Kingfishers were certainly out and about. Most have paired up for the breeding season and their raucous calls constantly broke the serenity of the surroundings.

There were fewer White-throated Kingfishers present which is expected of this location. In birding, it is sometimes about quality rather than quantity and this one White-throated Kingfisher provided the best photo out of all the kingfishers I came across today.

There was a big downpour the night before but it still does not explain why this Dollarbird is looking so miserable and wet. Not when other birds are looking prime and proper.

Despite having to endure human trappers, both the Zebra Dove and its bigger cousin the Spotted Dove are doing surprisingly well. While birding along the edge of the mangroves, I came across numerous individuals of both species. And one exceptionally tame Zebra Dove managed to convince me to stop for a photoshoot. While enjoying some sunshine on the rocky divider between the access trail and the mangroves, the little guy literally ignored my approaching vehicle. With the lighting condition ideal and the subject at eye level, it was almost too good (and easy) to be true.

The doves might be enjoying the good life here but they better not let down their guard too often. In this healthy ecosystem, predators lurk. The Crested Serpent-Eagle generally prefer a reptilian diet but who is to say if it suddenly acquires a taste for avian meat.

Brahminy Kites are aplenty today and the majority of them were juveniles. It is a scavenger by nature but will take life prey when the opportunity presents itself and small birds are certainly part of its diet.

The Purple Heron has little to fear from these raptors as it is simply too big for them to overpower. It enjoys its time in the sun with very little worries. At this location, the only species that poses any real threat to it would be humans. But not this human for he has nothing but admiration the heron’s stately presence.

At the nearby estuary, Striated Herons are abundant and it has been that way for as long as I could remember. Immature birds lack the lovely plumage colouration of the matured birds.

An adult Striated Heron is an attractive water bird that most birders and bird photographers often take for granted. But today, I was not on tour nor was I on any twitching mission. Today’s excursion was a relaxed outing to a local patch just to catch up with all the birding I was deprived of by the government’s partial lockdown order. And I intend to enjoy the little things like giving the Striated Heron the attention it truly deserves.

Even the Pacific Swallow managed to grab hold of my attention today and that does not happen often.

This is one of the few locations on the island where the Large-billed Crow can still be seen regularly. There is no doubt they are losing out to the marauding House Crows and that is a shame. I like the Large-billed Crow more or maybe I am just biased towards the House Crows for all the misdeeds they are capable of doing.

I kept a look out for Javan Mynas as they have been recorded from the island as well. However, there were not many mynas around today and those few Jungle Mynas that came my way did not produce any surprises.

As I was driving next to the river, I was surprise to see five Grey Herons at a single spot each perched on a different but adjacent tree. It appeared to be like a small heronry and in all of years of birding here in the Pearl of the Orient, this is my biggest count to date.

Another notable personal count for the island was a group of six Red-wattled Lapwings. Long before I could see them, I could hear their loud call as I approached the paddy fields. I have seen Red-wattled Lapwings at this site irregularly through the years but always lone birds. This species is doing so well throughout the peninsular nowadays and there is really no reason for them not to thrive here as well.

A few all too familiar silhouettes glided across the sky before alighted on a flooded patch of the paddy fields. It was not unexpected but to finally know I share my island home with Asian Openbills was definitely the highlight of the trip. I do not think this is the first confirmed sighting from Penang Island but it does not really matter. These unique storks have settled in well just across the narrow straits that separate the island from the mainland. It was just a matter of time before a few decide to opt for an island life. Unlike the invasive Javan Mynas, these storks certainly have my welcome.

The savage sea

I decided to visit Sungai Burung in Penang Island with whatever time I have left after work before meeting Hor Kee for some wader watching later by boat on the mainland. I was hoping to catch the Grey-tailed Tattler before it flies back to its breeding ground up north but a brief view was all that was given today. The commoner Terek Sandpiper was much more obliging today but there was little I could do about the harsh lighting as the noon hour was fast approaching.

The Chinese Pond-Herons were coming into their breeding colours nicely. With no signs of the other two rarer Pond-Herons, this time the commonest one was given its due attention and admiration.

The Brahminy Kite may be the commonest raptor in coastal areas but a full-fledged adult is still a striking bird. On a day when things are far from exciting, this scavenging bird of prey is a welcomed sight.

This Jungle Myna made me look twice as the colouration of this individual was very similar to that of a Javan Myna. There are still no records of the Javan Myna that I know of here in Penang but at the pace it is spreading up north, it should be only a matter of time.

After I quick lunch, I met up with my companions to embark on a rented boat to observe waders along the Bagan Ajam – Teluk Air Tawar coastline. It was a hot day but the heat was the least of my worries. The sea condition was less than favourable and the choppy waters drenched us despite all the efforts of our boatman to keep us dry. The constant rocking of the boat also made it difficult for photography. Luckily, our group had relatively strong sea legs or this wader excursion would have been a very short one. When we finally made our way to the waders, I tried my best to obtain some images in this testing condition. Godwits, both Black-tailed and Bar-tailed, have remarkable breeding plumages. Combined with the sheer size of the birds, stood out from their drab companions.

The Black-tailed Godwit provided better photographic opportunities and for that I am most grateful.

I often wonder if it is necessary to include “Far” in the Far Eastern Curlew’s name. Well, after all these years this is the only type of images I have of this scarce migrant. There is no more doubt about the name anymore. However, even at this distance the long decurved bill of the two birds resting on a mud bank still looked amazing.

A number of Brown-headed Gulls in their smart breeding plumages were also recorded today.

Some of them were using the concrete poles of the clam farms to rest and that gave us an opportunity for a more intimate observation.

The regular users of the poles, the terns, did not seem troubled by the presence of the larger gulls. Even the mighty Greater Crested Terns were dwarfed by them. Due to the strong waves, the boat could not remain at ideal shooting positions for long and that hampered our efforts for better images.

Not to be outdone by the gulls, some of them were sporting their full breeding plumages as well...

The Whiskered Terns are truly striking in their breeding plumages. I could not obtain any images of them in flight as they followed our boat today. I am grateful the sea did not rob me of all attempts to photograph this tern.

Birds may not be part of the White-bellied Sea-Eagle’s diet but I guess it is still intimidating for the terns to have a predator resting at such close proximity.

Back at the estuary, the boat ride was much more comfortable as we were protected by the mangroves. Humans are not the only ones who find shelter here. A number of egrets were seen resting here as they wait for the receding tide to exposed nutritious morsels to feed. The Great Egret, as the name implies, is the largest species presence and the most conspicuous.

The last bird for this marine adventure was a Javan Pond-Heron. Looking absolutely gorgeous in full breeding plumage, this blonde bombshell is all ready to fly back north for the breeding season. This may well be my last visit to the mudflats as the migratory is about to end. This season did not produce any truly significant moments for me. Hopefully, I will do better in the next one.

The checklist of birds recorded:
1. Sungai Burung
2. Teluk Air Tawar

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