19.02.2018 Putrajaya Wetland Park

I had to make a tough decision whether want to visit Putrajaya Wetland Park or Jeram, and finally I decided to hunt at Putrajaya Wetland Park. Quite a nice place, but my worry was how if I return empty handed like I did at KKB, due to my limited experience. This time I had set the ISO to automatic mode. 

I reached the park at 8:30a.m. and walked to the lake area. High up at a tree near to the park office building, I sighted the Banded Woodpecker. Due to wrong angle I didn't manage to get a good photo of it.

Banded Woodpecker (Chrysophlegma miniaceum)

I proceed further to the lake side, and saw a pair of White Headed Munia (a new entry) gathering nesting material at a giant bulrush patch. There were other common garden birds as well around the lakes.

White Headed Munia (Lonchura maja)

Magpie Robin - Female (Copsychus saularis)

Pink Necked Green Pigeon - Male (Trerons vernans)

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela malayensis) soaring above the park 

I made my way along the path which leads to the other lakes, surrounded by trees. I managed to have a shot on a Pin Striped Tit Babbler, another new entry to my birds list. It was a pair of this babbler, holding a strip of dried grass with its beak and moving around me. Perhaps they are building a nest. They were quite friendly and I managed to get a good shot even though the lights were not favoring my side. 

Pin Striped Tit Babbler (Macronus gularis)

Pin Striped Tit Babbler (Macronus gularis)

I walked towards the lake having an instinct that I would end up meeting the Black Backed Swamphen, and yes I did! It came out of the thick vegetation and was moving around a small open, grassy area. Black Backed Swamphen is much friendlier compared to other rails. I noticed that it has the habit of raising an alarm call when it hears loud noises (same goes with the Purple Heron, after hearing a loud "bang" resulted from ongoing site works in the park).

Black Backed Swamphen (Porphyrio indicus)

Black Backed Swamphen (Porphyrio indicus)

Black Backed Swamphen (Porphyrio indicus)

On my way returning to my car, I found 3 Red Wattled Lapwings fleeing away with their signature alarm call, which is a continuous 3-noted cry "keer-keer-keer...keer-keer-keer...". Its not that easy to pick them up at a close distance, so I missed to shot them, as they saw me before I do. The Tamil name for the Red Wattled Lapwing is "Aal Kaatti", literally meaning "The Pointer".

Common Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata)

As I continued to walk to my car, I found an Indian Cuckoo perching on a tree. It was a new entry to my list. In total, I had 4 new birds to my list at Putrajaya Wetland Park.

Indian Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus concretus)

16.02.2018 Looking for New Site

I am currently looking for new sites for birding around Kampung Lombong and Jalan Kebun area, just hoping that it introduce me to new entries to my birds list. After an hour roaming around, I didn't manage to find one. Finally I went to the same Acacia tree at Kampong Lombong, where I tested my gear few weeks ago, took some shots of Pied Thriller, White Throated Kingfisher and again, the Asian Brown Flycatcher.

Yellow Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)

White Throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnenis perpulchra)

Pied Thriller (Lalage nigra)

Pied Thriller (Lalage nigra)

Pied Thriller (Lalage nigra)

Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa  dauurica)

15.02.2018 Jeram and Pantai Remis

Jeram and Pantai Remis area are the neighbouring coastal area to Sungai Janggut. Despite of their names 'Pantai Jeram" and "Pantai Remis" are not a suitable place for beach activities in my opinion. However both are great place for birding.

I arrived early at Jeram, around 8:30a.m. and spent some time at a wooded area near the coast. After taking 5 to 6 snaps of a Laced Woodpecker and Crested Serpent Eagle, the camera popped up a message, mentioning "card is full". Gosh! I realised I did not formatted the memory card. What a waste! I had to format it along with the woodpecker and the eagle's pictures. I was a bit upset but I have no choice. After formatted the card, I moved to a cluster of bamboo where I saw Common Ioras were happily singing. The males started with their long whistle tune while spreading the head and back feathers.

Common Iora - Male (Aegithina tiphia)

Yellow Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)

I found a lonely Pink Necked Green Pigeon, feeding on Melastoma fruits. Melastoma malabathricum or locally known as "senduduk", bear fruits which is fed by many types of birds including the green pigeon, bulbuls and even flowerpeckers. The leaves are used by the locals for preparing remedies for leucorrhea and treating wounds.

Pink Necked Green Pigeon - Male (Treron vernans)

I drove off to the coast and saw something "big" clinging high on a dead coconut tree. Its a Water Monitor, sunning itself on a dead coconut tree.

Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator macromaculatus)

Then I proceed to the coastal area for the waders. The tide was way too low and the waders were quite far away from the coast. Lucky that some are still near to me. I managed to shoot Common Redshank and Lesser Sand Plover. The sand flies are a nuisance here, as they annoy me during the shots. I was keep on moving just to avoid them. Unlike Sungai Janggut coast, this area is infested with Little Heron.

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Lesser Sand Plover (Charadrius mongolus)

Little Heron (Butorides striata)

Little Heron (Butorides striata) in flight

Little Heron (Butorides striata) in flight

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Once done with Jeram, I drove to Pantai Remis coast. Here I found two new entry to my bird list. It was a pair of Copper Throated Sunbird and a Whimbrel. Whimbrels are distinguished from Eurasian Curlew by their shorter curved bill. Eastern Curlews are much bigger and they have a paler face, compared to the Whimbrels.

Copper Throated Sunbird - Female (Leptocoma calcostetha)

Copper Throated Sunbird - Female (Leptocoma calcostetha)

Copper Throated Sunbird - Male (Leptocoma calcostetha)

Copper Throated Sunbird - The Couple (Leptocoma calcostetha)

Common Redshank (Tringa totanus)

Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus)

10.02.2018 Sungai Janggut Revisited

I revisited Sungai Janggut and this time I am quite lucky. I was greeted by a soaring Brahminy Kite, soaring above the mangroves. I take a walk along the mangrove, again heard a series of "laughters" made by some White Collared Kingfishers. Then reached a muddy flat at its end. to my surprise there were many waders where feasting on the mud flat. I found a medium sized flock of Wood Sandpipers busy looking for food. I personally had a thought that waders are boring, but today I changed my mind. They are more approachable and interesting to shot, especially when they are in flight. Plus, a single mud flat will provide you several species of waders in a single frame.

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)

White Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris humii)

A small flock of Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

I decide to walk along the sandy edge of the mud flat to find more birds. A Whiskered Tern was busy fishing in the shallow waters. I first saw this bird at the Azhapuzha canal, in Kerala, few years back.

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)

I reached a huge mud flat where I saw a huge flock of waders busy feasting. I had a quite an entry to my birds' list as well. I was followed by a flock of House Crows which were very noisy and scared away the waders which were closer to me. I walked away and found another spot to shot the waders. Some were so small and far, made it difficult for me to focus. One of such bird was the Ruddy Turnstone, which was busy looking for food under the stones from quite a distance. This bird is not found in large number like the other waders. It move in a very small number.

Little Heron (Butorides striata) with its catch, probably a salt water catfish

Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Lesser Sand Plovers (Charadrius mongolus) in flight

Curlew Sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea) in flight

Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea)

A Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) busy looking for food

However, I was excited to have my first encounter with the Eurasian Curlew, a large wader with a long beak, built for hunting small crabs and other aquatic crustaceans.

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) in flight

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata)

Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) in flight

It is a fruitful visit since I had 5 new entries to my bird list. Its a worthy place to be revisited again for taking the pictures of the waders. 

04.02.2018 Sungai Janggut (Kapar)

I came to know about Sungai Janggut through a birding blog few weeks ago.Its my first time trying to shoot at coastal area. Before I reach the spot, I stopped at a water gate of a canal since I spotted some egrets.

Intermediate Egret (Egretta intermedia)

Sungai Janggut has a good offer for water and mangrove birds. I arrived here at 3:00pm, during low tide and the mud flats were exposed for the water birds to hunt for their prey. I came to know about this place through a birding blog a week ago. As soon as I entered the area I was welcomed by a Common Sandpiper, a small wader which common even in inland mud flats.It was hunting for food in a shallow tidal pool. Since its a small bird, I need to get as close as possible, but trust me its not an easy job. Lucky that I found a dead tree trunk that served as a hide for me.

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

I heard some "demonic" laughters around, definitely by White Collared Kingfishers, another common bird of the coastal area.

White Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris humii)

I found a medicinal plant, the Indian Mallow (Abutilon indicum) growing in huge number here. It is known remedy for haemorrhoids and piles.

Indian Mallow (Abutilon indicum)

I found no waders on the mud flats except for egrets, which were hunting far away from me. I decided to venture into a small mangrove patch. I saw a group of egrets accompanying a lonely Grey Heron at a canal near to the mangrove patch.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)

A Grey Heron among the Egrets

Then came a pair of Cinereus Tit, whistling while looking for insects among the mangrove trees. Its a new entry to my list. I had the trouble to keep up with the focus since they are fasting moving. Some how I manage to get some shots.

Cinereus Tit (Parus cinereus ambiguus)

Cinereus Tit (Parus cinereus ambiguus)