However, I did manage to get out yesterday afternoon, not an ideal time of day but better than nothing. I've written about the sad state of Air Hitam Dalam before - and highway construction continues apace, while wildlife continues to hang on by a toehold in the fragments of mangrove and swamp remaining.
Olive-winged Bulbuls are common open scrub birds - rather non-descript except for the dark eye, streaky ear coverts and olive tinge to the wings.
A male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher was a nice surprise along the boardwalk beneath some large strangling figs. It spent some time hunting unconcernedly nearby.
Interestingly, this bird has an orangey vent. Robson's Birds of South-east Asia says it should be 'pale'.
Other birds of note recorded were a very late Arctic Warbler, and Green-billed and Raffles' Malkohas.
There aren't too many places in Penang where you can see Silvered Leaf Monkey, though they are commoner further south. I caught this one in mid-leap between trees.
A Plantain Squirrel, the commonest squirrel at this site.
This brightly coloured wasp was competing with many other insects at this flowering plant.
I wasn't able to identify this attractive dragonfly. Can anyone help? [This is Aethriamanta aethra. Thanks to Ian Choong for the id]
As the sun set, this Spotted Wood Owl started to call, puffing up its white throat feathers as it did so.
An army helicopter came to take a look!
This female Diplacodes trivialis was one of several catching the last rays of the sun.
A pair of Jungle Mynas flying to roost.
A fledging Wood Owl came out to join the adult. It tried out its wings by flopping from tree to tree.
It was easy to locate as it kept up a continuous mournful mewing, sounding a bit like a Eurasian Collared Dove.
As it grew darker, a pair of Barn Owls also appeared, along with 4 Great Eared Nightjars, which flew out of the forest to hunt over nearby fields. Sorry for the horrendous image - it was the best I could do!
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