Still getting back into the swing of things, so I decided to check out the paddyfields today.
After a brief early morning check of the pylons - no raptors surprisingly - perhaps they were already up and on the hunt, I went to the 'openbill ponds.' This is a fantastic spot just oozing with potential for something rare, but it's also extremely difficult to watch, as there's so much dense vegetation for things hide in. It would make the perfect spot for a ringing station I reckon.
A selection of birds flying over, which is about the only way you can see birds here! Black-crowned Night-herons.
Little Egret.
Great Egret.
A pond-heron of uncertain nationality. Now there's a good project for someone - work out how to identify pond-herons in non-breeding plumage!
A fly-over Eastern Yellow Wagtail.
What do think this is then?
An Asian Brown Flycatcher flying across the paddyfields!
Here's the same individual in more familiar pose!
This should be easier!
Brown Shrike.
Barn Swallow.
I spent a long time grilling the Purple-backed Starlings, hoping for something else in with them. In any case, they're really smart birds, reminding me in flight of Bohemian Waxwings which I had been watching not so long ago!
My heart did skip a beat when this odd yellow bird popped its head up! Nothing rang a bell for a moment, till it turned round...
...when I realized it was 'just' a Purple-backed Starling, but a golden-yellow one!
The colouring looked like natural pigmentation rather than any artificial staining or dye. It was strongest on the rump, which was bright golden-yellow. A very smart bird - too bad I couldn't get any closer.
Here are some more normally-coloured birds.
I drove over to the Permatang Pauh side and managed to sneak up to this confiding White-throated Kingfisher.
There were good numbers of waders in the pools where paddy hadn't grown. There was a flock of over a hundred Black-winged Stilts, including 4-5 with dark necks (which some claim to be White-necked). Most birds were a little too distant for photography and the light was getting harsh.
There were good numbers of snipe about.
Common Snipe.
Swinhoe's or Pintail Snipe. The most obvious differences are in the wings - Common has a much blacker, more pointed outer wing and a broad white trailing edge to the secondaries, compared to 'Pin/Swin' Snipe's browner and blunter outer wing, and lack of clearly demarcated white trailing edge.
Telling Swinhoe's and Pintail apart is much harder, you need to get a good view of the tail to be sure, and this is where photography helps!
When they fly, as the bird above eventually did when flushed by a passing motorcycle, they often fan the tail when braking as they come in to land. This bird shows broad white tips to the tail and fairly broad outer tail feathers (though the outermost may still be hidden). I think Pintail should show much less white in the tail than this, and should show a least a suspicion of fine pin-like outer tail feathers. So I reckon this is a Swinhoe's (I've yet to see a definite Pintail in Penang!)
There was even a male Greater Painted-Snipe sitting quietly on a bund. When I checked him out, I realized why he was being so cautious - he had a brood of four chicks in tow!
I like their chestnut back stripe!
There were a few Red-rumped Swallows around. They had almost no pink or reddish tones at all - practically white on the rump. Perhaps they were worn birds; I didn't get a good look.
The usual loose flock of about 30 Grey-headed Lapwings was dotted around here and there, and this bird remained long enough for a few shots.
I can't remember a day at this location when I saw so few raptors - just one Brahminy! But once the rice is harvested the place should be good for waders and raptors alike. Something to look forward to!
Another Riparia martin at Kampung Permatang Nibong on 20th Nov. Until these can be trapped and measured, I fear we won't be able to say with confidence whether Pale Martin, Sand Martin or both are occurring in the Peninsula.
20 Nov 2011
12 Nov 2009
It was at a remarkably similar stage of moult as a bird photographed 2 years ago on 12 Nov.
One of a couple of Malaysian Hawk-cuckoos which put on an amazing eye-level performance at Penang Botanical Gardens on the morning of Nov 18th. I didn't have my camera with me (didn't expect to see much - oh me of little faith!); both these pics are courtesy of Peter Harris.
Reports of an interesting falcon from Hakim send me over the bridge to the paddyfields at Kampung Permatang Nibong at first light. The falcon was not immediately evident, so I scoured the area, ending up at the ponds where the Asian Openbills roost. This is a superb little spot for marsh birds, and would make a perfect ringing site - hmmm - something for the pipeline perhaps!
The openbills were soon located in the early morning light, roosting separately on some low trees.
A couple of birds are now in pretty smart plumage.
Once the sun was well up, they went for a bit of morning exercise!
Interesting to see the exposed red skin on the underwing.
The inner primaries and outer secondaries of this bird are glossed with a beautiful green-bronze sheen.
A bristling reception from an Intermediate Egret!
The video gives a flavour of the other birds in the area - Oriental Reed Warbler, Asian Koel, House Crow and Black-crowned Night-heron can be heard in the background.
A few juv Black-crowned Night-herons were perched on the bushes. I don't often photograph these, so took the opportunity today.
A female Pink-necked Green Pigeon indulging in an early morning sunbathe!
The vegetated ponds looked very 'crakey', but all I could see were Slaty-breasted Rails and this White-browed Crake and its mate.
There were also some Greater Painted-snipes. Unfortunately I didn't get a sharp shot while they were in the open, but amazingly, the camera locked on when they went behind the bushes!
Hakim alerted me to an interesting-looking biscuit-coloured Aquila eagle soaring some distance away, but, while I was driving to get closer to it, he called to say that he had relocated the falcon, so I did a quick U-turn.
The bird was still present on my arrival, but very wary indeed! It turned out to be a fine juvenile Peregrine.
Having had a good look at the Peregrine, I decided to resume my Aquila-hunt, and got lucky when I relocated the 'biscuit-coloured' eagle on the other side of the highway.
I was hoping it might be a Steppe Eagle, but was happy enough to find that it was an Eastern Imperial - my guess is that it is a second calendar year bird. I'm not sure if this is the same bird that was seen regularly in the area a month or more ago.
Before long a second Eastern Imperial appeared - an adult this time. I couldn't see any white on the scapulars of this bird, but couldn't be sure that it was a different bird from the earlier adult.
The long, rectangular, parallel-sided wing and longish tail and head projection of Eastern Imperial are markedly different from the shorter, rounder wings and shorter tail and neck of Greater Spotted. This is a juv. At one point we had 2 Eastern Imperial and 3 Greater Spotted Eagles in the air together - quite a sight!
The differences are quite apparent in this picture of the adult Eastern Imperial (above) and a Greater Spotted together.
The young Eastern Imperial landed in a field, but it soon flew off as we approached. None of these pictures are particularly sharp unfortunately.
Still, I was pretty happy with the morning's birding overall!
