8th April 2008: Kapar Power Station Ash Ponds, Selangor (Part 2)

When the bulk of birds arrived, there was a good number of Great and Red Knots, in contrast to yesterday, when I didn't see many. Most of the Great Knot were dull 1st year birds, suggesting that the main northward passage of breeders had finished. Some of the Red Knot however were in stunning breeding dress, so perhaps they migrate slightly later.


This male Red Knot shows exactly why it is so named!


One of the few Great Knot in breeding plumage.



The predominance of chestnuts, oranges and reds in waders' breeding plumage mirrors the rich colours of the tundra habitats where they will breed. Each shade is subtly different - compare the dark red wine-coloured Curlew sandpiper (left) with the more vivid Red Knot (right) and the orange of the Greater Sand Plovers. Can you spot the Sanderling again?


This Curlew Sandpiper is my tribute to the Swedish master, Lars Jonsson. One common criticism of his paintings is that he draws birds too fat. Well, here's evidence that they really can look like footballs, and this one isn't even cold!


In amongst the Red-necked Stints was this nice Little Stint - with classic rotund body, small head and fine-tipped bill.







Since I couldn't see the left side of this bird, it was difficult to be sure if this was the same bird as yesterday's, though the split supercilium looked fainter, suggesting it was a different individual. There are some nice chestnut fringed coverts on the right side of this bird.


Not one but two Sanderlings today! Something about them reminds me of Nordmann's Greenshank in miniature!


The ghostly winter plumage certainly makes them easy to pick out against the darker Broad-billed and Curlew Sandpipers.





Anyone who says waders are dull obviously hasn't seen a male Bar-tailed Godwit in full summer plumage!


The closest of all the waders to my hide were the Whimbrels.


While the furthest were the Eurasian Curlew, which had their own exclusive club with the Gull-billed Terns (and a Grey Heron as the doorman!).

The light continued to deteriorate, and, together with rumblings of thunder, rain began to fall. Fortunately my hide is waterproof!


The first few drops settled on the bird's backs.


Having a good shake to get dry!


A Great Knot getting wetter!


Those raindrops look big if you're a Red-necked Stint!


A Common and Nordmann's Greenshank tough it out.


Brightening up again.


What's going on here then? A black necklace above the breastband is supposed to be a feature of Lesser Sand Plover in some races, but not Greater. Yet this is clearly a Greater. These birds really should read the field guides more carefully!


This summer plumaged Grey Plover cuts a fine figure among his drabber companions.


A smart Common Greenshank in breeding dress. Note the many bars and small white notches on the tertials and greater coverts, quite different from the pattern of Nordmann's in summer plumage.


An Asian Dowitcher keeps company with a couple of Common Redshanks and a Common Greenshank


The dowitcher showing its prehensile bill tip. It uses this to feel for prey beneath the mud.


An odd couple! There's quite a contrast between the structure of the Marsh Sandpiper in front and the dowitcher.



Two Asian Dowitchers with a Common Redshank.

By now dusk was gathering and the light was fast fading. I had had a fantastic day, but my one slight regret was that the Nordmann's Greenshanks had stayed well out in the deeper water. If only one would come in a bit closer. And then...





It's always worth asking!


Having a bit of trouble with a pesky mosquito! At least it wasn't sitting on an ants' nest!




Because of the light, I was down to shooting at 1/50th of a second. This turned the drops from the preening godwit's bill into a halo for the Nordmann's.


As it was practically dark I decided to call it a day at this point. I was still slapping persistent ants off my body hours later, even after a shower! But I wasn't complaining. What an awesome two days of wader watching!

8th April 2008: Kapar Power Station Ash Ponds, Selangor (Part 1)

First things first - the bird in the last post was correctly spotted and id'ed by Tun Pin aka Tippytommi- a Sanderling. Good job!

Before heading to the ashponds I drove to Klang to take advantage of a generous offer by Jason Tan, of Trifid Optics, to borrow his 400 prime lens with 1.4 teleconverter.

I arrived at the site at around midday, and, after setting up my hide at the main roost site, I spent an hour or so unsuccessfully trying to see a Mangrove Pitta that had been calling nearby the previous day.

Once I had installed myself in my hide I discovered that I had sited it right on top of an ants' nest, so for the next five hours I suffered their attacks. The things we do for our art!


In the first group of waders to arrive there were a couple of Nordmann's (one flying in in this shot).


Panic stations! A Peregrine comes in for a surprise attack! I was so intent on photographing the waders that I didn't see the Peregrine till I got back to the hotel and looked through my photos!


You can see the urgency in the way these birds are trying to get up to maximum speed! Thanks to the Peregrine, I finally got a half decent shot of the white underwing coverts of a Nordmann's Greenshank.


Everyone seems to have survived the scare! Here six Nordmann's are joined by three Asian Dowitchers. a Common Greenshank and a Broad-billed Sandpiper.



The day was much more overcast than yesterday, which meant I didn't have the beautiful afternoon light. One the plus side, it also meant there was no heat haze. Here's today's version of 'the three musketeers' - Marsh Sandpiper, Nordmann's Greenshank and Common Greenshank, with Great Knot, Broad-billed Sandpiper and Greater Sand Plover thrown in for good measure!


Here the greenshanks are joined by a small flock of Black-tailed Godwits and a dowitcher. Note that the chestnut colouration on the Black-tailed Godwit only extends to the lower breast.



Another shot of the Black-tails, showing the straight, pink-based bill (Bar-tailed is slightly upturned and sharper at the tip). The different bill structure of Asian Dowitcher(centre) is well illustrated here.

7th April 2008: Kapar Power Station Ash Ponds, Selangor (Part 2)

Leaving the small wader roost at the far end of the ash pond, I drove round to the main roost on the east side of the pond. The light was great and the birds were close to the edge, but the problem was that I could not approach them without putting them all to flight.


A nice selection of species: Grey Plover, Common and Nordmann's Greenshanks, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Bar and Black-tailed Godwits. There are three Nordmann's in this photo, all facing the camera, showing their characteristically broad-based bill and gleaming white underparts.


Here's a closer view of two Nordmann's (left and rear), with a Common Greenshank. The fact that they are standing in deep water nicely illustrates the longer legs of the Common!



A nice educational view of three close relatives, Marsh Sandpiper (front), Common Greenshank (right and rear left)) and Nordmann's (three birds on the left). Notice the chunky bill, 'fat face' and piggy-eyed appearance of the Nordmann's - possibly due to the fact that the eye seems to be set more centrally than on Common.



A couple of Nordmann's with two Grey Plovers, a Common Redshank and a Common Greenshank. The bird on the left is coming into breeding plumage, showing diffuse spotting on the breast and dark-centred, white-fringed scapulars and coverts with large white triangular notches.


Compared to Common Greenshank (front left), Nordmann's (two birds on the right) shows a much squarer, deeper, less attenuated body shape.


Here's a view with four Nordmann's and a lone Asian Dowitcher (one of three birds present).


There were other birds there too! This was part of a large flock of mainly stints, sand plovers and Curliew Sandpipers. I couldn't find the Spoon-billed in this lot. Can you?


There are a few Lesser Sand Plovers at the front of this flock coming into summer plumage. The chestnut colouration is deeper and redder than on Greater, and more extensive too.


A Caspian Tern flies out to sea.


And finally, spot the bird! There is one individual in this flock of a species I haven't mentioned so far. Can you find and identify it? (Click on the picture to get a larger view). Answer in the next post!