It was good to see quite a few birds I don't get at TT, including Eurasian and Eastern Curlew, Brown-headed Gull and Common, Whiskered and White-winged Terns. There was also a smart breeding plumage Grey Heron. No Nordmann's Greenshanks today, though I didn't expect to see many at this stage of the tide. There was a Eurasian Collared Dove at Bagan Belat, which I assume to be an escaped cage-bird rather than a genuine vagrant. It seemed quite at home in the village environment.
From Bagan Belat I drove several miles inland to the area around Air Hitam Dalam. This used to be a beautiful area of swamp and mangrove along a river. Last year the powers-that-be decided that it should be developed as an 'eco-resort'. Now most of the riverine forest has been cleared, several roads are being constructed through it, and a canopy walkway has been erected through the few remaining trees. Actually, most of the work underway is in the construction of a major road past the area. The eco-resort seems to have been forgotten about. This isn't surprising, as there isn't much left to built a resort around. It all seems such a senseless waste.
I found that one or more likely several owls have been using one of the viewing towers as a roost or nocturnal hunting post, as it was covered with droppings and there were many pellets in evidence. No owls though.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/635939/Drongo%2C%20Crow-billed1.jpg)
There was a 1st winter Crow-billed Drongo flitting about in the trees, but it mostly kept high up, and out of decent range.
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This squirrel was one of several seen here. If you know the speicific identity, please let me know! Thanks.
I spent quite a while driving through the paddyfields in the area. Most of them were full of well-grown green paddy, with just a few open areas where there was standing water. Notable birds were good numbers of Intermediate Egrets among the commoner Little, Great and Cattle Egrets and pond herons, a couple of Black-winged Stilts, a very few Wood Sandpipers, Swinhoe's or Pintail Snipes and a Black Kite.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/985666/Sandpiper%2C%20Wood2.jpg)
A graceful Wood Sandpiper in typical habitat.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/557867/Snipe%2C%20prob%20Swinhoe%27s1.jpg)
A 'Swintail' Snipe freezes to avoid detection.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/522227/Kite%2C%20Black-winged1.jpg)
Black-winged Kites hunt very much in the manner of Kestrels; hovering and then swooping down on their prey.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/937236/Pipit%2C%20Paddyfield4.jpg)
A Paddyfield Pipit just where it should be - in a paddyfield!
Finally, though, I came across an area of paddy being harvested by two huge yellow combine harvesters on caterpillar tracks, and here the air was full of dust and hirundines.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/631150/Swallow%2C%20Red-rumped1.jpg)
They were mostly Red-rumped Swallows, with many Barn Swallows and at least one Sand Martin. Sand Martin is not on the official list of birds that have been recorded in the state, though I did see one last year.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/203268/Swallow%2C%20Red-rumped4.jpg)
One of several hundred Red-rumped Swallows.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/739188/Martin%2C%20Sand1.jpg)
A Sand Martin. The frequency with which I was able to pick out a lone Sand Martin amongst all the other birds suggested to me that there may have been more than one.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/176163/Martin%2C%20Sand3.jpg)
The dark breastband and belly markings rule out the similar Pale Martin, which could conceivably occur.
There were also hundreds of Yellow Wagtails hawking insects on the newly cut paddy-stems. I spent a while looking through them but failed to find a Citrine Wagtail or anything more unusual. Four Black Kites hung on the wind in the hope of catching rats.
![](http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/5723/2434/400/747575/Bee-eater%2C%20Blue-tailed3.jpg)
What are YOU looking at?! A Blue-tailed Bee-eater stares me down.