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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IvAvgYENkrkyfTtwLcR_dLo1-6fRy1CN00cMV_GMJTp8VRvzksEUxtqYKJciDpnA2aepbW768yHpnCY28iCaydCFZ2TKnB-6KD3jzIwamtyffC3x3OdXXwSllD780nxibomxKw/s400/AID_16-5-7_Bulbul,+Olive-winged1_PICT0034.jpg)
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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Hnbp9cWHD6U4OEAkhU0p57Vt2iUlWQPGivlsaLs0FCxwGxGhqVN5iccwBXQ4ZVuGE8Pp0JaJdgAoKzDisHH8Sbiy4kRw418LI7yfJMjbnBv552dAGh64wYbSWwPdZZRknDqZhA/s400/AID_160507_Flycatcher,+Mangrove+Blue1_PICT0066.jpg)
A male Mangrove Blue Flycatcher was a nice surprise along the boardwalk beneath some large strangling figs. It spent some time hunting unconcernedly nearby.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnHWfDFw2TPRWDWsB7LU3kpsH6-Z2lWPre-A4yNDN-b9qYhcxPnhqnPk3x6Vkg0bTl287jpXdLtFdQOwX9mQGDQuH7ueEOcxlJX4adgp1C_uIl_u6h2rmCUpugF9-jlI5X2vAYQ/s400/AID_160507_Flycatcher,+Mangrove+Blue4_PICT0066.jpg)
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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9LlS2viVU6P72aOzOrRznj9r4mxNybE5V0kvxHB4AgAx_vO3kCmm3ZcOi7QmyLmYs2KT1j_JYLrW4ra36sRM7_Pfs6TFnGvdBffFxgwduVoZk0L07tQf0r1B_qIfrYgwffG4ZQ/s400/AID_160507_Leaf+Monkey,+Silvered1_PICT0021.jpg)
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.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwuAK0FlDjqKn-_SF_tLZcA9OnP2TlAeB9HZA2a77LHUWxLXFwj9su6F29wmKu8OADBilB_N7wTYDvbW55qLvxD-cTKm4L8nwdsLcwWihsFsx98KXE-HhEW-Y1XhVjeqAlYCYzg/s400/AID_160507_Squirrel,+Plantain11_PICT0032.jpg)
A Plantain Squirrel, the commonest squirrel at this site.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixK4zmUD_hqGnKgLax4EbVuAOL7gCTCNPlaO3lyWUllfRq3OTK51AOn2OtUbZznTKQ1HA67cQ9HimR6r6msPQ2aP5SWCYtGR4pfYuaze7mI0Sj2wNTH6FJ0ClBwdLdl7eOJzq_-g/s400/AID_160507_wasp+sp2_PICT0036.jpg)
This brightly coloured wasp was competing with many other insects at this flowering plant.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlhEhCzG8zaKmbVUT3MJl2ncDtkp8LhRbAQj9vb3ygZ8aIrIdV8GzAJK74l4l3KQkEoZw8BiqDm32PZoZYCUx2a8dwqjXK3Jm3RbEiOChhwv8ssjOit-a5xLvKeJAZNfgVFqWrA/s400/AID_160507_dragonfly+sp1_PICT0039.jpg)
I wasn't able to identify this attractive dragonfly. Can anyone help? [This is Aethriamanta aethra. Thanks to Ian Choong for the id]
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFJ15Y-JZe2Kxb12mwk0zmsgWk9LBevKWgONvh3qV_ck_4uoaQcUf73s3CH2L_rK75sNJ8R7UoQy20GCQm6tdBehVhbGcPDqt9_k87FZWgrRCDza-twrG0J0PPIRbv9tp8dl2MSw/s400/AID_160507_Owl,+Spotted+Wood1_PICT0059.jpg)
As the sun set, this Spotted Wood Owl started to call, puffing up its white throat feathers as it did so.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmVGTgng-0nqUy2Xl3UL62iDoHJUX9RDjyWSJbrN6MgAeC3PppLvlHHrndvGqbfYP2LSrr52OM3KCdV9_X2GvNkYsPFqnLzLlyQyKB9dQrKiUJDLWaTBucZZX58U9ye4oTo5Xosg/s400/AID_160507_chopper1_PICT0051.jpg)
An army helicopter came to take a look!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq88E6w7m4w1SE7pDx9Z06YthhhFozDYooVzY_FDib23NE-cq-5USM_C5A9KzOI0MAvWOykCeYI2qgbQp5v7OADr28XkUM3Yq1gY0yzEoiXW3tYS02mlX9mnpIVxGZLKDNcqt8VA/s400/AID_160507_Diplacodes+trivialis1_PICT0047.jpg)
This female Diplacodes trivialis was one of several catching the last rays of the sun.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlbT-Iqw77SiWq1kJVqlxY13WKSVvc7_Dx5bNhML34064SKyFwvfsg6ppp6HoZ7h4N2RtTQof5F3s8QuMroMv2z3FvgaQY8miKB28lb0cwo6WI1Fy1LgGI6ofP7Wvr3oisF7TRg/s400/AID_160507_Myna,+Jungle1_PICT0041.jpg)
A pair of Jungle Mynas flying to roost.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KmVufsZHNphy7Tq5euzfc8T1vlnUMepRVu4ZVdPuEVUXbVbySuDYFP1sJef6x48JX_zlWudp4K004BWAYbEgmbsLq-sbUdYNmwL__n4kGUwyiRHT5mRTRvWldVtRc8zgZGZvpA/s400/AID_160507_Owl,+Spotted+Wood2_PICT0066.jpg)
A fledging Wood Owl came out to join the adult. It tried out its wings by flopping from tree to tree.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZMS3KNG0g2hPhzV_dyA8I-Sxu5MMuL9vuidfYwotdFV_vv2L-uaz_9S7VgouONRvjAUZUwul0A_Nl13PlL3FFWd8vJsMm0LWWVIqurvLTcncXGkHocm6wLUu6RynLCngcthxhA/s400/AID_160507_Owl,+Spotted+Wood3_PICT0066.jpg)
It was easy to locate as it kept up a continuous mournful mewing, sounding a bit like a Eurasian Collared Dove.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp11PtyD7X72xTSaE7g0GuF7NakG3FaHuV7dCrwnQWGnaN68VUfWHiqdb7m9GN9C2djb6B_FSJ97a0mWrzP7otdIZh5XOvUTo9NHC1mPxlMrXfJhA9c642A91rjxIiqWIt5czBFQ/s400/AID_160507_Nightjar,+Great-eared1_PICT0066.jpg)
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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