Not what you might think; actually, I walked smack bang into a low beam in an outdoor restaurant, and was pole-axed. By God's grace, my camera, bins and glasses escaped undamaged, only my forehead has a bruise, nice and central. Fortunately, no one was there to witness what must have been a hilarious incident!
Apart from the close encounter with the beam, the day was notable for ... gulls. For those who don't know, Malaysia is not blessed with a huge number of gulls. Only four species have been recorded; two of these, Heuglin's and Laughing, on just a single occasion, while the other two, Brown and Black-headed, are at best scarce non-breeding visitors.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzohajFQp_-aS9zIdgsESgYwgVZkj9uGXU4kjDolln6MqX7N4UCCBJGG2IyPFnIZNhG4RoM-bo3-3DHuLgaEGdoyiAQfARWEYBjll5Nu-BHh29z0tPP7lO96pWUgCJ9RdXhOZImw/s400/Pacific+Golden+Plover_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3483.jpg)
I started the day at Bagan Belat in the hope of seeing a few nice spring-plumaged waders. Very few were in evidence - just 4 Greenshank, a few Whimbrel and a small flock of Pacific Golden Plovers, which took off at high tide and headed north.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRsF_Ezdj4MsI4ByrrjuA865ZOEk2JfYIfmplRDed3z3HhkUUhuse_2KmGZk_53CAu0pNjzfCvW89tcb0nV1DFl8mzLgrT7nOpZTS3TfXD30wzLECR8qiaO57V5M57jYrDME-L4A/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3331.jpg)
The lack of waders was somewhat compensated for by the presence of a fine summer-plumaged Brown-headed Gull, and a nice array of herons.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEMtQwuNN5_c_MO83CPq14P4HbMhUz_ewJVxOUSepLVzTdqbjAdssZ9S4YqFkprrwBZQrPvHaEdH3UI4HZWSKpWtRYbT9giYcs92_TtIbLhb_bmnM4n8-GxSiFSX3VMlYZiV_dsg/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3381.jpg)
Shame I cut the wingtip off the Javan Pond Heron below! Surprisingly, the gull and the heron are about the same size.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirD76ZpUfP_hUp28ICosLild9boX8mdIa-X-qIBX6sS6XJNEWt-r9YVSPJQsSpO_wNicIGqeZiME5K80zvdG4EptyWo9G59BwFDowsj_7L_RdpJ7IuXsNMlK8Wmhy7t-FzC-TaBg/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3421.jpg)
On the deck, Brown-headed looks fairly similar to Black-headed, but is decidedly stockier, with a pale iris. In flight, though, the wing pattern is quite different.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdeZtz47cYpslq2LKx1eINyOLfrDHGwwlLPV_FPADBsVsqbUIz6zhC8kAV3GRde9TxO-82h8tLYbdalN7klHS8qieukA_62RBkeRhE_xGRrRwGFh4_BnDHoEMTIPAPR2hyphenhyphenILd7w/s400/Javan+Pond+Heron_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3386.jpg)
This couple of Javan Pond Herons seem to be taking exception to each other. What superb birds they are in breeding plumage!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdWXzomBiqETxyz1fBifZenEiY7Ebf4iMIXSBXLbs-1gp1ZMxzbB6LZXBDu7KIe4vv09C2XnT_rBVJVWQInfHnEBiSt1Yg-gyRuJUkz6XzPVhKZz-C7dsScxFwyDs-a_cqEtGekQ/s400/Indian+Pond+Heron_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3441.jpg)
Indian Pond Herons seem to be slowly establishing themselves in the State after being first recorded only in 1999.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNZTJlZQl8Jf_zwnY2Cv7Jaro5bYMAhxVwomk6tBAkIS1m6ILTYD9j4HmNXWNoFdxmOIpqk8CRbAktSbN3kEb2SDfHUi9E6f_0QtacnQGcmGDbawgijRuJ1gE0Y19wH4NFRfBiw/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3462.jpg)
Having enjoyed the adult Brown-headed Gull, it was nice to see a first winter bird flying in off the sea.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_rGhJgdDleJHlzsHt6-3dEbtx2TLb6iyn62QAzT84RZh-27rG6LBne9Z-X2KJ1zkakxnq-gaJPfYM47Ix1-q2ASd8QxGDXwAfLHycAZ481_PjFGZcHmgQPxXsjYGAAbnGfk8xA/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3456.jpg)
They look a bit like chunky Mediterranean Gulls, but have a very distinctive and different upperwing pattern.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDQD0JZqrsWbasR5FEr8CM1h_ttIkeCmB2ZmqqZhk9x6NSsTicUCMsxXRP_VOHzQRpB6NEI6Y5WbQTOFpmjrUEYzVTvboYRiXPIHnKTG3MP2BYn_ZDvEftvvFb_cueLJZ8gpf3Q/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3469.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMceG78D5CAliHs7OXSB9N5XWmTRLOynrE_pJyyGmjjGyxb0wJ1H856PvXaMNUdCVCPFDjOHk-smV42Wv77eNjrIIhF1-BJHCmiNM44Q5MSkl0dnC9E2EeLkDKf82RDCbQb92hkw/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Bagan+Belat_030408_IMG_3477.jpg)
A couple more views.
Your "very Attractive" lizard is a Green Basilisk
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