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From Pasir Debu I went north again to the mouth of the River Muda, on the border between Penang and Kedah. Kuala Muda has a small inshore fishing fleet. Fresh from my pelagic trip, I went in the wild hope that perhaps a Pomarine Skua might follow one of the boats into the harbour.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfvilxMn4vZdRweLPrBnuJv6zAI1mCdT2mwUgxsZLDdTepNJ466TGOIOKUjIugnyf5VUA2qq0jvtXWJlgKqDk3fj_K58lj_TSYuYY_XzfN_ZfyjFpRiuJlFxYP3wf9OwDF-pqHjg/s400/IMG_0675.jpg)
Salted fish drying in the sun.
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Kuala Muda has one of the few sandy beaches on the west coast of the mainland, even though it's only small!
I sat in the shade of a small bush and began scanning the sea.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CHIvTDw8BARRBeeCzuV7tWBvBihYgQRdcZlvAPNWwc5QYnwSSanQp7p-gHMvRTAQk0bTbG6v20oWvCLYzxH8MI2uu3QoQxZQMctjk7BVqGHj-tbL5Z0k_t_8s0gGaTtNOdG3eA/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3769.jpg)
First to appear was a small group of Common Terns.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMKUTAcggpbJC5C9LU_TkcD4-CrryyFyY4J3AqAOykxILUcnaju2jVCqNKKV4oh1F4lee4ERld2qxPkzII8NQ5ciyWvdr8__kBhZ4irw95sFsG7DHiJECVp_fBTpzBTEiTb5R/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3961.jpg)
They were interested in the dead and dying fish thrown away by the fishermen.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh465XW8mxof0rqtbXm64tB4oX7rO1CarKfvTz7-MsYL7sLKr-Y499PUM8wS15PBu_R0aUjIyq45AkqSRN052MmRjfmI3zhiXYEKq3BiwbIA-pUTcSR5guP_txgOfduF1ZX91wN/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3785.jpg)
This one looks rather large!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB57DQC2wf3gSnmjjZLyk0PMW-XYhHSVOdG4po6povSoUyT9rLeUCB_GLG1KOt-ylI5-qnethx_WwZnQgzwVkIJCdmlirHekwjaETlLRcb8DgC8ZNvk7phecCVD4FQbXFR-9Xd/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3788.jpg)
I'm not sure I could do that!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpXq3bYSowkW2NWAke01YMSPifDPc6Fh8jca_-Gam4h3_AkNGjlyy5QZsp8bXIzTcau3qM_Y5FFnCeVM65sN1cymHAxZlp8-WLPqu-15n0khjmeN-ZwT5nEC7dEtqnEQnRr-_/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3791.jpg)
Ouch! That's got to be painful! You can still see the tip of the fish's tail sticking out of the side of the bill.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYkk6Tl59uX9qLyNnIi8RH6V7XJpTfk1PFbtPlsPADkvMFCalrPiZPefxD1wYAJROIuQQgK3vLbZ-ooAH80aFvzs3q_N4RYSf-4KWgIimrsCiEN_5e44TQNmWmsUaTtQ0hLMN/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_4130.jpg)
This bird had a deformed and discoloured lower mandible.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lO5zefgWchMgVC_94gXW0ZDj40vqQiMP5xINtmf_jknwlwKjq7QADjOrJ-epYiaga1X6_eARxh61_eXoBOCO5pf4aGfCK3z_V8buWAj3W2GbvZjE5bKJ_We_7MvNtOIGGr14/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3955.jpg)
Amazingly, so did this one! Two out of six birds.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5nvCM0T15rJyhtRnv5UdBhJDcTzBSaL5yScz6hyDc8MHNvk2y9yhsrukVUJNnQOD37m5ExyDSOGR0hpT8AY-0a8U2s9a8-PUOV1oHLIU48USsysb5Odh_SejjwdMP6edYIqN/s400/Common+Tern_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3927.jpg)
While this one seems to have had the outer three primaries on the left wing bitten off!
Not far offshore I could see a flock of around 20 Brown-headed Gulls, the highest number I've ever seen in Malaysia, but none seemed interested in coming to feed on the plentiful fish supply. However, ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpI2mUtOEz6k3UH1a6ArXre7x4vvT0IPufZ_y9SZH-qYyPSUGlSIgUjBvPqah268ICQCmEsdAggu5rcbvq3qhXiSoXWwc6t9_aDo6ao79kmbXqJClpWCXe7n5ybxjIw2aLPN0/s400/Black-headed+Gull_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_4089.jpg)
...this Black-headed Gull suddenly appeared, flying along the beach! I never thought I'd get excited about seeing a Black-headed Gull, but they are really quite rare here!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYnr6fpAzi74887cfv0W-AXmbo513PN_Crj7aiet8n0LmjcgJ9CYVkv1AbApO4_R0fvkjWW-xvozpbh7InCxq6qfFZLMN5xTrN743QccA5LzYz0Wpnjks83fpib-lpAic5pRU/s400/Black-headed+Gull_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_4162.jpg)
This is a first summer bird. The wing and tail feathers are unmoulted since last breeding season, when it hatched, so are extremely worn. The tail should have a black terminal band, but this has almost completely worn off. Most of the wing coverts, primaries and secondaries are also in a terrible state.
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Eventually the bird decided to land, enabling me to get some 'gripping' shots! Not really a substitute for a Pom Skua, but it would have to do.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOsyjcJpWY1IYxlLMVGME-qmh7RexbFynz-4Yct_qlGoJiYNH5S29Mx9biJMCl8itVewEHP5loJuz85OjjOBtcsv6DGU2_xUwrBhy6XSf7WmRFJmBHFqe7r_KncZ2EpHZOnmS/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_4227.jpg)
While waiting for the seabirds to show up, I was entertained by this handsome summer plumage Common Sandpiper.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLT1AdnbVaFjCrhyfBO1KoORWthFsfVaBqv0UvtNlVvayo3NSG5Cmgc-2lSGBr2OqhH7rlkJqff_4NnbGlk-kEAH-7oEZJdffUJnzQEs2dsZRD6HVdoKiu2R14CgZ10q6d-Hyj/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3833.jpg)
I have a lot of time for this maverick species; there so different from other waders!
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOldKvFO8uXPUPjncZkgVdABXoPQmpb3fvl-FE7tNBBAk-k5AroveysQ1UhUcgM5Lj2viFcysvKsQ6npKSeQlbDCvjyfdK3sheaQsumKMwS75xDBjuqhYN4JOpRP4ntOMSr7iV/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3906.jpg)
The breeding plumage is a rather attractive khaki olive above, slightly iridescent, like shot silk.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ot6BHrEMfBV21SnzhiXD-ax0wDnMjA-cAuVAyx_fhkAOTsHYHvShUYXvwXUhCSaSHCiBNE_UV7WaEebtlQ_CT3PaLkUjGi9Ty8iEYpgnsL9x9wQio7nxLMxr3-8oOcHkROy6/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_4212.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSiJR7S9NsgV5fx9NFKpEZEwVpfFk1oMQS2QAaIFTPsEB-YLbD1mSAA1YhZL0VQTnAlQqS70ADooOvHclWFygi1bU9JzE1Omtvt7dxPnlv7KDdevX2BLn0P3Ji_twk8IQ2rDnd/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_4055.jpg)
They have a unique wing and tail pattern.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmsPx6kpNuor2_D4DA8Q1T8VBzK71lQaJPOxGhrGmQzm88Ny5IUiGSehyphenhyphen0rCuDByknngQ6eR83e7RhO69FsyWryMURGCOo0hJ11VISaqRwbuBJ5anYTHtEDJsWbGUiehTpCE0/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3863.jpg)
On landing, the entire scapulars lift up, a bit like a cape.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRqULv6yhS_CWE_qyWUrBZ4RkRaQOh7TbGsLfL4vHdMxgIiSEBUw8qt5ylvF9NmZ3npJugmlcSMcdaKfpMVgz8EZZhFWge-03gph4zSoApuDAG2c2D65xJKV4SUnGevICxh7av/s400/Common+Sandpiper_Kuala+Muda_030408_IMG_3865.jpg)
Then the brakes come one, to bring the bird to a halt.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8iVsEbTpllOaoDGQ_Tmbcxutc7lHAXv_f-WiswWM4oSqo0JzVYLP1o82KCx8Dj98MHNirIF8vNRoPqp9esXa-nl8VajEQrUseYuDfWXxHcQku7QBFjEJP56YGkfORLjIKBC7/s400/Brown-headed+Gull_Taman+Robina_030408_IMG_0698.jpg)
One final call on my way home, at Taman Robina, just south of Bagan Belat. There at last I found reasonable numbers of waders - about 400 Whimbrel, 3 Far Eastern Curlews and a similar number of Eurasian Curlews. Also, another flock of Brown-headed Gulls - this time around 25! So, about 50 gulls of 2 species in the day - an unprecedented number for me.
1 comment:
Fantastic photographs you've got there. Well done. I love the Tern pictures in flight, they are great.
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