Air Itam Dalam and Teluk Air Tawar 100808

Its the last weekend before Puasa or fasting month for Muslims starts. I decided to go for Mee Udang at Sungai Dua with my wife and kid. Before going for mee udang for lunch, i decided to make a visit to Air Itam Dalam to look for the spotted wood owl, mangrove blue flycatcher and streaked breasted woodpecker. When i reached the area, my little boy is sleeping so i walked in alone. It was quiet and not much bird around. Only some olive winged bulbul, pied fantail and black naped oriole.

After a while a Pin Striped Tit Babbler flew in quite close to the boardwalk. I manage to get some shots and i noticed that it is not as wary as the one in the forest....

I saw this Olive Tree Skink, Dasia olivacea, resting on the trunk of the Ficus,

Then i saw a Kembara drove into the parking area. I knew it is somebody i know, it is Dr Khaw. Together we wait for the mangrove blue flycatcher to come out. As people always said "Patience is always the key in birding and bird photography", later it came out and perched just few metres away from us. My shot of the bird always underexpose and i had trouble using my autofocus. Later i switch to manual and shoot one last single shot before it flew off. The shot was out of focus and slightly underexposed....no wonder, i forgot to change my ISO after i shot the skink...sigh!

This is the shot, the mother and chick,

After i wasted the chance, the bird hardly came out again. I decided to go for lunch. As i was packing my stuff into the car, i heard a juvenile flycatcher calling from the bushes besides the parking lot. I decided to give it one last try. I manage to get 2 shots...here is the best..

After taking our lunch, i went to Teluk Air Tawar for the waders. The full tide is at 5.45 p.m. and it's already 4. So i guess its a good timing...

When i arrived at the rivermouth, lots of people at the nearby stall and so do the waders on the mudflats. So i decided to take some shot and give it a count. Here are some of the shot...

Eurasian Curlew

Little egret and common redshanks,

Lesser sand plovers...one stil in breeding plumage

Common sandpiper (left) and Curlew Sandpiper

As usual, do correct me if the identifications are wrong. The total count was,

Eurasian Curlews - 7

Lesser Sand Plovers - 17

Little egret - 1

Common redshank - 10

Red necked Stint - 10

Many of them left unidentified as i don't have any scope and the lighting was too harsh for a better view of the bird. Anyway, there will be more of them coming and i'll surely come and visit this place again..

note: some name corrected. Thanks to Dave Bakewell for his kind comment..

USM 100806

Its the convocation week. I was on my bike waiting for my wife to go back home. It is then i saw a scaly breasted munia beside the parking lot of Eureka building. I was lucky that i brought my camera along. The bird  looked wary and i'm wondering why...

Then only i saw this fella on the ground,

It is a fledgling, i think it has just recently came out of its nest. No wonder the mother was so worried with me around....

Picking up some food for the baby, but no feeding shot..

After a while, i noticed that the mother is too worried with my presence. Worried that the chick might be left alone starving to death...i decided to leave them alone. I hope the baby survived....

Alor Setar 100724

I forgot to post this visit of mine...
I went back to Alor Setar in a rush after the demise of my wife's grandfather. After the burial ceremony, i decided to do a short check at the coast, which i called Kedah Coast, for the early waders. I did manage to see some lesser sand plover, terek sandpiper, redshank and greenshank. Only the lesser sand plover can be seen still wearing their breeding coat. Here are some of the shots but they were very far and heavily cropped...it might even be wrongly identified..

Greenshank and redshank...thanks to Dave for the id,

Redshank..

The lesser sand plover...

As i was photographing these birds, i heard a  a rumbling calls in the air. When i looked up, i saw 3 tern, which i assume to be little, fighting...

On my way back, i saw lots of swiftlets flying over a river besides the paddyfield. I stopped for a while to try some flying shots. This is the best i could get,

  Is it a Germain's swiftlet? Anyway, i'm quite satisfied with this shot. As usual, do correct me if the identifications are wrong. Thanks.