Garganey at Byram

After getting an enail from David Bakewell and Tan Choo Eng on the sighting of a Garganey in Byram. I quickly plan for a short visit last saturday. My journey to Byram started of with rain just after the bridge making me worried and thinking whether it will be raining in Byram or not. I bring two of my friends who are keen to learn photographing birds, Am and Abong. We were lucky, as we arrived at Byram, the rain just stopped. I don't really care about other birds that i lend my 170-500mm lens to Am and i used my binocular to look for the celebrity bird, the Garganey. After a long search, i could find the bird and we stopped for while and eat our late breakfast. On our way back, i decided to look for the bird at one last stop at the first pond. I grab my binocular i spotted a weird bird besides a lesser whistling duck perched on a dead wood. I knew that is the Garganey and quickly set up my digiscope. Some shots of the bird...

Although not so good but i'm really glad to see this as it is my lifer.

Some other birds shot,

Collared Kingfisher,

 A flock of cattle egret on a dead tree.

I also tried to find the little and long-toed stint but to no avail. Maybe next time. That's all. Thanks.

Raya haji in Alor Setar 2011

I went back to Alor Setar for my Raya Haji this year. It coincide with the starting of the migratory season. Pity i didn't see as many raptors as last year except for two OHB and a few japanese sparrowhawk. So i went for the waders instead. Not too many of them and most stays quite far away. The best was what i think blact-tailed godwit. There were a few flock, in total about 15-20 birds.

 with two lesser sandplover

 with common greenshank. Some flying shots of the spooked waders buti'm not too sure of which species it is. Could it be the black-tailed godwit or just curlew sandpiper.

  underwing,

 

 After shooting the waders, i heard some ruckus in the bushes by the mudflat. So i waited for a while, then this fella came out. A mongoose, it was feeding on the rubbish thrown by nearby villagers...

 Back to the village area, as usual during the starting of migratory season, the villagers will start to put up their mist nets. So as usual there will always be some unfortunate side catch...like this rare oriental scops owl...

 There were two of them..... :(

Some others,

a juvenile little heron,

blue-tailed bee eater,

 SOme of other shots..

Arctic warbler,

pond-heron,

White-winged tern,

Great egret,

That's all. Thanks a lot for reading.

Journey to the east 111027

 I was invited my my former Profesor to join him on a trip to East Malaysia, Kelantan and Terengganu. Our main target is to do a herpetofauna survey at two recreational, namely Gunung Stong State Park (or also known as Jelawang Waterfall) in Dabong,Kelantan and Lata Tembakah in the area of Jerteh, Terengganu.

 Stong State Park, the waterfall,

 Surprisingly there were a lot of visitors here. These are the USM's students from Medical campus. I didn't manage to capture the photo of the tallest fall due to heavy mist.






Here are the animals..

Amolops larutensis, Larut Torrent Frog.

A male Limnonectes plicatellus, Rhinoceros frog calling for a mate,

 A lantern bug,

 A male Ingerophrynus parvus, Dwarf Toad,

Polypedates macrotis, Dark-eared Treefrog. One of the Rhacophorids we found. We also found a Rhacophorus prominanus and Polypedates leucomystax but i didn't take any photo of it. 

 A bug,

 After spending a night at Stong, we head down to Lata Tembakah in Terengganu. Here are some of the animals seen. Pity i didn't shoot the waterfall, it is one of the nicest i've seen.


My lifer, Polypedates colleti, Collet's Treefrog.

Rhacophorus appendiculatus, Frilled Treefrog,

Aphaniotis fusca, Earless Agamid. Showing its bluish inner mouth as a threatening sign.

An Oriental Honey Buzzard soaring, i'm no sure whether its a migrant or local...

 

As you can see,i've resized the photo in my posting to X-large for you to enjoy.

Thanks a lot guys.