japanese sparrowhawk

japanese sparrowhawk_LR, a photo by mamuin on Flickr.

A female japanese sparrowhawk sighted yesterday at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.

Naja kaouthia_pale

Naja kaouthia_pale, a photo by mamuin on Flickr.

A pale morph of monocled cobra from Alor Setar,Kedah.

MNS-CEMEX survey at Teluk Air Tawar

I manage to squeeze a few hour during my workday to go for this survey as i was told by Choo Eng there were nobody to accompany the CEMEX Malaysia boss during the boat survey to Teluk Air Tawar IBA. Some of us turn up, me, Choo Eng himself and Simon for MNS side. 

We were thought that the water condition were not ideal enough for the birds. But nonetheless, we end up with headache counting the flocks on the mudflats. There were estimated more than 200 brown headed gull with some in breeding plumage, many stints mainly red-necked, hundreds of redshanks, pacific golden plovers and many more.....

Here are some shots of the birds,

Bar-tailed Godwit in flight.

 Bar-tailed Godwit. Some already in their breeding coat.

 Curlew Sandpiper in breeding coat.

Lesser Sand-plover

 Javan Pond-heron.

 Great egret.

 Great egret in breeding plumage in contrast with the one at the back which is not. 

 Brown-headed Gull in flight. Note the pale iris.

 One of the flock of brown-headed gull.

 Broad-billed Sandpiper (thanks Dave for the correction) busy feeding on the mudflat.

Is this Nordmann's Greenshank in the front? There were 3 birds with nearly the same appearance as this one. The one at the back looks like common greenshank to me. (The bird in front is indeed a Nordmann's and the two bird at the back is Terek Sandpiper and Common redshank. Thanks to David Bakewell for the id's)

No spoon-billed sandpiper but we did assume it is here as there were hundreds of smallish plovers/sandpiper like around on the mudflat. It's just that we don't have enough time to scrutinize them one by one.