Wader . Tern - Artic Tern (Lifer 585/688)

Picture not sharp becos of the hot afternoon haze

This winter migratory bird has landed in west coast of Peninsula which may be  a first photo record for Malaysia! It was never recorded as a bird of Malaysia It is now considered a rare vagrant. So when news reaches my ear I  plan to drive  to the mudflats of Morib Selangor at the earliest time. Morib is about 1.15 hours drive from KL central asap. My experience of vagrants is that they are in passage  to their destination ie Antartica and thus may not stays long at any time.

Thru the guidance of my buddy we look out for the tern amongst the colony of Whimbrel rather with the other terns

It was a single bird sighted here; vagrant ma. Its stayed by itself from the many  other  terns there. It is considered a medium size tern ranging  11-15 inches.  Here it is in its non breeding plummage In breeding period their beak and legs turn red and head turn black 

The Arctic tern is famous for its migration; it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year. The shortest distance between these areas is 19,000 km (12,000 mi). The long journey ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet. In Asia the migratory route is thru offshore /open sea ie South China Sea or Indian Ocean but at times of unusual wind they may be blown off course towards land. 

Apparently Artic Tern can live upto 30 years. So In future they will return in full force  when they instinctly  remembers the abundant of food of fish crustacean and vertebrae   in peninsula coastal mudflats.

Raptor Accipiter / Sparrowhawk - Japanese Sparrowhawk (Lifer 584/688)

Photo courtesy of AT

While shooting Cinnamon Green Pigeon we chance we chance upon a flying raptor crossing our path. It white bottom body with gray brown dense barring is its id features. They have a small, curved bill, long pointed wingtips, a relatively short-tail and long, slim legs and toes. Adult males have black-slate upperparts with white on the nape of the neck. They have whitish underparts with grey-brown and washed red-brown barring. Adult males have yellow legs and their tail feathers are grey with four dark bands. They have red-orange eyes with brown-grey patches on the cheeks, and a subtle line on their white throats.  

The Japanese Sparrowhawk primarily preys on small songbirds, making up about 90% of its diet. During the breeding season, it may hunt larger birds like pigeons and partridges. They often hunt from a perch, waiting for prey to pass by before launching a surprise attack. 

During winter, Japanese Sparrowhawks migrate to Southeast Asia, including the Philippines and Indonesia from .

They have a variety of calls, including a sharp "kit" sound and a descending "pyoh-pyo" call used for communication between mates and territorial declarations. 

Wader Tern - Gull-billed Tern (Lifer 583/688)

 Another good lifer from Morib. My Sifu Ang id it as the Gull-billed tern as happily chalk up another lifer for the year. Thought the waders are not that many at Morib but there were quality birds for me rather than the common ones. In the afternoon sun the heatwave cause blurred out photos as we were shooting from a distance of 150-200 feet.

The Gull-billed is rather slender and medium size of about 15 inches. Body is totally whitish from far and its head is white with a superficial black patch back of its eyes. Its bill is heavy and dark.

Photo courtesy of Al T

Sharma 3/3 - Rufous-tailed Sharma (Lifer 582/688)

 At last  my final Sharma was found by my team in Endau Rompin. On entering the river trail I heard its call quite clearly but nothing in sight as the low light condition and heavy undergrowth was not helping. We played its call intermittently for a good stretch  of our walk but no respond and then an hour into our trail it was sighted sitting quietly on low tree branch as my gang managed to shot it abate behind foliage thru a small pocket opening. It was so blessed to encounter this rarity in my case after birding for 20 years.

Photo courtesy of AT

Our encounter of this male  bird here was enlightening. It seldom call out and it would sit quietly on its own for long period until it is spook by people. The male bird has a rufous rump and tail with a broad black tip not as long as the White-rumped It looks a bit rounded rather than slender. It has this quarter white brow and its beak is thick shrike-like. 

This bird like swampy habitat in broadleave forest below 950m ASL. Panti will also be a good location to see this bird and record in Krau forest which never showed up since umpteen years visiting the place.

Pigeon 9/10 - Cinnamon-headed Green Pigeon (Lifer 581/688)

These pigeon are gregarious roosting in a pair  or a group of many. They like to hang out perch high on barren tree away from human. We found  many colony along route 63 / Muadzam-Rompin trunk road nearing Simpang Tiga Leban Chondong or the off road of Kanpung Lanjut to Kuala Rompin.

The name "Cinnamon headed" follows the color of the male bird in a distinct bright maroon with patchy pink & orange tones. The female is plain green like the thick-billed  and others species but with slight different in color array of their green tones. Their red beak is unique with broad white tip.

This is coastal bird mainly seen in Swampland, Bakau forest and Scrub land  along the east coast of Peninsula from Dungun Rompin Mersing right down to Johor Bahru. Usually if sighted near the road it is advisable to shoot from the car first before embarking from the blind side of the road as the birds are skittish and wary of approaching human. In our case the birds were 50m away from us unfortunately and we approach thru the fringe tree undergrowth and shrubs.

Next to find  the Large Green Pigeon in Melaka/Janda Baik...........
 

Swift-Swiftlet 8/12 - Germain's Swiftlet (Record 580/688)

I always thought this Swiftlet is a migrant bird but actually common resident There are several subspecies of this bird depending on the color texture of its rump and bottom body. The rump with paler gray whitish feathers with blackish shaft streaking is its main id. The wing line is very straight at its wing end primaries. Size wise its about 11-12cm is small amongst the other swiftlets names migrant Himalayan and Waterfall Swiftlet which I hope to see next

I was never good in BIF shooting This time with my buddies guiding me my I set my Fuji XT5  to all focus point and limited focusing distance to infinity ; then setting to at least 1/2000-4000 speed max multi frame speed  I manage some decent  handheld shots. Sometime I envy two buddies who were shooting with Nikon Z series where shooting BIF with ease.....Should I change system.

 Its habitat is all terrain whether it is forest or agri land  towards open land like in Rompin over swamp flats and scrub land, sea isle upto 1300 asl.

Next target Swiftlet that I wish to see is the Waterfall Swift; Glossy Swiftlet with its bat like flight and the migrant Himalayan Swiftlet &Fork-tailed Swift

Babbler 19/23 - Scaly-crowned Babbler (New 579/688)

 Actually I have shot this babbler before but lost my photo during migration to Blogspot umpteen years ago. This time we were lucky in our recent trip to Rompin forest reserve when a threesome came out to greet us in the middle storey as they responded to our callback. 

It average 15cm in size which is smaller than its sibling Rufous-crowned coming in at 18cm/8 inches. Beside that the different between the two is the rufous crown of the Scaly has black speckle ; its breast is pale white without streak whilst the legs are pale  rather then black.

There are found on lowland broadleaves forest upto 800m feeding and playing at low to middle storey level. The Rufous is more often recorded sighted in lower lying (upto 400m asl) forest jungle.