WADER 6A/60 - Painted Stork

WADER 7A/60 - Milky Stork

Milky stork

Avian Field Report - Ayer Hitam Dalam Seberang Prai in the month of May 2016

I was back in Alor Setar to attend a wedding dinner with the family. It was the long weekend of 1st May weekend. The highway was already pack with cars when we hit Rawang at about 11.30 am on Saturday. As usual we exited Behrang to take the trunk road to avoid the stop go traffic on th NSE which is very fustrasting and accident prone.

At past 1pm we only reach Sungkai and we decided to have lunch at   famous for its Pork Trotter and River fish. After a hearty meal we continued our journey entering the highway at Bidor. The traffic remain slow because of heavy lorries and buses hogging the 2 lanes. The journey from  Ipoh -Penang the traffic was much better as I manage speed of 120kph. Eventhen we reach Sg Dua at about 4.30pm when I stop to check out the situation at AHD hoping to see other birders but no one in sight except several malay  bridal photo shoot were in progress. Left the place at 6 pm with no good sighting of the target birds.

Later we have street food at Sg Petani Clock Tower Foodcourt at about 6.30pm. We are surprise the price of food is still reasonable  compared to Ipoh ie The Lobak RM9.00 for 5 varieties, Laksa RM3.50 KueyTeow Theng RM3.00 HoChean  RM7.00 and Sugarcane RM1.50 and Har Mee RM3.20. We reach Alor Setar almost to 8.30pm and immediately hit the sack after a nice bath.

The next morning woke up at 6.00am and ready to go. Reaching AHD Educational Forest at 7.45am. There were  a few Penang birders already in action. Dr Neoh and son were the first I see there. Then met Birder Ooi and Lee waiting for the Ruddy at the end of   boardwalk adjoining the. backside carpark. Later reaching the carpark I met a threesome lead by James Neoh luring the Blue-winged. I must say the the Penang kias are a friendly lot. They are eager to part their experience and view to me a fellow birder.

Here are some of the many  residents of AHD Educational Forest that you can see here. If you are lucking you may see the Spotted Wood Owl or  my elusive Great-eared Nighjar roosting in the day here.

At the open bund track you can find waterbirds and raptors hanging around like the Braminy,

Black Kite and Crested Serpent.

Theres is a resident pair of Common Flame WP

The Bluey Mangrove and Tickell's Flycatchers  are easy catch here and are approachable and confiding.

At the carpark area there are plenty of opportunity to shot the Abbott's and Mangrove Fc in the open. At about 10.30 am the lovely Blue-winged Pitta show up but still not confident to come to the ground to feed as we waited. I got my shot and left  James and his gang; to hunt for Ruddy when its call was alerted by James that its here..................

Ooi was saying the Ruddy has a favorite perch  where he set up his gear as we waited. Dr Neoh came by and spotted the Streak-breasted and there I have my first lifer of the day. The Woodie just perch there for awhile looking at us as we snap away. After the Woodie left we waited as the clock ticks away to 12 noon and my tummy is aching for food.

Not long after that  the loud kek-kek- kek call was heard and everyone was looking high and low for the Ruddy but I cannot see it possibly behind some undergrowth. Apparently this  bird stays quite low and seldom go high in the canopy.

The Neohs prefers to walk about than staying put in a spot especially with smoking birders is a health hazard hehehe. Their contention is that the birds tends to fly around the place which I also of the same view. In a way its keeps the heart beating and the strolling helps people like me who seldom work out.

Suddenly the Flying Red Jade decided to fly out from its favorite hideout  crossing my path when I decided to walk out for lunch at about 12.30pm. No time to think or set the camera and just snap away still holding my tripod from the boardwalk. It went into the opposite nipah undergrowth as I gave chase as it was my lifer. Bird luck was with me as Birder Lee who came running & spotted it on an exposed perch near the boardwalk as we inches nearer. It was a confiding bird and we can come as close as 12 feet from it.  It was an amazing encounter as I never hope of a full frame shot of the bird. The resident  White-collared Kf on the other hand was a bundle of nerve and cannot be approached nearer that 30-40 ft away.

A candid shot of a juvenile macaque with a coconut shell as if waiting for alms. I must say there is many marauding macaques here just like in Kuala Selangor Nature Park and they may be quite intimating when they show their fangs. Careful if you have food with you as they can pounce on your food if you are not vigilant.

In the month of May is the peak of mating & nesting period. A pair of mating Fantail was sighted  On top a dead tree a Common Myna is already feeding its offspring in a hollow stump. The Abbot's Babbler were also nesting as the parents collected mealworms been offered back to its nestling.

Meanwhile at the main entrance open ground many of the trees are bearing fruits which lure many bulbuls and Barbet - Lineated and Golden-throated as well as  a few Koels.









All in all it was a good outing There is also a good chance to see  Asian Paradise FC or the Japanese  even which may stop by at this small sanctuary on its way back north.

WOODPECKER 20/23- Streak-breasted Woodpecker

 The Streak-breasted so far that I know is that it can only be seen in the west northern side of Peninsula Malaysia ala Ayer Hitam Dalam Educational Forest. This is my second lifer for the year 2016. The  male has a red crown whilst the female have a black one. The bird looks no different from the Laced WP except the upper breast is more streaking obvious.  This bird can be seen throughout the year at this small patch of sanctuary forest.

Hope to see the Male next time  whenever  I am back to my In-laws in Alor Setar I will drop by this jewel of a place. Thank Doc for the sighting!

KINGFISHER 12/14 - Ruddy Kingfisher

Yes finally a lifer for the year 2016.  The star of Ayer Hitam Dalam which can be seen year thru but more often seen in nearer the month of May. I met a fellow Penang birder aptly nickname "chiok wong" aka "birding king" who is very familiar with this tiny bird sanctuary in Pulau Pinang. He  is vey confident that this Ruddy is a resident bird ala H.s. Minor and not the winter visitor. He says that its whitish bluish tip rump  is bigger and is exposed more. Its call is more tremulous  "kek"ling loud. The other tell tale sighting is that there a pair or more there! Usually it can be seen during the mating and nesting time of April - July for the past years and not only the October- January  migratory period.

I notice the colour of the bird is much duller and uniformly plainer that the migratory (H.c. Bangsi or Rufa?). Actually at different angle the color of the feathers changes..........

So no need to go down to Singaland liow. Now to go  shoot my last Kingfisher in Peninsula I have to travel to Langkawi - the Brown -winged. And wishing for the Sacred KF to dropby from Downunder/ Indonesia.  Any advice and GPS on the location there fellow birders for the BWKf?

Avian Sighting - Large Wren Babbler

During last weekend  whilst everyone in Fraser I heard; I was alone in Bukit Rengit Pahang to look for lifers. The place was parched dry and the undergrowth is fully carpeted with crimpy dried leaves. So as you walk it crackle. With the prolong drought and hot  weather several trees are still bearing remnant fruit and berries which attracted leafbirds and bulbuls. The babblers were rather  quiet which BR is famed for its many subspecies. Not a single one was seen at the swamp and creek which now have dried up  to nought. There was a deep dug-out I saw probably by wild boar which serve as drinking hole for birds though. 

The highlight of my 3 hours excursion there was the shy Large Wren Babbler which came out in the open for just seconds which I managed to remain calm and squeezed a few shots thru before it skittishly flew back into the undergrowth.  If I was to be with a bunch of birders it will never happen. That is why I prefer to bird alone or a twosome as it is less intimidating. These are my best shot so far from my encounters with this bird here.

A pair of Diard's were calling deep in the forest but never once came out inspite of my occasional playback call. Some of the other birds captured are as below.

AVIAN Birding Site - Kledang Saiong Forest Park Ipoh Perak

During  QingMing in the month of April 2016 when I was back to my home town in Ipoh, I finally get to bird at this least reported venue. The place is located just 5 minutes from Jelapang exit from the North-South Highway. To save all the confusion please just waze Tenby  International School  and you be at the door step to this beautifully well- maintained forest reserve.

I have been asking Dr Amar on his local patch but he never once divulge direction of this place to me. So I have to recce here and there until now that is. I hope with my posting  more birders can detour to Ipoh to bird and then enjoy Ipoh hawker food galore. The potential of this place  to bear some lifers to many of us depends on fellow birders sharing their sightings when they are here. There are several  bird which I wish to  see here like the Large Green , Wedged-tailed and Cinnamon headed Green Pigeon. So from now onward this will be birding stop for me whenever I am back to Ipoh.

The place open from 8am - 6pm daily no charges as yet. The place is very safe (the human kind) and you have to register to enter just in case you get lost or something. There are some intimidating sign warning you of wild predators roaming at certain trails and even "orang halus". For the sake of lifers we will do anything.... As they say no risk no gain.

 

 

The weather that late morning was sunny  hot  hitting 36 degree Celsius. The birds were not coming out. The reprieve was that some trees were bearing fruit which bring out some action especially the White -eyes as well as the bulbuls ala cream-vented, black headed, spectacled and yellow-vented.