SWALLOW 4/4 -Swallow Striated

The striated swallow (Cecropis striolata) is a species of swallow found in open, often hilly areas, clearings and cultivation in South and South East Asia to northeastern India and Taiwan.
The striated swallow was formerly sometimes considered to a subspecies of red-rumped.

The striated swallow feeds low over the ground or at cliff faces on flying insects. It has a slow buoyant flight compared to barn swallow. It will feed with other swallow species.

The Striated is slightly larger than Red-rumped by an inche. Above picture compares the size to the smaller pacific swallow

WATERBIRD 24/60 - Oriental Darter

The Oriental Darter or Indian Darter (Anhinga melanogaster ), sometimes called Snakebird, is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is a cormorant-like species that has a very long neck. It often swims with only the neck above water. It is a fish-eater. It inhabits shallow inland wetlands including lakes, rivers, swamps and reservoirs. A small family of only four species of cormorant-like birds, one in the Neotropics, one in Africa, one in Asia, and one in Australia. .

Anhingas chase fish underwater and can remain submerged for long periods. The neck is very long and snake-like. Unlike cormorants, Anhingas have straight, dagger-shaped bills, but like cormorants, their feathers become waterlogged and they spend a lot of time standing in the sun drying their outstretched wings. Unmistakable, large (84cm), waterbird with very long, slender neck and small narrow head. Head and neck brown with white chin stripe extending down side of neck. Rest of plumage blackish with white plume-like covert feathers, with black edges. Iris - brown; bill - yellowish brown, black culmen ridge; feet - grey.

It is a quiet bird with a voice rattling and clicking calls. Screams during courtship. In Malaysia there are sighting in Kinta Nature Park in Bidor and Borneo. it remains a vagrant visitor to our rivers and ex-mining ponds but has apparently disappeared from most coastal areas.

My photos were shot at Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary TonLe Sap Cambodia. There they are protected and conservation vie NGO give life line to these beautiful birds. Currently there are a few hundred breeding birds there.It lives in large stretches of clean fresh water in lakes and big rivers where it is an amazing diver, spending long periods under water. It can reduce buoyancy so that only the head comes out of the water but, thus waterlogged, has difficulty running and flapping over the water to get airborne. Spends many hours sitting on an exposed perch with wings\held out to dry; roosts communally in open trees. The Oriental Darter differs in appearance from American darters most recognisably by its white lateral neck stripe. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 3-6 eggs.

WATERBIRD 23/60 - Slaty-breasted Rail

It is a rarity for weekend birders to see this waterbird of marshland mangroves and even padi field in Peninsula. Male and female looks the same Size about a foot chestnut crown , grey chested with black and white bar to its behind Reddish beaked and black legs. Feed on grubs of insects and worms caught on the grass and muddy ground.

Generally the family Rallidae is a large group of small to medium-sized birds which includes the rails, crakes, coots, and gallinules. Nearly all members are associated with wetlands. Most species walk and run vigorously on strong legs, and have long toes which are well adapted to soft, uneven surfaces and waterplants like lily patch. They tend to have short, rounded wings and be weak fliers, although nevertheless capable of covering long distances. In general they are shy and secretive birds, difficult to observe.

Island species often become flightless, and many of them are now extinct following the introduction of terrestrial predators such as cats, rats and pigs.

Many reedbed species are secretive, apart from loud calls, and crepuscular, and have laterally flattened bodies. In the Old World, long billed species tend to be called “rails” and short billed species “crakes”. The larger species are also sometimes given other names watercock, moorhen, jacana etc. The black coots are more open water than their relatives, and some other large species are called gallinules.

All the above photos taken in Port Kelang

Latest sighting was in Putrajaya Wetland

WATERBIRD 52/60 - Asia Openbill

The 5 nos of visitors are still around Permatang Pauh, Penang mainland. Glad that for 2 consecutive years they are visiting us. My shots were taken in Prek Toal bird santuary TonLe Sap lake near Siem Reap. The latest count 2009 there are about 1050 pairs of breeding birds there. Photo here their favourite food is the freshwater mollusc shellfish which are pest in our padi fields. Besides that they go after fresh water fishes during the planting season.

The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, Anastomus oscitans, is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia. They are broad-winged soaring birds, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is relatively small for a stork at 68 cm length. They breed near inland wetlands and build stick nest in trees, typically laying 2-6 eggs.
Breeding adults are all white except for the black wing flight feathers, red legs and dull yellow-grey bill. The mandibles do not meet except at the tip, and this gives rise to the species' name. Non-breeding adults have the white of the plumage replaced by off-white. Young birds have brown tinge to the plumage.

The Asian Openbill Stork, like most of its relatives, walks slowly and steadily on the ground, feeding on fish, molluscs, frogs and large insects.

WADER 4A/60 - Purple Swamphen

WADER 6A/60 - Painted Stork

WADER 7A/60 - Milky Stork

Milky stork