Waders of Teluk Air Tawar, Penang - 23 Oct 2011

One of the most interesting thing about watching waders is the thrill of searching and identifying the different types of waders amongst the hundreds of them on the tidal mudflats. This is where the every essence of birding techniques come to play, which are:

i) to watch waders you need to have a scope - this is because most of time these waders are stationed quite a distance away on the mudflats.

ii) If you do not have a scope, then a good pair of bins would be handy esp 10x42 onwards.

iii) Then the next thing you really need is a note book to jot down the details of the waders you see.

iv) You may not need a note book provided that if you have a DSLR camera with a 800mm lens to record those details like head patterns, bill size, colors of wing bars etc. But then how many people can afford a 800mm lens? Digiscoping could be a good alternative to this limitation.

One of the worst times to watch waders are during their wintering colors and before an incoming thunderstorm. Their wintering plumage blends really well with the colors of the mudflats but it certaintly did not help much in easing the pain in identifying them. So in between the only time i had and the evening thunderstorm occuring each day, i went to look for waders during my recent vacation back home (23 Oct - 24 Oct 2011). It took me a few days just to sort out and look for oddballs in the hundreds of their pictures. Then it took me another day or two to identify them but with the help of the more season and experience birders like Dave Bakewell, the headaches goes away faster. Here are some of them which i managed to see and id:

This is what i call blending with the mudflats. There are actually 8 birds in this picture alone. That is why you really need a scope or a pair of bins to differentiate the birds out there in the mudflats.

One can see Penang Island out there and the birds are really sticking to the shoreline which is quite far out.

A congregation of waders, not many but enough to satisfy me.

From the first picture if you zoom in, you could see a Curlew Sandpiper (top) and a Common Redshank, walking side by side.

You could also see a pair of Terek Sandpiper.

I think that is a Greater Sand Plover (left) and a Lesser Sand Plover (right)

Is this a Javan or a Chinese Pond heron?

Could this be a Great Egret or an Intermediate Egret? Looks more like a Great Egret from its longer and sharper bill.

Occasionally one could see marshland/coastal birds such as this smaller Little/Striated Heron.

A flock of heavy B52 bombers (Eurasian Curlews) escorted by the faster Spitefires (2 Greater Sand Plovers). What a magnificant sight!

A closer look at E-Curlews and Plovers. 

A Common Redshank taking a stroll on the mudflats. Saw close to about 150 of them.

Waders (mostly Common Redshanks) taking a bath at the pool side.

A lone Common Greenshank.

This is a Grey Plover. Said to breed in the Artic and Canada and makes non-stop transcontinental flight in its winter migration season. Certaintly has great stamina to fly over the Atlantic to this region.

and it certaintly deserves a splashing good time.

Another shot of the bird.

According to Dave Bakewell, this is a Juvenile Grey Plover.

This is a Lesser Sand Plover.

A squadron of Cattle Egrets returning to roost.

A majestic Great Egret with its long wing span. It just flew silently from behind above my head.

This picture illustrates how Common Redshanks look for sea worms ("pun-pun" in Malay language). It would first dip its bill into the mud and feel for the worms. The bird on the top right hand corner of the picture has got some sea worms.

...and there he goes off with the sea worms.