Sunday, 6 November 2011

Birds of Serendah - Nov 2011

Today I went to Serendah and this time i bumped into an "orang asli" (aborigines) who is kind enough to show me a new place which he said has a lot of big "burung bangau" (Herons).  He told me he has seen these birds quite often and at times locals could pick up its chicks which have dropped down from the trees.

From afar i could see a colony of herons but could not quite establish their type except for the Grey Heron in the middle. So I asked the guy whether we could get a bit closer and he told me no problem.
When we reached there i could see fresh wild boar tracks - possibly 5 -6 six of them. He led the way through thick shrubs and weeds but somehow he could still lead me right below the tree where the herons were located.
Here is a Purple Heron. Saw about - 6-7 of them flying around as they have spotted us below them. The roost area consisted mainly of Purple Herons and one lone Grey Heron.
You could see the Purple Heron attending to its nest. We saw close to 4 -5 nests but no chicks. Not to disturb their nest building activities, we spent only a few minutes there.
Then we saw this Chestnut-Bellied Malkoha flying in silently. Initially i thought it was a Black-bellied  Malkoha but field guides say that the former is much larger.



These are Common Iora. The middle one looks like a female by the drab color of its plumage. 

This is a male Ruby-Cheeked Sunbird.

...and this one is probably its mate. They are close by.

We saw this lone raptor perched nearby - a Crested Serpent Eagle.



We saw many of these Scaly-Breasted Munias - close to 8-9 of them. The top is probably a juvenile while the one below it could be a sub adult. They can be found almost every where at this place - near the weeds and even at the road sides.

...so as this fellow - A White Breasted Waterhen.

Could this be a Dusky Warbler?
(Note: The experts say its an Arctic Warbler)

Is this Richard's or Paddy Field Pipit?
(Note: The experts say its a Paddy Field Pipit)

I concluded the trip with this Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater. This is probably their season cause i could see them almost everwhere as well.


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