Year-end Birding at Hutan Lipur Perdik - Dec 2012

I have been bitten by the birding bugs real hard lately. I have no choice but to get rid of them as soon as possible before i go bonkers.  Perdik Forest Reserve was the easiest choice as it was near and provides many unexpected encounters.

Yellow-Vented Flowerpecker

Saw two of them. They were rather small at 10cm but certaintly beautiful birds.

Greater Green Leafbird (Male)

Asian Brown Flycatcher

 Another one of the many small birds seen here.

Buff-vented Bulbul

A forked bill Sunbird

Plain Sunbird

Ashy Minivets

Saw 5 of them in a bird wave.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Tiger Shrike

This fellow was rather silent.

Eyebrowed Thrush

Thanks to Dave Bakewell who confirmed the bird's id. Reported to be a common passage migrant from Siberia which can be found right down to Indonesia. Although this picture could not show its orangy flanks and chest  but its diagnostic white supercilium and whitish belly/vent areas points to the bird. Another diagnostic features which can be seen here is the white stripe under its eye and chin areas. It was seen together with other birds in a bird wave. A lifer indeed.

There is nothing better to end another exciting birding year with a lifer !



Black-Winged Flycatcher Shrike (Hemipus hirundinaceus)

Black-Winged Flycatcher Shrike (Hemipus hirundinaceus)

This bird is reported to be a locally common resident of lower elevations. Can be found near forest edges of countries in South East Asia right down to Bali.

  

 

 

All the above pictures show a male bird.

 



Flying Terns and Fighting Crabs - Part 2

Continuing from the first part......the waders such as Bar Tailed Godwits were noticeably missing so were the Sand Plovers and Common Redshanks.

Brown Shrike

White-Winged Tern

White winged terns continued their presence through out the morning.

 Marsh Sandpipers made up the most waders counted this time.

Here's a group of them swimming like ducks with a lone common redshank.

Another group of Marsh Sandpipers which prefer not to swim.

Common Redshank

This is the one of the only 2 redshanks spotted today.

Another Marsh Sandpiper

 

A Great Egret alright

Whimbrel

Collared Kingfisher

Terek Sandpiper

Looks like it still has a bit of its summer plumage. Just like the Wimbrels, it was seen chasing after small crabs to eat.

A Crested Little Heron?

Unidentified Pond Heron
(Note: an expert says this could be an Indian Pond Heron)



David versus Goliath.

These fighting crabs provided some entertainment in the absence of the waders.

I believe this is a Common Fence Lizard



Here is a summary of some of the birds seen:
Date: 11 December 2012
Time: 7.15am - 11.00am

Eurasian Curlews (Numenius arquata)  =  10
Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) = 15
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) = 6 (with two hatchlings)
Common Greenshank (Tringa nebularia) = 5
Marsh Sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) = 30
Common Redshank (Tringa Totanus) = 2
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) = 25
White-Winged Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) = 15
Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) = 5
Terek Sandpiper (Xenus cinereus) = 3
Lesser Sandplover (Charadrius momgolus) = 2
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)  = 2
Great Egret (Casmerodius albus) = 1
Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) = 5
Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) = 1
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus) = 1
Blue-Tailed Bee Eater (Merops philippinus) = 5
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) = 1
Paddy-Field Pipit (Anthus rufulus) = 1
Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) = 1 (heard call only)
Unidentified Pond Heron = 3

Hope all these info will be of some use to the Asian Waterbird Census which would usually be held in the month of January each year.








Flying Terns and Fighting Crabs - Part 1

Its amazing how things can change so fast. I was at the Kapar mudflats just a few months back and saw thousands of waders but now there were only pockets of them. Wonder where have they all gone? Scientific as well non-scientific theories quickly mushroomed. One theory states that since it is a migratory bird, they could have gone elsewhere while the other theory says they were probably spooked by the machines doing some extensive earthworks around the ashpond area.

A flock of Eurasian Curlews heading out to sea. Despite reaching the area at 7.15am, the waders were already on their way out to search for food.

At the same time a group of "White-Winged Terns" have make their way inland. It was nice to see them hovering above a canal and then dive down in tandem to pick their food. White-Winged Terns and Whiskered Terns featured quite prominently today. 

Common Sandpiper

Common Greenshank

Marsh Sandpiper in flight

A Paddy Field Pipit ? It was rather small.

Common Tern

White-Winged Terns

Whiskered Tern

A group of Marsh Sandpipers with a lone Common Redshank.

Marsh Sandpiper

A Grey Heron with a Common House Crow

See more pictures in part 2 of this post.......

Coppersmith@work

I was under an old durian tree when  i heard a soft knocking sound. Looking up and thinking it should be a woodpecker, i was surprised to see a coppersmith barbet excavating a hole in the durian tree.

Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)

Looks like the males are the ones making the nest while the females lay the eggs. This bird was not calling but was actually panting - probably exhausted or lack of oxygen in the hole.

After returning to the durian tree two hours later the bird was still seen busy with his 'work' but it was no longer around the tree the following morning. The inner tree trunk was probably too hard and thick to excavate.