This trip (16 November 2013) was arranged pursuant to the earlier one held on 21 September 2013. This time however there were 7 people on board and most of them were the committee members from the Selangor and Malaysian Bird Group/Council. It was certainly a high profile team who has joined us this time. So the expectations must have been very high. We arrived at the jetty in Bagan Sungai Buloh, Selangor as early as 7.00am and boarded the boat at about 7.45am. At that time the tide was already receding quite fast. So we wasted no time in requesting the boatman to set "sail" to Pulau Ketam. The map below shows the distance we have covered.
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| Trip from Bagan Sungai Buloh, Selangor to Pulau Ketam |
This Great Egret's photo was taken before we board the boat - it was just around 7.15am. Water was fast receding but the sky was still dark.
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| Juvenile Black-Crowned Night Heron |
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| Adult Black-Crowned Night Heron |
As the light of dawn emerges so did the Black-Crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). This adult bird would have make the kungfu masters proud.
Now you know who wants to be at the top of the hierarchy in the birds' kingdom.
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| Whiskered Tern |
As we headed out to sea more birds were seen criss-crossing above our heads.
No this is not a painting but a real grey heron's photo taken just as the boat passes it.
As we came across a tower just after the river mouth, we saw a Peregrine Falcon tearing its victim apart. Another victim lays dead at the top.
The unfortunate victim laying on top of a water tank could have been a juvenile purple heron. From the colors of its feathers and legs it could also possibly be a bittern or perhaps a white-breasted waterhen.
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| Eurasian Curlew |
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| Bar-Tailed Godwit |
More birds were seen heading out to sea and this was probably a flock of sand plovers. Photo was taken near Pantai Remis beach front.
More waders were seen near Kapar area. It was certainly a misty morning.
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| Common Tern |
As we were half way to Pulau Ketam, the "outriders" finally came. This time there were 5 - 6 of them.
Watch out ! they might just hit your telephoto lens.
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| Common Tern |
Beside the Common Terns, Lesser Crested Tern was the second most numerous terns encountered. They have occupied/perched on almost all the poles in the sea leaving other terns to "float" in the sea. This one has a ring band on one of its tarsus. Hope some researchers out there could identify the origins of the ring band. According to the IUCN's record, this bird can be frequently found in the following countries:
"Algeria; Australia; Bahrain; Bangladesh; British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei Darussalam; China; Comoros; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; Gambia; Guinea-Bissau; India; Indonesia; Iran; Islamic Republic of Iraq; Isreal; Italy; Kenya; Kuwait; Libya; Madagascar; Malaysia; Maldives; Mauritania; Mauritius; Mayotte; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Oman; Pakistan; Papua New Guinea; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Seychelles; Singapore; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Langka; Sudan; Tanzania;Thailand; Timor-Leste; Tunisia; United Arab Emirates; Yemen"
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| Lesser Crested Tern - Adult |
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| Lesser Crested Tern in Flight |
If only its bills has a black tip on it then everyone will be jumping for joy for seeing the first Chinese Crested Tern in Malaysia. Nevertheless this was Ang's lifer.
This time there was nothing much to see at Pulau Ketam except for this two Brahminy Kites perched on a kelong.
There was a saying that if you happen to see a dolphin some of your dreams may just come true. Based on its dorsal fin which was short, blunt, triangular and located far behind its back, it could probably be either an "Indo-Pacific Humpback" or an "Irrawaddy Dolphin". However based on previous sightings in Port Klang area, this dolphin could have been an "Indo-Pacific Humpback" (Chinensis-type).
As we headed back, the boatman took us near one of the islands and what seems to be like a common tern actually turns out to be a lifer for most of us.
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| Aleutian Tern - 1st Winter |
Initially i knew that i am seeing something different but could not just identify the bird until the experts on board informed me that it was an Aleutian Tern. Although IUCN has listed it as "Least Concern", only a few sightings of this tern have been reported in the waters of Peninsular Malaysia. Thus making it a very uncommon winter visitor from the region of Alaska, East Russia (Kamchatka and Sakhalin) and the Aleutian Islands.
Here is the map of the breeding and non-breeding areas of the Aleutian Terns. (ref: IUCN data).
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| Peregrine Falcon |
This is an ultimate predator - mean and aggressive. Once it locks its sight on its prey it will certainly gets it. I have seen it snatching a pink neck green pigeon from mid air. This falcon was still hanging around at the same location since morning. According to the experts the female has a bit of pinkish color at its belly. So i guess this must has been a male bird.
And its unfortunate prey can still be seen.
"May Your Soul (whichever species you may be) Rest in Peace in the Palace of the Golden Birdies" !
While waiting for the tide to rise, we stopped in front of the mudflats to watch some waders up close. They were mostly scattered around in loose bunches.
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| Broad-Billed Sandpiper - in flight |
Although it has a peculiar black band behind its eys etc, i suspect it was just a Greater Sand Plover.
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| Greater Sand Plover |
Here you can see its more prominent features - big eyes, longer bills, longer appearance as compared to the Lesser Sand Plover below:
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| Lesser Sand Plover |
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| Germani or Black Nest Swiflet? |
Overall i believe this trip was not too bad. Unlike the inaugural trip, the sea was much calmer this time without much of the rock-and-roll stuff you might encounter in high sea. Although there were not many birds seen as compared to the initial trip but most of us have at least one or two lifers from this trip.
As the Liverpool FC anthem plays: " You will Never Walk Alone", i bid you farewell for time being.
HAPPY BIRDING AND HAVE A GREAT YEAR AHEAD!
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