Pelagic Trip off Kuala Selangor - March 2021

Environmental issues have gain prominent coverage in the past few years. Climate change and use of plastics were the most highlighted ones. While climate change can be harder to contained, the use of plastics can perhaps be easier. Plastics can one day cost as much as your expresso. Raising the price of plastics however is not a very good solution. We still need plastics to contain our daily rubbish otherwise rubbishes will be thrown by the roadsides, drains, rivers etc which eventually flow down to the sea. We need to educate people on the consequences of their actions.

Recently we set out to sea not to survey on the number of plastics in the sea (although we seen a few) but more for the bird population which indirectly can be affected by the sea pollutants as well. 

The sea was really calm in the morning as the tide was slowly receding.

There was nothing plenty to see as it was still very early.

As we came near an offshore island we only saw a Little Egret

Peek- a- boo !

As the morning became brighter, more birds appear - they were mainly terns

There were probably hundreds of them - mainly Whiskered Terns.

Most of them were either in their full or partial breeding plumage.

 Hovering up in the air like a dron looking for a prey for breakfast.

Finally got a prawn. That prawn species will cost me about RM55.00 per kilo over here.

Any sea creatures which can be eaten will be taken up.

After a heavy meal they would rest on any structures which are erected in the sea.

Some will use floating debris as their platform like this Common Tern.

Common Terns are mainly pelagic as I've witnessed throughout the years.

Most of the time these terns will be airborne and continue searching for food to eat.

Waders seen were the usual Common Redshanks, Eurasian Curlews, Bar-tailed Godwits, Whimbrel, Red-necked Stints, some Terek Sandpipers and surprisingly just a few Lesser Sand Plovers.

A flock of Bar-tailed Godwits. A number of them were already in their breeding plumage.

A red-hot chilly pepper Bar-tailed Godwit

Common Redshank

Eurasian Curlew with two Whimbrels (front)

Whimbrels flying away to look for other muddy pastures.

Any surveys in this region will be incomplete without seeing a Red-necked Stint.

 Another Red-necked Stint

We saw just one Curlew Sandpiper (with a unique facial outlook).

Most of the waders were quite a distance away but resident birds are not shy for photographing opportunities.

Lesser Adjutant (Burung Botak)

Painted Storks and Black-winged Stilts have only been appearing here more often since the past two years.

A trio of Black-winged Stilts. I think we should call them "Burung Kaki Lidi" instead of "Kedidi"

Great Egret

Black-crowned Night heron

Finally one of the highlights of this trip is the sighting of two Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins.

 

One is an adult and one is probably her calf.

Sometimes they may look like sharks in the water.

A very high looking dorsal fin

At times they came quite close to our boat. Very happy to see them.

Until the next pelagic trip - adious for now !

One of the challengers of 21st century education is to build the capability and skillsets of students, to hopefully one day be workers who are willing to learn and take up challengers that come their way. The 4th IR is critical in the sense that we do not only need knowledge workers but knowledge workers with a growth mindset and empathy.

 

Oriental Honey Buzzard (OHB) - Dark Morph

Once the MCO been re-categorised as CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order) recently, I immediately set out to breath the fresh forest air. But the current bone-dry weather certainly makes the entire place looks like some autumn season here.

As I was walking towards the jungle path, I saw the silhouettes of two eagles flying at a distance. I quickly took some record shots and they turned out to be OHBs (Dark Morph). 

They were both circling close to each other.

The above OHB appears like having a gun shot to its wings.

They are certainly not a resident OHB.

Most likely they are looking for some prey for breakfast.

Both of them were reported to be adult male.

 

Here is a comparison between an OHB and a CSE

                                 

                                                                                                                                                                     

                     

                                                              

DON’T EXPECT EVERYONE

TO UNDERSTAND YOUR JOURNEY,

ESPECIALLY IF THEY’VE NEVER

WALK YOUR PATH !!

Watching shorebirds: The closer they get, the better they are.

Watching wildlife can be a pleasant and peaceful thing to indulged. They are non-prejudiced (impartial), non-political and non-religious. A tiger will not ask whether you are a Republican or a Democrat nor will a Hippopotamus ask whether you are able to recite the holy scriptures before chasing you away. They are all 'created' here for a purpose - to live and to breed for their species existence. There is no secret or special formula to see nature - just respect their comfort distance and you can get to enjoy a decent view of their beauty and behavior.   

Recently I celebrated my 10th year adventures of watching shorebirds in Peninsular Malaysia (2011 - 2021). As the tide was still rising and without much cover, my only approach was to walk directly to them. I inched my way as close as possible. At times I have to bend low on my knees and I will stopped for a moment and then slowly move again. I repeated the process until I went close to their invisible security barrier and this is what I got. 

A duo of Curlew Sandpipers and Red-necked Stints basking themselves in the morning sun.

Kentish Plover

(Winter plumage)

Kentish Plover and Lesser Sand Plover

Another Kentish Plover but with less profound colors. So happy to see both of them.

Red-necked Stint

A Red-necked Stint with a "Yellow over White" flag or perhaps "Orange over White" flag

A Red-necked Stint in the midst of developing mature flight feathers.

Red-necked Stint in flight.

A rather plain looking Red-necked Stint

A Black-bellied Plover (previously called Grey Plover). Differentiated from the "Pacific Golden Plover" by its more robust and thicker bill as well as its stockier body. Saw just two of them this time.

An adult Terek Sandpiper (showing a bit of its breeding plumage).

Another Terek Sandpiper

A Curlew Sandpiper

A comparison between a Broad-billed Sandpiper (left) and a Curlew Sandpiper (right).

A Common Redshank

A lone Common Greenshank. 

Here comes one of my favourite plovers - Lesser Sand Plover

They come in many shapes, sizes and plumages.

Feeling on top of a coconut. These are some of the cute little Lesser Sand Plovers seen.

Another Lesser Sand Plover with a white face markings.

The Lesser Sand Plover on the left has a different face markings. How unique they are at times.

Another of my favourite plovers - the Greater Sand Plover (left). 

A pristine looking Greater Sand Plover (above).

Another Greater Sand Plover (middle) I think.

A Brown-headed Gull

A flock of Brown-headed Gulls. Some of them were seen shading their feathers. Probably some old feathers I believe.

A Brown-headed Gull is about to land.

Three Red-necked Stints having a morning walk

Finally in the flats you can literally dance where ever you like.

TILL WE MEET AGAIN ! ADIOUS AMIGOS