Local and common birds in November 2022

 Here are just a few nice ones seen in November 2022. 

A female Ruby-cheeked Sunbird with a caterpillar. It was under the thick shade of a macaranga tree.

Another common bird - a Blue Throated Bee Eater.

This a male Ashy Minivet. 

Some books like Robson - says that it is a winter visitor in this region.

Lesser Cuckooshrike

This one looks like a female.

Pacific Golden Plover (in winter plumage)

A common winter visitor

Red-wattled Lapwing

A resident wader

Red Collared Dove

A female

A Scarlet Minivet

Also a female.

You wont miss this bird during this time of the year.

Brown Shrike

Scaly-breasted Munia

You can find this munia in every corner of the paddy fields in Penang - along the tall lalang weeds.

Hope to see more birds in December !

Birds and waders in October 2022

 At times local birds can look just as nice as those rare deep forest birds. 

Yellow-bellied Prinia

Pro photographers would always tell you to focus on their eyes because that is where the centre piece of a photo. Learnt this technique from a bird sifu.

Red-eyed Bulbul

This is a very common bulbul in the forest / forest edge. I would usually ignore them but this photo looks like a keeper. 

Oriental Magpie Robin

Another very common bird in this region and this is a female.

Yep! -  the 'machine gun' birds are back !

Brown Shrike

A common migratory passerine !

This one was silent through out the day and it is slightly larger than the next shrike.

Tiger Shrike

Smaller than a Brown Shrike but very noisy - it was rattling for the entire day.

Here are some waders seen in October.

Wood Sandpiper

Although it has broad looking scapulars but it's long whitish supercilium and straight bill separates it from a Common Greenshank.

Curlew Sandpiper

They come in various types of bill length as depicted below.

A Curlew SP with a very broad bill based.

This Curlew SP has a slightly longer and thinner bill.

While this Curlew SP has a slightly shorter bill.

A typical looking Curlew Sandpiper - it's an adult in winter plumage.

Here is a comparison of two small stints

                                                      
                        Red-necked Stint                                                      Long-toed Stint                              

                 

Long-toed Stint

A Long-toed Stint with a Lesser Sand Plover

This could be a juvenile Marsh Sandpiper.

At times they can be mistaken as a Common Greenshank.

A juvenile Lesser Sand Plover

A Lesser Sand Plover and a Red-necked Stint

Pacific Reef Egret (Dark morph) - note its little white patch at its throat.

Finally here are some photos of an ancient-looking 'chickens'.

Grey-headed Swamphen / Purple Swamphen

According to the more experienced birders, the one with a darker head is a juvenile.

They have got nice cotton-liked butts

With the rapid development and industralisation of Penang mainland, I wonder how long can this area remained a sanctuary for this beautiful 'hens'.

MORE BIRDS PHOTOS IN NOVEMBER I HOPE ! 

SELAMAT MENGUNDI FOLKS !