BIRDING IN RAMADHAN

Looks like the first day of Ramadhan has arrived, and like any other Muslims, i too have to carry out my duty fasting from dawn to sunset for the whole month. It will be quite a challenge but i am used to it since i have been practising it since i was a kid.

The main challenge is if i still want to go birding during this fasting month. As you know Malaysia is a hot and humid country since we are located in the tropics, so being out in the sun the whole day will cause us to sweat heavily and takes its toll on our bodies if we cannot drink during this fasting month. It will not be a problem if i do birding by staying under a shade or a hide and wait for the birds to come to us. But, i do not like this method as the chance of encountering birds is less. This method is only good at the well known birds hang out spots.

So, i am going to lie low for a while and shoot when the opportunity present itself. I am going to concentrate my effort at the end of the month during the Eid celebration instead. This is because i will most probably be spending a week up north in Perlis and Kedah where there are plenty of padi fields, irrigation canals and limestone hills which attract a lot species like Egrets, Herons, Waterhen, Falcons and Raptors just to name a few. Then there is the river mouth area of Kuala Perlis where a healthy mangrove forest is located which has its own habitants like Kingfishers. Another good birding location is the sugarcane plantation in Chuping, Perlis, bordering Thailand. Over here you can see for miles as the land is quite flat. It has many irrigation canals and ponds which attract birds. It is also a good location for fishing too especially for big haruans (Snakeheads).

I just cannot wait for the end of the month as the species that i will encounter up North are totally different than what i am used to in Fraser's Hill. Till then, happy birding guys.