Time: Morning
Location: Segambut area, KL
Local Name: Helang Kuik
Spot: Wooded area in my neighbourhood
Distance: Approx. 30-40 meters
Behaviour: Perching scouting for food
I have been birding for quite sometime and been to quite a few far away places to search and photograph birds for my blog. Sometimes i came back with a few shots of new species, but sometimes not at all. Luck plays an important role in whether i come back with something to show or nothing at all even with all my planning, strategy and techniques. You just got to be at the right place and at the right time. How many times did some of us come across a perching bird on a light pole that we have been searching for ages when we did not have our gear in hand? Taking a photo with our camera phones just will not do.
My luck changed for the better on Monday just before i had a quick breakfast at the cafe in my condo. Every morning i usually have my breakfast at the cafe in my condo facing a plot of greenery yet to be developed. I get to see a few species like Black-naped Orioles, Common Mynas, Bee Eaters, Spotted Doves, Eurasian Sparrows, Crows or Bulbuls frequenting this spot. However, this particular morning i noticed something different perching on the branch of a dead tree. Initially i thought it was a monkey, but my wife and son told me it could be a bird, maybe an owl. It was like 30 to 40 meters away and i could not see clearly as my vision is not as good as before, normal as we get older. My son took a photo with his phone and enlarged the photo, true it was a big bird. The kind i did not see before in my neighborhood.
I got excited and not sure whether i should eat my breakfast first as i did not have much time before going to work, or scrambled up to my unit and get my 5D3 with 560mm lens(400mm x 1.4x tele-converter). I did the later but without bringing my tripod. I took a few shots while panting and short of breath. I was creating a scene and some residents started to come and see what the commotion was all about!
I was happy to get some good shots of the bird to post here for your viewing. Initially i thought it was an owl which i have not had any luck to photograph until now, instead it was a Crested-serpent Eagle. It is a very beautiful and majestic bird i have to say.
One thing i learned from this episode is to expect the unexpected. We go to far away places to look for them but they might just drop by at our door unexpectedly. It is just lady luck giving us a break.
I wish lady luck give me a break with owls.
Till next time, happy birding.
