LATEST FROM THE FRASER HILL - DAY 1

DATE: 26/9/15
LOCATION: OLD GAP ROAD

MOUNTAIN BULBUL

GREY WAGTAIL

WHITE BROWED SHRIKE BABBLER-MALE

LATEST FROM FRASER'S HILL

Hi all birders.

I have just arrived from Fraser's Hill after spending a few days there (26-29 Sept.15). I am tired after a two hours drive through thick haze and heavy rain downhill, but i am excited to put up a new post to show you all what i managed to photograph while i was there.

I have to tell you all that the trip was almost a disaster due to thick haze blanketing the hill top. It smelled awful and visibility was very bad. I could not spend time outside longer than an hour before my chest started to feel bad. As a matter of fact i spent more hours inside my hotel room than outside. Now we all know who are responsible for the haze, so i will not get into it right now because it does not make any difference what my opinions are, they will fall on deaf ears on the other side of the Straits of Malacca.

The thick haze reduced the visibility to a short distance, it was hard to focus.

Now, i was just wondering whether anybody has done any studies on the effect of thick haze on birds. Does it affect their behavior in any way, do they come out less to look for food, or do they just migrate when it gets so bad? I am asking these questions because i noticed a drop in the number of birds, however certain species like Swifts could not be bothered, there were many of them flying actively. Does the haze affect the insects population which is food to most birds? One thing for sure as it is the birds population is getting less and less in the Fraser's Hill, and the haze will make it worse. So i hope the government better start to kick some ass to solve this problem which has been around for so many years.

Anyway, i managed to photograph 15 species during the three days i was there, some i have captured before, some i have spotted but did not photograph or the photos not worth to be posted. So i am going to post them as and when i completed the editing because it takes time and energy, tonite i have just ran out of energy and need to sleep badly, i had a problem sleeping in the hotel.

So, good night and enjoy my next posts.

BIRDING IN PERLIS 2015 - MUSEUM KOTA KAYANG

I like to visit this place not because of the exhibits in the Museum Kota Kayang but because of the surrounding hill which is a home for many raptors. There is a paddy field on the west side of the museum which is about ten acres in size which provides the raptors a good hunting ground for snakes and rodents. On the other side of the hill a bigger paddy field area is located on both sides of the riverbank. Not far away is the Kuala Perlis town and the muddy shoreline which provide another option for the raptors to find food.

One of the small hills on the side of the riverbank

Mangrove-lined river

I have been to this place a few times and i have spotted a few raptor species like the Brahminy Kites, White-bellied Sea Eagles, Black-shouldered Kites and Black Kites, i think. They like to make their nests in the tree canopy high up on the hill which give them a vantage point to spot their prey down in the paddy fields. They would fly in circle over the paddy fields, river, mangrove areas and the shoreline to look for prey.

During this visit i only spotted two species, the Black-shouldered Kite and Black Kite. They were circling in the air near the riverbank around noon.

Black Kite (need help in verification)

Black-shouldered Kite

There are a few other species hanging out along the riverbanks such as Striated Barbets, White Collared Kingfisher and Pacific Swallows.

Striated Barbet

Pacific Swallow

I also spotted Stork-billed Kingfisher flying across the river but i was too slow to capture it. You can give this place a try and if you cannot find any birds well at least you can go visit the museum and learn something about the history of Perlis.

Thanks for reading, and happy birding.

BIRDING IN PERLIS 2015 - KUALA PERLIS

Kuala Perlis is a seaside town famous for seafood and as one of the nearest towns to take the ferry to go to the island of Langkawi. It is also famous for its Belacan (shrimp paste) used as one of the main ingredients in Malay dishes, produced by the folks in the villages located along the beachfront. The beach is not much to talk about as by nature it is muddy, not the type you would want to spent hours sun bathing or swimming.

But the beach attracts different kind of tourists - shorebirds. On many occasions  during my fishing trips i saw many species like Terns, Seagulls, Sandpipers, Plovers, Egrets, Little Herons, and Kingfishers on the beach and mangrove trees.

This time i drove with my youngest daughter Soraya during noon through the main road along the beach to see what species showed up during this time of the year. It was low tide and the muddy beach was pretty much exposed. My drive covered the distance from Kuala Perlis town to Kampung Sungai Berembang and back.

A floating mosque and a restaurant of Kuala Perlis town can be seen from quite a distance away

A muddy flat exposed during low tide, Langkawi Island in the background

One of the small islands about a kilometer away at sea

As it was noon and the weather was quite hot, not many species showed up saved for Egrets and Little Herons

Little Heron

Juvenile Little Heron

Little Heron in flight

Braking and landing

I was kind of disappointed that i did not get to photograph other species on that day but hey who can figure out those birds, their movements and migration etc, can you? I hope to be more successful the next time i visit Kuala Perlis, if not i will just have to treat myself with fresh seafood dinner in one of those restaurants facing the sea so i do not feel so bad.

Thanks for reading and till next time happy birding.