My Saturday at Pulau Burung

Last two weeks, I visit this site to look for Garganey and Little Stint, I'd seen both birds plus Booted Eagle and White Wagtail as the bonus. Checking BIW (http://www.worldbirds.org/v3/malaysia.php?a=lo). It is reported that Lesser Adjutant and Pectoral Sandpiper occur there. Thus I plan to go there to have a good view of Garganey and Little Stint plus considering to get other uncommon/rare birds that might occur there since I haven't seen Lesser Adjutant in my beloved Penang state yet.

I hit out at 0700 to Pulau Burung which situated about 30km from my home. I ride my Lagenda and stop at a 24 hour grocery shop near my area. After I left the shop I seen a Peregrine Falcon perched on a nearby electric pylon, without leaving second thought, I photograph it.

This Peregrine Falcon is the migrant japonicus/calidus race. In my observation for this area, this race is more common than resident ernestii race.

I reach Pulau Burung at 0745 and before I enter the main birding ground I stopped at nearby palm oil plantation as a Black-shouldered Kite perched nicely on a pylon.

An adult Black-shouldered Kite perched on a pole - a good welcome sign

When I enter the main area, I met fellow birder from Selangor, Khor Swee Seng, Carol and one of their friend. They look eager to look for Little Stint, so as I left them to look for the ducks at the pool of Pulau Burung. The first duck highlighted for this trip is Garganey. I spent a good time watching this duck and took notes on it. So my first objective accomplish.

Star bird of the area - Garganey, two of  them, an eclipse male and a female.

Both Garganey stay until a motorbike past nearby their perch point and flew toward a couple of Lesser Whistling Duck and a Common Moorhen in the further middle of the pond as show on photo below:

Picturesque sighting of waterfowls: Lesser Whistling Duck, Garganey and Common Moorhen

The pond in Pulau Burung is famous for the Lesser Whistling Duck. This waterfowl is so common in this area where people can see adult duck swim with duckling and immature duck. 

Lesser Whistling Duck. In Malay known as 'Belibis'

Another waterfowl that common to this area is Little Grebe. Regards their always swimming behavior, Pulau Buung serve as a decent home for them.

Little Grebe - Fascinating bird, swim and dive is among their magnificent behavior

Beside ducks and waterfowl, Pulau Burung is a good habitat for other bird such as waders, herons and egrets, raptors, kingfishers,terns and passerines such as Acrocephalus warbler and wagtails.My second objective today is to spend time watching Little Stint, however my second objective was not accomplish as I only seen the Little Stint for least than 10 second and I don't seen that stint after that. Maybe next time. However I spend a decent time watching Little-ringed Plover and Wood Sandpiper.

Little-ringed Plover - flank view

Little-ringed Plover - view from behind

Wood sandpiper on a piece of wood

Wood Sandpiper

Wood Sandpiper

4 Resident raptor species were seen at Pulau Burung today and all were resident species namely Black-shouldered Kite, Crested Serpent Eagle, Brahminy Kite and White-bellied Sea Eagle. 

Who's on perched

Crested Serpent Eagle - handsomely perched on a cable pylon

Another individual perched on a palm oil tree, calling

Passerines:

Paddyfield Pipit - Open area in Pulau Burung seem a good habitat for Pipit

Yellow wagtail - foraging at the grassy area near the pond

After the sun getting high and my bike fuel only enough for my way to nearby petrol station I decide to go back despite I only get one objective accomplish for my targeted three. So no Lesser adjutant, no Pectoral Sandpiper nor any other rare/uncommon bird but I still satisfied with this trip as I seen more than 40 bird species on this visit.

I saw this sign after I come out from the landfill area - In English it was 'Attention. Scavenger allowed to enter the site from 8.00 am to 5.00pm. Only Registered scavenger allowed to enter. I'm not a registered scavenger after all.

After I left Pulau Burung and had my lunch I head straight to Kampung permatang Nibong Ricefield. I saw a sub-adult Imperial Eagle and manage to photograph it to call it a day

Eastern Imperial Eagle - A rare winter visitor to Malaysia, perched on its favorite pylon for the third consecutive December

Golden head and white patch at the back indicate this is the adult individual - I'm questioning myself: Is this the last year adult or last year sub-adult turning adult this year or new individual? A lot thing to do in studying this raptor in Malaysia.

I wait until it took off for the afternoon feeding session to obtained this shot - To me Imperial Eagle is the most elegant raptor occur in Malaysia considering its' size, gothic and fierce look. A sentence in my head to for this bird and it come in Kelantanese malay sound 'Hok ni burung hele' hok jahak skali, garhe molek'

So for today's birding I must call it a day. Until the next post. Cheers