Backyard birding 20/3/2012

In my village, I use to hang around at my friend backyard's, where they had build a nice sheltered hut. Under the shelter, me and friends use to hang around chit-chatting and play chequer. Last saturday, when I was there, I heard the call of Bee-eaters and saw about 4 Accipiter fly toward North direction. The under growth in that area look nice, had potential for good bird. So today decide to take my bins and camera whenever I've been there. 

The view from inside 

The swampy pond just below the hut: It just a small pond but you can get a lot of eel here. 

Black-naped Oriole - usually visiting the hut to feed on a fruiting tree. 

Yellow Vented Bulbul - The commonest bird around. 

Little Green Heron - Resting on a rotting branch that give a good condition for this bird to camouflage.

No sign of any migration today at the backyard - no Bee-eaters call and not a single raptor was seen. Thus the observation will be continue...

Tanjung Tuan Raptor Watch 7 - 9 March 2012

I left Penang on Tuesday to Tanjung Tuan, Malacca to join the raptor watch... annual event conducted to count the number of raptors passing Tanjung Tuan from Sumatra.

Tanjung Tuan lighthouse (Cape Rachado) - was build in the19th century, overlooking Malacca straits - the cape is the closest point of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra island of Indonesia (Rupat island) 

The observation point - Facing out the sea direction - in which raptors that migrate from their wintering ground in Sumatra will cross the sea to mainland before proceed further north to their breeding ground.

Oriental Honey Buzzard - making up to more than 90% of total raptor counted at Tanjung Tuan, every spring migration. 

This is one of the 1,200+ Oriental Honey Buzzard that cross the straits of Malacca on Wednesday.

The Flock of Honey-Buzzard

On my first day, there were over 1,200 Oriental Honey Buzzard and 11 Grey-faced Buzzard. On Thursday, the count does not exceed 200 birds and on Friday the number continue to decrease (except for species).

 

White-bellied sea Eagle is one of the resident raptors occur in Tanjung Tuan.