Mission - Tracking down the Ducks and Waders

Part 1 -  New Wilderness

With the Covid 19 pandemic ragging on, CMCO lock down period in Malaysia was extended well into the year 2021. Figures of infection are still rising daily and the new year was in.

Lucky for us, there was news of previously unknown destination in Banting! New spot? Of course, we go! It was an area with A series of abandoned fish ponds now had attracted a good collection of Water birds, making the reeds covered ponds their homes.

For human visitors, there would be a couple of restraints to be considered? The path around the ponds were narrow, The width is only suitable for only one car to pass  by at one time. Then the  birds there are very sensitive to human presence. So bird hide is imperative! Those are the pre-visit instruction that we got! OK - sounds good enough and we went to see for ourselves.

#1 Bridge across channel

Crossing the Carey Island  Channel. A sign that said we did well, the sun was up and we were almost there.

ourselves.

#2 Mangrove Forest Carey Island

We were on the main land and the mangrove forest on Carey Island on the opposite bank

#3 Jetty - Kampong Kelanang

A quaint fishing village

#4 Straight coastal Road

Very encouraging setting, plenty of waterbirds in the canal

#5 Canal beside road

A shot to show that

#6 "Swift Hotel"

Very solitary spot for swift to roost

#7 Kelanang Beach -Picnic Area

The Star attraction in this whole vicinity

#8 Sandy Beach Picnic area

Sand on the beach among a mudflats, park well maintained

#9 More open space

More views of the park

#10 Our 1st destination

At last, entrance to our targeted spot for the day

  Part 2 -  The Wetlands

#11 Weed Field

These first few pictures illustrates scenes of the surroundings. Plenty of reeds, but also birds could be spotted but at great distances from the side of the ponds.

#12 Pockets of open space

 Intensity of weeds varies at different ponds and at various parts of each pond

#13 Walking bunds between ponds with overgrowth at the edge

Conditions of the bund- very well kept. It was so hot nothing could grow beyond edge of pond

#14 Next to Mangrove Forest

Maximizing the coverage of weeds as camouflage. Mangrove forest had another set of birds

#15 Our shade in open dessert

Different persons or in this case "photographers" had their own preference as to how to get their pictures.

#16 Lone Whistling Duck

Like obedient students, we started off by shooting from the car. Using the doors as hide.

#17 Moorhen in the open

Moorhen, only one isolated individual was seen. Quite willing to go about its routine without the signs of being disturbed

#18 Elusive Little Grebe

Oh yes! the place had a good variety of "Ducks"

#18 A clutch of Whistling Ducks

Oh yes! the place had a good variety of "Ducks" and this one picture taken under hostile lightings

#19 Purple Swamphen

This one, very tricky and really careful - where and how long should the birds could afford to expose itself? Perhaps using a "hide" is a good solution.  Swamphens,  appeared quite willingly

#20 Yellow Bittern

We came here for the Waterbirds, after being cautioned that the birds were very skittish. Hide would be needed to wait for their appearances.

True! In many instants we found out. Anyway, even without the use of hide, we got the Moorhen, the Swamphens, Whistling Ducks, and the Grebe. What we would have missed would be the Waterhen and Watercock.

#21 Golden Pacific Plover

Bird life among the reeds was very strong. A variety of calls could be heard coming from from those birds safely concealed among the reeds. Any movement outside their hiding spots were done in swift and skittish successions, Among the many misses, I could only get one willing Yellow Bitterns, in fact a few  pictures, but all in very low quality

Overall the birds numbers in the area were not that high. The diversity was very good. That's what bird watching is all about. Fleeting glances, calls noted and long distance sightings. I tried getting some pictures with passable grades posted here.
 

#22 Crested Serpent Eagle

Oh! from a point easily 200m far away

#23 Golden Pacific Plover in the water

This guy is not that common only appears in certain wetlands

#24 Painted Stork Fly past

A solitary fly past

#25 Great Egret

There were quite few among the two bare ponds, but plenty along the canal along the access road

#26 A flock of them - Stork

Every now and then caught them doing the scuttling

 shots

#27 Javan Pond Heron

Yes rare catch for me. Annually they make one appearance. In Selangor, almost all of the Chinese Pond Heron

#28 Time to say "bye Bye"

It was approaching time for the mid day sun and also we had other agenda to cover

#29 Purple Heron Making a landing

A lucky shot and hey were endless opportunity as there were birds lining up along the whole road

#30 Anchor tenant -Collared Kingfisher

This is a courtesy shot for record

#31 Resting in the shade

There you are, another Purple Heron

#32 10 km Straight Roads

It was lonesome driving through this deserted road but the scene is among the best liked ambience

#33 Which bird is this?

Surprisingly a Common Iora here

#34 My Target Bird

Still trying to conceal tself

This

#35 So far away

Coppersmith Cannot resist its call

#36  A woodpecker

Ha Ha solitary ird looking for its companion

#37 Greater Coucal

Sun basking

#38  Dollarbird So Many of them

They were all over the places

#39 Really anchor tenants

A pair - this time they were outside away from the shore

#40 The Little Heron

So was this little fellow - but no shore birds

#41 Which kind of Pigeon?

#42 Dollarbird again

Oh! Another Dollarbird?

#43 Secondary Forest mixed with old Mangroves tree

This place looked enticing but where are the birds/

#44 Oh! A Serpent Eagle hiding

No shouting just resting

#45  Black shouldered Kite Having lunch

Busy tearing away

This Coppersmith represents the times, I wish I could get better shots, but the pair were simply too far away.

Saw a perched Oriental Honey Buzzard too, rather it saw me first. Ready to aim, it took flight. Also sighted Raptors picking up thermal. Another consolation a shot of the White-bellied Sea Eagle hovering above (not posted)

Part 3 -  Shore Birds  & Others

Then we combed a long stretch sandy beaches for Waders. High tide was still on, and the water level persistently high  until noon time. No luck, we are not getting our birds?. Not until the accidental arrival of a flock of plovers. They too, were seeking shelter and waiting for the tide to recede like us.

#46 Pretty maidens in a row

Our Meeting up was timely

#47 A close up to ID them

Few species of Plovers here!

#48 Not bothered by our presence

Beside birds, this guy was sharing the space on the bund with us. Not concerned that we were fairly close. We had a starring competition while I moved closer and closer for my close up

Other worth noting points, we heard and detected the location where Stork-billed was perched. Nicely hidden too. But also we did not meet up with the Common kingfisher.

#49 Birders at work

Men-At-Work under the hot sun

 too

#50 Companions for the day

That's Sukdev and Chuan with me

That's for the day's hard work - most important the outing that made ourselves Happy