Choo Tse Chien, Birding Maestro and Buddy

Today, 24th Aug 2011, we lost a birding maestro and good friend, a major player in the Malaysian bird photography scene.

Tse Chien helped us celebrate our first World Migratory Bird Day in Miri, our very first in Sarawak. He has been a constant inspiration to our own birding work here in Miri, supportive and forever ready to coach, goad, instigate and inspire birdwatching and bird photography activities locally. He was with MNS Miri on several occasions traversing rural villages talking to and inspiring little birders with his amazing bird images.

Always remembered as the kind and jovial person by whomever he meets, he helped us set up our very first Bird Photography Exhibition with his enthusiasm and beautiful bird imagery at Borneo Tropical Rainforest Resort on occasion of MNS National AGM 2009 in Miri, also a first such exhibition in Miri if not the Northern Division.

His mark was not only left in Miri. He actively contributed to the first Langkawi Bird Festival together with Irshad Mubarak, MNS Langkawi and others. He was also a regular contributor to the Sabah's Borneo Bird Festival ever since it's inception. He has inspired us and his many other photographer friends to the beauty of birds; turning photographers to birders from Perlis to Sabah. His images are almost always up close, personal and with his signature heavenly bokeh as background.

Choo Tse Chien, buddy, may you rest in peace surrounded by all that is beautiful and heavenly in creation.

We will miss you.

Kuala Baram Morning

The little spot which looks ideal for a hide to watch waders this season. The question is whether there'll be water enough this year to create a good roosting spot in front of the casuarina within the lagoon. The flats been looking rather dry all year, the sand is building up.

Kuala Baram Beach looking north, it's somewhat sandy here as opposed to the muddier conditions in the lagoons to the right.

After Erwin and Marten's visit to KB last Saturday which I had to give miss on account of the MNS Miri Branch AGM, I decided to pop by this morning while the tide is still manageable. Though I didn't go as far as the guys did (they went loop around Pulau Bawai); I only slow walked to the tip of the lagoon. They tides weren't too high but the flats connecting the lagoon and Pulau Bawai was underwater.

It was quiet at the usual spot by the hut, only Collared Kingfisher and a Common Sandpiper bobbing his way on the dried up mudflat. I headed straight to the clump of casuarina trees that are nicely taking hold of the beach. In front of it is a nice wet spot frequently used last year by waders as a day roost site when the tides are high. It might be useful to put a temporary hide at the location this year.

At the beach approaching the tip of the lagoon, there's about 150-200 birds roosting by the water's edge. Further out across the channel there were a few more.

Erwin reported sightings of Oriental Darter last week. It was't the first sighting, I was trying to ensure that indeed the birds are regulars here ... perhaps an opportunity to photograph them up close. We first saw a pair here at the beginning of the year, we thought it was quite strange since the lagoon isn't very deep and it's next to the sea. Indeed upon scanning the the water's edge, there was a single OD on the sand, wings fully spread out. It's probably has just gotten out of the water by the time I got there.

The next few minutes were spent scanning the horizons for other birds. Other than the waders than a number of terns, they weren't anything else. A raptor or two would have been a nice treat!

Birds sighted today:

Oriental Darter, Greenshank, Little Tern, Greater Sandplover, Kentish Plover, Malaysian Plover, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Godwit sp., Collared Kingfisher, Olive-winged Sunbird, Pacific Reef Egret, Striated Grassbird.

Birds sighted by Erwin and Marten last week (including sightings on Pulau Bawai):

Litte Egret, Little Ringed Plover, Malaysian Plover, Greater Sandplover, Far Eastern Curlew, Common Redshank, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Sanderling, Gull-billed Tern, Little Tern and Black-naped Tern.

It's still early in the wader migration season, there could be more birds which hasn't arrive on our shores yet. The great thing about looking for them early is the opportunity to get those early birds who are still decked in their summer feathers.

Greater Sandplover.

A group of terns.

Ruddy Turnstone in his upbeat summer feathers.

Tern.

Olive-backed Sunbird, male.

Nazeri Abghani/Miri

MNS Miri Branch New Committee for 2011-2012

MNS Miri concluded their Branch AGM held at Baraya Laut Resort, Kpg Baraya, Miri, Sarawak 30th July 2011 with the election of fresh faces for branch Committee. The AGM went smoothly with twenty-two stalwart members attending the event.

The new committee,

Chairperson : Peter Pillai

Vice-Chairperson : Musa Musbah

Secretary : Joyce Sivalingam

Treasurer : Amer Matridi Mansor

Committee : Miriam Chacko, Marlene Lim (Co-opted)

Immediate-past Chairperson : Anura Dason

Those in attendance were later treated to an early dinner consisting of kelupis and satay ordered specially for the occasion. Dinner was then followed by a short firefly cruise along Sg Raan for members and their family.

Special mention goes to Committee members from 2010-2011 who made this event all possible.

Here's to another productive year for MNS Miri!

MNS Miri

Garden birdwatching at Miri Marriott Resort and Spa

A male Oriental Magpie Robin, he's already exercising his little lungs by 6:30AM.

Oriental Magpie Robin in the parking lot.

It's the weekend, we decided to allot some time for a relax and leisurely birdwatching while being pampered by the facilities offered by a premier resort in Miri, the Marriott Resort and Spa located not 15mins from the city center just a hillock away from our home.

While the children while away their time splashing the pool, there's plenty of time to checkout the common garden birds in the compound. Though most of the area seemed dominated by casuarinas and plams, there are pockets of flowering trees especially around the parking lot. The garden chalets are surrounded by palms, some fruiting and mature causarinas. The garden is compact with neatly placed plants.

The most common birds here has to be the Oriental Magpie Robin, the early risers if not the earliest. There were several pairs around our rooms on the upper floors. The advantage of the upper floors is that you'd be watching the birds at eye-level. From our room we could hear nesting munias and even saw a pair of endemic Dusky Munia busy transporting dried grass from the garden to build a nest somewhere between the fronds of plam trees several rooms away from ours. We also saw a nesting Yellow-vented Bulbul from our verandah.

Common Iora.

Olive-backed Sunbird, male.

Yellow-vented Bulbul, several nesting in the resort compound.

Black-headed Munia, flitting about in the grass amongst the casuarinas. These also nest in the resort compound.


Pied Fantail startled by the camera flash.

Zebra Dove, the ones in the compound seemed familar with people and were not at all skittish, foraging in a group along walking paths.

A pesky squirrel that stopped by our verandah on the way to his second breakfast.

Other garden birds we saw while at the resort:

White-breasted Woodswallow (nesting), Collared Kingfisher, Little Green Pigeon, Pink-necked Pigeon, Asian Glossy Starling, Dusky Munia, and Sunda/Pygmy Woodpecker.

Miri Marriott Resort and Spa is located 15mins from Miri town. Shuttle service to town is available at regular intervals provided free by the resort. Excursions to nearby national parks, Lambir Hills NP and Niah Caves NP, for more serious birdwatching can be easily arranged. You feel more adventurous, grab a taxi to the town's central bus station and hop on a bus to take you to Lambir Hills which is only 30minutes from Miri. There's the Mandara Spa, the perfect place to unwind sore muscles at the end of a hard day's birdwatching.

Nazeri Abghani/Miri.

Birdwatching in your backyard with MNS

How to get to SK Bungai, 30mins from Miri town heading south towards Bekenu along the coastal highway. Keep a watch out for a chrome sign "Bungai Beach" on your right as you approach the junction after Azam Trading.


The birding loop around Kpg Bungai, Kpg Gatas and Kpg Peliau in the vicinity of SK Bungai. MNS Miri birders will be joined by 45 students from three rural schools in the area for this Saturday's "Birding in Your Backyard with MNS".

MNS Miri birders will be descending to Bungai this Saturday, 18th June for a morning session of "Birdwatching in Your Backyard with MNS". Birders from the branch will take 45 children from 3 rural schools to check out the birds in their backyard.

A first friendly birdrace in these parts, our program is as follows :
0700hrs Registration
0715 hrs Short Briefing and break into groups
0730 hrs Start birdwatching along assigned routes above.
1000 hrs Meet back at starting point for refreshments.
1100 hrs A few words from Headmaster/Headmistress.
1200 hrs Award of certificates and award of "Surprise Prize" by MNS Chairperson.
1300 hrs Close.

Birdgroups (assigned responsible adult-bird person in bold; and potential key birds + topics to chat about with the students):

Group 1 – Nazeri, Clare, Ibrahim (SFC)
SK Bungai-BungaiBeach-SK Bungai
Special bird : Little Egret; Migrants

Group 2 – Erwin, Anura, Suni (SFC)
SK Bungai-Peliau-SK Bungai
Special bird : Black-thighed Falconet; Raptors

Group 3 – Bor Seng, Roslan (SFC), Kallang (SFC)
SK Bungai –Peliau-Gatas-SK Bungai
Special bird : Dusky Munia; Endemics

Group 4 – Dominique, Joyce, Adaha
SK Bungai-Gatas-Peliau-SK Bungai
Special bird : Orange-breasted Flowerpecker; Endemics

There will be two teachers tagging along each group to help manage the kids (45 kids from 3 schools). Please bring water along your scope, binos (and extra binos) as well as your fieldguides. Allocated 2.5 hrs birdwatching time includes walking the route assigned above.

Those interested to participate as facilitators to please contact nabghani at yahoo dot com