Bird Watching at Piasau camp Miri

Birdwatching event: 5 Jan 2013 Place: Piasau Camp Time : 7:10 – 10:00 hr Participant: Erwin, Steve, Susan, M. Boland, Joyce, Stephen, Dominique, Vincent Lo, Anne, Janurie, Jana, Shirley, Zaidi Mansor and Jugu. I was already at Tendy International School car park at 6:45am this morning. I set up my scope and thinking which equipment to bring along to the bird watching today. Having to carry the scope I decided to leave the 150-500mm lens and camera. The equipment required are the scope with camera mounting, the hailer and bionic ear set. Gradually all the participant came and we started our bird watching by 7:10am. There is plenty of Yellow-vented Bulbul singing welcoming the morning in the area. Second to this were the spotted dove grumblings. Collared kingfishers were also calling loudly. We went along 171 lane and slowly scan with our binoculars for other birds. 07:51 a hill myna was seen high in a casuarinas tree branch High in the west tree we saw a green bird with an orange beak perching quietly. It was a dollar bird. High on a branch a group of white-breasted swallow of nine individual sitting very close to one another were seen still warming up in the morning sun. We saw few spotted dove flying criss-crossing the area. A large black bird swoop in and make a u-turn that we cannot identify. Few Pink-necked Green-pigeon were also seen perching high in a dead branch. Pink-necked Green-pigeon We saw a female crimson sun bird flying close to a house and there was a nest still in the making. We saw few black bird perching high on a tree, then we identified it a hill mynas. Few of them flying around and join by a group of Asian glossy starling. As we went along the track we saw a huge black bird with red eye and a horizontal white stripe tail. It was an Asian koel. I make a koel call and this guy did not reply. 07:57 An Asian koel migrate here escaping winter We went along toward piasau 100 and we saw Brahminy Kite sitting far behind a casuarinas tree. As we went toward the gate of piasau 100 there we saw around 50 Asian glossy starling juveniles perching in a dead tree branch. We went along the fence of Piasau 100 to area 123 we saw a pair of White-breasted Waterhen crossing the road. We saw a single little egret searching for food in a small water body. 08:28 A little egret foraging for food in a water way As we went of the clearing Stephen saw the hornbill. It was the baby hornbill. Then we saw all four of them, foraging for food among the thick leaves. Then I play the hornbill call just to lure the bird out of the tree. For many reason the bird is not coming out of the tree. However papa bird and mama bird did yelp replying my call. 08:33 Papa bird was very shy today Is it because there were too many of us at the scene that he is not coming out of the clearance. The battery of the hailer is already at very low stage and the bird call is not so sweet to his hearing. Or mama bird was with him and no danger being taken by his rival, that he paid no attention to my call. We watch one of the babies for quite some time. Mama bird was really hidden behind the leaves. There was plenty of swiflet flying around the tree where papa bird perched. They were not a tree swiftlet but rather small in size. I was wondering if this was the same family of the bird I used to call. He has no interest to my call. Mama bird was on seen just for a while and cannot see her eye to confirm it the same pair. Thus I decided to go to area 123 to call for the bird. 08:42 Nong too stayed hidden We went to area 123 I show thenm the nest 98 to them. It just a casuarinas hole on the ground. We reach the area 123 and make a long call. No bird greeting us. There are plenty of birds around the area but were specie that we have seen before. We went back to where we parked our cars. Steve shouted to us that there was a sparrow hawk flying high above our head. As we approach our car there was another Brahminy Kite seen perching in a tree close to Tendy International School. The SFC staffs were interested to see the nest 58 area and I was to bring them and see the nest. There we took photo of the nest. and the inside too. Nest 98 Measured about 150 cm wide and 250 cm high. The Rest of MNS Members The SFC staff that joined our birdwatching today. 09:45 The horizontal twig is the level where base of the nest. Field note by : Musa Musbah MNS Miri Chairman Honorary Wild Life Ranger Sarawak Forestry Corporation Hp: 016-874-6127 Email : sammua@yahoo.com