RAPTOR COUNT 2010, TANJUNG TUAN, PD

Raptor Count 2010 to take place 20th Feb to 4th April 2010



Eastern Marsh Harrier (male) cruising for prey.

Dear friends,

The 2009 Raptor Count was both an eye-opener as well a record breaker because despite initial fears about finding enough volunteers to do the job, we received strong support from everyone of you, and also in setting a new record for logging more than 38,000 migratory raptors at Tanjung Tuan.

Raptor counters and volunteers are a special breed of birders. They are unafraid of standing in the open, even when the sun is shining fiercely, and they are also undeterred by the prospect of enduring prolonged periods when not a single raptor is in sight.

Without the support and enthusiasm of this group of people Raptor Watch Week and its follow- up project, Raptor Count, would not have been possible. We hope that this year many, if not more, people will register as volunteers for Raptor Count 2010.

1.Date:

20th Feb to 4th April 2010

2.Count Site:
Tanjung Tuan lighthouse

3.Daily working hours:
From 9.00am till 5.00pm, with counting continuing until a raptor is no longer visible if they make landfall after the usual closing time.

4.Work assignment:
A team comprising a minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 volunteers will be stationed at the lighthouse to document raptor activity/movements. Volunteers who can serve for up to one week continuously are strongly encouraged to do so. However, those who can volunteer their services for just a few days are also very welcome to sign up. As in the past, we need many volunteers.

5.Transport:
To minimize CO2 emissions, participants are reminded to car-pool when travelling from home to Tanjung Tuan and back.

6. Accommodation:
Free accommodation will be provided to all volunteers at “Kin Villa”, Teluk Kemang, Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan.

Please email mnsmiri@yahoo.com to express your wish to volunteer. We will in turn send you detailed registration steps.

If you have any further questions, please contact :-
Khoo Swee Seng [swekhoo@yahoo.com]. Mobile ph: 013-386663.
Lim Kim Chye [kcyian@streamyx.com]
Lim Aun Tiah [limbird@paxis.com.au] Mobile ph:012-6979075.

We look forward to see you at Tanjung Tuan and thanks in advance for your support.

Signed,
Khoo Swee Seng, Lim Kim Chye and Lim AunTiah

(Raptor Study Group, Malaysian Nature Society)

Raptor Study Group descending on Miri

An "MNS-BCC Raptor Study Group & ARRCN Raptor Identification Workshop and Survey" is being planned to take place in Kuching by the MNS-BCC Raptor Study Group and ARRCN , 20-21st March 2010 in Kuching, Sarawak.

In relation to the workshop, there'll be the following visits by members of the Raptor Study Group with the objectives of conducting recce for raptor migration routes, and familiarisation visit to birding sites in and around Northern Sarawak.

1) Kho Swee Seng, Carol, Nina and David Lai will be covering Miri and Bario 28th January - 02nd February 2010

a) Kuala Baram and Miri, Thursday, 28th Jan

b) Bario, Friday-Monday, 29th Jan- 01st Feb

c) Lambir Hills National Park, Monday-Tuesday 01st Feb-02nd Feb.

2) Lim Aun Tiah will descend on Bintulu, Similajau NP and Niah NP between 22nd March - 25th March

a) Bintulu and Similajau National Park, Monday-Tuesday, 22nd - 23rd March

b) Niah National Park, Wednesday, 24th March

c) Miri, Thrusday, 25th March

MNS members, raptor afficionadoes and birdwatchers from the northern region are hereby invited to join them on the above dates. It's not often opportunity like this surfaces for folks in and around the northern region, why not make a bee-line to the sites above and get a detailed low down on raptors and birds in general for the guru themselves.

Depending on the level of interests and distribution of raptors in the area, we may be organising a second Raptor workshop here in Miri during the autumn migration Aug/Sep 2010.

If you have any further questions, please email them to mnsmiri@yahoo.com.

AWC 2010 : Go-cart Birdwatching 10th Jan 2010

Go-cart, Adong and Liku Bird Watching
10th Jan 2010
Time 6:00 am – 9:40am

Air temperature 27.7 ° Centigrade. Cloudy with light rain.
Main threats : Open burning, farming, major development of peatswamp (residential and commercial)
Participants : Steve, Rosie, Nordia and Musa (writer).


Our track in magenta.

It was still dark when I reached the go-cart parking place. The security guard sat on his motorbike watching me. Steve arrived a few minutes later. It rained lightly while we waited for the sun to rise. Since Rosie has yet to make an appearance, we went out to the lake to see if there're any early birds up and about.

We were greeted by a Pied Fan-tail as we walked over, not far was a White-breasted Waterhen.


Common Moorhen in the lake.

We reached the gate found some Common Moorhen in the lake. There were also two Wandering Whistling Duck swimming from the west of the lake. Heard a lot of barbet callings but did not see a single individual.


Wandering Whistling Duck.


Wandering Whistling Duck zoomed in.

Then we went back to the junction and went straight to Sungai Liku Plantation. We saw 6 White-breasted Waterhen. One of the waterhen was seen limping, perhaps the handiwork of a local toman known to lurk in these lakes.


Go-cart Lake in panorama.

We saw some Green Pigeon and a Spotted Dove. We went into one of the road leading to the plantation seedling nursery. We passed the housing area and straight to the end of the road. There we saw a single waterhen at the side of the road.

We went out of the area and stopped just after a bridge, where we sighted a pair of Stork-billed Kingfisher on a dead tree branches. A few Blue-thrated Bee-eater was also sighted. Several White-breasted Woodswallow and tree swifts flew by.

We went back to the parking where Rosie and her daughter were waiting for us. Rosie saw two egrets flew by.

We drove back to the lake and saw the same moorhen though we were secretly hoping that it was a coot. But later after we saw the white streak on its side, we gave up the coot idea alone.

The Intermediate Egret was seen lurking at its favorite hangout, then from nowhere we saw 10 Wandering WHistling Duck flying in a circle looking for the best feeding area. They settled in a nearby area to the west of the lake. We went closer to watch them.

Later we went to the nursery area again. This time we saw some green pigeons flying by. Three waterhens were still spotted on the side of the road.

We stop before a checkpoint where we noticed a big lake, scanned the lake it looked empty. It was drizzling outside. I went out gave it a general scan, no birds were seen in the area. Later after a short drive, we saw 9 individual egrets, one was Cattle Egret where the rest were Little Egrets.

We back tracked and entered an acacia forested area. There was no bird seen along the road until we reached the Liku ferry. Nearby was an area slotted as a sewage treatment plant. We stayed at the Liku ferry point and saw fifteen little egrets.


Little Egret.

We saw a pair of Oriental Magpie-robin as well as 10 Common Sandpiper actively feeding.


Common Sandpiper.


Black-capped Kingfisher

Not long after we saw a Black-capped Kingfisher perching on a fallen tree branch.
We sat down and observed the kingfisher bird feeding. Heard some barbet calling. Then a group of some 20 Asian Glossyi Starling landed on a tree neraby.


Asian Glossy Starling

We back tracked to the proposed sewage treatment area and toook a junction to the left. It is a communal pineapple farm. However the area to the right is not being farmed, but having plenty of dead trees, left after burning. We stop when Steve saw a bright yellow sunbird; it was too fast to be identified.

Later we saw two green pigeons and not long after we spotted 3 Blue-throated Bee-eaters.


Green Pigeon

A bunch of around 50 Dusky Munia flew on the left of us. They later scattered around playing hide and seek with us.


Dusky Munia.

About 100 meters in front of us we saw something moves. At first we thought it was a greater coucal, some thought it was more like a civet cat. Steve gave it a good look over and confirmed that it was a mongoose.


Bee-eater sp.

We passed the lake and saw a Purple Heron, where the ducks were though the ducks weren't there anymore.


A lone Purple Heron.

We drove back and was greeted a Yellow-vented Bulbul, we got back to the car park at 9:40am.

Birds :
Pied Fantail (1)
Common Moorhen 92)
White-breasted waterhen (18)
White-breasted Woodswallow (5)
Tree swift (5)
Little Egret (30)
Stork-billed Kingfisher (1)
Green Pigeon (2)
Asian Glossy Starling (+50)
Blue-throated Bee-eater (4)
Dusky Munia (50)
Oriental Magpie-Robin (2)
Unidentified Sunbird sp (1)
Spotted Dove (2)
Wood Sandpiper (3)
Cattle Egret (1)
Zebra dove (2)
Unidentified Bee-eater sp (1)
Yellow-vented bulbul (5)
Black-capped Kingfisher (1)
Purple Heron (1)

Mammal:
Mongoose (1)

Thus ended our first outing for the Asian Waterbird Census 2010. Next weekend we will be looking over several lakes near Curtin University.

If your are interested to participate, please email Musa or Sara. Come do a bit of citizen science for conservation of waterbirds around us, perhaps learn a few things about our feathered friends.

Birdwarching Kuala Baram Mudflat 9 Jan 2010

This evening at around 5:00pm I went to KB mudflats. The tide was very high with only small stretch of tidal bar left dry. I counted a total of 268 individual birds. This included Sandplovers, Sandpipers, Sanderlings, and Egrets.

Commonly seen in this area are Greater Sandplover, Lesser Sandplover, Common Sandpiper, Terek Sandpiper, Sanderling, Kentish Plover and Malaysian Plover. Chinese Egret has also been sighted feeding here in the past.

We'll be back for a more definitive count in the coming weekends.

AWC 2010: Birdwatching at Go-cart and Curtin Lakes 9th Jan 2010

I woke up very early this morning. Thought of going birding as early as possible before the birds wake up, but if you are healthy it just a quick rise up from bed and off you go. With asthma, from which I have been suffering since the August 2009 , the business of "get going" is a tad more complicated.

I finally got the coughing stopped after administering the nebuliser and I finally left the house at 8:30 am, headed straight to the go-cart lakes.

The sandy road is Proton drivable and I went straight to the security house at the gate. I saw 2 Yellow-vented Bulbul flying on the side of the road as I entered the sandy road. On an arrival at th elakeside, I saw some 50 Eurasian Tree-sparrows.


Two Common Moorhen in the Lake.

I scanned the lake, the water level is significantly more shallow now. I only saw 2 Common Moorhens. There was no ducks to be seen anywhere. There was 1 lone Intermediate Egret to the north of the lake somewhere. Singing loudly from a nearby shrubs was a Yellow-bellied Prina, incessantly crying it's a small cat-like meows though the actual bird cannot be seen.


A lone Intermediate Egret.


The arrival of the Wandering Whistling Duck at exactly 9:14am.

At 9:14am, I saw a glimpse of a big bird coming into the lake from the west. It looks like a duck. When I pointed my scope towards the landing area, there was another duck already waiting. There were 2 shy Wandering Whistling Duck. The Intermediate Egret later flew and joined them.


A glimpse of the ducks and egret.


A zoomed-in of the two ducks just after the egret left.

I went out of the area at 9:30am and headed to Curtin Lake. Sighted a large monitor lizard crossing the road on the way out. Not far from it, a White-breasted Waterhen pecking for worms in the ground.

While passing the first feeder road junction to Curtin I saw the remains of burnt area where a fatal accident took a life of a friend last week. I took a second feeder road where we used to see the darters. I quickly scanned the area with my bino and the entire tall dead tree stumps hoping to see one, alas there was no darter to be seen. I really missed that beautiful long neck of darters.
I reached the road leading to the lake and parke my car next to another car that was parked on the side of the road. I saw a few people sitting down behind the car sorting out young fern leaves (Limiding) they were collecting.

I took out my camera and scope, move toward where we used to see those Wandering Whistling-Duck. I was wondering the ducks were doing, last we saw them was back in May during WMBD.

The smell strong acidic mud and peat aroma was all round around, it was slightly nauseating. This indicated that there isn't much water in the lake and that the lake is slowly drying up. It seemed that the moonson ended too early this year. The dry season will be with us soon, and people will be burning again soon too ... resulting in the all too familiar haze of Kuala Baram.

From a distance I saw a man exactly on the spot where the ducks used to hang out, somewhere near the tall reeds. There were two other two men waiting by their motorbikes a short distance away. I took some photos : he was bringing a black thing into the water.


The lake is drying up, soon the vegetation will catch fire when the reeds become completely dry due to lack of water.


Where are the ducks?

Initially I thought he was bagging the ducks. When I finally aimed the scope at him, I saw that he was catching catfish. His two-friends moved off and shouted “Pergi dulu mas!”, to his friend that was still thigh deep in the mud in the middle of the lake.

When they passed by I saw that they've got with 5 litres buckets full to the brim with catfish. Here, it is common for people to collect stranded fish in the dry mud. "Landas" season this year is definitely too dry to be called landas.


Thigh deep in mud.


Keeping an eye on catfish.

I scanned the whole lake ... only a single Wood Sandpiper was seen foraging.


Only a single Wood Sandpiper left foraging in the middle of the lake.

I was feeling rather disappointed, walked back to the car and left.