Malaysia Trip Report

Finally got round to writing my Malaysia Birding Trip Report. Feel free to download and use etc. If you require any further information please drop me an email.

(NB: If you click on the report below you can view it in a more readable size and download etc!)

Malaysia Birding Trip Report

Nice Hobby

Had a few decent birds over the last few weeks, got a nice look at a Hobby this morning, though unfortunately there was a branch in front of its head so the picture (off my phone) is not great!

You kind of get the idea (phone-scoped)

On this day last year I found an Osprey!

Almost there with my Malaysia trip report now, though I've not really had the time to write it hence why it's taking me so long to do! 

Some Malaysian Animals

Finally getting through my Malaysian photos - too easy to get sidetracked with planning my next trip... Here are a few animal shots - still trying to work out what the squirrels are - if anyone has any ideas please let me know!

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Butterfly sp.

Fish

Gecko sp.

Giant Millipede

Indian Muntjac

Flying Lizard

Lizard sp.

Long-tailed Macaque

Moth sp.

Moth sp.

Moth sp.

Moth sp.

Orb Spider

Orb Spider

Orb Spider

Silvered Leaf Monkey

Silvered Leaf Monkey

Silvered Leaf Monkey

Snake sp.

Snake sp.

Tree Shrew or Squirrel?

Squirrel sp.

Squirrel sp.

Squirrel sp.

Squirrel sp.

Squirrel sp.

Wild Boar

Wild Boar

Me!

Lost the Love?

I've not. Yesterday I found an unusual and unexpected patch tick in the form of a Fischer's Lovebird at North Duffield Carrs! Was scanning the marsh when a familiar-ish call rang out - parrot sp! I scanned about but couldn't hear anything and guessed I may have been dreaming when suddenly the small parrot flew into view on the other side of the marsh about 10ft off the ground before landing in the tree right above me! Unfortunately I didn't have my 'proper' camera with me so grabbed a couple of record shots on my phone. After 10 minutes it flew off up the valley towards Skipwith or Thorganby way. It had come across from the Bubwith/Aughton area.

I'm not 100% certain on the status of Fischer's Lovebird in the York Recording Area but will look into it...

Let me know if you've lost your lovebird!

In actual news, and exciting news too, I got my 90th garden tick tonight - a Coot! Night-birding is brilliant! Oh I also went Whimbrel ringing last night. Caught 2 Whimbrel and 2 Redshank (with a further 4 Whimbrel and a Little Grebe caught later in the night - will post more on this later hopefully).

Loving the local patch

Just back from another enjoyable evening at North Duffield Carrs. Still lots of Yellow Wagtail around, easily over 60 still. Highlight though was the Blue-headed Wagtail still present. There was a good number of Pied Wagtail (18) and Shelduck (44) an increase in Redshank (14) and a very smart Whimbrel (phone-scoped picture below).

A couple of days ago I found two Shelduck at North Duffield with darvic-rings. Thanks to an update from Craig at NE LDV I got the details of them:

Bird 1: ZL - was ringed on 6th February 2012 at Wheldrake and not seen/caught again until my sighting.

Bird 2: CF - was ringed on 2nd June 2010 at Wheldrake, was present in the LDV last March was was re-caught at Thorganby on 25th March 2013.

I also had another darvic-ringed bird on that date, and at least two today that I couldn't read due to their legs covered in mud!

If you're in the area (or further afield) keep an eye open for darvic-ringed/colour-ringed birds as there's a lot of them about! A total of 52 Shelduck were caught in the LDV this year, with 100 caught last year too...

Whimbrel

Wood you believe it?

This evening was simply brilliant!  I was in the office today (in York) so when I got news there was a Wood Warbler just to the north of the city at Strensall Common there was no hesitation in heading there after work. Tim and Jack had done the donkey work and re-located the bird that had been found earlier in the day.

As I got out of the car I could hear it singing, I walked over to Tim and Jack and then had great views of the bird for almost an hour! We stood in one spot and the Wood Warbler came to us singing, calling and feeding. It would move away and then come back close.  Even better, the Wood Warbler was my 150th species in the York Recording Area this year, so well chuffed! Soon 151 and 152 followed in the shape of Cuckoo and Hobby. The Hobby sighting was spectacular as a bird shot low into a mixed flock of hirundines, it practically turned itself inside out to change direction after the hirundines. Like I said, the evening was brilliant.

Tim and Jack got some excellent photos of the bird and I even managed to get a photo on my phone through my binoculars, and then through Tims scope! Below. Check out Tims blog for some photos (when he updates it.. otherwise you'll just have to make do with the Rock Thrush...).

Phone-scoped Wood Warbler

Phone-scoped Wood Warbler

Phone-binned Wood Warbler!

The last few days have been really decent in the local area, waders are starting to move through in increased numbers and species diversity. I've had several Common Sandpiper and Greenshank as well as Ringed Plover and Dunlin.  The main spectacle has been Wagtails, lots of them! There's been over 200 Yellow Wagtail on the patch, as well as Blue-headed, 'Channel', White and Pied. With all of these there's been a couple of male Whinchat and lots of Wheatear (photos below).

Female Wheatear (phone pic)

Male Whinchat

I'm looking forward to the next few weeks, hopefully some more decent birds to come locally...