Taman Rimba Kiara is a little green gem located in a corner of the TTDI residential area. The above flowering tree, the firmiana malayana or mata lembu, flashes in testimony to man's care-less-ness - it's one of only two trees in the park that had flowered, since then the tree had been chopped down.

Thursday, 31 August 2017

A migrant visits

I have not seen a Grey Wagtail in this taman before and it's such a thrill to spot one along the stream.  It had caught something and was carrying it around and was seen to hit it on the sand before swallowing it.   Unfortunately it was too far way for a sharper image.
     It's again amazing that a small taman like Taman Rimba Kiara can attract such a diversity of migrant birds.
     The Wagtail can come from as far as South Korea.  It's only about 20 cm and it forages for insects along the river as well as tadpoles in shallow water.

Seen carrying its prey, unfortunately too far to make out what it is






My natural flight

Whilst the helicopters were returning to base after the Merdeka (Malaysia National Day/60th year of Independence) display, flying over the taman, most birds were silenced by the noise and din.  There was hardly any flight movement as well until this big fella decided to fly right across to its tree across the taman.
     The Brahminy Kite must have felt that enough is enough - let me show them what natural flight is!



The helis were flying low and in fleets of three to five.





Wednesday, 30 August 2017

A Kite and its feast!

If you want to learn how to devour your food, learn it from the Brahminy Kite, caught this morning feasting on what looked like a rat, as it swallowed the entire prey including the tail!
     It was certainly fortunate for me to have sighted this as the Kite swooped down just yards away from me for something on the ground, and what a move, ever so smooth and swift .  Then it was a chase for me to locate where it had taken its prey, right on top of a tree.
 





 
 

And then it was all over when it swallowed the tail.


Surely the dragonfly on the left was not hoping for a teeny weeny leftover!


And then it was cleaning up time for the Kite as it wiped its bill on the branch.



Definitely one satisfied bird this morning!





Tuesday, 29 August 2017

More on the BFO

Can't seem to have enough of this fella.
     The Buffy Fish Owl is common to forested area near water, and often close to human habitations, which could explain its presence here.  Its diet includes fish, frogs and insects, plenty to be found in the taman and surrounding area.
     Females are larger than males but it's difficult to establish here which is which.  Its yellow eyes with black rimmed eyelids seem to draw one towards it.  Just love the distinctive tousled ear tufts that point sidewards.  Notice how it to has a stern smiley face, and with penetrating looks.










Second sighting

And then there was the second one!  This Buffy Fish Owl was way up high but nevertheless visible and it was absolutely delightful to have sighted it, a little fuzzy thing initially until it stretched to its full length, and what a beauty even from afar.
     It is hardly picture perfect with the branch in the way, but the bird did look so at home.






Owwwl, the latest star!

I heard, I came, I saw and as they said, the rest is history!
     There was not one, not two but three Buffy Fish Owls!
     This is truly a FIRST for the taman, for an urban park!
     It is not only the taman that attracts a diversity of birds but also its immediate surrounding.  How can anyone dare to claim that surrounding developments will not affect the taman?!
     Still cute, adorable even as my photos couldn't do justice to this stunning bird.  It was evening and with unfavourable light, shooting was far from easy.
     The bird kept to the inner dense foliage for a long time as a senior birder and I kept our patience waiting for it to come forth and dive for its fish prey.  When it finally flew down to a lower spot, it was almost so well hidden behind a banana leaf that it took us a few seconds to locate it, then started our agony of trying to get sharper images in the failing light.
     Then, voila, a second bird flew past and had us running up and down the shrubby area trying to locate it.  Again the rather dense foliage slope down the stream where the bird had landed prevented our effort to locate this second bird.
     And we could only watch again as another one flew past, and the Owls continued to play hide and seek with us.
     As darkness finally descended, we reluctantly called it a day!
     Ah well, 'Tomorrow is another day!'
     Indeed, as I hurried over the next morning, our dear bird was already perching there, and finally some sharper images, although it still kept to the inner foliage, but it was all wide-eyed!  Stunning indeed!







Nevertheless, I certainly cannot discard the images shot the evening before, and well, a beauty is a beauty, you cannot hide it!
    These images were exquisite for these showed the Owl snoozing, dozing off and on, with a cute yawn thrown in




A cute yawning shot, unfortunately blurry but definitely adorable







It then flew down behind the banana leaf and our suspense and expectation that it would dive for fish came to naught.