Finally, wagtail image

 Finally I managed to have a few shots at the Grey Wagtail that has arrived weeks ago.   As usual this visitor that could come from as far up north as South Korea is one skittish fella that characteristically darted in and off, zipping along the length of the river that it's terribly difficult to get close to it.

12/2020

CMCO Day 17

A terribly distant shot, alerted by its incessant wagging, naturally!

Increasing raptor presence

I realised that I've mistaken this one for a changeable hawk-eagle.  It's a sub-adult Brahminy Kite after all.  Anyway it's heartening to know that the brahminy kite is still around though it has been a long while, too long, since the adult bird has been spotted visiting the taman.

CMCO Day 16

Gone with the greens

 Now you see it, now you don't - and that's the case of the Common Kingfisher and its erratic appearance, evidently spooked by the ongoing river works and recent massive clearing along the river.  Fortunately it appeared for reasonably long enough for some decent shots before the felling and cutting down started.  It's hoped that it will reappear soon.

CMCO Day 15

This is one adorable bird that one cannot get enough of.

Only one warbler so far

I have been waiting to spot the warblers in the taman since the migratory season started, and it was relatively easier before at the normal site until the retention works of the sewerage plant started and most of the birds avoided this site.

And I'm happy finally to spot one, an Eastern Crowned Warbler that flashed in and out in a bird wave, unfortunately keeping to the upper canopy.  However, in previous years this bird was more difficult to spot compared to the arctic warbler which I have yet to sight.

Nevertheless its distinct clear lower mandible, its whiter underpart and yellowish under-tail part clearly testify to its identity. 

CMCO Day 14

When trees and bushes are gone ....

 I guess when taman workers are not properly trained to maintain a park, ie when it involves cutting or trimming, they tend to get over-zealous and this was what happened when the workers decided to clean up the river sides.  The slopes have been 'wiped clean' that on the bright side, it's easier to see the birds but on the reverse, birds can see humans easily too, so in the end, the birds fled, spooked by people curiously and constantly scanning the river banks.  Ahh well, one just has to wait for the plants and shrubs and bushes to grow back.

CMCO Day 12 & 13

This slope was once the attraction of the Munias and Weavers and Butterflies when it was overgrown with wild grass and flowering bushes.

 

It was just good old yesterday that the Scaly-breasted Munias were feeding on the grass seeds.

Bee-eaters, where?

 The Blue-throated Bee-eaters were so perfectly camouflaged that I would have certainly missed them if they were not busily preening so gave their presence away.

And these birds definitely spotted me too.

CMCO Day 11

It's interesting to note too that the adult bird must have been through some tough times going by its tattered tail feathers albeit wet ones.

These trio of an adult and its two young looked like they had a successful morning sallying for insects in air as well as skimming the pond surface, and thus necessity for preening after meal.  What exemplary behaviour!

I almost missed the adult when it took off had I not looked twice at the image.

And so the birds eventually took off one after another, the youngest the last to do so, and strangely not together.

Long overdue flycatcher

 I finally got to sight the Asian Brown Flycatcher in the taman after spotting it a couple of weeks ago in Bukit Kiara.  The taman never fails to host more than one of these migrant birds for so many years now.

CMCO Day 10

The hive that once was

 All that's now left of the bee hive that had been around since July.  It finally disintegrated into pieces, and one is simply floored, awed by the remarkable work of one of nature's wonders, the Tualang bees - the stunning and precise hexagons in the honeycomb, as the fallen pieces enabled the opportunity to examine the pieces closely.  These hexagonal wax cells still felt soft, moist, thin and stretchy but sturdy, and fragrant, honey fragrance naturally, and could pass off as soft chewy biscuits.

Gorgeous pieces of art.

As I was passing by

 

Thanks for the pose!

For better, at last

 I could not have been proven more right, that the taman has been too noisy lately for any normal avian activities, and when all those ghastly drilling and grinding finally ceased, ceased because all the cables have been laid and holes are now ready for the lamp posts to be installed, and these ever so shy White-breasted Waterhens came out to forage. These birds have always been my yardstick for the quietness and sense of security the taman birds need to appear and forage freely.

And it's not one but a pair of the Waterhens that appeared so openly. 

CMCO Day 9

Whilst one moved on into the undergrowth, the other one was braver and moved down to the pond, a rare act unless it did not feel threatened.

And then there was no hurry to retreat into the safety of the undergrowth when it decided to return to the bushes.