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.

Monday 28 December 2020

Finally sighting of a nightjar

Whilst the nesting crimson-winged woodpeckers were the main attraction, there have been plenty of side shows to entertain those awaiting between the woodpeckers' feedings.

There were miscellaneous avian sightings at the popular water trough of mainly resident birds, and more interestingly transient appearances by raptors, namely three Oriental Honey Buzzards and a sub-adult Grey-headed Fish-Eagle, of which I sorely missed.

The last interesting encounter was the sighting of a Large-tailed Nightjar ( Caprimulgus macrurus) - nighjars being not really a surprise find as this and the savannah nightjar had been heard in the surrounding area of the taman.

It is generally not easy to spot this nightjar simply because of its camouflage as it prefers to lie among dead leaves scattered on the ground.  However on this occasion it was spooked off a branch and it flew from branch to branch, finally to the highest where it was seen to snooze off.

The nightjar is active at night as it's attracted to insects that are in turn attracted to the lights, perhaps why it has frequented the taman recently installed with rows of bright lights.

Hopefully the next sighting would be the other nightjar.







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