Kuala Baram Wetlands - Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

Black-winged Stilt feeding

Black-winged Kite in flight

On a short trip to Miri (28.2.18) I went to the Kuala Baram wetlands to find out what the place has to offer.  There were ponds and swampy areas just by the roadside where we parked our car.  The wetlands is situated between the coastal road and the continuous shore line. Towards one end of the road were a few kampungs and on the opposite end were seen destructive activities such as clearing and bull-dozing works and prawn farming ponds.

Since time was limited, I just waited by the roadside or a few meters away from the road shoulder.  I was quite disappointed by the facilities there. There’s tons of work to be done to make the place favourable for birders which is for the authorities to think about and do.

Anyway, there were plenty of Blue-throated Bee-eaters coming as low as the road shoulders hunting for prey. Sounds of kingfishers , Brahminy kites and Wood swallows were loud and clear.  Two birds made my day during the very brief visit, which was about two hours.   Firstly, I managed to come quite close to the Black-winged Kite with a wonderful picture of it in flight.  Secondly, I was able to add a new sighting to this blog – Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus) which was a lifer for me.

I guess I will come back again to this place in near future not only to see the birds but also to the destruction of the habitat due to man’s greed and inconsideration.

A fruitful birding at Likau beach

White-breasted Woodswallows on branches of the Ru tree

 Took the afternoon off to do birding at Likau beach area which is reachable by a 40 minutes drive from the center of Bintulu town.  At Likau (which is the entrance to the Similajau National Park) there is the Likau River which can be crossed  by a suspension bridge.  The Likau area  is also the site of the National Park living accomodation for tourists or visitors and their administration and maintenance staff as well.  The Semi-D chalets and hostels seemed new.  The place was generally well-kept.  There are tall Nibong trees around the park's buildings.  Tall Ru trees are typical of the place and more are seen growing gradually into the sandy beach.  The photos below are the result of a brief 2 hours birding around the Likau beach, between 1600 - 1800 hrs.  What's interesting was watching the Eurasian Tree Sparrow in the act of catching and eating the green caterpillar snatched from the needle-like leaves of the Ru tree. As an interesting sideshow a group of monkeys with their young were seen playing near the beach across the Likau river.  Overall, it was a worthwhile birding trip.

White-breasted woodswallow

Living accomodation for visitors and tourists

Living accomodation for visitors and tourists

Tall Nibong palms around the accomodation area

Ru or Casuarina trees colonizing the sandy beach

Eurasian Tree Sparrow caught a  green caterpillar

Spotted-necked Dove

Common Sandpiper on suspension bridge

Oriental Magpie-robin

A solitary Dollarbird

Barn swallow on suspension bridge

Suspension bridge across the Likau river

A small group of monkeys at the beach across the Likau river

Two blue kingfishers

Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)

 Around 4 pm this afternoon while paying a visit to Bintulu town, I dropped by at the Pantai Temasya beach, some 4 km from Bintulu town center.  I was kind of lucky to see two beautiful blue  Collared Kingfishers perching on a tall dead tree.  It is very common to see this type of kingfisher at this beach and are often seen perching on  tall casuarina trees that are a feature of the coastal vegetation here.  To see two of them was somehow delightful for me.  All these while I could only capture it solitary.  As a side attraction I noticed a single Common Sandpiper among the rocks.  It dawned upon me the reason why it prefer the rocky landscape.  Its light brown body easily camouflaged itself among the rocks.

Camouflaged among the rocks - Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos)

Two blue kingfishers

View of development near the Pantai Temasya beach, Tg. Batu, Bintulu.

Birding by the Bintulu beach

The Reef Egret coming close to the rocks, but not landing.

Pacific Reef Egret
(Egretta sacra)

 It has been quite a while since my last visit to Tanjung Batu.  There is the popular picnic spot and sunset watching at the Pantai Temasya, situated somewhere in the middle section of the Persiaran Pantai Temasya or the Pantai Temasya Drive at Tanjung Batu.  Tanjung Batu is a breezy place to relax and many recreational activities are carried out here like fishing, jogging, cycling, swimming, photography and beach games.  Today I planned to take pictures of the Common Sandpiper that can be seen on any day on the rocky outcrops characteristic of Tanjung Batu.  My visit was given extra bonus with the sighting of the Pacific Reef Egret (Egretta sacra).  It was flying solo.  The Common Sandpiper came in a small group of three and were moving about places.  It was when I wanted to photoshoot them on the rocks that I saw the egret appearing from the sea.  It flew close to the rocky outcrop for me to photoshoot it.  I guess I was lucky today to have captured it, my first lifer.

Rocky outcrops like these are typical features at Tanjung Batu, Bintulu.  They slip gently into the South China Sea.

Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos

Reef Egret

Birds at Pustaka

Collared Kingfisher at the compounds of Pustaka

Stork-billed Kingfisher

 I spent just a mere one hour for a quick tour of the Pustaka Sarawak grounds on the 16th of August.  There is  large landscape compound around the Pustaka (Sarawak State Library).  On many of my earlier trips I frequently bump into the Stork-billed Kingfisher and on this trip it was there as usual. Two other birds that interest me on this trip was the Pied Fantail and the Striated Heron.  The tiny Brown-throated Sunbird was of no surprise and so was the Common Iora.  By the pond I noticed the Common Sandpiper and nearby the rockery the little Oriental Tree Sparrow.  The Red- Headed Tailorbird was also seen among the leaves and branches of the Bungor tree.  For a brief one hour visit to the park, I dare say the visit was very fruitful.  The Pustaka can generally be reached in about 20 - 30 minutes by car from the Kuching City centre.

Brown-throated Sunbird - Kelicap Mayang Kelapa (Malay)
Anthreptes malacensis

Common Iora - Kunyit Kacat (Malay)
Aegithina tiphia

Common Iora - Kunyit Kacat (Malay)
Aegithina tiphia

Common Myna

Common Sandpiper - Kedidi Pasir (Malay)
Actitis hypoleucos

Pied Fantail - Sambar Murai Gila (Malay)
Rhipidura javanica

Oriental Tree Sparrow

Red-headed Tailorbird - Perenjak Kelapu
Orthotomus ruficeps

Striated Heron - Pucung Keladi (Malay)
Butorides striata