With the long spell of dry weather we’ve been having, I thought it might be worth checking out the fringes of the lakes at Chuping, especially as Mun and others had seen Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Cotton Pygmy-Geese and Little Cormorant there … Continue reading →

After December’s mad dash to try to reach Dennis Yong’s 2006 record total of 582 species seen in Malaysia in one calendar year, I said I wouldn’t be following up with a repeat attempt at a Big Year this year, … Continue reading →

A request from Tim and Jeff Perkins on Friday evening to take them to Bukit Wang led to an unscheduled repeat visit on Saturday. Unlike my previous visit, it was pretty quiet, although there were several chances to revisit migrants like … Continue reading →

I’ve never done a ‘Big Year’ before, and I didn’t plan on doing one in 2014. But after a number of tours to Peninsular and Bornean Malaysia, in late November I counted up how many species I’d seen in Malaysia … Continue reading →

We arrived at Chuping at just after dawn, and almost literally, the first bird we set eyes on was a stunning pale morph Short-toed Snake-eagle roosting on one of the pylons. This was Malaysian lifer No 4 for David, and … Continue reading →

I was just updating the Records Committee website earlier this week and I discovered that I have found, or been involved in the finding of, a national ‘first’ for Malaysia every year but one since 2006 – with a total … Continue reading →

Reports of performing Great-eared Nightjars at Air Itam Dalam were too tempting to resist, so I made my way down there after work. While waiting till the ‘witching hour’ I watched an endless procession of House Crow flocks following the … Continue reading →

Chuping sugar cane fields, now fast becoming a rubber plantation, continue to pull in the rares in their swansong season. Hor Kee fluked a fabulous Short-eared Owl (flushed by plantation workers as he happened to be nearby!) and James Eaton … Continue reading →

A week ago I had not seen any Buteo buzzards in Malaysia. Now, just a few days after having photographed a Himalayan Buzzard in Penang, I received news that there was a probable Long-legged x Upland Buzzard hybrid in Chuping, … Continue reading →

With the identity of the buzzard still in the balance, I decided to go back to try to get another look and more photos. I started off pre-dawn at the snipe marsh. There was lots of bouncing going on in … Continue reading →