Welcome back Mr. Asian Brown

Asian Brown Flycatcher - Sambar Asia is back in my backyard

Asian Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica)

Clear sky here in Malaysia for the past few days after wind pattern change to north-west, and push the haze and smoke from south  Kalimantan (open burning area and source of haze) in Indonesia to Sumatra.

Wind pattern map and haze API (air pollution index) - good in most part of Malaysia

Breakfast frenzy with Alate Termite

Feeding frenzy on Alate Termite at my backyard.
All sorts of birds:-
Yellow-vented Bulbul , Asian Glossy Starling, Common Myna, Brown Shrike,Pied Fantail, Black-naped Oriole, Oriental Magpie-Robin,Barn Swallow, Pacific Swallow

This picture below was taken in May 2008 - link HERE

White-throated KingFisher	Asian Glossy Starling	House Sparrow

My contribution to the Bird Ecology Study Group - link HERE

Painted Stork and Little Egret in Flight

Abd Jamal Abd Hadi photographed this 2 species at his home town at Bandar Bangi

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) - Bangau Kecil - above

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) Upeh Sawah

Brown Shrike at Jalan Bukit Mahkamah

When the sky is clear from the haze for a few days, I can see this species in my backyard and in town
This Brown Shrike was photographed at Jalan Bukit Mahkamah, opposite to the site where Scally-Breasted Munia feeding (grass that's been destroyed by herbicide)

My birding site destroyed by herbicide

This is my favorite site to watch and photographed  Scaly-breasted Munia in action.
The adult and sub-adult feeding pictures (below) was taken at this place when all  the grasses are fresh and green.
When I visited the site  yesterday all the grass turn yellow and no more birds around.
Raub District Council workers take a short cut by spraying herbicide. That site comprises of  Love grass or Mackie's pest grass (Chrysopogon aciculatus),  Coat Button grass (Tridax procumbens) and  Guinea Grass (Panicum maximum). But I notice there are Blady grass / Cogon grass / Lalang (Imperata cylindrica) as well. Lalang is very difficult to get rid off, so may be that the reason the gardener uses herbicide

Scaly-breasted Munia - Adult , Sub-Adult and Juvenile

Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)  - Pipit Pinang - Dewasa,  Remaja

adult above, sub-adult below - eating a Guinea Grass / Buffalo grass (Panicum maximum) seeds

Juveniles below

resting  at a wire perimeter fence

Birds of Saudi Arabia by Abd Jamal Abd Hadi

My friend Mr. Jamal  email  me four species of the Birds of Saudi Arabia
He is Malaysian current base  at Al-Khobar , Saudi Arabia as  Japanese Interpreter/Translator

When I posted his Birds of Japan in April 2003 2013, his was using a point and shoot Olympus-SP72oUZ camera.
Now he upgraded to dSLR Nikon D5200 with 70-300mm lenses

All pictures below are  - by Abd Jamal Abd Hadi

Prophet Solomon and the Hoopoe
Kisah Burung Hud-Hud dan Nabi Sulaiman - HERE

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَهَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لّا يَنبَغِي لِأَحَدٍ مِّنْ بَعْدِي إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
 “Tuhanku, ampuni dosaku dan kurniakanlah kepadaku sebuah kerajaan (yang tiada taranya), yang tidak akan ada pada sesiapapun kemudian daripadaku; sesungguhnya Engkau-lah yang sentiasa melimpah kurnia-Nya.” (Sadd:35)

Burung Hud-Hud -  Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

And he took attendence of the  birds and said "Why do I not see the hoopoe - or is he among the absent?" An-Naml (The Ants 27:20)

 White-Eared Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucotis)

 White-Eared Bulbul turns the water tap!. Beautiful backlighting

 White-cheeked Bulbul

 African Collared Dove

 Laughing Dove - beautiful colours

Starling Juvenile

at a Papaya Tree - Burung Perling Mata Merah makan buah betik

Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis) 

Common Iora at a Tapioca / Cassava Tree

Burung Kunyit Kecil - Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia) - di Pokok Ubi Kayu

Haze and Migrant Birds

These birds are frequent  visitor at my backyard during the winter / migrant season.
I have searched for it for the past two weeks and found nothing.
Could this haze weather prevent it from returning?
Birds have been shown to use a sun, moon and stars compass, magnetic fields, visual landmarks and sense of smell

Brown Shrike below

EDIT (9 Oct. 2015)
Finally, after weeks of hazy weather, the sun shows it self and clear blue sky with white clouds yesterday.
The brown shrike perched on that  wire, but I did bring my camera and telephoto. Shrike, please wait for me!

Look at the Skywatch Friday HERE