White-throated kingfisher Feeding behavior

White-throated kingfisher Feeding behavior

That white-red is KWSP (Employees' Provident Fund) building

Last week's Aidil-Fitri holiday provided me with the opportunity to capture some bird photography.

There is a small lotus pond near my house (10 minutes walk), beside the KWSP Building on Jalan Persiaran Damai 4.

In an hour, I saw four different bird species. There are two Kingfishers, two water hens, and a Chinese pond heron.

From the car window, I captured this kingfisher in action.

I have seen this species feeding on grasshoppers, frog and lizard, but this is my first time seeing fish as its diet..

White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis  perpulchra). The one flapping its wing probably is a male.

A pair of White-throated Kingfishers perched openly on two death trees.

diving

Fly over the Lotus plants, (Nelumbo nucifera)

Fly parallel over the water, looking for fish.

The white-throated kingfisher did not dive directly into the water but had a preference for catching fish from the water's surface.

strike

Fail, let's try again. Out of three attempts that I saw, only one was successful. (33%)

Landing a rotten wood not far from my car - look at the eye - nictitating membrane.

Take off to dry the feathers

Successfully caught a small fish, probably guppy.

Great Egret at Taman Tasik Raub

Great Egret (Casmerodius alba modestus)

First time see this big bird in Raub.

Great Egret head and bill characteristics.

The dagger mark (gape line) that extends behind the eye.

Great Egret on the orange coloured concrete platform in the middle of Raub Lake.

Non-breeding plumage black legs 

A small yellow bump or callous on the left leg.

It flew away when I approached. 

Wadding in shallow water. It has been dry and hot recently.

A bird lifts itself out off the water.

It landed at the concrete dam on the far side of the lake.

Compare the sizes. Greater on the left and little on the right.

White-bellied Sea Eagle harass by crow at Raub Lake

I was taking a photo of an egret at Taman Tasik Raub yesterday afternoon when I heard a loud commotion. 

A White-bellied Sea Eagle (Icthyophaga leucogaster) was being harassed by a Large-billed Crow.

This is my first time seeing a Sea Eagle in Raub. It's common habitat is in coastal areas, and inland (like Raub) waterbodies.

Sub-adult White-bellied Sea Eagle, still patches of brown at the neck.

Jungle crows are not common in this small town, unlike big cities like Kuala Lumpur where crows are a pest. Here, crows are usually seen in big trees and high telecommunication towers.

 The crow chased the eagle into the tree.

White-bellied Sea Eagle trying to defend attacked by Crow 

mid-air fight

 Apparently, this type of fight is common between eagles and crows. Maybe to protect their nest and territories.

Sea Eagle didn't want to waste time and energy; he just flew away.

A Large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos macrorhynchos) claims victory.

Bald Common Myna - Tiung Kepala Botak

Yellow funky "botak-head", looks like vultures.

Cause: Unknown

I photographed it in Temeroh, just outside my perimeter fence. 

Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis tristis)

Bald Common Myna

Feeding on a Lesser Spear grass,(Chrysopogon aciculatus). Rumput kemuncup

doing their activity normally