Introduction to Birdwatching at Lake Gardens, KL - 13th April 2008

On the morning of the 13th April, 2008, we awoke to the sounds of steady rain at 5am. It had been raining since heading to bed the previous night, so we were unsure as to the number of people who would be willing to learn about watching birds on such a damp morning.
We arrived at the Bukit Aman carpark early to ensure appropriate coordination once the participants started arriving.
Jasmine (Day Trip Coordinator) was receiving phone calls all morning from 05:30 until 07:00 from interested parties enquiring as to the status of the trip.
Regardless of the weather, THE TRIP WOULD GO AHEAD.

(John Steed giving a briefing session to the participants upon arrival - still raining)

53 participants arrived (38 adults, 15 children) which constitutes a great turnout.

(Check out that Coppersmith Barbet!! - rain stopped, now just cloud above)

We were assisted by fellow MNS Selangor Birdgroup Committee members to provide the basics when it comes to watching birds, such as 'how to use binoculars and scopes', and they were also able to provide bird identification to those beginners who would not be in a position to know such things.

(Angie Yong, thrilled to have just seen a Black-thighed Falconet in the heart of the sunny city)

(Bird-call specialist, Carol Ho there to assist the groups)


(Veterans Rafi and Aun-Tiah also came along to share their wealth of knowledge, experience and enthusiasm)

The birdlist for the day reached 29 species, giving the newcomers a chance to see more than sparrows, crows and myna's:

1. Barbet, Coppersmith (Megalaima haemacephala)
2. Bee-eater, Blue-Tailed (Merops philippinus)
3. Bulbul, Yellow-Vented (Pycnonotus goiavier)
4. Crow, House (Corvus splendens)
5. Dove, Spotted (Streptopelia chinensis)
6. Dove, Zebra (Geopelia striata)
7. Falconet, Black-Thighed (Microhierax fringillarius)
8. Flameback, Common (Dinopium javanense)
9. Flycatcher, Asian Brown (Muscicapa dauurica)
10. Heron, Chinese Pond (Ardeola bacchus)
11. Iora, Common (Aegithina tiphia)
12. Kingfisher, White-Throated (Halcyon smyrnensis)
13. Kite, Brahminy (Haliastur indus)
14. Koel, Asian (Eudynamys scolopacea)
15. Leafbird, Golden-Fronted (Chloropsis aurifrons)
16. Myna, Common (Acridotheres tristis)
17. Myna, Javan (Acridotheres javanicus)
18. Oriole, Black-Naped (Oriolus chinensis)
19. Parrot, Blue-Crowned Hanging (Loriculus galgulus)
20. Pigeon, Pink-Necked Green (Treron vernans)
21. Robin, Oriental Magpie (Copsychus saularis)
22. Shrike, Brown (Lanius cristatus)
23. Sparrow, Eurasian-Tree (Passer montanus)
24. Starling, Asian-Glossy (Aplonis panayensis)
25. Stork, Painted (Mycteria leucocephala)
26. Swallow, Pacific (Hirundo tahitica)
27. Tailorbird, Common (Orthotomus sutorius)
28. Woodpecker, Crimson-Winged (Picus puniceus)
29. Woodpecker, Rufous (Celeus brachyurus)

The general feedback indicated that the morning was a great success, with heaps of enthusiasm amongst the new comers having just spent the morning up-close with nature.

Text by John Steed
Photos by PikWun Chin