Raptor Count 2016 Tanjung Tuan on a Saturday

Here comes the Oriental Honey Buzzards. 2,754 OHBs were counted from 10.30am to 6pm that Saturday, 6th Day of Official Raptor Count. Counters were myself, Han, Jacky, Andy, Alyce, OT and Cheng Yam.

The raptor below is the resident Brahminy Kite. We saw a pair that Saturday morning. I still remember the side-by-side pictures of Brahminy Kite (juvenile) and Black Kite that Swee Seng highlighted during the Raptor ID workshop last February 2016 where he pointed out how these two different species of Kites look similar especially the juveniles. It is only when the Brahminy matures into an adult that the distinct white head and brownish plumage differentiates it from the Black Kite. Grainy picture since the Kite was flying high above the Tanjung Tuan lighthouse when I snapped my camera. Still grappling with my Panasonic Lumix.  

More pictures of the OHBs soaring and flying past the lighthouse that hot Saturday in Tanjung Tuan.

Jacky from Singapore gave me a great tip to hit the +2 button on my camera when taking pictures of birds flying or soaring in the skies. Seems +2 function is a common feature found in all digital cameras. Found this small button on my camera on Saturday night and took these shots of OHBs on Sunday morning.

View from the lighthouse of an Oriental Honey Buzzard flying past and circling above us:-

View from the Cherry Tree of an OHB soaring above the waters, Straits of Malacca. We started counting when these OHBs appear as little flecks over the horizon, flying towards Tanjung Tuan and Port Dickson from Pulau Rupat, Indonesia. The passing ships became focal point for us to start our count.

Hanjin was one of the passing ships which we took as the focal point to start our count of the migrating raptors.

There was a toilet which the lighthouse had granted permission for us counters to use, which was at the entrance to the lighthouse courtyard. Couldn't resist snapping a picture from within the courtyard. It had a lovely view of the Tanjung Tuan hill forest. 

Migratory OHBs thermaling in the skies just above the forest of Tanjung Tuan as they begin their incredible journey to the northern parts of Asia. There are a total of 25 migratory raptor species that visit Malaysia out of total number of 421 diurnal and 133 nocturnal raptors, according to MNS Raptor Watch website.