Friday, September 7, 2018

Back to Parit Jawa for the Chinese Egret that did not turn up

Lesser Sand Plover with small mud crab for its lunch
Lesser Sand Plover
Lesser Sand Plover with mud-covered legs
Parit Jawa is a small town, about 20 minutes drive from Muar, Johor which is well-known as a fishing village. The plastic crate of ice contained some fishes caught by the fishermen earlier in the day, and was just left near one of the many fishing boats moored near the jetty (see picture below).  
The Chinese Egret was spotted by my friend, Ang Teck Hin around noontime but alas I was already checking out of Streetview Hotel at that time. When I returned to Parit Jawa at 1pm, the Chinese Egret was nowhere to be seen. I could only withstand the fiery hot sun for 45 minutes, waiting for this Egret at the jetty before finally calling it a day. Although I was disappointed not being able to see this Egret and check it off my list, the Lesser Sand Plover delighted me with its antics as it probed the mudflats of Parit Jawa searching for its lunch. There was also a flock of terns roosting on the mudflats in the distant horizon but this flock was too far for me to identify features properly through my bins. All I could make out from my scope was black cap and white body. The checklist of birds seen at Parit Jawa and entered through eBird Malaysia as below:-
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S47779307 
Collared Kingfisher 
Crate of Fishes caught that morning - every Egret, Heron and Lesser Adjutant in that jetty must be dreaming of these! 

Strange-looking Lesser Adjutant 
Lesser Adjutant stands near the estuary, the plastic rubbish was a painful eyesore

Tropicbird versus Frigatebirds