Friday, March 08, 2013

Raptor watch @ Tanjung Tuan...



Raptor the migratory birds from North Asia, North-eastern Asia, Eastern Siberia, Kamchatka, North-eastern China, the Korean Peninsula and Japan where they breed are here now in big numbers. Every year at this time of the years these migratory birds would fly to Tanjung Tuan [ Cape Rachado] on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and would stay there for about two months before going back to their natural habitat in the northern atmosphere. When the weather is hot it would fly in groups above Tanjung Tuan sky taking advantage of the thermal column of rising air where it could fly easily with little energy needed. It is a yearly happening at this part of the world from March to the end of April. For the purpose of highlighting this happening NGO in Malaysia have organised a Raptor Watch activity. This year it would be on March 9 - 10 at the vicinity of the Ilham resort at Tanjung Tuan. Read this

I had wanted to go and watch it for myself so last Saturday March 2, 2013 with my spouse I drove all the way to Tanjung Tuan to see for ourselves the Raptor there. On arrival we got out of the car and saw many birds circling above flying in formation against the blue sky of the midday sun. It just looks like flying dots against the blue sky. I snap as many images with my Nikon using a telescopic lens. Had it not been for that telescopic lens I would not be able to see the colour of that bird. Above is an image of one of a Raptor that I spot flying above the Ilham Hotel compound at Tanjung Tuan; an amazing sight indeed. 

Have a nice day.

4 comments:

Temuk said...

I presume that the objects that you were shooting were far up, and constantly moving, so it must have been quite difficult for you to focus on them. It was great that your lens managed to capture one of the birds that showed its wings wide-open and nicely colored.

Pak Idrus said...

Temuk, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on the subject of this posting.

Yes the birds were flying high above and it was at noon when the sun was bright and hot. There are no other way of taking a picture of those moving target but to just snap as many but focusing on one. I did focus on one at a time but I still could not get a sharp image of the bird. I had an ordinary telescopic lens which is OK for ordinary stationary shot but for this moving object one must have a longer and more powerful telescopic lens. Anyway I was happy I got some images as seen in this posting with my Nikon telescopic lens. The bird are large about a metre in Span thus even at a distance one could see the flight formation with it spread wing. I also took with ordinary lens but it just shows dots only.

I am glad that you enjoy seeing that photo I took that day much as I had enjoyed snapping it.

Have a nice day.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Thank you for supporting the cause of raptor protection and habitat conservation, Pak Idrus. I have witnessed raptor migration so many times but it is still a miracle to me. Our cameras may not be able to capture the photos well but the images stay in our minds and hearts for a lifetime.

Pak Idrus said...

~CovertOperations78~, Ee Lynn thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on the subject of theis posting, as well your kind words. Had it not been for your promotion I would have not known and would have missed the joy of seeing those amazing birds. Yes I too do wonder how they did it, travelling thousand of kilometres to and fro just be to here.

Auntie Asmah and I did enjoy our first visit there and would surely go there again. This time better prepared.

Have a nice day.