1. Siberian Stonechat, 黑喉石䳭, 黑喉石䳭, Saxicola maurus, ノビタキ, MURAI-SAWAH BIASA
– a common winter visitor(North) normally found grassland, paddy field
update 202012
– this little poor bird with the bill hook up
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2. Pied Bushchat. 白斑黑石鵖, 白斑黑石䳭, Saxicola caprata, クロノビタキ, MURAI-SAWAH HITAM
– Males are black with a white vent and a white wing patch. Females are dark brown with a reddish-brown rump and underparts. Females can resemble the migratory Siberian Stonechat, but can be separated by the absence of an eyebrow and of any white on the collar or wing. (Ebird)
1.Black-crowned Night-Heron, 夜鹭,夜鷺,Nycticorax nycticorax, PUCUNG-KUAK BIASA
– 46-60 cm
– common, widespread, like to roosting big group in same area
Adults have a black crown and back with the remainder of the body white or grey, red eyes, and short yellow legs. They have pale grey wings and white under parts. Two or three long white plumes, erected in greeting and courtship displays, extend from the back of the head. The sexes are similar in appearance although the males are slightly larger. Black-crowned night herons do not fit the typical body form of the heron family. They are relatively stocky with shorter bills, legs, and necks than their more familiar cousins, the egrets and “day” herons. Their resting posture is normally somewhat hunched but when hunting they extend their necks and look more like other wading birds.
Immature birds have dull grey-brown plumage on their heads, wings, and backs, with numerous pale spots. Their underparts are paler and streaked with brown. The young birds have orange eyes and duller yellowish-green legs. They are very noisy birds in their nesting colonies, with calls that are commonly transcribed as quok or woc.
7. Chinese Egret, 黄嘴白鹭, 黃嘴白鷺, Egretta eulophotes, カラシラサギ, Bangau Cina
– Vulnerable species
– look confusing to little egret, bill, leg color make the different
– medium size, sometimes confused with a little egret
update 202101
– high tide, force this rare and globally endangered white egret to come near to platform feeding
update 202012
– funny to see this bird inland where is in a Manure pond.
8. Great-billed Heron, 大嘴鹭, 大嘴鷺, Ardea sumatrana, スマトラサギ, Cangak Laut
- lucky to have these 2 birds displaying and managed to have a good session with them
- a not so common heron
非常幸運,拍到它們在配偶行為。
update 202102
- while w on the way to Great-billed Kingfisher. Saw these 2 birds displaying and stop to capture the good moment.
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9. Cattle Egret, 牛背鹭, 牛背鷺, Bubulcus ibis, アマサギ, BANGAU PENDEK
1.White-faced Plover, 环颈鸻,環頸鴴,Charadrius dealbatus, シロチドリ, RAPANG PANTAI CINA
– depend on checklist, this may sub-species of Kentish Plover if not split as full species
– Very pale upperparts, paler edges to coverts. Short breast patches. Pale legs (Thanks Dave Bakewell for the summary difference)
– it mixes with all Lesser, Greater Sand Plover but not that difficult to spot it as a very pale color
update 2020 Oct
– Selangor, Malaysia
– only one individual found this trip. trip before seem another individual found which look slight different bird
2. Lesser Sand-Plover, 蒙古沙鸻,蒙古沙鴴, Charadrius mongolus, メダイチドリ,RAPANG-SISIR KECIL
– one of the most common and move in big group wader (winter visitor)
– sometimes can be very confused with Greater
– various plumage can be seen
update 202109
– one of the most common waders found here when migratory season (North).
– one of the bird still showing some post breeding plumage.
– 马来西亚蛮普通的候鸟(北)
– 其中一只还在非繁殖羽。
update 202104
– continue to have more change plumage of this lovely and common winter visitor
– lucky to have 2 birds bath together
– 这个月是马来西亚看候鸟转繁殖羽的最好时候。这最普通的其中一种,还是很漂亮的。还要2只一起冲凉。
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– it is almost time to go back home, the plumage change to breeding plumage
– looking at the forehead and chest orange bar which different from Greater breeding plumage. Lesser tend to have no white forehead and bigger breast band
– 开始换繁殖羽。又是时候回家了。与铁嘴沙鸻也有相似点。可是头部美白,胸的橙较多/大。
update 202012
update 202010
3. Little Ringed Plover, 金眶鸻, 金眶鴴, Charadrius dubius, コチドリ, Rapang Gelang Kecil
– a bird with a yellow eye ring
– normally single or small flock
– found near a paddy field
update 202011
– very interesting feeding way
4. Greater Sand-Plover, 铁嘴沙鸻, 鐵嘴沙鴴, Charadrius leschenaultii, オオメダイチドリ, RAPANG-SISIR BESAR
– long and pale yellow leg
– leg is forward the center of the Body
– bill shape (refer to this good reference by Dave Bakewell)
Small, pale plover with broken black collar, sandy upperparts, grayish legs, and rather fine black bill. Breeding plumage has black mask and black tabs at sides of breast (not a complete band). Nonbreeding plumages have black replaced by brown. Mainly coastal, on sandy beaches, dry mudflats, and at salt ponds, usually near water; also locally inland. Migrants will join with flocks of other shorebirds. [Ebird]
– a bird that not really so common at Malaysia and so far I only saw it here non-breeding plumage. Finally I see breeding plumage at such close range and very good focal range (800mm +1.4 = 1120mm .. also use on R7 .. ===1792mm)
2. Common Iora, 黑翅雀鹎, 黑翅雀鵯, Aegithina tiphia, ヒメコノハドリ, KUNYIT-KECIL BIASA
– common at beautiful song bird near urban, mangrove
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3. Great Iora, 大绿雀鹎, 大綠雀鵯, Aegithina lafresnayei, オオヒメコノハドリ, KUNYIT-KECIL SAYAP HITAM
– rareness among 3 species, overall bigger and longer beak
– normally like Green Iora feeding and action near the canopy
马来西亚较稀有的。较大,嘴也大。
update 202404
– still clearing hdd and this moment remind me my best time spent with my buddies .. hope I have time to go out with them more. Very lucky to see the adult keep feeding the young
– 还在清理2022的旧照片。这照片是鱼一帮朋友无忧无虑的看鸟看到,幼鸟在等成鸟来喂。朋友等等我。
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update 202401
– after years, revisit a special location where we spent ours time Pandemic lockdown time. Surprise to heard this bird call and very soon we got to see it so well … amazing beautiful tree and bird
– what a lucky day, while we having our casual birding we saw the juvenile standing at a low branch waiting to be feed. Even we got stint by hornet and leech bite… but all of us still waiting for the moment and reward with this not so common bird with some good feeding pictures and videos.
– casual morning, when heard the call I thought I may hear wrong
– 轻松的早上。当我在这听到这鸟叫,还以为我听错。
update 202203
– a wonderful & casual morning with my buddies again. noisy fellow keep making call until we see it stay long for us
– 与好朋友的美好早上。这鸟,叫不停。
update 202110
– another day with “Iora wave” with 3 species of Iora feeding high up. So I am trying hard to find this special one. finally one is stop for few second for picture opportunity
– 遇上雀鹎鸟浪,可是都高高在上。听到这只较稀有的鸟,幸好看到它停了几秒。
update 202105
– Malaysia rareness Iora, biggest in size too.
– overall black-top and yellow-below. Wing without any white- 馬來西亞較稀有的雀鵯。
– 較大型。身上-黑綠。下半身-黃。
– as usual, have my casual birding in Kuala Lumpur surrounding forest (cannot cross state due to Pandemic covid-19 lockdown) – lucky day to see ~17 Green Iora (which originally attract my attention), 2 common iora, and 2 Great Iora in the same tree.
– 因为疫情不能过州。只能在附近森林,看看鸟。非常幸运的遇到马来西亚3种雀鹎。
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– 2nd encounter, but this time high up and keep making alert call.
– a not-so-common bird at Selangor and lucky to finally got to see it again.
– 第二次見到他。站高高,一直叫不停。
– 在這。蠻稀有的鳥種。
update 202104
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– another lucky moment when I have my easy morning walk with my light setup. follow the bird wave this bird just appears quick come and go.
– 又一个幸运的早上。它跟鸟浪一起冲冲的来,冲冲的走。
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– a slightly bigger iora and obvious bigger bill and making a lot of noise
– 比起马来西亚另2种雀鹎较大,也很吵。
update 202103
– as usual, have my casual birding in Kuala Lumpur surrounding forest (cannot cross state due to Pandemic covid-19 lockdown)
– lucky day to see ~17 Green Iora (which originally attract my attention), 2 common iora, and 2 Great Iora in the same tree.
finally on hand with production Canon EOS R5 for 2 days. managed to test standard function, ISO performance, Raw file capability (Shadow and highlight recovery) and AF : Animal eye tracking on birds
For wildlife Photographers, few things about AF bordeing us : AF speed, AF accuracy, AF tracking capability
*** yet to have time setup screen capture to show the R5 AF capability and hope I can make one to show
for the 2 days bird photography with the R5
Day1 : standard shooting experience, Handheld IS capability , ISO, Shadow and Highlight recovery
Day2 : I shooting Tv mode , Full Animal eye tracking
Here, I will sharing real Tropical forest field experience on using the R5 … few simple conclusions before start some sharing
1. the AF to lock the object
i. normal condition – EOS 1Dx m2 definitely faster and R5 is faster than my 5D mark4
ii. low light condition – EOS1Dx m2 faster , R5 is good compare to 5Dmark4
iii. back light condition with shadow highlight backgroup (not just pure sky)
– EOS1Dx m2 faster, 5Dm4 slow but R5 seem can’t really look for the object (small object on the overall frame) . the R5 just can’t get the lizard or the trunk nearby to focus for long (and I am still looking single button to change AF to MF peaking to solve this easy .
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2. Animal Finding — > Eye Tracking
– I was amaze by A9 with 600mm FE year back where my guest using it to find the the bird !!! As long as we point the camera and len toward bird direction with some minor complex object (with pure sky there are no problem at all) the A9 will automatic found the bird and keep tracking it !!!!!
so I also try to use R5 , I know where is the bird and point R5 with EF-R adapter 500mm EF IS4 II toward the direction . the Camera did found the tiny flowerpecker if it move/jump but it stay and just moving it’s body .. I still can’t depend the R5 help me find where’s the bird yet …
Trac#
Tracking : this TOTALY change my thought of Mirrorless camera !!!!
As long as I can find , focus the bird (use shutter button focus the bird) than I use the AF-on (configure to Animal eye focus) it will track the bird head/eye in any conditions : dark, backlight, moving, flying small object etc
Even, the Green Iora is far and small in this case. After I got the bird focus and press AF-On button, the eye tracking just work seamless (no matter it change head direction, jumping etc)
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situation where birds flying with plain sky … it is incredible fast to get the camera to focus on the bird .. as long shutter speed fast enough , shooting swiftlet is like “makan kacang putih” (Malaysian say) …. picture below .. point my camera and len toward sky with any bird , and press the AF-On button which is Animal-eye tracking than within very short moment it will lock the bird and fire shutter ….
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We always do have problem shooting bird in flight when bird flying toward us with speed . the AF not easy to lock the object firmly , even yes we need luck , high skill (camera and tripod handling) to have higher success rate for Bird in Flight toward us .. which is different from side way flying which many way can make higher success rate
Very lucky day, we have this Owl for us to try the animal-eye tracking AF … with condition
– bird flying from about 200m toward us about 20-30m toward us and than to right
– Canon EOS R5, R-EF adapter , Canon 600mm F4 IS2
– Tv mode set to Auto ISO, 1/2000
– This test , using single focus get the bird focus when it flying toward us than using Animal-eye tracking for full sequence shooting of ~3s
– Mechanical shutter
– among 29 frame pictures captured , only 1 frame missed and 1 not capture correct (due to moving my camera slower than the bird flying)
simple video show how each the bird flying toward us
each frame as below 2048px
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related posts
Birds Watch/Photograph tour feel free to contact me
5. Caspian Tern, 红嘴巨鸥, 紅嘴巨鷗, Hydroprogne caspia, オニアジサシ, CAMAR RAYA
6. White-winged Tern, 白翅浮鸥, 白翅浮鷗, Chlidonias leucopterus, ハジロクロハラアジサシ, CAMAR TASIK SAYAP PUTIH
7. Great Crested Tern, 大凤头燕鸥, 鳳頭燕鷗, Thalasseus bergii, オオアジサシ, Camar Besar Berjambul
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1. Little Tern, 白额燕鸥, 白額燕鷗, Sternula albifrons, コアジサシ, CAMAR KECIL BIASA
– common, small size at west coast Pen Malaysia ..
update 202103
– breeding plumage just before heading home
– 返北前的繁殖羽
– Pantai Jeram, Sg Serdang , Selangor 202008/09
update 202012
- another moment before this small tern dive into the water for prey
- 每次要跳近水裡捉食物就會這樣盤旋。
update 202012
– Malim Nawar, Perak 202009
2. Whiskered Tern, 须浮鸥,須浮鷗,Chlidonias hybrida, クロハラアジサシ, CAMAR TASIK BERMISAI BIASA
– one of the most common tern of Peninsular Malaysia
– stout and not that long bill
– normally feed in a group
– the way it feeds slight different where it just feed on the surface of the water rather than dive in
– 馬來西亞西亞較普通的鸥
– 群體
– 嘴較肥硕+短
update 202211
– a group of Whiskered Tern feeding near small water area, so we decided to stop a while to try to capture the BIF-Diving pictures.
– after few round of R3, use the R7 for few more round the AF tracking test . Here is one of the test result with another jpeg-video series
– 一群须浮鸥与小白鹭在这捉鱼。就停了一会试试R3/R7对焦玉追焦。因为蛮多人还是对R7 有保留。
– 试了几轮R3/R7会一一分享。
update 202204
– the plumage had change and ready to back home
– 换了繁殖羽,是时候回去了。
update 202203
– nowadays with new technology, it is so easy to capture this kind of action photos.
– 新的相机技术,打飞版变成非常容易了。
update 202202
– a simple test on High speed video (slow motion)
– video just trim, watermark from original file from CANON EOS R6
– 短测试,慢速度视频。佳能R6, 只是简单剪裁。
update 202201
– new technology make all this action pictures so easy.
– 新的相机技术,拍鸥飞版真的容易的不可再容易了。
update 202112
– tern action is much easier to photograph, and love this as the morning light
– 拍鸥飞版,应该都蛮容易的。可是这张虽然有点远,可是早上的光线真的很好。
update 202111
– another good moment shooting with Canon R3 effortless, it is almost never miss any moment even I just shoot 15 fps
– 测试佳能R3其中一幕。这种动作几乎都不会错过,我也没用一秒30张,就15张。
update 202105
– breeding plumage makes it easier to id, red bill and red leg with black body (under)
– big, orange-yellow bill tern found near mud beach
update 202105
– Breeding adult has black crown and nape
– 繁殖羽, 額、頭頂、枕和冠羽黑色。
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– only stop by for few days, then never see it again.
– slender yellow-orange bill and black crown.
– 嘴橙黄色或橙色
– 有機會錯認大鳳頭燕鷗。嘴較長大,黃。
update 202011
5. Caspian Tern, 红嘴巨鸥, 紅嘴巨鷗, Hydroprogne caspia, オニアジサシ, CAMAR RAYA
– very large tern, with the red bill-black tip
– black-naped head, almost pure white underpart with black wingtip
update 202105
– 202003, adult breeding plumage where forehead, nape and mask change all black
– 繁殖羽
update 202104
– it is April time for them to go home, adult breeding plumage
– 成鸟繁殖羽
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update 202102
- coast near Selangor, Malaysia
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update 202012
update 202011
6. White-winged Tern, 白翅浮鸥, 白翅浮鷗, Chlidonias leucopterus, ハジロクロハラアジサシ, CAMAR TASIK SAYAP PUTIH
– medium size tern, non-breeding plumage sometimes confuse with Whiskered Tern. Obvious “headset” on head
update 202110
– lucky to see many of them feeding on paddy field, with new Canon EOS R3. It is so easy to photograph tern flying over various backgroup (especially green background which previously most the camera facing lost focus when bird sudden flying to green background. R3 think solve the problem even I still have 10-20% focus the wing instead bird head/eye .. but this could due to the wing flip block the bird head/eye so the camera just focus to the wing. Somehow it is much better than focus to the background instead the bird.
A yearly event, we have our yearly Hornbill Expedition trip to Belum-Temengor even the Covid-19 lock down but we make it short instead, where we just spend 1.5 days boat ride and 2 morning at Titiwangsa Rest area (which is ~30km from Belum jetty).
This forest believe to be older than 130 million years, due to the lake crossing the main forest make it an open area for hornbill seeing good spot … it is always to better chance to spot all 10 hornbills of Malaysia here within few days of birding trip.
As usual, our main target is Plain-pouched hornbill which believe peak season Aug-Sept every year.. easily spot them in big flocks flying on skyline here.
Sometime, birding here can be depressing, birds can be far !!!! not even able to ID without photo record as only using binocular ….
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But it is always good place to capture some Bird in flight due to open area and with some distance .. (for photographers, we need little bit luck and patient to have birds nearer and flying)
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sometime, lucky to have it perch low too.
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a very common hornbill but here it can stand 300m at the canopy .. the only option waiting it flying to get some BIF picture
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Black Hornbill should be one of the most common here but this is our last hornbill record for the trip .. during the boat session, we hard quite a lot of this bird but we just didn’t see the bird come close or open
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Another Critically Endangered due to killing this bird for the solid-beautiful ivory like casques.. at here it is not difficult to see one ..
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here is the main target for the trip, Plain-pouched hornbill. It look almost identical like Wreathed Hornbill except
lack of grooves on bill
small size
lack of a black patch on the pouch
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lucky to have this perch quite low
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There are a group
Bushy-crested Hornbill, 凤头犀鸟 spotted but this happen while Great Hornbill perch low … so we decided give it a missed than we didn’t see it any more for the trip ..
*** picture from previous tour
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only 8 hornbills for the 1.5 days boat ride but this is mainly targeting the Plain-pouched Hornbill where we spotted 9 groups and ~377 birds
There are some other birds also captured during the tour on the boat and Titiwangsa Rest area which is ~30km from Belum Jetty ,… as below
Oriental Honey-buzzard, 凤头蜂鹰
at this season , plenty of this raptor can be sight
2.#
2. Lesser Fish-Eagle, 鱼雕
many fish eagle can be easily spot
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3. Gray-headed Fish-Eagle, 灰头鱼雕
4.#
4.White-bellied Sea-Eagle, 白腹海雕
wont miss this bird here , plenty of them either flying high or low
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5.Large Green-Pigeon,大绿鸠
– very easy to spot this bird but as usual, standing high up in big flock
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6.Black-thighed falconet, 黑腿小隼
captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction
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7. Sultan Tit, 冕雀
captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction
both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light
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8. Scarlet Minivet, 赤红山椒鸟
captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction
both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light
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9. Large Woodshrike, 鉤嘴林鵙
captured at Titiwangsa rest area which is ~30km further from Belum Jetty from Kuala Kangsar direction
both male and female come near the light area for insect attracted by the light
1. Rufous-bellied Swallow, 棕腹燕, Cecropis badia, マラヤコイシアカツバメ, LAYANG-LAYANG API BIASA
– most beautiful swallow of Malaysia
rightly-colored swallow found on the Malay Peninsula. Dark iridescent blue above with rusty-orange underparts, rump, and face. Similar to migratory tytleri subspecies of Barn Swallow but lacks its dark blue collar and whitetail patches. Like many other swallows, flies over a range of different habitats, from fields to forests; usually in hilly areas.
*** from ebird https://ebird.org/species/rubswa1
update 202303
– after raining for 14 hours, we just can;t just sit in the hotel. decided driving around and saw few of this bird flying around. customer holding umbrella to see the bird, and I carrying CANONR R3 & RF100500 shooting under quite a heavy rain. lowlight, heavy rain managed to make few pictures.
– never get bore to see this South Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia endemic
– bigger, overall rufous underpart
– 馬來西亞半島-泰國南部特有種。
– 較大,底部棕色。通常2-3隻活動。
update 202104
– due to pandemic covid-19, restricted to travel across the state force us mainly do local birding. Another good found near Kuala Lumpur.
– this high-speed accelerate Swallow is always challenge to get a good picture.
– 因为,疫情我们不允许越州。被逼的在吉隆坡附近拍鸟。
– 这燕飞的非常得快。非常不容易拍到照片。
update 202101
– very strong wind day, there are Barn Swallow, Pacific Swallow, House Swift, Silver-rumped Needletail, German’s Swiftlet, etc flying fast near the water dam.
– I mainly want to try the focus locking speed and tracking speed for the X-system
Fujifilm X-T4
XF70-300mmF4-5.6 R LM OIS WR
Focal length: 300mm+1.4x tc
ISO: 1600
F number: 8.0
Shutter Speed: 1/1600
Handheld
2. Bank Swallow/Pale Sand Martin, 崖沙燕, Riparia riparia/diluta, ショウドウツバメ, LAYANG-LAYANG PERANG BELANG BIASA
– a not so common winter visitor (North)
– there are very similar species and almost identical
update 202101
3. Red-rumped Swallow, 金腰燕, Cecropis daurica, コシアカツバメ, LAYANG-LAYANG API BIASA
– a streaky front swallow
– found Sekinchan (Selangor), Sg Balang (Johor)
update 202101
4. Pacific Swallow, 洋燕, Hirundo tahitica, リュウキュウツバメ, LAYANG-LAYANG BIASA
– very common swallow widespread whole Malaysia
update 202101
5. Barn Swallow, 家燕, Hirundo rustica, ツバメ, Layang-Layang Hijrah
– long, forked tail and dark rump. Iridescent navy-blue above with a rich orange throat and forehead
– a good moment to capture group of Barn swallow keep repeating the same action near the coastal area
– 幸运的遇上一群家燕,来回的非。容易的捕捉到这一刻。
update 202111
– always difficult to capture swallow and this time I want challenge something flying toward us not horizontal from me. And this is how the R3 performance