Monday, December 29, 2008

That birds @ Ulu Kelang...


Folks, from the time I could remember as kid who grew up in the rural area, where the house, the trees and bushes are part of my own world, I have always been fascinated by birds. It is all because it just could fly with ease and I could not. Before I could understand the science of flying it amazed me of how those birds could lift off the ground and defy gravity and fly into the cloud and then when the time comes it would just perch on the branch of the trees. At time it would get to the ground and feed on the tit bits that are all over and then off it would fly again. I often watch the birds made it daily ritual on one of the tree near our home and wonder at time in my little minds of why we could not fly. It would be interesting I thought that if I could get above the house and look down. Of course I could just climb the tree and look down but then it would surely not be the same like a Birdseye view of the ground. At time I would catch one of the bird and put it in a cage but been me who never like to see animals in a cage, I would let it loose again and see it fly away. It is really nice to see the bird would fly with it own kind and chatter the evening away. So as years goes by I would still enjoy the sight of birds flying free and would try to lure it to the neighbourhood by feeding it with foods.

Coming back to the subject of this posting which is related to the migratory birds of Ulu Kelang, it is about the birds that would perch on rows of the lamppost along the Elevated Highway near our house. Every time I drive in the evening on this Highway my spouse would pointed out to me the birds that perch on the lamppost along both sides of the Highway. And because there is only one Lamp on each of the lamppost, each bird would perch on one lamppost and as evening began to turn gray more and more would join the others perching on all the lamppost along the highway creating a unique line of lamppost with birds perching on it. The bird is the long legged birds, the Crane, a migratory bird that comes to this part of the world during the winter. Every time I drove and passed this part of the Highway I wonder when I would find the opportunity to take a snap of the scene. One could not take photo and drive at the same time, so for that while I would just enjoy the sight and hope that one of these days I would get the opportunity to be able to stop and take picture of these amazing birds.

And then one evening a few weeks ago as I was driving near the Zoo not that far away from the Elevated Highway my spouse again pointed out that there are more such birds here perching on the lamppost, it's last resting spot before returning to the Zoo for the night. I thought that this is the opportunity that I have been looking for, to take some photo of these birds. So on the way back I parked my car along the road and after finding a safe place I then took my camera and snap some images of the Crane enjoying its evening on the top of the lamppost here. Indeed a magnificent sight to watch these birds perching high above care less of the roar of traffics below. Above are some images of that wonderful moment in time that saw these birds enjoying itself before returning to the zoo nearby for the night. A wonderful sight indeed. Have a nice day.

13 comments:

louis said...

Hi Idrus,

I especially like the symmetry in the photo with the four birds, two on each arm of the lamppost.

Near to my home there's a spot where four electric wires are strung across the road, one above the other. On some days dozens of small birds perch on them, scattered about in large and small groups with an individual one here and there. Seen in silhouette, they look like music notes on a musical score.

Anonymous said...

It is always better to see the feathery cranes in Ulu Kelang rather than the Komatsu cranes and their species.
Have a nice new year.

Pak Idrus said...

Louis, thanks for the visit and the good words on this posting, as well as sharing your thought on the subject of this posting.

Indeed sometime one wonder how these birds coordinate their daily journey to and fro to a destination. Like the bird in my posting, it sleep at the Zoo and in the morning fly out to as far a Kelang or Port Dickson to feed or do whatever it does and in the evening it flew back and stop at various points on the way and never failed to return to the Zoo for the night. How intelligent these birds are,I sometime wonder.

Have a nice day.

Pak Idrus said...

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

Well you put it right it sure is great watching these feathery cranes rather then the Komatsu one.

BTW has the Datuk Bandar sent any Komatsu Cranes to get the paint works done at your condo!!.

Have a nice day anyway.

Unknown said...

Salam Pak Idrus,
Cranes in the city? Man, that I don't see in Kuantan :)

Pak Idrus said...

Akmal, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on this subject.

Well, I think the Cranes like to be in the first world, so it chooses to come and lepak in the Kelang Valley for the winter.

Have a nice day.

Anonymous said...

Are these spoonbills?

Pak Idrus said...

Georgia, thanks for the visit. No it is not the Spoonbills, I am sure of that. Anyway I am not sure what these species is call.

Have a nice day.

Unknown said...

Share you interest in photography and birds. Wrote a piece about birds at my blog titled "A Murder of Crows." here:

Saturday, July 26, 2008
A Murder Of Crows

Pak Idrus said...

Zaharan Razak, thanks for the visit and sharing your thoughts on the subject of this posting. Photography is a passion of mine. Am still learning along the way and enjoying doing it. Perhaps could learn a thing or two from your experiences.

As for the crows, I get mad every time the local council start to kill those innocent birds. They never realized that these crows did a wonderful job of getting rid of the other pests. It is part of the Eco system and should be given due respect.

Have a nice day anyway.

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Salam Pak Idrus,

Such awesome photos! Those are Zoo Negara's free-roaming Painted Stiorks (Mycteria leucocephala) aren't they? I see them on the street lamps each week when I take the Elevated Highway to the SPCA.

Serving Nature,
CO78

Pak Idrus said...

Covert_Operations'78, thanks for the visit and the compliment on my kind of photography. I am still learning to get the best images and happy that you like it.

As for that bird I too saw it on the Elevated Highway but because of not been able to park my car on the roadside, was not able to photograph any of it there.

A visitor to my blog Georgia want to know the name of this species and thank to you we now know what it is. I hope Georgia is delighted with this information. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on the wonder of this species that share this planet with us.

Have a nice day.

LC Teh said...

In Sungai Petani where I live, here's still a huge track of mangrove trees beside the river where hundreds of egrets make their nests. At dawn they'd fly off in groups to the padi-fields to forage for food and every evening they make their way home again.

It's lovely just looking at them leaving the river at dawn or heading for home at dusk. Sometimes we get to see them flying in their customary V-Formation. Some of them have probably lost their migratory instincts. They come home late and alone, looking lost, and just heading in the general direction of the river.