A splendid weekend with the Raptors!

A steady drizzle greeted us as we started out by road from Kuala Lumpur. The destination is about 2 hours away ie Sg. Balang - a relatively unknown farming village located off the main Muar-Batu Pahat trunk road. The heavy downpour along the way made the drive uneventful. All that was seen above was an overcast sky pouring out it's ballooned-up water on to the good earth below. It is too late to detour so we proceeded to our destination as planned. Birders are not be deterred by the weather. In fact they are quite accustomed to the unpredictable change of the weather and are well equipped to face them.

After passing numerous towns and villages along the way we finally arrived at our destination.By then it was down to a drizzle but still considered 'wet' insofar as the expensive photographic equipments are concerned. :-) So we sat in the car and waited and kept our fingers crossed hoping that the bad weather will pass soon. Our silent pray was answered when the drizzle stopped around noon time. We did not waste any time and immediately set-up the equipments in readiness for the 'shoot.' 

And as the weather warmed-up more from the forest fringes one by one the Raptors (our main target for this trip) took to the sky! All was not lost after all! The wet weather lifted and now the Raptors are out in full force for a rain delayed feeding spree over the paddy fields of Sg. Balang!

It was a very eventful and exiting couple of hours in the afternoon of camera action - before the weather master once again started to shed big tears. But this time we were nonchalant to the rain. Our objective of the trip was satisfactorily achieved. We stored our equipment from the rain and proceeded to Pt. Jawa for a much delayed 'brunch cum dinner' of curry fish at 5 pm. 

Here are some pictures for sharing. Hope you like them as much as I have sharing.

   A pair of Braminy Kites

   A Braminy Kite (Juvenile) in-flight.

  Another B. Kite (Juv) perching of it's favorite pole.

   Pic of B. Kite (Juv) taken from different angle.

   And from another perspective. At whichever angle all Raptors simply look majestic and awesome!

   Black Kites

   Have a nice day! Cheers!