My Sighting in Dec 2006
(Photo: A Nordmann's Greenshank flanked by closely resembled Common Greenshanks)
I managed to obtain a permit to visit Kapar Power Station Ash Ponds, Selangor, Malaysia to conduct survey on waders, particularly on my two main targets - Nordmann's Greenshank and Spoon-billed Sandpiper.
Kapar proves to be a very reliable site for NG. However, we did not manage to spot any Spoon-billed Sandpiper despite scanning thru > 300 Red-necked Stints. (The only official record of SPS in Kapar was a single bird in early 2002)


Kapar is only 1 hour expressway drive from KL. The highlights from 2 days survey on 26 Dec and 27 Dec 2006 during morning high tide are as following:-

Day One 26/12/2006

Ruff - single bird among black-tailed godwits. Orange leg (easily confused with Redshank), short bill and big eyes. Too bad I did not have enough time to ascertain its gender.

Eastern Curlew - one bird flying among a flock of 40+ Eurasian Curlews. Overall dark plumage with same dark rump.

Nordmann's Greenshank - At least 5 birds but hard to id because most stood with their heads tucked in. This is the 2nd time ever that I had observed Nordmann's Greenshank standing on dry ground. One NG held a twig and chased another NG - is this Courtship display?

Compare the head-bill pattern and unspotted plumage of the Nordmann's Greenshank (Centre) with Common Greenshanks (behind and left). The brown-headed wader in the far left is a Black-tailed Godwit

Day Two 27/12/2006
Nordmann's Greenshank - About 15 birds - 13 birds counted side by side among a large group of waders. There were a few individuals with more prominent white eyebrow. Could this be first wintering juveniles?

Red Knot - 3 birds among hundreds of Great Knots.

Caspian Tern - 31 birds, an unusually high count.

Common Redshank - strangely the most abundant wader in Kapar was very few (~20) on this date. Other common birds observed are:-

Eurasian Curlew
Whimbrel
Bar-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
Common Greenshank
Common Redshank
Common Sandpiper
Marsh Sandpiper
Terek Sandpiper
Great Knot
Curlew Sandpiper
Broad-billed Sandpiper
Grey Plover
Greater Sandplover
Mongolian Sandplover
Little Ringed Plover
Little Tern
Gull-billed Tern
Great Egret
Grey Heron
Intermediate Egret
Little Egret