Khok Kham - Kapar, The Journey begins.

Of course being a traveller you have to cover vast journeys to get to your destinations, I used to prefer to the take the train rather than take internal flights. I was starting my journey from Khok Kham, Thailand to Kapar central Malaysia. This involves several forms of transport, from Tuk Tuk, Train, Boat, Taxi and Plane, The train service in Thailand is ok and the trains reliable and have sleeper compartments and a restuarant car serving hot food, drink and alcaholic refreshments. I do think that the train service within India is better.

Kapar,Kuala Selangor,Malaysia.

Kapar power station at Dawn, access was arranged through DB and I am truly grateful to DB for all his efforts and being granted access by the Power station authorities, every visit I had to sign in at security and the staff were most helpful and friendly. This is a great site and the location holds 2 ash lagoons that the waders use as a high tide roost. The Power Station is situated on the edge of the coast with a huge expance of esturine / inter tidal mudflats and a few scattered islands where the waders feed at low tide.

The main ash lagoon at Kapar with the power station in the back ground and waders on the foreshore: This really is a truly amazing place and has to be up there in my top Favorite wader destinations of all times and ranks amongst those great sites such as Tacumshin, Khok Kham, Cabo da Praia quarry and the Point. The site has that truly gritty feeling of mass industry and yet working alongside nature and attracts vast numbers of both wintering and migrational waders. I spent 5 high tide roosts over 3 days at the site and the list below is of highest totals counted in one period of high tide only and not all birds throughout the 5 tide period.

3 Asian Dowitcher,

17+ Nordmans Greenshank (25 DB),

Greater Gandplover 1000+,Lesser Sandplover 300+,

Red necked Stint 600+,Curlew Sandpiper 450+

Broad Billed Sandpiper 30+,Marsh Sandpiper 220+, Redshank 1100+,

Black Tailed Godwit 250+,

Bar Tailed Godwit 2900+ (including 1 Flag Ringed bird white over black flag right leg which indidicates a bird probably ringed in China)

Whimbrel 1900+,

Terek Sandpiper 700+ in one flock!, Great Knot 160+

Red Knot 40+ (including many full summer plumaged birds of the race Rogersi)

Grey plover 320+, Pacific Golden Plover 30+,

Greenshank 200+Turnstone 7, Sanderling 1, Ruff 1,

Common sandpiper 10+ Red wattled lapwing 2, odd sightings included 1 leucistic Lesser sand Plover and 1 leucistic Redshank.

Other birds seen included 6 Savanah Nightjar, 2 White Bellied Sea Eagle + chick on the nest, Crested Serpenat eagle 3, Black Baza 1, Peregine 1, Brahmany Kite- Lesser Adjatant.

This Sanvanah Nightjar was a surprise as it was found sitting on one the frames that house the water pipes that surround the ash laggoon, this bird was one of 4 sat on the edge of the lagoon as well as others seen at dusk.

This Nordmans Greenshank was part of a group of over 17 birds seen by myslef, DB counted up to 25 in one group. Large Flocks of Greater Sandplover's were nice to see as most of the birds were heavily moulting in to summer plumage. Lesser's were a lot less numerous and it was only the odd individual that was in full summer plumage but when it was, it was a great sight. This Leucistic Redshank was easy to locate amongst the many Redhanks. Kapar ash lagoons (at dusk) with the power station in the background at the end of a great days Wader watching. What a place ! Thank you David...