Mersing - Back to Base.

So as I returned back to base in Mersing the first thing I wanted was a decent cuppa and some breakfast. So I popped down to the local cafe where the usual staff were present (above) and the usual selection of food was on offer (below)

I went straight in for the Roti cheni (below) these are a good breakfast and really keeps you going, if I have one of these for breakfast I usually skip lunch and just have a light evening meal.

I timed my day around the tides and after breakfast went out for the run up of the rising tide. I was pleased to see a nice flock of waders just arriving on the beach. As I started making way through the birds I was happy to see a nice sized flock of Bar-tailed Godwit of which I haven't had many before here but then I got real lucky and finally had my first flagged ringed wader for the site in the form of the flag ringed Bar tailed Godwit below sporting a black flag over a white flag, upper right leg. This colour combination provides the details that this bird had been ringed in China. I had been hoping to find a colour ringed wader during my time here last autumn and so felt pleased today with this sighting but not only that seeing that there were so many waders present during this time of year which leads me in to thinking that maybe Mersing does actually hold some decent spring wader passage. I guess only time will tell but off to a good start I reckon.

Also present today was 6 1st year Great Knots which was another new species for the site for me. Also present a nice sized flock of over 60> Terek Sandpipers, 3 Whimbrel, 2 Common Sandpipers, 11 Grey Plover& 3 Pacific Golden Plovers and at least 27 Common Greenshank. Surprisingly no Malaysian or Sandplovers present today and only 2 Great crested Terns. I enjoyed watching the Terek Sandpipers feeding really fast and coming quite far up to where the beach meets the path that runs through the small patch of trees. I really would like to find a colour ringed one of these at some point.