Author Archives: TV Smith

Raptor Watch 2011

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Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/400 sec

Acara Pemerhatian Burung Helang 2011 - Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/400 sec

Every year, around this time, thousands of migratory eagles, hawks and buzzards make a stopover at Tanjung Tuan in Port Dickson. The magnificent raptors are on a long and hazardous journey home from Pulau Rupat in Indonesia. With the end of winter, the birds are returning to their native habitat in Siberia, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, India and Indochina.

The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) has been organising the Raptor Watch weekend to celebrate this spectacular phenomenon, to promote eco-tourism and to educate the public on the importance of conservation.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f9, 1/640 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f9, 1/640 sec

Greatest Show Above Earth. It was already 5 pm on Saturday and I was about to leave for KL. I was at the PNB Ilham Resort since 11 am and didn’t spot a single raptor. Then, all of a sudden, hundreds of them appeared magically from across the the Straits of Malacca and put up this awesome aerial show.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/400 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f10, 1/400 sec

High Flyers. The birds utilise the hot air currents to give it lift and to glide; thereby saving energy for the long journey ahead. It’s an honour to greet these soaring visitors and every Malaysian should endevour to see it at least once in their lifetime. With the birds cruising so high up, a pair of binoculars may be useful. With the Olympus M.Zuiko 75-300mm lens, the magnification is approximately 15x.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/640 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/640 sec

Cape Ricardo, Blue Lagoon and Tanjung Tuan are some of the names for this stretch of picturesque beach in PD. The migratory birds chose the spot for practical reasons. It is the shortest point between here and Indonesia and there is a forest (reserve) where they can rest for the night and feed.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/320 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f7.1, 1/320 sec

Eager Learner. There are a lot of things to see and learn on the ground. The pictures are of the Oriental Honey Buzzards. Other raptors spotted include the Greater Spotted Eagle, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Black Baza, Chinese Goshawk and Eurasian Kestrel (among some of the 25 species of visiting raptors).

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f6.3, 1/160 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f6.3, 1/160 sec

Come Together. Buy a T-shirt from the MNS or sign-up as a member to help their education and conservation efforts.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f9, 1/400 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f9, 1/400 sec

No Dampener. Take guided mangrove walks under the lighthouse or seashore walks. The camera’s Dramatic Tone Art Filter was enabled for this view of the shore at low tide with rain clouds hovering above.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/3200 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f11, 1/3200 sec

Sunset over Straits of Malacca. For the adventurous, the Port Dickson-Melaka coastal road offers much to explore such as rustic kampung houses and lonely beaches around the Kuala Linggi and Pasir Panjang areas.

See also:
Angsty Ants | Layang Layang | The Bird Park | Stalking Storks | The Art Of Art Filters

Tip: You can view larger versions of the images here, gallery-style. When the page finishes loading, click on any picture. Navigate via the arrows on each side of the frame.

Angsty Ants

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I got a call from a very impatient-sounding ant the other day…

Ant: Do you do portraits?
Me: Sorry, I don’t do formals.
Ant: But the storks recommended you. Do you do casuals then?
Me: How big… eh… I mean how small are you guys?
Ant: My head is less than 1 mm.
Me: Depth-of-Field may be a problem.
Ant: It’s not our problem.
Me: Can I use flash?
Ant: No! Jeez. Flash is not allowed in the colony.
Me: No group shots I hope.
Ant: Why???
Me: Ants are hard to control and don’t take instructions well.
Ant: Alright. How much?
Me: What’s your budget?
Ant: A few grains of sugar. They are expensive nowadays, you know.
Me:  Deal. Promise you pay me in 90 days?
Ant: Of course. I don’t live that long anyway.

So the next day I went to the designated spot under a tree and there were a few ants hanging on a cable tied to a branch. I felt a sting on my left toes and realise I almost stepped on the client. And so my job began…

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

First off was Jeremiah, a worker ant originally from Tapah. He stood still long enough for me to focus on the eyes.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 400, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Selvi insisted on a profile shot and was posing too hard. She needs to relax.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f4.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f4.5, 1/250 sec

Mike, the guy who commissioned the job, was bossy as usual but was easy to work with. Problem is his wife keeps tagging along. She can be seen hiding behind. Oh well.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Instead of saying ‘Cheese’, I said ‘Sweet’ and Annuar showed me his sharp teeth.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 320, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 320, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Siew Ying was most shy and didn’t strike an aggressive stance like the others. Turned out better.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/250 sec

Mike again, after pushing his wife off the cable. For my next ant portraits I must bring along a tripod. It was quite tough hand-holding the camera and trying to set focus on their eyes manually at the same time.

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/80 sec with flash

Olympus E-PL2, ISO 200, f3.5, 1/80 sec with flash

Remember I told you I don’t like doing group shots for ants. It can get really messy as they refuse to follow instructions. For this shot, I sneaked in a burst of flash from a wireless FL-36R unit held with the other hand. That also contributed to the pandemonium.

All pictures photographed with the Olympus Pen E-PL2, Zuiko Digital 35mm f3.5 Macro Lens, Olympus EX-25 Extension Tube and Olympus MFF-2 Lens Mount Adapter.

See also: The Art Of Art Filters | Layang Layang | The Bird Park | Stalking Storks

Tip: You can view larger versions of the images here, gallery-style. When the page finishes loading, click on any picture. Navigate via the arrows on each side of the frame.

1 Malaysia 0 Heart

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Almost zero. Ever since the Pulau Ketam Dog Rescue Mission, I regularly get e-mails from well-meaning Malaysians seeking advice and help in rescuing abused or injured animals. Big hugs to them.

Lately, I have also been receiving plenty of mail from angry foreigners condemning two (globally-publicised) incidents involving our citizens. One guy brutally abused his ‘pet’ dog and another girl trampled a few kittens to death. As a Malaysian, I hold my head down in shame.

To quote Gandhi (again); “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” Yes. Not by its shiny towers and shallow Bolehness. As my faith in humanity floundered further, I received an e-mail from two students from the Multimedia University (MMU) in Cyberjaya last night. It read:

“hi… there is a dog stuck in a deep hole in cyberjaya… we tried to get it out but we do not have anything to get it out with.. this is the second day it’s been stuck in there.. is there a chance you could help get it out..??”

Dog In A Hole - Lonely, Hungry & Scared

Dog In A Hole - Lonely, Hungry & Scared

Photo credit: Sello Leteane

I called the given number and spoke to Sello Leteane and Siphiwe Mililo from Botswana. They told me a stray dog had fallen into a sink hole of about 2 meters deep. It was stuck inside for two days already and crying desperately. I told them to give it some food (which they already did) while I revert.

After consulting with Wani of the NGO Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (big thanks to her for picking up the phone late at night), I explained to the students that is best to call the Fire & Rescue Department in Cyberjaya. Neither of us have the equipment nor expertise to get into that hole.

I decided to go see myself the next day. Just before my arrival, the Fire & Rescue Department had already rescued the dog and it ran back into the woods. Kudos and gratitude to the Bomba team for responding swiftly.

After the rescue, I advised Sello to cover up the hole to prevent another mishap.

After the rescue, I advised Sello to cover up the hole to prevent another mishap.

Standing Tall: Sello Leteane and Siphiwe Millio (not in pic)

Standing Tall: Sello Leteane and Siphiwe Mililo (not in pic)

Sello, Siphiwe and I felt greatly relieved. Interestingly, Sello told me that back home in Botswana, dogs and cats usually have families. Notice he said family instead of owner? I hope more Malaysians will embrace their attitude. To take action and not walk away!