Birding trip around Jahangirnagar University in Savar, Bangladesh.
We had planned to head out 5:30AM today, but a massive thunder-storm delayed us to 7. We had a great trip  watching the wide variety of birds around Jahingirnagar University in Savar just around 30km from Dhaka.... it turned out to be a very hot day and with most of the group fasting during this month of Ramadan - dehydration became a big concern and so we called it a day by 10:30 AM. Met some great guys, avid birders and photographers. A special thanks to Z. Faisal for inviting me to the trip and to Samiul for being our guide - he has an extensive knowledge of the eco-system of the area and the flora and fauna of the surrounds. Thanks also, to Saud A Faisal the group leader of «Through The Lens: Bangladesh».

A group photo, by Sharif, is here.

Penang - nature walk
                
  

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April 5th. Beautiful drive from Dhaka to Srimangal through the lush green countryside of Bangladesh.

Then from Srimangal to Baikka Beel sanctuary in the 'Hail Haor' wetlands by motorbikes - riding on a dirt-track built on a dyke. Bumpy ride but what great scenery!

[1] The approach to the bird watching tower at Hail Haor, set up by MACH in collaboration with USAID. You can see a Pallas's Fish Eagle [Haliaeetus leucoryphus] in this photo - an endangered species. [2] The tower. [3] Boat house on the Haor. [4] On our tiny boat. [5] Storm on the HAOR. [6 & 7] Flock of Lesser Whistling Teals take to the air as our boat approaches. [8] Wow! must have been 1000's of them. [9] Water Hyacinth [Eichornia crassipes]. [10] Lotus flower. [11] Dee and Vic on the boat among Lotus on the Haor. [12] Ducks? [13] Child chasing away buffalow for straying onto her territory. [14] magical moment on the haor. [15] Signboard at the Sanctuary. [16] Cormorant.

At a MACH project community meeting, then some photos of a fisher-man and a shy girl from a local school. Woman [member of the MACH program] and child at a village house. Kids in the village. Their buffalo cooling off in the pond.
     

April 6th. up at 5 AM and into the forest, hoping for a glimpse of the Gibbons. Walking along the track we could hear a fairly loud buzzing/humming above us - bees - but where were they? Sounded like 1000's or more.  We finally spotted a large hive in a flowering tree.
 

Suddenly, 3 Gibbons spotted from the trail! Every one stops and there is complete silence, except for «Wow. There they are!» Hylobates hoolock  - now changed to Western Hoolock or Hoolock Hoolock  [the local Bangla name is Ulluk] - one of the 9 species of gibbon. We were lucky to be able to spot the group from the track below the high canopy. A quick scramble up to a ridge through very dense bamboo and shrubbery and were able to see them around 150 feet from the ridge. Swinging from the branches making their way to the fruit trees. Could not get a clear crisp image. The light was behind the Gibbon and I was panting hard from the climb, just could not hold the camera steady enough for a sharp shot. tripod had been left behind on the trail below.. these 2 images were taken 1 second apart - I got several other frames but he was already swinging from the branch and all I have are 6 other blury images.

 
A BBC movie-clip is here

A walk through one of the tea-gardens later that morning. The river at the edge of the garden was just a trickle of water, the deep gorge shows how much of a raging torrent it will become once the monsoon rains are here. Local produce are pineapple, lemon, jackfruit, banana, papaya. The fruit is brought down to the markets by hand pulled/pushed carts.... they come whizzing down the slopes like toboggan racers! Last photo, below: Buffalo being transported by lorry.
   

At the MACH office, I was shown a local fishing «rod» which is a small piece of bamboo around 2' long, a line tied in the middle around 4' or 5' long, and a small bent piece of springy bamboo at the end - this is the «hook». The bamboo spring is pinched together, and then a grasshopper or dragonfly is impaled. When the fish grabs the bait, the bamboo spring pops open and gets stuck in the small fish mouth. Ingenious! This tackle is used to catch only one variety of fish - KOI [Climbing Perch, Anabas testudineus].