Cycle Treat: Grey-Rumped Treeswifts

17th October 2010, Taman Melawati, Selangor

It was quite a hectic schedule  with two weddings to attend,  last weekend was intended to be a  non-birding weekend. Furthermore, I am without my gimbal head  after sending it in for repairs but somehow things don’t always turn out as planned! I was having a quick cycle around Taman Melawati when I saw a group of  birds on a large leafless tree about 300m from my house.  I could see that they were Treeswifts but  couldn’t immediately identify the exact  species. I knew they couldn’t be the Whiskered Treeswifts since they usually go in pairs, not in a flock of 15-20 birds. In my mind  I knew that this would be a lifer Treeswift for me. Dashed back to the house to pick up my gear ( plus my old velbon tripod)  and returned to the location in a flash!  True enough, they were Grey-rumped Treeswifts ( Hemiprocne longipennis)- a lifer. Luckily I had one bird perching against a green background. This one’s a male with the rufous ear covert .   A female with the blackish ear covert. An adult and a juvenile male.