Heh, it’s the New Year! So I went out early in the morning to greet the birds around Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia where I live. I was alone but felt okay with that, knowing thousands of birders around the world are doing the same thing. I suspect my wishes for the coming year will be very similar to that of a lot of other birders. To be able to see more birds, doing all that is natural to them and in healthy surroundings.

My 3 hour outing ended with the first 42 birds for my 2009 list. It has some winter migrants while others are familiar faces including this Peaceful Dove Geopelia striata. This bird features in singing contests in many parts of South East Asia. It is most probably a descendant of birds released in the past. Due to its adaptability to living around towns and villages, the local population is well established and expanding. If this bird stands for peace, I am all for it. Happy Birding!