BIRDS, nature, photography and a doctor may seem like an unlikely combo, but they blend nicely in the blog Birds and Nature Photography (http://redzlan.blogspot.com).

Dr Redzlan plans to cover more birding sites outside Raub.

Owned by Dr Redzlan Abdul Rahman, who has been running a clinic in Raub, Pahang, for the past 18 years, the blog has a collection of bird and nature photographs that he took in his backyard and during birding trips.

Blogging under the pseudonym Tabib, which means medicine man in Malay, Dr Redzlan also writes about the bird and nature trails he has taken.

“Photography has been my hobby since university days. I used to experiment with black-and-white processing. Only when the dSLR (digital single-lens reflex) became affordable did I buy my first in 2007.

“Initially, I just took pictures of anything. Since I live in a residential area surrounded by gardens and fruit trees, I photographed things in my backyard. I only started to take pictures of birds actively when I acquired a 400-millimetre telephoto lens in 2007,” he said.

Set up in November 2006, the blog started as his take on gadgets and travel places.

“Initially, I was into GPS (global positioning system) where I contributed the digital maps of Raub and the surrounding areas to the MalSing Map Web site. The subject then moved to birds and nature. I have changed the blog title a few times, from My Personal & Random Thoughts to GPS, PDA and dSLR Addicts to Birds and Digital SLR Passion to the present Birds and Nature Photography,” he pointed out.

The majority of his visitors, which number 39,000 so far, are from Malaysia and the United States.

The rest come from Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Canada, Australia, Germany and Thailand.

“I have links to various sites of the same genre (nature), mostly overseas and a few local ones.

I blog almost daily, usually by scheduled posting,” Dr Redzlan said.

“I have received enquiries about birding sites in Malaysia from people in the UK and US. I hope to provide more information on nature and birdwatching in Malaysia." Financially, the father-of-four has not spent much on his blog, except for time. “But I did spend a few thousand ringgit on hardware (for photography),” he said.

Dr Redzlan, who blogs on Blogger, did try getting some online income through Google AdSense. So far, he has earned only US$1.50 (RM5.30).

He has posted bird pictures to the Bird Ecology Study Group in Singapore, headed by Professor Yeow Chin Wee. The site (http:// besgroup.talfrynature.com/2008/04/ 21/dr-redzlan-abdul-rahman-and-hisbirding- paradise/) is a meeting place for ornithologists and naturalists worldwide.

He also has contributed pictures to the Malaysia Natural History Museum at Precinct 15, Putrajaya, which is set to open to the public in November.

Dr Redzlan plans to cover more birding sites outside Raub.