wengchun
Registered Member
I recieved a request from Bob, a bird watcher from America more than a month ago. Since he does not want to have a long 14 or 19 days tour, he requested for a customized 6 days. I agreed to guide him from 16 - 21 March 2008.
We followed the traditional birding route and I showed him an additional favorite birding patch in the country. Under this paragraph are links to some of the videos taken through digiscoping. Check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh5A2pUHQ-w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJpaN_OA12g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoU9Yije
Here is the first part of the birding report. I am going to upload the full report on my blog and website soon. You can visit the site next week.
Bob enquired if I would be available to do bird watching with him a month ago and I quickly responded to him by offering my assistance to show him around. Initially, he was supposed to come a week earlier but changes his schedule. The trip was postponed a week later. I met Bob in KLIA and took him to a hotel in KL which he stayed for a night before we start our birding trip.
I went over to hotel where Bob was staying and had quick breakfast with him. Immediately after the meal, we drove all the way to Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Traffic was smooth – obviously, it was Sunday. In Kuala Selangor, I stopped the car for Bob to get a good look at the house crow. While in the park, we walked the entire loop around the lake and mangrove boardwalk. We could not use the trail at the suspension bridge because the trail was flooded!
In the park, we have really good look at all the birds except a glimpse of chestnut-winged cuckoo flying on the mangrove canopy. An emerald dove flew towards us after a few steps walking away from the bridge over the canal. The commonly found brown-throated sunbird was sighted. On the same spot, a sunda pygmy woodpecker flew out to the open area and showed itself for Bob. But that was the only time we see the woodpecker in the park. A few other individuals came out along the boardwalk. The local race of great tit also came along. Bob also saw the mountain imperial pigeons on 2 occasions – a flock of 3 and then another with 6. I never believe that the mountain imperial pigeon was sighted in the park as informed by my birding buddies until today. Bob also managed to get his wanted chestnut-bellied malkoha and laced woodpecker (male and female) along the boardwalk. There were plenty of the woodpeckers around. Not forgetting the crested serpent eagle that always perched at the front of the boardwalk during my previous visits. We couldn’t see the mangrove whistler in the mangrove but as soon as we came out from it, the mangrove whistler was perching on a low branch by the trail. Very well exposed and we had a good look and agreed on the ID.
After lunch, we took a drive to a fisherman’s jetty. It was high tide and most of the birds were perching on branches. The highlight at this place is the lesser adjutant stork. The road along the mangrove was muddy so we could not complete the whole track. I decided that we should check out the rice field.
Reaching the end of the rice field next to the peat swamp separated by a canal, we saw the majestic white-bellied sea eagle! Then we moved along the plots of rice fields to look for birds on Bob’s wanted list. In the end, we did get the eastern marsh harrier and immediate thereafter a cinnamon bittern walked slowly in front of the car – crossing the road and hid under the banana tree.
Along the drive next to the shore, we saw plenty of egrets (mostly great and little) with terek sandpiper and bar-tailed godwit.
After a seafood dinner, we drove around the hill for a breather before going back to get a rest in the resort.
Birds seen today: rock pigeon, house crow, black-shouldered kite, crested serpent eagle, javan myna, olive-backed sunbird, brown-throated sunbird, pink-necked pigeon, zebra dove, chestnut-winged cuckoo, little bronze cuckoo, brahminy kite, barn swallow, edible nest swiftlet, ashy drongo, emerald dove, laced woodpecker, sunda pygmy woodpecker, common flameback, black-capped woodpecker, collared kingfisher, chestnut-bellied malkoha, great tit, great egret, intermediate egret, little egret, Eurasian tree sparrow, ashy tailorbird, mangrove whistler, yellow, vented bulbul, common iora, oriental white-eye, black-naped oriole, white-throated kingfisher, cinnamon bittern, eastern marsh harrier, white-winged tern, white-breasted woodswallow, white-bellied sea eagle, white-breasted waterhen, pacific swallow, purple heron, gray heron, little heron, black-crowned night heron, pacific golden plover, bar-tailed godwit, terek sandpiper, oriental reed warbler, cattle egret, brown shrike, blue-throated bee-eater, spotted dove, lesser adjutant stork, mountain imperial pigeon, common myna, scaly-breasted munia, golden-bellied gerygone, pied fantail, pied triller, black kite, and yellow-bellied prinia.
We start birding at the rice field trying to get the raptor Bob need to see. Not lucky enough but there were more cinnamon bitterns than yesterday (only once!). After a while, we went out of the rice field and made our to the cool highland. Along the way, I stopped the car near my favorite site to get a falconet. We scaned through the trees but still there was no sign of this small raptor except a greater racket-tailed drongo, black-shouldered kite and dollarbird. At the gap, Bob saw a black-crested bulbul once he stepped out from the car. We walked around the gap road and above the lower gate until I heard rain is coming near us. We stopped immediately and got back into the car while waiting for the gate to open. The other bird we saw here was a gray wagtail and asian brown flycatcher.
After checking into our room in Shahzan Inn, we went back to the field and checked the rubbish dump. It was misty then. Along the way, we got the large niltava, mountain bulbul, and house swift. When we reached the dump site, we found a group of UK students packing their bags and left the scene. We waited for them to leave while birding nearby. We got the chestnut-capped laughingthrush. At the dump site, we saw the ferruginous flycatcher (the same spot where I saw it a few days earlier with my birding buddy) and nothing else! We decided to check out the road parallel to bishop’s trail. I got a javan cuckooshrike (but Bob missed it!). Other than that, together we saw streaked spiderhunter, fire-tufted barbet, chestnut-crowned warbler, mountain leaf warbler (Bob did not see this either), blue nuthatch, silver-eared mesia and black-throated sunbird. I also heard the blue-eared barbet calling.
At night after dinner, we went owling. No owl was sighted although I managed to hear the mountain scops owl and collared owlet. But we did managed to nailed the gray nightjar!
Birds seen today: cinnamon bittern, house crow, large-billed crow, black-shouldered kite, scaly-breasted munia, pacific swallow, black-crested bulbul, gray wagtail, asian brown flycatcher, large niltava, mountain bulbul, house swift, chestnut-capped laughingthrush, ferruginous flycatcher, javan cuckooshrike, streaked spiderhunter, fire-tufted barbet, chestnut-crowned warbler, mountain leaf warbler, blue nuthatch, silver-eared mesia, black-throated sunbird and gray nightjar.
We followed the traditional birding route and I showed him an additional favorite birding patch in the country. Under this paragraph are links to some of the videos taken through digiscoping. Check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh5A2pUHQ-w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJpaN_OA12g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hoU9Yije
Here is the first part of the birding report. I am going to upload the full report on my blog and website soon. You can visit the site next week.
Bird Watching Report
Location: Kuala Selangor, Fraser’s Hill and Taman Negara
Date: 16 Mar – 21 Mar 2008
Weather: hot (KS); misty, drizzle and rain (FH); humid under canopy (TN)
Equipment: Eagle Optics 10x42 binocular(Bob), Swarovski scope (CWC), Minox 8x42 binocular(CWC)
Vehicle: Proton Saga 1.5i
Location: Kuala Selangor, Fraser’s Hill and Taman Negara
Date: 16 Mar – 21 Mar 2008
Weather: hot (KS); misty, drizzle and rain (FH); humid under canopy (TN)
Equipment: Eagle Optics 10x42 binocular(Bob), Swarovski scope (CWC), Minox 8x42 binocular(CWC)
Vehicle: Proton Saga 1.5i
Bob enquired if I would be available to do bird watching with him a month ago and I quickly responded to him by offering my assistance to show him around. Initially, he was supposed to come a week earlier but changes his schedule. The trip was postponed a week later. I met Bob in KLIA and took him to a hotel in KL which he stayed for a night before we start our birding trip.
Day 1 (16 March 2008 Sunday)
Morning (7.30am – 11.00am): Kuala Selangor Nature Park
Afternoon (12.30pm – 5.30pm): Tanjung Karang / Sekinchan
Morning (7.30am – 11.00am): Kuala Selangor Nature Park
Afternoon (12.30pm – 5.30pm): Tanjung Karang / Sekinchan
I went over to hotel where Bob was staying and had quick breakfast with him. Immediately after the meal, we drove all the way to Kuala Selangor Nature Park. Traffic was smooth – obviously, it was Sunday. In Kuala Selangor, I stopped the car for Bob to get a good look at the house crow. While in the park, we walked the entire loop around the lake and mangrove boardwalk. We could not use the trail at the suspension bridge because the trail was flooded!
In the park, we have really good look at all the birds except a glimpse of chestnut-winged cuckoo flying on the mangrove canopy. An emerald dove flew towards us after a few steps walking away from the bridge over the canal. The commonly found brown-throated sunbird was sighted. On the same spot, a sunda pygmy woodpecker flew out to the open area and showed itself for Bob. But that was the only time we see the woodpecker in the park. A few other individuals came out along the boardwalk. The local race of great tit also came along. Bob also saw the mountain imperial pigeons on 2 occasions – a flock of 3 and then another with 6. I never believe that the mountain imperial pigeon was sighted in the park as informed by my birding buddies until today. Bob also managed to get his wanted chestnut-bellied malkoha and laced woodpecker (male and female) along the boardwalk. There were plenty of the woodpeckers around. Not forgetting the crested serpent eagle that always perched at the front of the boardwalk during my previous visits. We couldn’t see the mangrove whistler in the mangrove but as soon as we came out from it, the mangrove whistler was perching on a low branch by the trail. Very well exposed and we had a good look and agreed on the ID.
After lunch, we took a drive to a fisherman’s jetty. It was high tide and most of the birds were perching on branches. The highlight at this place is the lesser adjutant stork. The road along the mangrove was muddy so we could not complete the whole track. I decided that we should check out the rice field.
Reaching the end of the rice field next to the peat swamp separated by a canal, we saw the majestic white-bellied sea eagle! Then we moved along the plots of rice fields to look for birds on Bob’s wanted list. In the end, we did get the eastern marsh harrier and immediate thereafter a cinnamon bittern walked slowly in front of the car – crossing the road and hid under the banana tree.
Along the drive next to the shore, we saw plenty of egrets (mostly great and little) with terek sandpiper and bar-tailed godwit.
After a seafood dinner, we drove around the hill for a breather before going back to get a rest in the resort.
Birds seen today: rock pigeon, house crow, black-shouldered kite, crested serpent eagle, javan myna, olive-backed sunbird, brown-throated sunbird, pink-necked pigeon, zebra dove, chestnut-winged cuckoo, little bronze cuckoo, brahminy kite, barn swallow, edible nest swiftlet, ashy drongo, emerald dove, laced woodpecker, sunda pygmy woodpecker, common flameback, black-capped woodpecker, collared kingfisher, chestnut-bellied malkoha, great tit, great egret, intermediate egret, little egret, Eurasian tree sparrow, ashy tailorbird, mangrove whistler, yellow, vented bulbul, common iora, oriental white-eye, black-naped oriole, white-throated kingfisher, cinnamon bittern, eastern marsh harrier, white-winged tern, white-breasted woodswallow, white-bellied sea eagle, white-breasted waterhen, pacific swallow, purple heron, gray heron, little heron, black-crowned night heron, pacific golden plover, bar-tailed godwit, terek sandpiper, oriental reed warbler, cattle egret, brown shrike, blue-throated bee-eater, spotted dove, lesser adjutant stork, mountain imperial pigeon, common myna, scaly-breasted munia, golden-bellied gerygone, pied fantail, pied triller, black kite, and yellow-bellied prinia.
Day 2 (17 March 2008 Monday)
Morning: rice field
Afternoon: Gap
Morning: rice field
Afternoon: Gap
We start birding at the rice field trying to get the raptor Bob need to see. Not lucky enough but there were more cinnamon bitterns than yesterday (only once!). After a while, we went out of the rice field and made our to the cool highland. Along the way, I stopped the car near my favorite site to get a falconet. We scaned through the trees but still there was no sign of this small raptor except a greater racket-tailed drongo, black-shouldered kite and dollarbird. At the gap, Bob saw a black-crested bulbul once he stepped out from the car. We walked around the gap road and above the lower gate until I heard rain is coming near us. We stopped immediately and got back into the car while waiting for the gate to open. The other bird we saw here was a gray wagtail and asian brown flycatcher.
After checking into our room in Shahzan Inn, we went back to the field and checked the rubbish dump. It was misty then. Along the way, we got the large niltava, mountain bulbul, and house swift. When we reached the dump site, we found a group of UK students packing their bags and left the scene. We waited for them to leave while birding nearby. We got the chestnut-capped laughingthrush. At the dump site, we saw the ferruginous flycatcher (the same spot where I saw it a few days earlier with my birding buddy) and nothing else! We decided to check out the road parallel to bishop’s trail. I got a javan cuckooshrike (but Bob missed it!). Other than that, together we saw streaked spiderhunter, fire-tufted barbet, chestnut-crowned warbler, mountain leaf warbler (Bob did not see this either), blue nuthatch, silver-eared mesia and black-throated sunbird. I also heard the blue-eared barbet calling.
At night after dinner, we went owling. No owl was sighted although I managed to hear the mountain scops owl and collared owlet. But we did managed to nailed the gray nightjar!
Birds seen today: cinnamon bittern, house crow, large-billed crow, black-shouldered kite, scaly-breasted munia, pacific swallow, black-crested bulbul, gray wagtail, asian brown flycatcher, large niltava, mountain bulbul, house swift, chestnut-capped laughingthrush, ferruginous flycatcher, javan cuckooshrike, streaked spiderhunter, fire-tufted barbet, chestnut-crowned warbler, mountain leaf warbler, blue nuthatch, silver-eared mesia, black-throated sunbird and gray nightjar.
