This has been one of my longest birding trip in Peninsular Malaysia. After meeting up with my guests, we head towards the nearest site for an introductory birding in 2 open wetlands. In the next few days, we gradually move further inland covering lowland forest and the highlands - hoping everyone get to acclimatize with the weather and the birding conditions.
The 2 open wetlands were simply easy birding which requires little effort to locate the birds while things get harder in the forest of Taman Negara. Sometimes we walked in the forest for an hour without seeing new birds.Most of the time was spent focusing at fruiting tree at the resort compound and the hide. We had 1 session of birding on the boat where every birder will usually nailed the Lesser Fish Eagle, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Large Green Pigeon, Blue-banded Kingfisher and Straw-headed Bulbul. In the evening, an Asian Tapir visited the resort's restaurant. What a nice surpise!
Everyone was very happy birding in Fraser's Hill due to easy birding condition and does not require lots of walking compared to Taman Negara. Most importantly, the coolness up in the highland makes Fraser's Hill more favorable than the lowland forest. Although we did not encounter many bird waves (mixed flocks), we still managed to nail the Blue Nuthatch, Red-headed Trogon, Long-tailed Broadbill, Common Green Magpie and the much anticipated Silver-breasted Broadbill.
It was really hot for my guests when we reached Kuala Selangor, but without much effort we managed to find a Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker (and also a nestling too!). We went "hunting" around the large paddy field - for the Eastern Marsh Harrier and White-headed Munia (dipped on the latter). While searching for the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher, we were rewarded with Mangrove Whistler, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher and a pair of Laced Woodpecker. I guess our best birds here in Kuala Selangor are Barred Eagle Owl and Ruddy Kingfisher (but I was the only one who saw it though).
The following list shows some of our sightings throughout the period.
Trogon
Scarlet-rumped Trogon (male & female), Cinnamon-rumped Trogon (female), Orange-breasted Trogon (female), Red-naped Trogon (female)
Kingfisher
White-throated Kingfisher, Rufous-backed Kingfisher, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Blue-banded Kingfisher, Banded Kingfisher, Ruddy Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher
Woodpecker & Piculet
Banded Woodpecker, Checker-throated Woodpecker, Crimson-winged Woodpecker, Maroon Woodpecker, Rufous Woodpecker, Buff-rumped Woodpecker, Buff-necked Woodpecker, Grey-and-Buff Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Rufous Piculet,
Raptor
Crested Serpent Eagle, Common Buzzard, Changeable Hawk-eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Blyth's Hawk-eagle, Lesser Fish Eagle
Malkoha
Black-bellied Malkoha, Green-billed Malkoha, Raffles's Malkoha, Chestnut-breasted Malkoha
Cuckooshrike
Javan Cuckooshrike, Bar-bellied Cuckooshrike, Lesser Cuckooshrike
Bulbul
Straw-headed Bulbul, Black-and-White Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Scaly-breasted Bulbul, Puff-backed Bulbul, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Yellow-vented Bulbul, Olive-winged Bulbul, Cream-vented Bulbul, Red-eyed Bulbul, Spectacled Bulbul, Hairy-backed Bulbul, Buff-vented Bulbul, Ochraceous Bulbul, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, Yellow-bellied Bulbul, Finsch's Bulbul, Ashy Bulbul, Mountain Bulbul
Flycatcher & Niltava
Asian Brown Flycatcher, Ferruginous Flycatcher, Brown-streaked Flycatcher, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Rufous-chested Flycatcher, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Little Pied Flycatcher, Verditer Flycatcher, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, Malaysian Blue Flycatcher, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher, Large Niltava
Sunbird
Brown-throated Sunbird, Red-throated Sunbird, Ruby-cheeked Sunbird, Purple-naped Sunbird, Purple-throated Sunbird, Olive-backed Sunbird, Black-throated Sunbird
Mammals
- Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula)
- Crab-eating Mongoose (Herpestes urva)
- White-thighed Surili (Presbytis siamensis)
- Southern Pig-tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina)
- Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
- Spectacled Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus)
- Sundaic Silvered Langur (Trachypithecus cristatus)
- Western Striped Squirrel (Tamiops macclellandi)
- Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps)
- Mountain Red-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus)
- Low's Squirrel (Sundasciurus lowii)
- Slender Squirrel (Sundasciurus tenuis)
- Horse-tailed Squirrel (Sundasciurus hippurus)
- Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)
- Cream-colored Giant Squirrel (Ratufa affinis)
- Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista elegans)
- Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis)
- Brush-tailed Porcupine (Atherurus macrourus)
- Lesser Gymnure (Hylomys suillus)
- Asian Tapir (Tapirus indicus)
- Eurasian Wild Pig (Sus scrofa)
* Another highlight of this trip is my spotting scope fell down while on the boardwalk at Taman Negara. Unable to use at this moment. :(
