I have guided Tim twice prior to this trip. However, this trip is a bit different where we only focus on selected species and locations. We covered several spots in 3 states within Peninsular Malaysia, roughly 3-4 hours drive between each location. Our notable finds for this trip include Large Frogmouth, Brown Wood Owl, Rusty-naped Pitta and several other waders.

A lot of patience required to get our primary target species. Tim waited for more than 5 hours, well to be exact, it was actually 9 hours to get satisfactory photo. 

While Tim was waiting inside the hide, I went around the hill station looking for other potential spots for other targets. Since we missed the Brown Wood Owl the night before, we were happy to see a roosting Brown Wood Owl. 

After getting the owl, we drove around the hill station for more targets. We had an unexpected target here! Not a rare one but good enough for photographic record of a Long-billed Spiderhunter.

From the highland, we moved to the lowland - a paddy field northeast of Kuala Lumpur. 

Tim is putting a lot of effort to scan the open field.

Checking his shots on his Nikon D500. It was a lifer for him - Eastern Marsh Harrier.

On the rocky shore, Tim was enjoying a flock of terns in action!

When we arrived at this open mudflat, I can see the unusually happy face of Tim. He was so excited to see waders feeding in this area. It was extremely hot compared to the cool weather of Fraser's Hill. ***Warning! this location is not meant for everyone*** 

A few kids were playing around the spot where Tim was shooting the waders. But the noise did not disturb the birds at all, the waders were enjoying their meals until a Brahminy Kite flew above.

Scanning....and continue scanning the mudflat.

It was going to rain soon .... so we decided to call it a day. We need to drive to the airport and avoid the heavy traffic. It seems that Tim and I will have to continue our hunt for more species in the near future.

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Lothar is back again! However this time a shorter trip and we concentrated on getting a few other species.

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"Just a quick note to thank you for your guiding and the rest. We both enjoyed the experience very much. I managed 20 lifers so very good in just 36 hours! There was quite a crossover with the birds in the Thailand mountains when I checked my list. Still great to see them again though." - Bob, United Kingdom

It was rather a short overnight trip but still, Bob and Liam get pretty awesome sightings of the montane species.

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"Decided to do a 7 day birding trip from Kuala Lumpur during a sightseeing trip of peninsular Malaysia, and found exactly that we wanted. I Contacted the guide Cheong Weng Chun many months before the trip in order to be able to be sure to book with him. He was available for our required dates, and arranged to collect us from our hotel in Kuala Lumpur. During my communication with him I found him to be efficient friendly and helpful and I looked forward to meeting him. We found him to be an exceptional guide. Our tour took us to different environments and habitats, always with an expectation of seeing new birds. He knew precisely where to look for them. His complete knowledge of the bird calls and ability to find the birds for us was outstanding. I feel he was able to adapt to our level of ‘interested and keen but not expert’ because as he found the birds he explained the identifying features- something we have not had before. He was always careful to advise us if there was a need for insect protection ( leech socks- it was the monsoon season!) because of his energy and enthusiasm we saw 200 species in a week which was amazing. The highlights for us were the 6 different species of hornbill, the broadbills, barbets, woodpeckers and kingfishers, not to mention a brown boobook which took some time to track down! Our time on Fraser’s Hill was tiring, stimulating, and enjoyable . Apart from being a great guide Weng Chun was an excellent driver and organiser and we had complete confidence in him. We had a wonderful week and cannot recommend his services highly enough. Thank you Weng Chun for an unforgettable week of birding." - Bev, United Kingdom

I have been expecting this trip for a long time since it was confirmed months ago. The trip turned out to be a good one with lots of laughter. We covered the coastal habitats (open field, mudflat and mangrove), highland and lowland forest.

Our first stop at a coastal village provided us with great views of Pink-necked Pigeon, Common Flameback, Pygmy Woodpecker, Laced Woodpecker, Asian Koel, Stork-billed Kingfisher, Common Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher and many more.

We also made a stop here to scan the mudflat for waders and personally I think the highlight here is the Lesser Adjutant, classified as Vulnerable under the IUCN Redlist. The population of this large sized stork is declining due to several factors including human disturbance, agriculture, aquaculture and others.

Approaching the Crested Serpent Eagle perching next to the trail.

Bev and John busy admiring the partridge. We were there with another birding couple - Mabel and Bill.

 Still enjoying the partridge .... can't get enough of the views


In the morning, after breakfast we birded near the hotel in Fraser's Hill.

 One of my favorite spots up in the hill station. We spotted Rufous-browed Flycatcher here.

 Another usual spot for birding but need to be extra careful with the traffic.

Alerted by Andrew who was guiding Mabel and Bill. A Binturong was spotted resting high up in the tree. Our birding tour is not just about birds, we will try to see whatever possible in our journey.

Red-bearded Bee-eater and Speckled Piculet - 2 of the best birds during our stay in Fraser's Hill.

Birding in the lowland forest - along the road. Again, need to be alert at all times for speeding cars and motorcycles.

Waiting in the bird hide for babblers and bulbuls. The leech socks were useful at this spot. Not exactly many leeches but there are plenty to keep you busy looking around. :D

 

Black Hornbill - photographed with a iPhone through a spotting scope.

 

2 more shots with iPhone through the spotting scope. Left shows a Banded Kingfisher while right photo shows a brilliant Rhinoceros Hornbill.

Up in another highland, while waiting for our target birds, a mixed flock greeted us and kept us busy for a while. Notable species is a White-bellied Erpornis. 

 Finally, our target bird! Mountain Peacock-Pheasant.

So, many birders around the world have birded in dirty and smelly places. It is not an exception here in Malaysia. We came to this small place, situated between 2 sewage ponds.

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This is the second time I am starting a trip from Penang. However, this is a short one, yes, just a day birding while on the way to Belum forest. We covered several habitats and ticked off a number of species which includes White-throated Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Black-capped Kingfisher, Greater Flameback, Black-and-Yellow Broadbill, Black-and-Red Broadbill, Crow-billed Drongo and many more. By the time we reached Belum, it was already dark. Shortly after helping to unload the luggages from my car, I wished them good luck in their quest for hornbills.

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It was another early morning drive from KL to the prime birding site up in the hill, it's none other than Fraser's Hill. It was a short trip but a very fruitful one! We had Malayan Partridge, Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Pygmy Cupwing, Common Green Magpie, Fire-tufted Barbet, Silver-eared Mesia, Large Niltava and list goes on....

If you are interested to join me for birding trips in Peninsular Malaysia, let me know via email nature2pixel@gmail.com or you can also send me text messages via WhatsApp at +60166494733

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We covered 2 sites today. One in the highland while another one was down in the lowland, both nearby KL. In the morning it was very windy but in the afternoon it was terrible hot and humid :(
That's the challenge being a birder here in Malaysia. We need to adjust immediately to the sudden change of environment, weather, temperature and lighting.

Some of the highlights  include Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Malayan Laughingthrush, Large Niltava, Lesser Shortwing, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Common Green Magpie, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Mountain Leaf Warbler, Bar-throated Minla, Black-throated Sunbird, Mountain Tailorbird and more.

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Not sure how many times i have been going up to Fraser's Hill this year. But sure its a lot! I am very thankful to all my guests. Every trip is always a good opportunity to look at those beautiful birds. Today, I went up to the hill station with Martin .... just for a day trip. A bit exhausted from a day trip the day before, but since I am enjoying my work as a guide, and being with someone who enjoys the hobby really keeps me going.

It was Martin's first trip to the hill station, so almost everything is new to him. I'm sure he managed to get marvelous shots of Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Large Niltava, White-tailed Robin, Buff-breasted Babbler, Grey-throated Babbler, Pygmy Cupwing and others! Looking forward fo more trips in the future with Martin ....  :D

If you are interested to join me for birding trips in Peninsular Malaysia, let me know via email nature2pixel@gmail.com or you can also send me text messages via WhatsApp at +60166494733

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Happy to guide him again this year. We went back to Bukit Tinggi to nail that one species which eluded us last time, and we got it as soon as we sat down at the hide!

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A short weekend trip to look for "new" species to Genting Highlands and Krau forest. From an early morning drive away from KL, we arrived at our first destination, up in the highlands at 7.30am. Gosh. The visibility was terrible, nevertheless, we prepared the equipment for the morning shooting. 

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Met Tom and Joyce at the airport hotel. We arrived at our birding site just before sunrise. We had Savannah Nightjar circling above us and a Large-tailed Nightjar calling not too far away. Then, as we were about to continue our drive, we sighted a dark morph Changeable Hawk-Eagle. Not bad for a start! For the morning, we managed some views of Common Flameback, Laced Woodpecker, Sunda Pygmy Woodpecker, Stork-billed Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher, Collared Kingfisher, Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Red-wattled Lapwing, Long-tailed Shrike, Pink-necked Pigeon, White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Chestnut-winged Cuckoo, and many more. 

In the late morning, we head towards the inland. Just before lunch, we added Painted Stork. After lunch break, we went birding in a lowland forest. We were surprised as soon as we stepped into the forest! Raffles's Malkoha greeted us. But our main target is a Rufous-backed Kingfisher, which we managed after some amount of time spent waiting. 

Overall, this is another successful birding day near Kuala Lumpur. 

Anyone interested to do a day trip birding with me, you may contact me via email at nature2pixel@gmail.com or WhatsApp at +60166494733

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Today, we went birding around Kuala Lumpur. Our initial plan was to go up to Fraser's Hill, however, I suggested Kuala Lumpur due to the current weather condition in Fraser's Hill which may affect the birding experience.

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After picking up Linda and Yong from the airport, we made our way to the hill station, Fraser's Hill and we arrive just in time for some birding action and our primary target, Malaysian Partridge were already in the bag by the end of the day. I'm glad we got this partridge on the first day, as the visibility for the next 2 days were not so great. :(

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An early morning drive out from the city centre. Our birding destination for today is no other than Krau forest, one of my favorite birding sites.

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I couldn't resist the opportunity to get close to a (recently sighted) Black-backed Kingfisher. Even though it is almost 4 hours away from Kuala Lumpur. I quickly contacted a fellow birder and immediately arrange for a night drive on the very same day. It rained as soon as we arrived in the early morning, we missed the chance to shoot one target due to weather condition. We were hoping that rain will stop and that our targeted kingfisher will appear. Not too long after sunrise, the kingfisher showed up right in front of us. No hard work at all. Target acquired. After 4 hours spent in this area, we decided to go back to KL. We heard that this kingfisher didn't show up the next day, BOY...I'm glad we went looking for it that day.

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