"Thanks for the best birding and photography trip...ever!!! Your untiring efforts to locate the most beautiful birds of Malaysia (day and night), your patience and kindness with kids (...and responding to their unending questions!), your overall company - all made our adventure into Malaysia's forests so wonderful. Without a doubt, I'd recommend you to anyone considering a trip to Malaysia and looking for wildlife. We learnt much from you and the importance of doing homework before embarking on these trips, to see all the variety the forest has to offer. Will definitely be going back for Season 2! Take care." - Momo, Bilal & Umar (Pakistan)
This trip, I guided 3 guests but the main birder was an 11-year old boy, my youngest ever guest. We covered the usual birding sites in the central region of Peninsular Malaysia. Upon arrival at the hill station, we had a supposedly quick lunch but the food arrived little too late so that delayed our afternoon birding. Our afternoon main target is the Malayan Partridge but we made a stop along the way for Large Niltava, Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Babbler. It was an almost 2 hours wait at the Partridge station. We were the first to arrived, then a few photographers from Thailand joined us. An hour later, 3 more birders came. While waiting for the partridge to show up, we were entertained by 2 species of Laughingthrush, Streaked Spiderhunter, Emerald Dove, Oriental Magpie Robin, Streaked Wren-babbled and a Red-cheeked Squirrel. 2 more birders came and joined us but after a short wait they walked away from the station. As soon as they left, one partridge showed up! Then 2nd, 3rd,4th and 5th bird came out. Perfect! We continue birding until dusk and we found Green Magpie, Verditer Flycatcher, Black-browed Barbet, Fire-tufted Barbet, Silver-eared Mesia, Lesser Yellownape, Black-throated Sunbird, Mountain Imperial Pigeon and many more. We didn't go out looking for owls tonight. Everyone was feeling a bit tired. So, rest early tonight.
We started the morning of Day 2 with Mountain Scops Owl and a glimpse of Brown Wood Owl. A bit of hard work in the morning, all of us felt tired even before mid-day. We added White-tailed Robin, Pygmy Cupwing, Bay Woodpecker, Black-browed Barbet (again), Greater Yellownape, Slaty-backed Forktail, Ochraceous Bulbul, Black-crested Bulbul, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker, Banded Broadbill, Greater Racket-tailed Drongo, Bronzed Drongo, Yellow-bellied Warbler, Little Spiderhunter, Mountain Fulvetta and a few others.
During the afternoon session, we drove around another part of the hill station. We added Red-headed Trogon, Great Hornbill, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Long-tailed Broadbill and Sultan Tit. Almost get the Collared Owlet....how unfortunate!
During the afternoon session, we drove around another part of the hill station. We added Red-headed Trogon, Great Hornbill, Hill Blue Flycatcher, Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Long-tailed Broadbill and Sultan Tit. Almost get the Collared Owlet....Almost...sigh
The next morning we covered the New Road, followed by a mid-day break and birding resume later part of the afternoon. Today we added Orange-breasted Trogon, Red-billed Malkoha, Green-billed Malkoha, Blue-eared Barbet, Gold-whiskered Barbet, Rhinoceros Hornbill, Blue-winged Minla, Blue-winged Leafbird, and more.
Day 4, we drove down to Krau forest with morning birding along New Road. Nothing much exciting in the morning but we had many good birds in the afternoon which includes (not limited to) Black-throated Babbler, Short-tailed Babbler, Grey-cheeked Bulbul, Yellow-bellied Bulbul, Hairy-backed Bulbul, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Green Broadbill and glimpse of Banded Pitta.
