Bird Watching at Bukit Rengit, Lanchang, Krau Forest Reserve

Bukit Rengit is famous as a tourist attraction for its deerland park and an elephant sanctuary. It is also famous among birders for its variety of birds. It takes about an hour and 45 minutes drive as well as 3 tolls (about RM10.00 per way) to reach the place from KL. The landscape of Bukit Rengit is quite similar to Merapoh where there is a long track of tar road flanked by pristine jungle on both sides of the road. Although Merapoh in Pahang is much more quiet but Bukit Rengit has its own unique profile of birds. For example there were calls of Great Argus in three locations along the road as compared to zero heard in Merapoh. I reached the place close to 8.00 am and started birding as i turned in to the road leading to the Deerland. As i turned in, suddenly a Red Jungle fowl flew across the road to the opposite side. There were also many birds calls along the trail leading to a bridge eg Garnet Pittas, Hill Mynas, Sooty-capped Babbler, Stripped-Tit Babblers and a host of other calls which i am still in the process of identifying them with the help of experts. Have also sighted a few birds which i did not manage to photograph them such as Rhinoceros Hornbills, Greater Coucal, Red-bearded Bee Eater, White-Rumped Sharma etc.

Here are some which i managed to take:

A lone Drongo perched on a misty morning.

This is a noisy Maroon Woodpecker, drumming and probing at a tree branch while calling out loud!

As the sun came out, so did this woodie. I think woodie looks more like an Olive-backed woodie.

There were woodpeckers galore at this place...saw at least a few of this Checker-Throated Woodpecker along the trail.

Then this Crimson-Breasted Flowerpecker flew in and say come and snap me ! - it stayed on the branch for several minutes staring curiously at me.

This could be a Lesser-Racket Tail Drongo.

A male Chestnut-Breasted Malkoha collecting nesting materials.

This is a rather confusing Warbler. Note: according to experts, the bar markings on the wings may not be a good indicator for an eastern crown as some were observed not having any white bar markings. Now that was interesting ! So according to the experts one also has to look at the colour of its vent. But this bird's vent has no yellow like what an eastern crown usually has. At the same time its face has no speckles like an artic warbler. But the more i look at this picture, the more i would say that this bird is an Eastern Crown Warbler ! 

I turned back after this sign board.

As i headed for home i came across this Red-billed malkoha along the trail.

It was close to noon and this fellow is still busy looking for insects to eat.

All these photos certaintly do not do justice for the numerous birds which can be seen at this place. Perhaps with a bit more luck, i could take more pictures the next time. Conclusion: this place is certaintly worth going for the second time and with this i conclude my birding trips for year 2011. Certaintly look forward for more birding trips next year - 2012!! Until then wish you birders and visitors a Merry X'mas and Happy New Year !

Note: After having obtained confirmation from a local bird calls expert - Mr Choo Jiin Hwa, here are the few bird calls which were identified later:

i) White-Rumped Sharma

ii) Rufous-Crowned Babbler

iii) Grey-Cheeked Bulbul

iv) Scarlet-Rumped Trogon

v) Diard's Trogon (possible)

An Afternoon Birding at Sungai Lepoh, Ulu Langat

Sungai Lepoh is yet another site in Ulu Langat where mountain bikers, trail blazers, waterfall trackers, and common people would be keen to explore. So do birders like me! I started on the left of the car park and saw plenty of common birds such as:

Peaceful Doves

Spotted Doves

A line of Barn Swallows with a lone swallow....

According to Seng, the bird on the left is now called a Rufous-Bellied Swallow !

Here is an extract of his explanation: "the swallows in question have gone through many taxonomic changes through the years. I believe the bird in your picture is listed as Rufous-bellied Swallow or Striated Swallow in BIW. In the checklist, it is listed as Striated Swallow or Hirundo striolata, a resident in Pen Msia (sub-species badia). I believe most people use Rufous-bellied following the latest Robson (2008). Robson has now split badia (Rufous-bellied) from striolata (Striated). The other name in question is Red-rumped Swallow or Hirundo daurica, which is a migrant. Robson (2008) has even changed the genus from Hirundo to Cecropis. In short, here's my take....Rufous-bellied or Striated for our resident with very rufous-chestnut unders (species striolata, subspecies badia). And Red-rumped for the migrant daurica which has a streaked breast".

On a nearby cable, there was also a pair of Pacific Swallows. A point to note is that these swallows don't mix with the earlier swallows - barn and rufous-bellied !

Further down the line is a Blue-Tailed Bee Eater.

Saw this Ashy Minivet in the open area as well.

This is a little Munia - just learning how to fly!

As you go further in you will come across this signboard to your left. The trail will then forked into two directions:

I took the one of the left first after hopping across a small stream. The trail on the left will lead you thru an orchard of durian trees, jack-fruits, bananas etc with a combination of low land forest plants. It was very quiet as i could only hear my foot steps and the running water. Something tells me that this could be a worst birding site ever....so i started to snap pictures of its flora instead.

No this is not autumn or maple leaves but a large patch of ferns on the ground.

This looks like a strawberry flavored ais kacang!

This looks like "jambu air" - a kind of fruit.

These are wild palm fruits enjoyed by variety of mammals.

The first bird i encountered was this Brown Shrike sitting quietly on a branch.

Then as i was resting by a large rock i spotted this Gray Wagtail taking its bath.

Then i came across more Brown Shrikes and they are not shy birds like this fellow which allows me to be as close as just 5 meters.

As you reached the 300 plus mark on bird count it gets a bit harder to see more lifers. To see more lifers, i guess you could either travel further away from your comfort zone or you need a bit of luck. Today as i went deeper into the orchard, suddenly this Malaysian Hawk Cuckoo flew silently and perched right in front of me. I consider this my lucky day. I just wonder how those birders who have reached the 500 mark would feel when they go birding?

I came across this pair of Orange-Backed Woodpeckers high up on a dead tree. The fellow at the bottom was swinging and noding its head which i believe its a kind of courtship display. These are the only woodpeckers in this region which have a distinguish white feathers along its back.

This picture shows you the white patch of feathers behind its back.

As i was turning back and heading to the second trail, i heard a call which akin to a woodpecker. I was looking high and low at tree trunks and branches searching for the source of the sound. Lo and behold high up on a dead tree trunk there was this lone Black-Thighed Falconet (Malay calls it "Burung Rajawali")!

The initial part of second trail was just as quiet and dull so i just snap away its lovely flora.The second trail setup is completely different than the first one. Its looks more like a lowland forest with steep trails and loads of bamboo outcrops.

This looks like a coral or seaweed plant of some kind.

These flowers look more familiar and common - spider lily ?

Another type of wild ginger flower?

As i was going deeper into the trail suddenly there was a mini bird wave. Out came this Little Spiderhunter.

Then i saw this lovely Bronze Drongo without its metalic sound. There were many other birds which i saw but was not able to get a good photo shot of them eg a female Dark-Throated Oriole, Chestnut-Breasted Malkoha, Red-Eyed Bulbul and tailor birds. Conclusion: this place certaintly has the potential to produce some surpise lifers!

Afternoon Birding at Sungai Perdik, Hulu Langat

I have wanted to try out for once an afternoon birding trip to Sg Perdik, Hulu Langat to see how was the  birding activities during that time. So a trip was made on 4 Dec 2011 from 2.30pm to 5.00pm. Although there were not many birds and no lifers but the trip did gave me quite a variety of birds to see. There was also a mini bird wave to top it up.

First birds i saw was this pair of Hairy-Backed Bulbul.

Then came along this male Crimson-winged Woodpecker.

This is an Ashy Minivet - same bird with three different poses.

Then came along this warbler. I think this could be another Arctic Warbler but i would just record it as an unidentified warbler - don't want to be a hero!

Amongst the bird wave, out came this Asian Paradise Flycatcher.

I also saw a number of Lesser Green Leafbirds like this one.

Also in the bird wave was this Black-Winged Flycatcher Shrike.

As i was walking back to my car i saw a plant at the road side with this amazingly huge flower.

Birds of Old Gombak Road

Old Gombak Road is located between low land forest leading to a town called Bentong. Although the road is narrow and full of trucks and cyclist but it has the potential to produce lifers. Here are some of the birds seen:

This Scarlet-Backed Flowerpecker was spotted at around 7.30am and it was still pretty dark then. At F5.6 that was the best i could managed.

Initially this bird was recorded as a common raffles malkoha but after checking further i discovered that it was actually a Red-Billed Malkoha ! Its diagnostic red bill, rufous throat and chest area and greyish belly can be seen in these 2 photos. Amazing that i could not spot these features with my bins. This shows that at times we do need to have photo-id. These photos were taken right after the scarlet-backed flowerpecker.

Next bird was a juvenile Brown Shrike, i think

(Note: from cross-references, this bird could also been a Juvenile Female Brown Shrike)

Most babblers are sulking but at times they do give a window of opportunity to have a good view of them just like this Striped Tit Babbler

This is an Orange-Bellied Flowerpecker helping itself with riped berries.

This is a Drongo Cuckoo who does not want to turn around for people to see its front view.

This is a female Black-Naped Monarch.

This fellow looks more like an Asian Paradise Flycatcher !

(Note: Experts informed that it could be a male juvenile Black Naped Monarch)

I think this a Common Iora - Yes ? No?

These are Verditer Flycatcher upclose. Unlike in Perdik, the verditers over here are much more friendly! 

This one is probably a female Verditer Flycatcher.

I could not believe when i saw this Asian Paradise Flycatcher (White Morph). I thought it could only be seen in pristine forest like Taman Negara or Panti etc but certaintly not near an urban area.

This is a side view of a Scally-Breasted Bulbul.

This is the milestone where i completed my birding trip although i have a few more miles to go along this road. Will continue from this point the next time.