Unforgettable - Part 1

I was really looking forward to my latest birding adventure as it would take me to one of the best lowland forest sites in Peninsular Malaysia – good old Taman Negara. Just a few days before the tour, it dawned on me. The dates coincided with Malaysia Day and that made the weekend a long one. I planned to have a stopover at Cameron Highlands for a night with my Sabahan guest, Kuan, before going over to the other side of the peninsular. And to be brutally honest, this highland resort is the last place to be during long weekends. As expected, we were greeted by horrendous traffic upon our arrival and particularly everywhere was crowded. Even the only birding spot left on Cameron Highlands, the narrow road up Gunung Brinchang, had its share of visitors. However, the human congestion and engulfing mist could not deny my guest of two outstanding lifers in the form of a Malayan Whistling-Thrush and Rufous-vented Niltava. Both species were equally exciting to me as they are montane specialities but the conditions made it utterly meaningless for my gear to attempt any photography.

We left Cameron Highlands and all the festivities behind when we made our way to the wild interiors of Pahang state. Taman Negara Sungai Relau was to be our hunting ground for the next few days and it has been 3 years since I last wandered into this wildlife sanctuary in search of feathered denizens. I was well aware of the ongoing construction works for a new canopy walk in the park and I can only hope it will not effect the birding too much. Certain parts of Malaysia has been under siege this past week with the return of the hazardous haze – the worst in 4 years. Fortunately, it was still relatively clear here.

The monumental sign at the entrance has been refurbished with a simpler one. There is room for improvement but I guess it will do given the isolation of this locality. This is the consequence of my years in the advertising and signage industry. It is in my blood and I cannot help but to take an interest in this manmade structure.

For the rest of Taman Negara Sungai Relau, nothing much has changed - lush vegetation, wild environment and captivating views. For that I am most grateful.

Oriental Magpie-Robins continue to do well here under the protection of the national park and from the look of things, it will be another successful nesting season. In fact, it was breeding season for quite a number of other species as well.

Ayuwat’s last visit here yielded a lone Slender-billed Crow that was mixing around with Large-billed Crows at the entrance to the park. It is a species that I have not encountered for many years. Naturally, all crows seen within the compound of the entry point were given extra attention. My efforts were not rewarded in the end as I do not possess the same good fortune as my Thai compatriot. On the other hand, my guest enjoyed our time scrutinizing the Large-billed Crows. For him, the Slender-billed Crow is the commoner one in East Malaysia.

In the forest proper, Ayuwat found yet another gem and it was the elusive Cinnamon-rumped Trogon. And again, it is another species I yearn to reconnect with. Unfortunately, the only trogon we managed to observe for this trip was a male Diard’s Trogon. Forest bird photography is often challenging and it took considerable time and effort to obtain this shot.

Have I ever mentioned that patience is a virtue for birding in the forest? Well, it certainly is. And so is determination. However when all the elements are against you, those virtues don’t do squat. Like this female Green Broadbill making an appearance at first light.

The Yellow-bellied Bulbul was a regular feature during my last visit. This time, there was only one brief encounter. Come to think of it, bulbuls were rather elusive – however unbelievable that may sound.

The only bulbul that I had a reasonably good encounter with was the Grey-cheeked Bulbul. The colouration of this individual lacked its usual radiance and I assumed it is a young bird.

Apart from a distant Crested Goshawk, there were no other photographic opportunities with raptors. I have to admit that this trip produced less photos than I had expected and I hope it is just me getting more demanding with age and not the fact that even mighty Taman Negara is starting to deteriorate just like any other birding site.

I was happy just to be able to locate this Yellow-crowned Barbet shouting its head off from a lofty perch late one evening. Barbets usually conceal themselves well among the foliage of tall trees but we can sometimes surprise ourselves with what we can achieve when we really put our heart into it. The ache from straining our necks will heal itself eventually...

Even from that distance, the barbet received a fair share of attention from a couple of visiting birders. For Kuan, this is only his second sighting and obtaining a record was never an option.

Taman Negara Sungai Relau is not only home to the birds. Mammals roam the forest here with very little threat from humans. Our encounters with Wild Boars and a Yellow-throated Marten left us with nothing but memories. A Prevost’s Squirrel using the electrical cables to move about the edge of the park made sure we did not end up empty handed. Thank goodness for that because this species is one of the most beautiful mammals found here in the park.

We also crossed paths with Smooth Otters on a few occasions. The thought of Hairy-nosed Otters did cross my mind since we are in this rare mammal’s neck of the woods. A quick check with Goggle put all uncertainties to rest. Anyway, the encounters were still exciting despite the common stature of the Smooth Otter.

It was good to see the herd of captive released Bantengs still surviving here in the park. The male looked as intimating as ever. Sporting a fresh wound on his shoulder only enhanced the look.

For this trip to Taman Negara, the main targets for my guest were two species of pittas. To increase our chances with these shy jewels of the jungle, a considerable amount of time was spent in hides. How we faired with these beautiful but shy terrestrial birds will be covered in my next blog posting.