Call of the wild

 

EarthLodge is one of the most remote birding spots in Peninsular Malaysia. It is located along the Muda River deep in the wild interiors of Kedah state and certainly a haven for both wildlife and wildlife enthusiasts. It was a “working” holiday for me because I have been commissioned by the founder of the establishment, Hymeir, to guide a French couple. Although being a bird guide never feels like work to me. The only access is by boat; electricity is by a generator that runs for the first half of the night and there is not much use of your smart phones here except for capturing memories of the trip. That is all part of the charms of Earth Lodge. As we disembarked onto the muddy banks upon arrival, the sounds of the forest greeted us to our home for the next few days.

The accommodations are reasonably comfortable and I have no complains about the food provided either. My priorities have always simple and the deciding factor for every location I that visit lies in how good is the birding.

We had excursions by boat along the Muda River on a daily basis because that is the only way to obtain a few of the main targets that included the mighty Asian Elephant and during this time of the year, the migratory Plain-pouched Hornbills.

The tusker is the mascot of Earth Lodge and since we are dealing with wildlife here, nothing is guaranteed. And unfortunately, the closest we came to these giants of the forest were their tracks and dung.

Thankfully, we did not miss out on the Plain-pouched Hornbills. Although not really in the numbers we were hoping for but a traveling flock set against the lush landscape of the locality is quite breath-taking.

We recorded every species of hornbills that occur in Malaysia during our stay here except for the Bushy-crested Hornbill. Being the commonest species, it came as no surprise that the Oriental Pied-Hornbill was the only other hornbill that I managed to capture. Bird photography in Ulu Muda (the general area where Earth Lodge is located) is challenging. The dense vegetation, the skittish nature of most of the birds, the taxing humidity and in certain ways the distraction of the leeches are just some of the contributing factors.

In fact, the river cruises provided the best photographic opportunities of the trip despite the constant swaying of the small boats that were used. The Lesser Fish-Eagle is the most prominent raptor along the slow-flowing waters of the Muda River and was recorded during every cruise. Its preference for exposed perches overlooking the river eased efforts in locating this beautiful raptor.

Occasionally, we will come across individuals that are more confiding than usual and that is when the wilds of Ulu Muda truly come to life and flaunted their full glory.

Flocks of Brown-backed Needletails will normally patrol above the river in the evenings and they were a sight to behold. It is such a thrill to watch these huge swifts slice across the sky with such ease and velocity. With audible wingbeats for added dramatic effects, even the non-birders in our midst are left astound. My feeble photographic attempts to capture one of the fastest birds in the world inevitably left much to be desired.

The discovery of a pair of roosting Dusky Eagle-Owls was not only the highlight of the trip but one of the most significant chapters of my birding life. One of the birds was more exposed than the other and it naturally had our undivided attention. Our boatmen skillfully rowed us close to the flooded trees and the blazing yellow iris of this nocturnal predator had everyone spellbound. The Dusky Eagle-Owl is not new to me but this encounter, rocked my world...

When the owl took flight, I initially thought the show was over. However, the best was yet to come. It alighted on an exposed perch nearby and proceeded to sunbathe. And now we had one of the rarest and largest species of owls here in Malaysia right out in the open in broad daytime and appeared to be unperturbed by our intrusion into its domain. It was almost too good to be true.

Throughout my time at Earth Lodge, we recorded another three species of owls and frogmouths. Seven nocturnal birds in a single trip is something I rarely have the privilege to enjoy. However, none of the others came close to the episode with the Dusky Eagle-Owl as they were only heard. The tiny Reddish Scops-Owl called practically every night behind our lodges and my failure to locate the bird was a bitter pill to swallow. Anyway, no one said owling is ever easy. Unless the owl unexpectedly gives you a once in a lifetime experience like this obliging Dusky Eagle-Owl.

The evening cruises usually conclude after sunset. And twilight in the wilderness of Ulu Muda is mesmerizing and therapeutic. I can think of no better way to unwind after a long day of birding than to sit back in our little boats and soak in the ambience. We often seek solitude to escape the hectic modern-day world and here in the embrace of Mother Nature, I have found mine.

Birding along the forest trails here can be tough and frustrating typical of most lowland forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Ulu Muda is home to a huge variety of intriguing species including pittas, trogons, broadbills, woodpeckers and many others. Like their nocturnal counterparts, these birds were more often heard than seen but we faired relatively well. At the time of writing, the White-crowned Forktail was the latest addition (no. 330 to be exact) to the checklist of Earth Lodge but this striking stream dweller managed to evade my photographic efforts.

When it comes to photography, priority is always given to my guests. That and the challenging conditions here makes this image of a female Green Broadbill taken along the forest trails the only one worth sharing.

The compound of Earth Lodge is a treasure trove of birds. My French guests and I spent a considerable amount of time just observing the birds passing through or foraging in the vicinity. Since it is slightly more open, I had better luck with my photographic efforts. There are a number of birds that are regularly recorded here and the persistent vocalization of the Rufous-tailed Tailorbird is a common sound of the lodge. A little effort is usually required to see this little denizen and judging from this image, obtaining good photographs will require a whole lot more.

Surprisingly, bulbuls are not as common as I would have expected. Lone birds are occasionally recorded like this Red-eyed Bulbul resting in the canopy level.

The handsome male Blue-winged Leafbird will serenade the vicinity with his radiance and vocal abilities whenever he makes an appearance. He was also one of the few birds I encountered that was confiding enough for a close approach.

A stream flows along one side of the lodge forming a natural border. This riverine habitat shelters the alluring Black-and-red Broadbill but it seldom reveals its name’s sake. I had to wait until my last morning at Earth Lodge to obtain a decent image of it.

Birdwaves sometimes sweep through just above the rooftops of the lodges. This natural phenomenon is like no other but the frantic pace of most of the participants is beyond my photographic abilities. During one such wave, a young male Rufous-winged Philentoma must had struggled to keep up with the rest and took a breather on an exposed perch along the lower storey of the forest.

As expected, the presence of other wildlife helped complete the experience at Earth Lodge. While owling around the lodge, we could not help noticing the presence of bats as they made their way to and from their roosts which are under the roofs. Eventually, we found a small group roosting in the daytime and they turned out to be Forest Short-nosed Fruit Bats. In case you are wondering, identification of this flying mammal was confirmed by my guest who unlike yours truly has a much broader range of interest when it comes to wildlife. For him, there is certainly more to life than just birds.

Affectionately named Emma by Hymeir after the Latin name of the animal, the Forest Crested Lizard can be exceptionally confiding and we encountered it on several occasions. It tends to remain motionless for long periods of time and that made it an excellent subject for photography. It did abandon its preference for tree trunks at one time and the image turned out to be my favourite of this beautiful lizard.

A skink crawling about the dining-cum-assembly area had everyone’s attention during one of the days. It was unfamiliar to me as well and I joined in excitement. The cracks of a tree log provided just enough cover for this delicate lizard to briefly remain still for its image to be taken. The Yellow Striped Tree Skink is not only stunning but apparently, it is also relatively scarce.

There is nothing delicate about the Large Forest Gecko. As the name implies, it is a true behemoth as far as geckos go. We came across not one but two of these impressive lizards hunting on the outer wall of the lodges at night no doubt attracted by the insects drawn to the lights. A katydid would make a tasty snack for the gecko as this unwary individual is about to find out.

Insects, to me, are of another world altogether and there is no shame in admitting it. Identification can be a real nightmare even for some spectacular specimens like this caterpillar going about its daily routine next to the walkway of the lodge.

As a closing to a remarkable five days at Earth Lodge, here are snapshots of some plants (yes, you read it right) that somehow managed to momentarily divert my attention from the birds. A total of 122 species of birds were recorded from which almost half are heard only. So, it was not exactly a walk in the park. It took determination, patience and luck to glimpse into the secretive world of some of these species. Nevertheless it is one of the most exhilarating and memorable birding adventures I have had in a long time. Our daily checklists are in the links below and they will give you an idea of what can be expected. However, what the checklists cannot give is the magical essence of Earth Lodge. For that, you have to visit this amazing place and experience it for yourself.

Checklist of birds day #1

Checklist of birds day #2

Checklist of birds day #3

Checklist of birds day #4

Checklist of birds day #5

A sky full of raptors

Dipping out on the Oriental Plover last season at the grassland outside Taiping in Perak state left a devastating blow to my spiritual well being. It was a deep wound that may have healed as time passed. But the scar remained. An invitation by Hor Kee (who suffered the similar fate) to check the grassland again as this migratory season commenced, was accepted without much hesitation. The sight of 50 Pacific Golden-Plovers (a known associate of the distinguished Oriental Plover) upon our arrival at the locality sent a stream of adrenalin through my veins with such vigour that left me lightheaded. However, the exhilaration was short lived. Upon further scrutiny, there was no Oriental Plover among them.

We scouted around the remaining areas of grasslands but without success. It was relatively slow in terms of birding. A Long-tailed Shrike calling from a lofty perch provided some compensation. Although this species is not uncommon in this part of Peninsular Malaysia, it is a species that rarely occurs back in my home state of Penang. Of all the shrikes found here in Malaysia, I find the Long-tailed Shrike to be the most appealing. Its distribution may have an influence on this matter.

A Spotted Dove that alighted near our stationary vehicle received some unexpected attention as there was basically nothing else about.

From the flat grassland, we made our way to the vantage point atop Scott’s Hill to try to eradicate another disappointment from last season when we spent at least two excursions staring at empty blue skies during the peak of raptor migration.

Our faith in the locality was restored when we saw a flock of about 100 Chinese Sparrowhawks riding the thermal as they make their way south for the winter. This flock alone had more migrating raptors than the whole of last season at this site. During our 2-hour observation, this species formed the majority and several flocks were recorded.

Most of the migrating raptors were high up in the sky and photography was almost a lost case. Record shots like this of a lone Japanese Sparrowhawk were aplenty.

Even the larger Oriental Honey-Buzzard passed through at great heights...

Except for one but it was heading the other direction and in no particular hurry. It was, after all, the resident race of the Oriental Honey-buzzard and it provided the best raptor images of the day. Soaring gracefully just above the tree line, it had our undivided attention. Unlike its migratory counterparts, resident Oriental Honey-Buzzards are not exactly common raptors.

However, not all the resident raptors recorded today were as confiding. A pale morph Changeable Hawk-Eagle flew past about the same altitude as the migrants.

Another highlight from this brief raptor count came in the form of Rufous-bellied Eagles. An adult swooped down at a juvenile in mid-flight and although it was not a vicious attack, the display of aerial agility was spectacular. My modest gear could not capture the true essence of the bout but it was an exciting experience nonetheless.

Evolution has made the Brown-backed Needletail aerodynamically perfect and trying to photograph the world’s fastest bird is no walk in the park. However, today the lighting condition was ideal and this one was cruising a leisurely pace. I took the opportunity to capture a few images of which one turned out reasonable. This wonder of nature was the last bird we recorded before we made our way to the last destination of the trip.

Both residential and commercial developments have been sprouting up like wild mushrooms in Batu Kawan ever since the Second Penang Bridge was opened to public. Inevitably, a significant area has lost its charm as birding localities. A newly discovered wader roost near some major developments including a much-anticipated one by a Swedish-founded furniture company. This rose among the thorns was where we headed before calling a day.

I always have a soft spot for waterbirds and I just wanted to check out the site before it is too late. An expanse of mud and water may not appeal to normal folks but no one ever said birders are normal folks. This bleak landscape plays host to several species of birds and that to me makes it irresistible.

It is heartening to see big waterbirds like the Grey Heron still has a place to call home here in Penang state. The lighting was harsh at the time of our visit and not much hope was put into the outcome of the images taken there.

Overall, this new site certainly has potential and pushes all the right buttons for me. A return trip at a more ideal time will not be too far in the future. A foraging Long-toed Stint made sure of that.