Perak 9-16Aug07

From Con

Here's a trip report, checklist & sampling of photos for a journey almost to the Thai border. Leaving Singapore on August 9th at 5am, reaching Ipoh at Noon, we rested and spent some hot afternoon hours birding at Gua Kek Look Tong (a Buddhist limestone cave temple complex), which yielded three lifers for me, Javan Sparrow, Blue Rock Thrush, and Blue Whistling Thrush. Dinner later at the Yum-Yum Restaurant in downtown Ipoh revealed that this trip was as much about food, as birds.

August 10th drove to Banding Island and took the boat to Tasik Temenggor Discovery Island, to be our floating home for the next two nights. After two lunches, one in Gerik and the second on Steve Chong's houseboat, did some walk around of Steve's islands seeing domestic ducks. Took an afternoon boatride to Pos Chiong for hornbill watching. The afternoon light was absolutely fantastic. Did see several dozen hornbills, and what was to be our closest encounter with Plain-pouched Hornbills, but still rather too far away to be entirely satisfying.

Next morning August 11th, boat ride during pre-dawn to Pos Chiong for morning hornbill watching. Light was rather poor, misty and hazy. Climbed to the top of a clear cut hill above an Orang Asli village. Heard many birds in the forest across Lake Temenggor, including the call of the Great Argus, but saw few birds. Did see several dozen hornbills in flight in the distance. On the way back stopped at the Rafflesia spot. A lifer for me, we saw Rafflesia in bloom, well almost full bloom, as well as a number of buds and decaying flowers.

In the afternoon, we stopped at Sungei Halong, the site of the MNS scientific exhibition in 1993 when the first sighting of thousands of hornbills was made. Seeing an Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (juvenile) very close and sightings of Green Broadbill and Slaty-backed Forktail. Later went to the near-by Asli village for hornbill watching, but saw few. Still a very interesting late afternoon in the Asli village, watching the children play.

August 12th morning, my group went back to Sungei Halong to photograph the cooperative Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher.

The other group went back to Pos Chiong for hornbills, seeing several dozen in poor light, they did continue on to the Rafflesia site to see the flower now in full bloom. After lunch, transferred back to Banding Island and regrouped in Gerik for a second lunch. Arriving in Ipoh in the afternoon, birded in Paradise Valley for the reaming twilight hours. Dinner in 1919 Restaurant confirmed the foodie status of the trip.

August 13th morning, an hour birding in Gua Kek Look Tong before beginning the journey to Kuala Gula. Lunch in KG with terrific prawns & crabs. Late afternoon birding in Kuala Gula, and night owling on the country roads in the area. Approximately 30 owls, mostly barn owls and spotted wood owls, also a buffy fish owl.

Morning of August 14th, birding in Kuala Gula, typical mangrove habit birds, but the lifer was an Asian Leopard Cat Felis bengalensis. These cats are mostly nocturnal, so seeing one in the daytime was a real treat. After lunch headed to Maxwell Hill. Misty & foggy the views were obscured and then cleared and then obscured again. Terrific sighting of a flight of four bushy crested hornbills. Chilly.

The next morning August 15th, rain. Headed downhill to Burmese Pool on the 10am transport. Burmese Pool was rather quite, yielding few sightings but a couple of leeches. After lunch headed to Kinta Nature Park, Batu Gajah, where there is an active heronry with purple herons, gray herons, black crowned night herons, little egrets nesting there. Next, headed to Cameron Highlands passing through Pos Slim. Saw the white crowned forktail and grey wagtail in the late afternoon near twilight.

Morning of August 16th headed up to Gunung Brinchan at 6666 feet. The entire morning was very birdy, though the summit was foggy. Higher than Fraser's Hill, the area has several species not found at lower elevations. Lifers for me included Chestnut-tailed Minla, Barred Cuckoo Dove , Grey-head Canary Flycatcher, Rufous-vented Niltava and Yellow-breasted Warbler.

After a quick lunch, headed back to Singapore, arriving past 9pm tired, 2008 kilometers total journey. Special thanks to Connie Khoo for organizing the trip to Temenggor Lake, and CT Tan for the trip to Kuala Gula, Maxwell Hill & Cameron Highlands. Nice meeting so many birders. Stay in touch.

Key Location
BT Belum-Temenggor
KLT Gua Kek Look Tong
PV Paradise Valley
KG Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary
MH Maxwell Hill
KNP Kinta Nature Park, Batu Gajah
CH Cameron Highlands
BP Burmese Pool


1 Blue Whistling Thrush KLT
2 Java Sparrow KLT
3 House Swift KLT
4 Spotted Dove KLT
5 Common Myna KLT
6 Rock Pigeon KLT KG
7 Mountain Leaf Warbler CH
8 Eurasian Tree Sparrow KLT KNP CH
9 Blue Rock Thrush KLT
10 Coppersmith Barbet KLT
11 Yellow-vented Bulbul KLT CH
12 Asian Glossy Starling KLT KG BP
13 Pink necked Green Pigeon BT KLT KG
14 Asian Koel KLT
15 Black naped Oriole KLT PV KNP CH
16 Bat Hawk KLT
17 Brahminy Kite BT KLT KG KNP
18 White bellied Sea Eagle BT KLT KG KNP
19 Lesser Fish Eagle BT
20 Changeable Hawk Eagle BT
21 Great Argus (h) BT
22 Large Green Pigeon BT
23 Mountain Imperial Pigeon BT
24 Chestnut bellied Malkoha BT
25 Swiftlet (sp) BT KLT
26 Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher BT
27 Stork-billed Kingfisher BT
28 White bellied Woodpecker BT
29 Plain pouched Hornbill BT
30 Black Hornbill BT
31 Oriental Pied Hornbill BT
32 Rhinoceros Hornbill BT
33 Great Hornbill BT
34 Banded Broadbill (h) BT
35 Green Broadbill BT
36 Pacific Swallow BT KLT
37 Greater Racquet Tailed Drongo BT
38 Large billed Crow BT KG
39 Striped Tit Babbler BT KG BP CH
40 Scaly Crowned Babbler BT
41 Moustached Babbler BT
42 Oriental Magpie Robin BT KLT PV KG MH KNP CH
43 Slaty-backed Forktail BT 44 Pied Fantail BT KLT
45 Brown-throated Sunbird BT
46 Green billed Malkoha BT MH
47 Raffles Malkoha BT
48 Red eyed Bulbul BT
49 Hill Myna BT
50 Dollarbird BT KG
51 Banded Woodpecker BT
52 Plaintive Cuckoo BT
53 Javan Myna KLT
54 Lineated Barbet PV
55 Baya Weaver PV
56 Yellow-bellied Prinia PV
57 Barred Buttonquail PV
58 White Throated Kingfisher PV KNP
59 Emerald Dove (h) KLT
60 Streaked Spiderhunter MH
61 Black throated Sunbird MH
62 Bushy crested Hornbill MH
63 Rufous browed Flycatcher MH
64 Black browed Barbet MH
65 Everett's White Eye MH
66 Sultan Tit MH
67 Black crested Bulbul MH
68 Chestnut headed Bee-eater PV
69 Common Iora PV KNP
70 Common Tailorbird PV
71 Ochraceous Bulbul MH
72 Blyth's Hawk Eagle CH
73 Golden throated Barbet CH
74 Lesser Shortwing CH
75 Grey headed Canary Flycatcher MH CH
76 White tailed Robin CH
77 Large Niltava CH
78 Little Pied Flycatcher CH
79 Lesser Racquet tailed Drongo CH
80 Golden bellied Gerygone KLT KG CH
81 Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush CH
82 Blue Nuthatch CH
83 Lesser Yellownape CH
84 Silver eared Mesia CH
85 Grey Wagtail BP CH
86 White crowned Forktail CH
87 Blue Throated Bee-eater PV BP
88 Barred Cuckoo Dove CH
89 Mountain Fulvetta CH
90 Blue winged Minla CH
91 Zebra Dove KLT KNP CH
92 Milky Stork KG
93 Black shouldered Kite KG
94 Red Junglefowl KG
95 Purple Heron KG KNP
96 Grey Heron KG KNP
97 Striated Heron KG
98 Black crowned Night Heron KNP
99 Little Egret KNP
100 Lesser Adjutant KG
101 Ashy Tailorbird KG
102 Sunda Woodpecker KG
103 Barn Owl KG
104 Buffy Fish Owl KG
105 Spotted Wood Owl KG
106 Greater Coucal (h) KG
107 Lesser Coucal (h) PV
108 Common Sandpiper KG
109 Crested Serpent Eagle KG
110 Sooty Capped Babbler BT
111 Leafbird (sp) MH
112 Malaysian Cuckooshrike CH
113 Grey-chinned Minivet CH
114 White-browed Fantail CH
115 Rufous-vented Niltava (juvenile male) CH
116 Mountain Bulbul MH
117 Mountain Tailorbird CH
118 Crimson winged Woodpecker BP
119 White breasted Waterhen KG
120 Yellow-breasted Warbler CH
121 Chestnut-tailed Minla CH
122 White-rumped Munia KG
123 Collared Kingfisher PV KG
124 Scaly-breasted Munia KLT