Malay Peninsula Jul 11—24, 2006
Posted by Susan Myers
Susan Myers
Susan Myers absolutely loves birding and traveling in Asia. As she says, "The combination of incredible and diverse wildlife, ancient and fascinating cultures, and the...Related Trips
Our comprehensive tour of the Malay Peninsula has been designed to cover a variety of habitats, thus allowing us to observe and enjoy a range of the Sundaic avifauna and other wildlife. Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in Southeast Asia. It is buoyant and wealthy, and has moved towards a pluralist culture based on a vibrant and interesting fusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous cultures and customs. The rainforests of the Sunda region—Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra—are the oldest in the world. They are also the densest and most humid, meaning that birding here can be a real challenge! Despite this, the rewards make it all worthwhile, with some of the most beautiful and exotic birds on earth found in the region, and many of them seen well on our tour.
Other highlights of any trip to Southeast Asia should be the fabulous food, varied and exotic cultures, terrific people, and general atmosphere; I think we sampled all of these aspects very well (you will note I am avoiding any mention of leeches). The remarkable diversity of the forests of this part of the world is simply astounding, and new discoveries await us on each trip. After many years of regular travel to Malaysia, I still find many new and wonderful discoveries on every visit. Even little things like beetle larvae or two-foot-long gliding lizards beguile me such that I find this one of the most exciting places on earth. And what a privilege for a Malaysian Rail-babbler to let us glimpse him as he goes about his secretive business!
We started off at Kuala Selangor Nature Park, an important remnant of mangrove and coastal forests on the west coast north of Kuala Lumpur. We had great views of Gray Heron, the amazing Stork-billed Kingfisher, Coppersmith Barbet, and Laced Woodpecker amongst others, and a super Rufous Woodpecker was a highlight. This is where we first encountered Yellow-vented Bulbul—a bird that I promised you would get sick of by the end of the trip! We also enjoyed some close-up looks of the silvered leaf-monkeys with their beautiful, bright orange babies. The afternoon at Ulu Gombak, a forested hilly area near Kuala Lumpur, provided a terrific introduction to the very exciting forest birding of Malaysia; we savored some really fun experiences here including a James Brown fan in the form of a thumping Rhinoceros Hornbill. "I Feel Good!"
A rather long and windy road trip took us to the jetty for our boat trip up the Sungai Tembeling to Taman Negara, Malaysia's largest national park. The next few days saw us searching this spectacular lowland rainforest and its waterways for glimpses of its secretive and marvelous wildlife. An afternoon sampan trip up the Sungai Tahan was one of the high points of our trip. Not only did we enjoy the stunningly beautiful riparian rainforest, but we had some great looks at a number of sought-after species including Blue-eared Kingfisher, Lesser Fish-Eagle, Black-and-Red Broadbill, the endangered Straw-headed Bulbul, and the gorgeous Chestnut-naped Forktail. The Swamp Loop near our accommodations repaid numerous visits with great views of the nomadic and scarce Crested Wood Partridge, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Red-bearded Bee-eater, Rufous-winged Philentoma, and Banded Pitta amongst others. More trudging along various trails in the area rewarded us with outstanding views of Malaysian Rail-babbler; Red-naped Trogon; Rufous-backed Dwarf Kingfisher; Buff-rumped, Buff-necked, and Great Slaty woodpeckers; and—a particular favorite—Garnet Pitta. Some fruiting trees in the vicinity of the resort and along trails also provided plenty of entertainment with lots of pigeons, hornbills, barbets, and bulbuls. Taman Negara can be pretty hard work, but we weren't complaining!
Next we proceeded to the beautiful montane forests of Fraser's Hill where we came to grips with some of the high altitude species including the bizarre Fire-tufted Barbet, the elegant Red-headed Trogon, and the cheeky Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush. During the colonial era the British would go to Fraser's Hill in order to escape the heat of the lowlands. The atmosphere is still one of laid-back relaxation and the pace of life is much more sedate than down in the lowlands. The climate is considerably cooler and less humid; in the evening you may even need a jumper! What a contrast to steamy Taman Negara. The altitude here is 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), so the avifauna differs markedly from that at Taman Negara. This is where we first encountered the bewildering but exciting mixed feeding flocks that characterize the Asian region—mixed flocks of Golden Babbler, Blue-winged Minla, Mountain Fulvetta, Bronzed Drongo, and others are often accompanied by Black-and-crimson Oriole, Blue Nuthatch, and other goodies. In the gullies we found Lesser Shortwing and Streaked Wren-Babbler. A short walk along the Bishop's Trail turned up Eyebrowed Wren-Babbler, and this year the simply fabulous Sultan Tit was much in evidence. Parties of the incomparable siamang put in a couple of appearances; undoubtedly, an encounter with these amazing creatures, the largest of the gibbons, is one of life's great experiences.