Peninsular Malaysia
25 June - 18 July 2009

Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers, Panti Bird Sanctuary, Malaysia, 5 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

introduction
In the summer of 2009 I made a three-week trip to Peninsular Malaysia. Even though this was already my fourth trip to Southeast Asia, I still managed to see no less than 71 lifers: a very good score. This included my most wanted bird in the region: the Rail-babbler. Panti, popular with Singaporeans, but seldom on the itinerary of visiting birders, must be the most accessible and easiest place in the world to see this bird. Other goodies included an unexpected Cutia, both Marbled Wren and White-necked Babbler, a few pittas, pheasants and owls and you get the picture: Southeast Asia has been good to me again. During the trip I mainly stayed in the west and south of the Peninsula. The following areas were visited: Fraser’s Hill, Cameron Highlands (highlands), Panti Bird Sanctuary, Taman Negara (lowlands) and Penang (coastal/mangroves). Furthermore I visited some places not interesting for birds: Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang’s beaches. Despite a lot of effort, I managed to dip on all three endemics. I did however include the latest info on finding Mountain Peacock-pheasant in the report.

highlights
Malayan Peacock-pheasant, Crested Fireback, Great Argus (heard only), Streak-breasted Woodpecker, Rufous-collared and Banded Kingfisher, Rhinoceros, Helmeted and Black Hornbill, Jambu Fruit Dove, Blyth’s Hawk Eagle, Bat Hawk, Brown Wood, Spotted Wood, Buffy Fish and Oriental Bay Owl (latter heard only), Garnet and Rusty-naped Pitta, six broadbills, all three forktails, Rail-babbler, Rufous-chested and Grey-chested Jungle-flycatcher, Chestnut-capped, Chestnut-crowned (‘Malayan’) and Black Laughingthrushes, Marbled Wren, Fluffy-backed Tit-, Chestnut-rumped, White-chested and White-necked Babblers, (Himalayan) Cutia.

missed birds
Mountain Peacock-pheasant, Malayan Partridge and Malayan Whistlingthrush, (yes, all endemics…), Rufous-vented Niltava, Banded and Mangrove Pitta, any frogmouth and all the stuff no one ever sees (the other partridges, Crestless Fireback)

Silver-eared Mesia, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

acknowledgements
As usual Remco Hofland provided me with loads of info and, more importantly, forced me to go to Panti. James Eaton and Rob Hutchinson, the boys from Birdtour Asia, gave me a recent update and Rob also sent me hard-to-find bird sounds.

A bunch of Sing-based birders took me to Panti. Simon Cockayne, Martin Kennewell and Richard Carden are especially thanked for arranging everything. Simon and Martin also provided info, mainly about the Cameron Highlands. I’m sure you guys will come across a White-necked Babbler sometime! Clive and Alastair are thanked for being willing to share the back seat with me in Panti. It was a bit crammed in there, wasn’t it? Last but not least, David Bakewell and Tan Choo Eng are thanked for their hospitality at Penang. Thanks a lot for the effort guys, you both showed me some good birds there. Make sure you visit Dave's weblog (with excellent photos on it): http://digdeep1962.blogspot.com/

Dave Bakewell, James Eaton and Ben Wielstra also checked this report before publication. Thanks boys. I did not listen to any new music during this trip. It was good old Ben Harper that somehow forced me to push the repeat button over and over again.

timing & weather
Due to work I had to take time off during the summer period. A big disadvantage of birding in summer is, of course, that no migrants are around, which greatly reduces your bird list. Banded Pitta was not active at all and Mangrove Pitta already finished breeding, but Rail-babbler and Rusty-naped Pitta were active. After weeks of activity Mountain Peacock-pheasant had been active for months before my visit but could not be found. Whether this was seasonal, I don't know. Though there is a slight increase of visiting Western tourists, there are no Malay and Singaporean holidays, so during the week most places are not too crowded. Make sure you avoid weekends in Taman Negara and especially the Cameron Highlands. At the latter we didn't. We actually ended up in a long traffic jam twice… The weather is good during the summer period. Apart from a very bad day in the Cameron Highlands the usual ritual was hot and dry days, with a heavy downpour in the afternoon. In Penang it was hot and dry all day. Take a raincoat/poncho, waterproof boots, and also bring a light jacket when you visit the mountains. Especially in Cameron Highlands the mornings were somewhat chilly.

logistics, money & costs
As I found a very affordable, direct KLM flight from Amsterdam to KL (€ 630,-), we decided to treat ourselves with mid-range hotels. In all we spent around € 1.550,- each (including the flights). I booked accommodation in Taman Negara, and Richard Carden booked the resort near Panti. The major part of the trip was done with public transport, which is easy for most of the sites visited. To get to Fraser's Hill, the resort in Tanjung Sedili Besar (near Panti) and Gunung Brinchang in Cameron Highlands, I used taxis. In Panti and Penang I got a ride from resident birders. On the last day, we took a domestic Air Asia flight from Penang to KL, which we booked two days in advance (140 RM each). Check accounts per site for further travelling details.

I mention as many prices as possible in this report, but note that things change quickly. Compared to the Lonely Planet guide we used (from 2007), most prices had gone up already.
The currency is the Malaysian Ringit. During our stay the exchange rate was € 1 : 4,9 RM. ATM's are widely available, though I did not see any in Taman Negara. Maximum cash withdrawal is 1.500 RM a day.
At the birding spots we used the following accommodation:
Fraser's Hill
Hotel: Shazhan Inn
Price: 140 RM for a double

Note: good and clean hotel. Breakfast (till 10.00) included.

Taman Negara
Hotel: Rainforest Resort
Price: 180 RM for a double (Deluxe Room)
Website: www.tamannegara-rainforest.com

Notes: Breakfast (till 10.00) included. Best rooms of the trip. Very clean, spacious. With fridge.

Cameron Highlands
Hotel: Hillview Inn
Price: 140 RM for a double

Note: very nice, spacious room; friendly staff.

In Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang there's plenty of accommodation available for all budgets.

Crested Fireback, male, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 8 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

literature & bird sounds
I received a map with pages from several trip reports from Remco. I have no idea whom they were from, but they were all downloaded from www.travellingbirder.com

Books:

* Robson, C. 2000 & 2008. A field guide to the birds of South-East Asia. New Holland.
Note: in the field I only used the 2000 guide. The 2008 version stayed on the bookshelf at home.

* Jeyarajasingam, A. & A. Pearson. 1999. A field guide to the birds of West Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford Press.
Note: Good book to use in addition to Robson.

* Francis, C M . 2008. A field guide to the mammals of South-East Asia. New Holland.
Note: best source of info you can get on mammals of this region, though identifying smaller mammals will remain virtually impossible

* del Hoyo, J., A. Elliot & D. Christie. 2007. Handbook of the birds of the world volume 12. Picathartes to Tits and Chickadees. Lynx Edicions.
Note: excellent reference for babblers and parrotbills.

* Lonely Planet, 2007. Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei

Sounds:

All recordings were downloaded from www.xenocanto.org/asia

taxonomy
In Robson's latest edition there are some taxonomic changes, especially within the babblers. For HBW-readers this won't come as a surprise, as Robson was the co-author of this section in volume 12. The most important change for Malaysia is that the peninsulae ssp. of Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrush is now considered a full species: the endemic Malayan Laughingthrush. For other taxonomic notes: see bird list.

equipment
After I had some problems with my iPod I used an old-fashioned, portable CD-player + Phillips speakers to tape out birds. Also old-fashioned, but still very productive is the Sony hand recorder that I used for playback. As all visited birding sites were forests, I did not use a telescope. I used a Nikon D5000 with Nikon 70-300mm and 18mm-55mm lenses for some 'opportunistic' photography: I occasionally took some snaps while birding. I'm not a photographer interested in birds, I'm a birder with a camera. I had some serious problems with the camera, as the menu wasn't working anymore. Within two days after arrival, the fully automatic mode was the only one I could use. I couldn't adjust the ISO-values (stuck at 800), I couldn't change the focal point et cetera, which greatly reduced the quality of some of the pictures.

Garnet Pitta, male, Jenut Muda, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 7 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

itinerary

Streaked Spiderhunter, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

birding spots

1= Fraser's Hill
2= Panti
3= Taman Negara
4= Cameron Highlands
5= Penang

Kuala Lumpur (25-26 June)
Not interesting for birds. The Bird Park in the Lake View Gardens was all right (they have some Malayan specialties, like Malayan Peacock-pheasant) and the Lake View Gardens themselves had some wild birds, too like Common Flameback, Black-naped Oriole and Common Iora.

Fraser's Hill (27 June - 1 July)
Introduction
Oneof the hill stations in Pahang, and after Taman Negara this probably is the most famous birding destination in the country. See section on Cameron Highlands if you have to choose between these two areas. The birding at Fraser's Hill (FH) is superb. There are several hotels and a few restaurants. Compared to Cameron Highlands, the choice is limited. Though there's an increase of people during the weekend, FH retains its relaxed charm, especially away from the main road and the village centre. Even at the weekend, I did not see other people on the trails. If you use public transport, like we did, it's quite a walk to reach most trails. We intended to stay at the Gap for a night, but the famous guesthouse was closed for renovation. As I had no car, I was unable to bird there. One afternoon I did hitch down approx. 5 km along the Old Road and walked back. There's a large forested area down the Gap as well, which seemed interesting. I wonder how often people bird, let's say, 5 km down from the Gap.

There are many trails at FH, and they were all well-maintained and easy to follow. The trails I birded were Bishop, Hemmant and Pine Tree. I didn't go to other 'famous' spots like Maxwell and the Telekom Loop. Several hotels, like the Shazhan Inn where we stayed, have bird feeders. The following species were seen on the feeders: Fire-tufted Barbet, Chestnut-capped and Chestnut-crowned ('Malayan') Laughingthrush, Silver-eared Mesia and Long-tailed Sibia. Tip: a stay at Ye Olde Smokehouse, the oldest Tudor-style building at FH, is expensive. But what you can do is have a lovely high tea there. The atmosphere is very relaxed, and they have bird feeders, too. So chill out in the gardens, enjoy your scones and watch some birds. You'll encounter plenty of mixed feeding flocks at FH, which are even good in the summer time. Species that are seen in many (and some in all) bird waves include Bronzed Drongo, Blue Nuthatch, White-throated Fantail, Mountain Fulvetta, Golden and Grey-throated Babblers, Black-eared Shrike-Babbler, Silver-eared Mesia and Blue-winged Minla (the latter two also in homogeneous flocks) and Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush. The best flock I had, held twelve species. Not bad when there are no migrants around! Less often encountered birds included Black-and-crimson Oriole, Little Pied and Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied and Chestnut-crowned Warbler, Lesser and Greater Racket-tailed Drongo.

The hill station at Fraser's Hill on a foggy day. The large white building is the
Shahzhan Inn, Malaysia, June 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)

Logistics:
There aare two options to reach Kuala Kubu Bahru (the gateway to FH) by public transport from Kuala Lumpur. First is to take Metro bus 43 to Rawang (1.50 RM), than change to Metro bus 36 to KKB (3.00). In all this should take around an hour and a half. Option two is to take the KMT train and change in Rawang (5.30 RM). From Kuala Kubu Bahru we took a taxi to Fraser's Hill (70 RM). The taxi driver agreed to pick us up a few days later.

IMPORTANT NOTE: the New Road (11 km) was partly destroyed in a landslide. Therefore during my visit the situation was like in the old days: traffic is only via the Old Road (8 km), with upcoming vehicles during odd hours, and descending traffic during the even hours. The situation had been like this for over a year, I was told.

Download Fraser's Hill map (printable in Word)

Forest along the Old Road, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Best birds at FH: Brown Wood Owl, Long-tailed Broadbill (2), Rusty-naped Pitta (3, with two heard only), Slaty-backed Forktail (2), Marbled Wren Babbler, Chestnut-crowned ('Malayan') Laughingthrush (common), Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush (common), Black Laughingthrush (4)

Rufous-browed Flycatcher, Hammant Trail, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Hemmant Trail
Two mornings and one afternoon. Hemmant Trail (almost) connects with Bishop's, so if you stay in the centre of the village, you can walk Hemmant first and than go to Bishop's and vice versa. The trail is flat and without birding it takes some 20 minutes to walk it. Hemmant Trail is one of the best spots to find Malayan Partridge, though I didn't see any. A pair should be around right at the start of the trail. Good flocks were found along this trail. Buff-breasted Babbler was common. A Long-tailed Broadbill was very nice, but best was probably the Brown Wood Owl flying around in daylight, on my very last morning at FH. Excellent bird! Apparently this is a stake-out for the species. More birders saw the owl here, and young birds were photographed here last year (see OBC pictures). Like at all other trails, Rufous-browed Flycatchers are common.

Bishop Trail
One afternoon and three mornings. Not flat, but not extremely hard to walk. This is the place where I (finally) saw Rusty-naped Pitta! In all I heard no less than three individuals in the area. The first one was in a steep gully west of the trail, along the road (a little bit right of the area indicated as 'Termeloh' on the map. Both other birds were heard along Bishop Trail. The first one at the first stream crossing (the trail crosses a stream quite soon: there are steps to make the crossing easier), the second one in a big gully 100 m after the observation platform at the large clearing. I tried to see one of the birds on three days, and spent a total of five hours finding one. They are extremely shy, more than any other pitta I've seen. As soon as they see you, they are gone. On the last morning I managed to see the one at the first stream crossing. This bird was calling uphill. As it's hard to be invisible from the trail I went off-trail, downhill along the stream. There I hid behind my back-pack and played the tape. It immediately responded and came down from the hill. Soon the bird was really close, but I just couldn't find it! A classic Rusty-naped story. This went on for some time until I got a fly-by. A good one, actually. The bird landed behind a tree (of course) and started calling from there for a long time (I wasn't playing the tape anymore btw). It just wouldn't move. After about twenty minutes I played the tape once more, but again: it just wouldn't move. As all my limbs were hurting from the strange position I was in, and as I was dying to get another view, I moved. Not the smartest thing to do. The bird stopped calling immediately, and I saw it hopping away. And that was it. A hide would be very useful here. But, of course, there was more to see. Like everywhere in FH, the flocks were good. Two Streaked Wren Babblers were found, Pygmy Wren Babbler was heard only. As I spend so much time seeing the pitta, I did not walk the trail very far, and I never reached Maxwell Trail. The partridge is sometimes seen along this trail, too.

Pine Tree Trail
Two afternoons. Should be the spot for Cutia and Mountain Peacock Pheasant in FH. This trail is hard work, with a lot of climbing and descending. The trail is well-maintained however, with steps and ropes to make it easier. It does take hours to finish and we turned back mid-way. The birding was very, very slow during the two visits. I don't know what it's like in the morning. Best observation was of a group of Siamang calling close by. Unfortunately the view was obscured.

Sultan Tit, road to Jeriau Waterfalls, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Jeriau Waterfalls
The waterfall is often mentioned as a stake-out for the whistling-thrush. David Bakewell emailed me after the trip: ‘The only whistling-thrush I have recorded at Jeriau is Blue. I strongly suspect many visitors tick this/these birds off as Malayan!’ We walked all the way from the Shazhan Inn - and back: a nice hike and a very good strategy to see birds, even though the forest is degraded in most parts. We made a well-deserved tea stop at Ye Olde Smokehouse on the way back. Anyway, along the road I saw several good flocks, and other good stuff too, like Black Eagle (at the Smokehouse), Lesser Yellownape (2), Javan Cuckooshrike (common), the much wanted Sultan Tit (2-3), several Blue-winged and Orange-bellied Leafbirds, Long-tailed Broadbill and Red-headed Trogon (male). The latter two birds were observed along the road, near the entrance of the waterfall. The biggest flock of the trip (at least 12 species) was seen along this road. At the waterfall no whistling-thrush was found (I did not visit the area around dusk), but a Slaty-backed Forktail was seen near the swimming people. A flock of Grey-chinned Minivets is nothing special around FH (you'll see plenty), but is worth mentioning as they were very confiding. Excellent birding along this road, though it was crowded with many passing vehicles. The waterfalls are a real tourist attraction!

Old Road
The area around the gate is reportedly one of the best places to see Malayan Whistling Thrush. Make sure you are there before dawn (it's an early bird!) and listen for its calls. Often the bird will cross the road, which splits its territory. Sometimes the bird forages under the street lights at the gate. On three mornings I was at the gate half an hour before dawn (listening to the calls of Mountain Scops Owl dying out), and I waited till half an hour after dusk. I also tried it twice at dusk. Eventually the high pitched calls I heard early in the morning seemed to belong to a Slaty-backed Forktail. There was no sign of a whistling-thrush whatsoever. Apart from the daily routine with the whistling-thrush, I birded along this road during one morning and two afternoons. Twice I did not go down further than 2 km from the gate, once I went down 5 km. There are some birds you need to see along this road, as you won't find them higher up. Furthermore, roadside birding is of course easier than birding from trails. One such species you won't find higher up is Black Laughingthrush. It took me some effort to find them, but eventually I saw a group of three and a single bird at some bamboo patches along this road. Yellow-bellied Warblers are common in bamboo patches, too and Pygmy Wren Babblers were regularly heard. The best bird however was a species high on my wish list: a beautiful Marbled Wren Babbler, one of the highlights of the trip! See description of the spot below this section. Several Little Cuckoo-doves were seen along the road, including a recently fledged juvenile. An adult and two juvenile Sultan Tits were very nice. Once I went down 5 km, where I tried to find White-hooded (now ‘Collared’) Babbler (I didn't). I expected many different species to occur at this altitude, but I was surprised to find only a few (e.g. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike and Hill Blue Flycatcher), with species generally associated with a higher altitude, like Silver-eared Mesia and Mountain Fulvetta, still common. Mammals included White-thighed Langur and White-handed Gibbon (latter heard only.

Description spot MWB:
The bird was actually seen much higher up than I expected. It was seen and heard very well, and I found it without playing a tape. Man, they are huge! It's easiest to explain if you're coming from the Gap, though it's much closer to the Gate. Anyway, from the Gap it's 6 km up, until you see a sign on the left that says "Fraser's Hill 2 km". Continue. Soon after the sign there’s a streetlight on the left. About 20 m. up from there, also on the left, is where I found the bird. Hence: it's only 2 km. down from the Gate. There was bamboo nearby, but the bird was seen in some dense bushes. First I heard it sing. Before I played the tape the bird actually came out to see what was going on. Like babblers do more often, I was the one that was checked out! I got good views twice before it disappeared. When I finally played the tape I had excellent views again. It didn't respond to tape the next day.

Chestnut-capped Laughingthrush, Fraser's Hill, Malaysia, June 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Other places
Other trails visited briefly were Mager and Abu Suradi. The first one actually seemed rather good, with lots of birds around, including a Sultan Tit. Abu Suradi was walked on the same afternoon, with two Speckled Piculets, a trip exclusive, as the only notable species. Along the very short Kindersley Trail (ten minutes), I saw a Wild Boar. The roads are good: flocks can be seen at most places. Bird feeders are found at the hotels. Around Shazhan Inn I saw Small-toothed Civet and both White-thighed and Dusky Langurs. A Black Eagle flew by on one afternoon. Most Little Cuckoo-doves were seen from the roads.

Panti Bird Sanctuary / Panti Forest Reserve (4-5 July)
Introduction
Panti (Johor) is not on the itinerary of many foreign birders. It is, however, very popular with Singaporean ‘semi-locals’. This degraded lowland forest site is excellent for birding and it might be the most accessible spot on the planet to see Rail-babbler (it's common). Many species were much easier to find here than they were in Taman Negara, like trogons and several babblers. Several species I did not see in Taman Negara at all (Bat Hawk, Red-bearded Bee-eater, White-necked and Chestnut-rumped Babbler), though on the other hand, other species seem to be (virtually) absent in Panti (like pittas, with the exception of Giant, and pheasants, with the exception of Great Argus). The unpaved road is excellent for birding, and there are several (unnamed) side trails. There's a visitor's centre, but reportedly it is never open. At this site you do need a car (your own or a taxi; see logistics below). Don't expect to be the only one around here in the weekend: we met numerous other birders. The site is big enough to avoid crowds. I was invited to go birding together with a group of five Singaporean expats and two fellow tourists. Not only did I enjoy their company very much, it was also very helpful that they knew the birds and the best birding spots. Especially their knowledge of bird sounds was of great value. Especially Simon Cockayne, Martin Kennewell and Richard Carden organized an awful lot for someone they didn't know! Very much appreciated, guys. I birded here a full day and a morning, but you can easily spend a couple of days here. Night birding is recommended!

Back-naped Mornarch, Panti Forest, Malaysia,
5 July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)

Logistics
The forest is not hard to find. From Kota Tinggi take Road 3 towards Mersing and drive for about 20 kms. After you pass the Tanjung Sedili sign, it's still a good ten minutes (so if you come from the resort like we did, take a right turn once you reach the main road). At km post 267 there are obvious bunkers on both sides of the road. The forest is on your left. There's a big sign with Panti Bird Sanctuary, so you can't really miss it. Right after you take the turn, there's a parking lot and a visitor's centre, but the road continues a long way into the forest. It's possible to do this site by public transport. We took a KLL bus from Melaka to Johor Bahru for 19 RM (2,5 hours) and changed there to Kota Tinggi (RM 5.30; 1,5 hours; company name: Maju). There are hotels in K. Tinggi, so it's possible to visit the forest from there by taxi. We continued to the resort in Tanjung Sedili Besar (taxi; 45 mins; can't remember the price). On the first morning the owner of the resort brought me to Panti for 50 RM. There are Kota Tinggi - KL buses, too, though changing in Johor Bahru is probably easier.

Birding
The main road, usually named Bunker Trail, is good. We drove 4 km from the main entrance and started birding from there. Occasionally we took some unnamed side trails, which makes spots hard to explain. But the birding is good anywhere. The main goal was to see the already mentioned Rail-babbler, the main target of the trip. In May my friend Remco Hofland recorded several here, and yes, we were successful, too. The undergrowth is not very dense, so the birds are also easier to see than in other places. The accessibility, the number of birds present and the relatively open undergrowth make Panti perhaps the best spot on the planet to see one. On the first day we got close to a calling bird right next to the road. It responded to playback, but we just couldn't see it. Late in the afternoon, while we were walking a trail, we heard another one. Simon successfully taped it out and it showed well on a log for 15 minutes to eight people. It lived up all expectations: an amazing bird indeed, of which only the plates in HBW resemble the real deal. Another one was calling in this area as well, though it refused to come out. The second day none were heard or seen. Along the main road, e.g. Whiskered Treeswift, broadbills (use tape) and Scarlet-rumped Trogon were fairly easy to find. Checker-throated Woodpecker is the common woodpecker, though a Buff-rumped was also found. I was lucky to see a male Jambu Fruit Dove. Babblers and flowerpeckers are common. Fiery Minivet is the common Pericrocotus and Red-crowned Barbet seemed to be everywhere. A male Banded Kingfisher took some time to find, but eventually showed well. At the same time a White-crowned Forktail showed up at the scene. The trails were good for more broadbills and babblers. Here we heard three Rufous-collared (one showed briefly) and Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (several). Malkohas were both seen from the main road and the trails. Birding around the parking lot was good. Here we found Red-bearded Bee-eater, Black-and-red Broadbill (both responded to tape well) and several Fluffy-backed Tit-babblers. Best however was a White-necked Babbler right behind the visitor's centre. When the others arrived it unfortunately flew away (after I started shouting), never to be seen again.

It's worth doing some night birding as well. On the first morning the Sing crew (I arrived after dawn) saw Buffy Fish-owl and heard Javan Frogmouth. At dusk we saw Malaysian Eared Nightjar and Bat Hawk from the parking lot. The second morning (we were there at 4.00), some 2 km from the entrance, along Bunker Trail, we chased an Oriental Bay Owl for a long time, though it simply refused to show. We got really close! At dawn another Malaysian Eared Nightjar passed by. Fresh tapir prints can be found, and there are fairly recent reports of Tigers and Leopards.

Best birds
Great Argus (several heard only), Jambu Fruit Dove (perched male), Bat Hawk, Oriental Bay Owl (heard only), Malaysian Eared Nightjar (2), Black-and-yellow (2), Black-and-red, Banded (2) and Dusky Broadbills (4), Rufous-collared Kingfisher (1 seen briefly + 2 more heard only), Red-bearded Bee-eater, White-necked and Chestnut-rumped Babbler (5), Fluffy-backed tit-babbler (6), Rail-babbler (1 seen + 2 heard only)

Taman Negara (6-9 July)
Introduction
Taman Negara (Pahang) doesn’t really need any further introduction. Being one of the oldest lowland rainforest sites on the planet, this simply is a must-visit area for any birder interested in Asian avifauna. In all I stayed here for one afternoon and three full days, which is better than nothing of course, but is certainly not enough to do the area justice. I met a birder who spent nine full days in the forest and he still saw new birds every day. Apparently Banded Pitta was not active at all, as all birders I met during this trip did not even hear, let alone see one. With so little time, I decided to focus on a few specialties: Malayan Peacock-pheasant, Great Argus, Crested Fireback, Crested Partridge and Garnet Pitta. I partly succeeded in this mission, with great views of the peacock-pheasant, fireback and pitta. The argus was heard only (no birds displaying on or near the trails) and Crested Partridge was neither heard nor seen.

Best birds: Great Argus (heard only), Crested Fireback, Malaysian Peacock-pheasant, Red-naped and Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Oriental Dwarf ("Rufous-backed") Kingfisher, Oriental Pied, Black, Helmeted and Rhinoceros Hornbill, Buffy Fish Owl, Garnet Pitta, Banded, Black-and-yellow, Black-and-red and Green Broadbills and to name a few, Grey-chested Jungle-flycatcher, Rufous-chested Flycather, Straw-headed Bulbul, Chestnut-naped Forktail, many babblers.

The floating restaurants at Kuala Tahan, Taman Negara Malaysia,
July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)

Logistics
From the Pekeliling bus station in KL there are four daily buses to Jerantut (three hours; 35 RM). We took a ten o'clock bus. I decided to take the bus instead of the boat to Kuala Tahan, after I heard several stories from birders who were rather disappointed. The boat ride on the Tembeling river goes through degraded forest, though there's a good chance you'll see some kingfishers. The bus ride (a few RM) takes about an hour, the boat ride three. You can either stay in the village (Kuala Tahan) or in the (expensive) resort in the national park. A third option is Nusa Holiday Village (see section below). At the village you'll find everything you need: plenty of accommodation, several restaurants and some shops. This is the only place in Malaysia were I didn’t find an ATM, but this might change of course. To go to the national park, go to the floating restaurants at the river. Boats (1 RM one way) to the national park run constantly between 7.00 and 23.00. With the last boats returning so late in the evening, it's even possible to do night birding in TN and go back to the village, so there's no real need to stay inside the national park. Buy a permit at the HQ office (1 RM for as long as you stay).

Tahan River Trail
This trail, which runs along the Tahan River, starts at the left side of the HQ, behind the campsite. This trail leads to Lubuk Simpon - a popular swimming spot - and to the entrance trail to Bukit Teresek (a viewing point), so don't expect to be alone out there later in the day. The famous Jenut Muda trail (see below) is a side trail from Tahan River Trail. The first part of the trail has a boardwalk. The campsite is a traditional site for Crested Fireback. They come out around dusk and dawn. As the campsite is one of the few open spots in the forest, it's a good place to watch birds. I saw some small flocks during one afternoon there. Just behind the campsite I saw a Lesser Mouse Deer one early morning. Other goodies along the trail included Grey-and-buff Woodpecker (male) and both Red-billed and Chestnut-breasted Malkoha. I didn't spend a lot of time along this trail, but reportedly it's very good.

Tembeling River Trail
The trail along this river starts on the right side of the HQ, and runs along the Tembeling River. This is the trail to the canopy walkway and to the junction of the trail to Bukit Teresek and Jenut Muda. Tembeling River Trail passes Swamp Loop, too. Both Bukit Teresek and the canopy walkway (opening hours: 11.00 - 14.45; not very interesting for birds) are popular with tourists, so don't expect to be alone, especially in the afternoon. The first part of the trail is a (noisy) boardwalk, right up to Swamp Loop. Along the boardwalk I saw, amongst others, Banded and Buff-necked Woodpecker, Rufous-backed Kingfisher (2), several White-chested Babblers, Black-and-red Broadbill (near the Swamp Loop entrance) and Rufous-chested Flycatcher (a male, just outside the HQ). Blue-winged Pitta is said to occur along this stretch. The best area was near the canopy walkway, where I birded during two afternoons. Here I e.g. saw Chestnut-breasted Malkoha (2), Black-capped (2) and White-chested Babblers (1), Green (1) and Black-and-yellow Broadbills (several) and Rufous-winged Philentoma (two pairs). Spotted Fantail was common along this trail. A Four-lined Coral Snake, a beautiful small, but highly poisonous snake was seen on the trail. On the trail up to Bukit Teresek I saw Grey-chested Jungle Flycatcher.

Moustached Babbler collecting nesting material, Taman Negara, Malaysia, 7 July 2009.
The moustache is almost invisible at this bird (© Vincent van der Spek)

Jenut Muda
This is TN’s magic trail. Most specialities can be seen here, including Great Argus displaying right next to the trail. A few months before the trip an argus was regularly seen on the trail (near the turn-off to Bukit Teresek), but this bird was not seen by any of the birders I spoke to during my visit. Their loud 'ow-wow' calls were heard at several places in TN, but nowhere near any of the trails. Jenut Muda is easiest to find from Tahan River Trail, right after the swimming spot (Lubuk Simpon). A big advantage is that this trail is ignored by most other tourists, so the birding is not only good, it’s also very quiet. To give some directions, the trail can be divided in three parts: before the first stream, between the first and second stream and behind the second stream (you have to cross the streams, so they are easy to find). The first part of the trail (before the first stream) held highlights like Banded Broadbill, the only Helmeted Hornbill of the trip and five Crested Firebacks. The single chick I saw there, not guided by any of its parents, got me confused at first. I really thought I was looking at a partridge when I saw it! A Rail-babbler was heard near the start of the trail, but it was too far to tape it in. The area between the first and second stream was very good. Coming from Tahan River Trail, somewhere half way between the first and second stream there was a large clearing on the right. A peacock-pheasant was calling here on the first morning. I chased it for over an hour, using playback. It got close, but stayed out of view. I did not manage to tape it in to a more open area. I scanned the area with my bins over and over again, and suddenly I saw some beautiful green spots. There it was, some ten metres away from me, hidden in the undergrowth, but with the sun shining on it: a beautiful male peacock-pheasant. I saw it giving the contact call several times. Another bird answered in the distance. After a few minutes the bird noticed me and walked off. At first I couldn't find my way back to the trail, despite pointing out markers while chasing the bird. Fortunately I found the clearing again. Scary! On the third day the bird was heard here again, very close to the trail. Not long after I saw the pheasant, close to the second stream, on the left side, I heard Garnet Pitta. It responded to the tape, but didn't move closer. As there were three obvious monumental trees in a row, it was safe enough to go off trail again without losing my way back again. I chased off a group of Wild Boars in the process. Got close to the pitta, but I just couldn't find it. Then it occurred to me that the sound was not coming from the ground. I remembered Garnet Pitta is not strictly terrestrial. When I looked up, I immediately found the bird: it was perched on a vine four metres above the ground, right out in the open! Excellent views were had, and I even managed to take some pics. When I left half an hour later, it was still calling from the vine. Near the turn to Bukit Teresek, after the second stream, another Garnet Pitta was heard. I decided to leave this one for another day, which was a mistake: I didn't hear a single pitta after the first day. Even playback at the two spots mentioned above did not work. On the third morning, a male Rufous-chested Flycatcher was seen between the two streams. Other goodies behind the second stream were both Black-and-yellow and Banded Broadbill, both Scarlet-rumped (male heard and briefly seen) and Red-naped Trogon (female seen well) and two Maroon Woodpeckers.

Swamp Loop
I oonly birded here once, when it was very quiet. This trail is easily and quickly reached from the HQ if you take the Tembeling River Trail. A peacock-pheasant was heard, as was a Banded Broadbill. Both Banded (2) and Rufous Woodpeckers and a Black-capped Babbler were the highlights.   

Nusa Holiday Village
One afternoon. Nusa Holiday Village (formerly Nusa Camp) is a small resort along the unprotected side of the Tembeling River. It's fifteen minutes by boat from Kuala Tahan. If you're looking for a quieter place to stay than Kuala Tahan, this is a good spot for you. The only disadvantage is that it's probably hard to get a boat ride to the entrance of the national park early in the morning. If you have time, it might be a good idea to stay here for one night, as I thought the birding around here was interesting and this might also be a good and easy spot for some night birding. Anyway, from the Nusa floating restaurant in Kuala Tahan, you can take a taxi boat to the camp (30 RM return). We took the boat at 15.05 and took the last taxi back to Kuala Tahan at 17.15. There's a nice swimming spot along the river. This was a good spot to watch birds as well, as I saw both Black Hornbill and Changeable Hawk-eagle within 45 minutes. Behind the resort there's a dirt track that leads to a road. At the road many trucks from logging companies passed by. The forest is rapidly disappearing here. The track (only some 200 metres) to the main road was surprisingly good for birds. In 45 minutes I managed to find two Rhinoceros Hornbills, a beautiful female Chestnut-naped Forktail (there's a fast flowing stream) and the only Grey-headed Babbler of the trip. A very good score for the limited amount of time spent here! During the boat ride back I saw two Straw-headed Bulbuls along the river. Nusa Holiday Camp has a website.

Night Safari
Facing the Tembeling River (at Kuala Tahan), on the far left you’ll find TBK floating restaurant. They can arrange all sorts of stuff (and have great food, with a wide variety of veggie dishes). Here I booked my bus ticket to the Cameron Highlands. They also sell night safaris (30 RM). I heard some good stories from other birders (who’d seen Leopard Cat for instance). We did one such trip, which was not good for mammals: in two hours time, one brief encounter with a Wild Boar was all we got. But for birds it wasn’t bad at all, with sleeping White-breasted Kingfisher and Oriental Magpie Robins and, the highlight, a nice Buffy Fish Owl. The guide also knew a stake-out for a snake he called Paradise Tree Snake. Mind that the jeeps go to the oil palm plantations near Kuala Tahan, not to the national park. During our trip there were far too many people in the jeep to still call it comfortable, but I suggest you give it a go anyway. There’s a real chance you’ll see Sunda Slow Loris or Leopard Cat.  

Buffy Fish Owl during night safari, Kuala Tahan, Malaysia, 8 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

Night Birding
Jim aand Steve, two Aussie birders I met, were told that a Large Frogmouth was recently seen near the HQ. We decided to give it a go on my last night The bird was seen along the Tahan River Trail, at the small bridge just before Lubuk Simpon (the swimming spot). The weather conditions were not good for night birding, with wind, clouds and light rain. Despite listening, taping et cetera no night birds were seen or heard whatsoever. With better weather, night birds must be around however. Gould’s Frogmouth is sometimes seen near the campsite for instance. The mammals made up for the lack of birds. At the bridge I finally found a Sunda Slow Loris: I missed them so many times before in SE Asia! We had excellent views. At the campsite, on our way back, two Brush-tailed Porcupines allowed a close encounter: really nice!  

Cameron Highlands (11-14 July)
The Cameron Highlands (Pahang) are less often visited by birders than Fraser's Hill. Fortunately I did not have to choose between these two areas, but if you do make sure you know what you want. FH is much more quiet and laid-back, the general birding is better, it's closer to KL and it shares most birds with the CH, and it also has the Gap, which is easier to access than the lower parts of CH. Well, it seems like an easy choice, but this year Mountain Peacock-pheasant - usually almost impossible to see at FH - was relatively easy to see in the CH. Add to that the easy access of Gunung Brinchang, where a few high altitude species can be found (Chetsnut-tailed Minla, Rufous-winged Fulvetta, Snowy-browed Flycatcher and, best of all, Rufous-vented Niltava) the choice suddenly seems less easy. The endemic partridge and whistling-thrush are hard to see at both CH and FH.

CH is more degraded than FH, but has some excellent, beautiful tea plantations. It's a real tourist attraction for both foreigners and Malayans, so it gets very crowded in the weekends: we even ended up in a serious traffic jam twice! So whenever possible, avoid weekends. On the plus side there is a wide range of accommodation, restaurants and shops and I could even find taxis around dawn.

Boh's Tea Plantations, Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia,
July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)

Logistics
Left TN at 8.00 in the morning, arrived at CH at 16.00. Bus tickets (bought at TBK floating restaurant in TN): 90 RM per person. To get to the best trails without too much hassle, it's best to stay in Tanah Rata and not in Brinchang. Most trails can be reached on foot from there. I birded the high peak of Gunung Brinchang twice, which is too far to reach without your own transport. I paid 100 RM for the taxi (half a day).

Trails 4-6-5 (& trail 9)
I walked at least part of this loop four times: three times in the morning, once in the afternoon. Note that the connection between trails 4 and 5 is now named trail 6: the old trail 6, shown on most maps of the area, is too poorly marked to be used now.

Download map Cameron Highlands (printable in Word)

Download map to find peacock-pheasant (printable in Word)

Around the time of my visit, this area was probably the most reliable site for Mountain Peacock-pheasant on the planet. Trail 5 can be found behind the Mardi station (take a taxi for 10 RM, or walk). It's not very easy too find. See map on the next page. If you can't find the trail, just ask around. There's a sign that indicates the trail at a hill where some vegetables are grown. Half way along the trail a pair of peacock-pheasants was seen for months in a row. They even got rather tame, walking in front of people on the trail. Well, a month before I came, they disappeared. I don't know whether they have been trapped, or died, or that it's just something seasonal, but they just were not around anymore. I spoke to a birder who has been living in CH on and off the last couple of years, and he told me that not dawn, but between 11.00 and 13.00 is the best time to see the birds. This spring birds were seen at trail 6 as well, and at trail 4 a pheasant was seen a week before I got there. Despite several people looking for it, it was not seen again. So no pheasants for me, unfortunately. I hope these birds will return, so other people can enjoy this endemic. See map.

There are of course flocks around, but not as many and not as diverse as at FH. As CH is a little higher than FH, the bird waves seem to differ a bit. Not a single Golden Babbler was seen (should occur), but I did see a few Rufous-winged Fulvettas and two Chestnut-tailed Minlas (the latter at the highest parts of trail 6) were seen. Two woodpeckers were seen in flocks: both Greater and Lesser Yellownape. A bird that seemed to be far more common than at FH was Streaked Wren Babbler: they seemed to be everywhere, and they were easy to see. Pygmy Wren Babbler was occasionally heard, Lesser Shortwing regularly. White-thighed Langurs were seen along trail 5 twice. Along trail 5 Brown Bullfinch has been seen in the past.

Trail 4 4 starts at Parit Falls, one of the dirtiest waterfalls I've ever seen (there is a huge amount of litter). Anyway, the whistling-thrush should occur here, though I didn't see or hear any. Later I found out that only Blue probably occurs here (pers comm. Dave Bakewell). A Slaty-backed Forktail showed well, as did two Bay Woodpeckers. On the last morning I tried Robinson Falls at dawn (at the start of trail 9). It was my last chance to see the *##!! whistling-thrush (according to James there are only Blue Whistling-thrushes here anyway). In all I tried to see it nine times at four different places. Yet again no avail. Not even a call. But like at all other spots I tried to see the whistling-thrush, Slaty-backed Forktail was present: a pair this time. Forktails rule, so I got some comfort for not finding the endemic thrush. Dave Bakewell emailed me: ‘Note, the dull dicrorhynchus race of Blue WT is common at CH and is frequently id’ed as Malayan by visiting birders’.

Snowy-browed Flycatcher, juvenile, Gunung Brinchang, Cameron Highlands,
Malaysia, July 2009 (© Vincent van der Spek)

Gunung Brinchang
Visited during two afternoons. This is the highest point you can easily reach in Peninsular Malaysia. Taxi: 100 RM for half a day. Tourists often go up there for the view (which is often obscured by clouds), so the taxi drivers know where it is. Trail 1 starts at the summit, behind the telecom station. Note that you are allowed to walk round the station! With other trip reports in mind I thought that Rufous-vented Niltava was an easy tick, but it wasn't. Actually, I didn't find it at all. There were plenty of Large Niltavas around though. Trail 1 was too muddy, so I birded around the telecom station and along the main road. White-tailed Robin and Snowy-browed Flycatcher are abundant and Chestnut-crowned ('Malay') Laughingthrushes are regular. These birds often allow close views, though as I was birding in the clouds, photography was not easy. Rarities here include Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch (missed by me) and ... one of the best birds I saw during the trip: Cutia. During the first afternoon a mixed feeding flock passed by, with a male and female Cutia in it! I managed to take some lousy pics (too bad to show here, but if you're interested I can email them). Not an easy bird to see in Malaysia! Rufous-winged Fulvetta is common in flocks, but I only found two Chestnut-tailed Minla's here (second day). One or two Barred Cuckoo-doves were around, and Golden-throated Barbet was easy to find. A Pygmy Wren Babbler was seen (more heard; telecom station) and on the second visit, five Mountain (Leaf) Warblers were seen. Good birding! At the parking lot a few hundred metres before the telecom station, you are allowed to camp. There's a wooden boardwalk into the forest here. We did not see much there.

Penang (15 - 18 July)
There's no urge to visit the state of Penang on a birding trip in summer, but if you do decide to go there, some good birds can be found. Note that in winter there are White-faced Plovers around. We mostly used Penang to relax a bit on the end of the trip, but I birded successfully for half a day (an afternoon and evening) with two local birders: Dave Bakewell and Tan Choo Eng.

White-bellied Sea-eagle, adult, Batu Ferringhi, Penang, Malaysia, July 2009.
(© Vincent van der Spek)

The state of Penang (with the lively Georgetown as its capital) consists of the island that bears the same name, and a small part at the mainland, around Butterworth. Birding spots on the island are Penang Hill (not visited by me, but it has Oriental Bay Owl) and Penang National Park. I did visit the latter area for a few hours. The birding was rather slow there, but there were some Tickell's Blue Flycatchers and Grey-throated Babblers around. White-bellied Sea-eagle and Brahminy Kite can be seen anywhere in the state.

Logistics
At FH we bought a ticket for the 14.30 bus to Georgetown, which didn't leave until 17.00. Price: 30 RM. Arrived in Butterworth late at night, though there was no hassle with the ferry (a few RM; they run constantly). Taxi to Batu Ferringhi, where we stayed, was 60 RM. We booked an Air Asia flight back to KL on-line.

Mangrove Blue Flycatcher, adult male, Air Hitam Dalam, Penang, Malaysia,
16 July 2009 Note the blue part of the chin, just beneath the bill: this is
not depicted in the fieldguides (© Vincent van der Spek)

From a birding point of view, I had one great day in Penang. I went out birding on the mainland with Dave Bakewell (in the afternoon) and at night (with Choo Eng). At Air Hitam Dalam and at Juru there are some mangrove patches left. Air Hitam Dalam was, despite the small size, good for birding. A few weeks before my visit a pair of (very showy) Mangrove Pittas successfully raised a few chicks, but unfortunately the birds could not be relocated. The boardwalk makes it easy to walk around here, but some parts are not too solid. Ruddy Kingfisher occurs here as well, but it is hard to find. We briefly heard one calling. Best birds around were three Streak-breasted Woodpeckers, a scarce bird in Malaysia (and even a new one for Dave), some Raffles's and a Green-billed Malkoha, a Common Flameback and two male Mangrove Blue Flycatchers, the last one a lifer for me after I mysteriously missed it in Thailand. The throat of the birds was not completely orange: there's some blue right at the upper part of the chin, not depicted in both Robson and Jeyarajasingam & Pearson. Two Sundaic Silvered Langurs were present at the entrance. Jungle Mynas are quite common around here.

Next Dave took me to Juru, where we met Choo Eng. A Buffy Fish Owl was breeding in a recently abandoned Crested Serpent Eagle nest. We found the nest, but couldn't see the owl. Soon the juv serpent eagle was found. It showed very well, and one of its parents briefly checked out what was going on. Three Great Tits of the ssp. ambiguus - a mangrove bird in Malaysia - performed well. Robson (2008) treats all ssp. in SE Asia as Grey Tit, a split from Great that occurs in a large part of Asia. The name of this split is not very smartly chosen, as there's already an African species with the same name... Anyway, another trip tick was the four Oriental White-eyes flying around. The last thing Dave did for me was yet another highlight: he taped out two Golden-bellied Gerygones (I prefer the old name: Fly-eater): not only a new bird, but even a new family! After Dave left, Choo Eng and I drove around a bit (failing to find Mangrove Pitta). We had great views of Plaintive Cuckoo, but basically we were just killing time before dusk: Choo Eng recently found an Oriental Bay Owl in the area. First we went to his stake-out for Spotted Wood Owl. It didn't take long before we heard a bird calling and within a few minutes, two adults perched in a tree. We had excellent views, and we both managed to take a flight shot (though Choo Eng’s picture was much better than mine). Within a few minutes we saw both a Great Eared and two Large-tailed Nightjars flying around. We went back to the Fish Owl site, and this time the bird co-operated within minutes, though it was shy compared to the one at Taman Negara. Another Large-tailed Nightjar was perched on the dirt road.

Spotted Wood Owl, Juru, Penang, Malaysia, 16 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

After this success I felt very confident when we drove to Bukit Juru: I was convinced we'd see the bay owl, a much-wanted lifer. As soon as we parked the car at the entrance of the park, we heard the bird calling! In the back ground, a Collared Scops Owl was calling, too. Well, to make the story short: it was one big déja vu. We tried to see the bird for almost two hours, it responded to tape well, but we just couldn't find it in the very dense undergrowth (lots of bamboo). Choo Eng briefly saw it perched, I got a brief flight view and that was it, no matter how close we got. But night birding with two nightjars and two owls seen, and two more owls heard is not something to complain about. Thanks Dave and Choo Eng, for some excellent birding!

Green Crested Lizard, Air Hitam Dalam, Penang, Malaysia, 16 July 2009
(© Vincent van der Spek)

THE TRIP LIST CAN BE FOUND AT PART 2 OF THIS REPORT