Avian Sighting - Large Wren Babbler

During last weekend  whilst everyone in Fraser I heard; I was alone in Bukit Rengit Pahang to look for lifers. The place was parched dry and the undergrowth is fully carpeted with crimpy dried leaves. So as you walk it crackle. With the prolong drought and hot  weather several trees are still bearing remnant fruit and berries which attracted leafbirds and bulbuls. The babblers were rather  quiet which BR is famed for its many subspecies. Not a single one was seen at the swamp and creek which now have dried up  to nought. There was a deep dug-out I saw probably by wild boar which serve as drinking hole for birds though. 

The highlight of my 3 hours excursion there was the shy Large Wren Babbler which came out in the open for just seconds which I managed to remain calm and squeezed a few shots thru before it skittishly flew back into the undergrowth.  If I was to be with a bunch of birders it will never happen. That is why I prefer to bird alone or a twosome as it is less intimidating. These are my best shot so far from my encounters with this bird here.

A pair of Diard's were calling deep in the forest but never once came out inspite of my occasional playback call. Some of the other birds captured are as below.

AVIAN Birding Site - Kledang Saiong Forest Park Ipoh Perak

During  QingMing in the month of April 2016 when I was back to my home town in Ipoh, I finally get to bird at this least reported venue. The place is located just 5 minutes from Jelapang exit from the North-South Highway. To save all the confusion please just waze Tenby  International School  and you be at the door step to this beautifully well- maintained forest reserve.

I have been asking Dr Amar on his local patch but he never once divulge direction of this place to me. So I have to recce here and there until now that is. I hope with my posting  more birders can detour to Ipoh to bird and then enjoy Ipoh hawker food galore. The potential of this place  to bear some lifers to many of us depends on fellow birders sharing their sightings when they are here. There are several  bird which I wish to  see here like the Large Green , Wedged-tailed and Cinnamon headed Green Pigeon. So from now onward this will be birding stop for me whenever I am back to Ipoh.

The place open from 8am - 6pm daily no charges as yet. The place is very safe (the human kind) and you have to register to enter just in case you get lost or something. There are some intimidating sign warning you of wild predators roaming at certain trails and even "orang halus". For the sake of lifers we will do anything.... As they say no risk no gain.

 

 

The weather that late morning was sunny  hot  hitting 36 degree Celsius. The birds were not coming out. The reprieve was that some trees were bearing fruit which bring out some action especially the White -eyes as well as the bulbuls ala cream-vented, black headed, spectacled and yellow-vented.