A little set back for a new come back.....

It's been a long time since I post something on this blog, since I got a new job doing research on tiger.... in some very remote place in Malaysia, this job bring me more opportunity to do birding but constraints had hold things up to publish something on this blog.....

Sungai Cacing - one of the famous river present in Taman Negara Terengganu

My current ground, Taman Negara Terengganu located in a north-east part of Malaysia which is claimed to be one of the most remote area in Peninsular Malaysia, with the largest man-made lake bound to the area - this is the heaven for fishermen and nature-lover. This protected area consist mostly of elevated land and conducting the wildlife study - especially large mammals is not an easy task.

One of the tiger pugmark recorded in the study area

Historically, in 1954 an English officer who in charge to administrate Southern part of Terengganu State named Locke (tiger is one of his interest) claimed that Terengganu State as 'Tiger infested land' but today, to find this pugmark take a great deal, sometimes in a solid 7 days of field work we cannot locate any tiger sign.

In term of avifauna, This area is really good for Hornbills which I had recorded 7 species of hornbills. In term  of raptor, I had record a total of 5 fish eagle nest in this area. Fish eagle is common in this area, the sightings of this species is a daily must but still can't find 'rare' raptor such as bat-hawk however.

A poor Crested-tree swift rescued from the river

Grey-headed Fish Eagle captured in close proximity

Conducting this study, we have to move on foot and I sometime think that I should change my blog name from birding on bike to birding on foot. As I have to focus my study on tiger, this will not erased my main interest to birds...

For now, more stuff to come this year hopefully....

The East-West Highway

The East-West Highway 16 July 2012

In northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, the road connecting West coast and East coast is famous for the sighting of elephant - Me myself had saw the largest mammals in Malaysian forest three time where all sightings occur at the East-West highway. Crossing two main range in north - The Bintang Hijau range and Titiwangsa range, this highway offer good spot for birding as well.

No large mammals were seen during this round of visit, a slow ride will offer good chance to see something, however, most of time - the roadkill. Like this female palm civet:

Freshly Hit - we move the body before we move hoping that no other vehicle hit the body, it got severe injuries on backbone.

The civet in full body view

This road connecting people of the east and west, but it can be a hell to wildlife live in the forest along the road, this palm civet one of example. I had seen the collection of photo from wildlife conservation that operating in Jeli (East end of the highway) show roadkill involving Tapir, Clouded leopard, leopard cat, wild boar, langurs and slow loris.  They should create a wildlife crossing at several point in this road.

In terms of bird, some spot along this highway are good places to go for Hornbills and jungle dwelling raptors especially in Bukit Palong. My favourite spot located in the half way from Pulau Banding to Pergau  Dam (still not  disturbed by logging activities and has a nice small stream).

Wreathed Hornbill - a couple seen flying over

Chestnut-capped Forktail - usually seen foraging at the small stream

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher - few couples seen foraging inside bamboo bush next to the stream

Other bird seen during this visit including Black-Crested Bulbul, Scimitar Babbler, Blue Whistling Thrush, Green Broadbill, Blue throated Barbet, Blyth's Hawk Eagle and Maroon woodpecker. With safety is the main priority in doing the assigned job, I only wish I had more time to spend on birding - time limitation as we need to conduct some site maintainance job as well.

The pathway to working site before and after

My partner testing the safety rope that we apply at some steep point at our working site.

Finally some shot of other wildlife we seen along our way:

Wasp humming their nest - This wasp has nasty sting - we don't want to get hurt so we left the plant it inhabit untouched, this wasp as well were not so offensive to us while we done the clearing job.

Reptiles which I suspect as immature skink 

Channa sp., at the pond of near Kuala Rui

Well, It's gonna be long before I had the chance to re-visit this place in the future. However, the new job opportunity awaiting me is a promising one - working in an area where human and their civilization considered rare and will leave my hometown for a while

Cheers

part time job -Best perk ever

I've got a new part time job which need me to visit an area just above the east-west highway (site located less than 10 km to Pergau dam. The consultant company and the university (which I'll be continuing my study in near future) had attach some device at the slope on the hill just above the highway in order to detect any land movement. My job is to take the reading.

I had to measure the distance between this poles

The view on the top of tunnel

Crested serpent Eagle - There are Black Eagle and Crested Honey Buzzard too seen at this site. Hopefully more to be seen in my next visit

My motorbike does not betray me for this long journey (450km return).

Well, I'll come to this site once in a two week (I only wish that I can came more frequent and got some place to stay)