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

South East of Kedah - Bukit Hujau and Sedim 13/6/2012

Part 1 - Bukit Hijau (Where birds accompanied by diverse flora n fauna)

I start my day by riding to east, to Kulim and Baling district in Kedah state. My target was to check at least 2 out of 4 waterfall areas present in both district.
It took me about an hour and half to reach Bukit Hijau waterfall which located at the feet of Gunung Inas, one of the mountain that build-up Bintang Hijau range - which is the nearest range to Penang State. Bukit Hijau is a beautiful waterfall that attracting a lot of people especially during weekend and public holiday. I choose to go by weekday hoping not many people went there and as I arrive there, only a few people present - 3 Forestry worker and a gang of school boy who playing truant.

The main sign (translated as: Gunung Inas forest reserve) was not well maintain

The rubbish seem outnumbered the rubbish bin present in the area even here which the sign told not to pollute the forest reserve.

Here, Crimson-winged woodpecker greet me at the waterfall gate - the path exist in the area lead to 3 places - the waterfall, an existing trail and to the chalet area.

I choose the forest trail first to search for bird and I found this:

A Black Crested Bulbul - a group of 5 birds singing loud in the trail entrance

Other species seen on the forest trail including Crimson Winged Woodpecker, Grey and Buff Woodpecker (lifer), Spotted fantail, Stripe-throated Bulbul, Black and White Bulbul, Hairy-backed Bulbul, Dusky Broadbill and Raffle's Malkoha.

The trail goes up far in the jungle, however remembering that I venture alone and the bad condition trail, I decide to go back and climb up the waterfall.

This curious puddle presence on the trail is the other reason pulling me back - a lot of wildboar sign around this.

I scan a ficus tree at the waterfall entrance and found a couple of Long-billed spiderhunter - a species that I'd miss, my second encounter after my undergraduate day.

Highest waterfall view from the top - There are Black Eagle, Rhinoceros Hornbill and Treeswifts in this area

The top most waterfall where I get another lifer for myself - a pair of White-tailed Flycatcher

Skink is abundant in this area, there are seen at almost covered place like this leftover plate

This place also good if you are fan of insect such as dragonfly and butterfly 

In term of flora, this waterfall is the best place to go for Bryophyte, Fungi and Fern. One of the intersting species is the Blue (cyanide) fern

Going down look much easier than going up is wrong for this waterfall trail, I had been force to stop by call of Scarlet Rumped Trogon and Gibbons call, beside that there are some frog and reptiles species to check. However, it is strongly recommended you go with a partner because there are sign of wild boar and elephant up here, there are also some welcoming footstep such as mousedeer, sambar deer and feline sp. canbe found along the way.

I went to the chalet track right after descending the waterfall and follow what I expected of old logging trail. I enjoy a presence of Blyth's Hawk Eagle thermalling and Rufescent Prinia. I stop at a fallen log to return back and took the Chalet path.

Along the path I was accompanied by this agile squirrel.

The Giant tree Squirrel (if I'm not mistaken) or Mempulas Besar in Malay is a pleasant mammal presence here, there is records of mammal sighting such as elephant, tapir, sun bear and gaur in this forest reserve.

This Bulbul - Red eye bulbul particularly busy charging other birds such as Blue-winged leafbird, great Iora, Cream vented Bulbul and flowerpeckers away from this fruiting tree.

Mouth to feed - The Red Eye Bulbul got two ravenous chick to be feed which keep them busy until noon.

Bulbul and other birds actions in tree at the chalet's lawn was the final show at Bukit Hijau recreational  forest as I realize the time was eleven, no time to waste - had to move to next target before it getting too hot to see any birds.

To be continue in the next post: Bukit Hijau and Sedim part 2 (Where had all the birds gone)

Sorry for the long post...hope you enjoy it

Ad/- Congratulation to England winning a dramatic match between Sweden early this morning (Most entertaining match so far)