Thursday, June 12, 2008

Bukit Rengit on 5/5/2008

Birding at Bukit Rengit on 5/5/2008

Having in mind to wrap up our low-land forest birding escapee with our special friend from North Thailand we head to Bukit Rengit. We only head off from Raub, Pahang at about 8:40am from Kim's nephew house. We thank Kim's nephew (a church lay worker) and his whole family for hosting us for that night. From the bottom of my heart I wish to says thank you for your hospitality and I can feel the warmest from this Lim family. The journey to this patch of forest only took us about 1 hr from Raub.

In one of my field visit with a few friends to this place in Oct '2007, Encik Abdullah the deerland owner informed us that very soon this good sites might be depleting. The cause is because a logging license has just being approved and these contractor would very soon to start works. Bukit Rengit situated at the border of Krau Wildlife Forest is not a gazetted Forest Reserve nor it is actually a National Park. Would the loggers practise sustainability logging? Would the demands of wood products from the ever growing populations of Malaysia sustainability really is just a talks only? How much would the depleting for wildlife at Bukit Rengit due to loggings ? Soon and very soon this another good patch of low-land forest who is rich with birdlife will be loose to farm land. I send a list of birds that have been sighted here to Adbullah. He is one of the working committee member who wish that this place can be safe and leave it as of it is. I also wish that this place would be left intact but the demands for taking out more natural resources seems to be increasing. Well it is time that we should forgo the good quality wood furnitures and fittings and churn out less print out from our printers. Hei ... would you ever think that the earth would be such a depressing stage when the time that there is no more trees, rain, birds, animals, butterflies, dragon flies, damselflies, insects..the soil is no more furtile. We would then force to fill our stomach with "protein tablets" made from another dead person ?
To Bukit Rengit from KL
Drive along karak highway the 1st toll is Gombak toll (E801), then go all the way until Karak toll, in between will pass by Genting Sempah (E803), Bukit Tinggi (E805), Bentong (E810), and you will reach the Karak Toll (E813B). Take the ticket and go further and then exit at Lanchang, Raub, Kuala Lipis (E816), pay the toll fare. You would then reach the T junction, turn right and go all the way. Bukit Rengit is at the right hand site follow the signage to Deerland. The jourmey from KL is about 2hrs.
As we wish not to overwhelm Mam with our beautiful low-land forest birds, today we only spend 2 hrs here. Hope that the Trogon would show up for her. We managed to spot a Black-Naped Monarch nesting. The distance of this nest is very far from where we stand. I have in mind that we spotted an Asian Paradise Flycatcher, cause even my 10x binoculars do not allow me to notice the field mark. Only when I process my photos start to realised that I indeed mistakenly ID it..
This Red-Naped Trogon appear.
A Hairy-Backed Bulbul who decided not to be camera friendly..
We were here only from 10am - 12noon. Here we have Hairy-Backed Bulbul, Crested Serpent Eagle, Purple-Naped Sunbird, Red-Naped Trogon, Scarlet Rumped Trogon, Black-Naped Monarch. The good sightings that we three ladies have was the Male Banded Pitta. We have a good look at this Male Bird.
Haiyoh.. times flies we need to pack up as the time is approaching noon. We have a lunch appointment with Lam.
Birds can be sighted as you walk along this stretch of road.
I turn off once I came out from bukit rengit and It took us a journey of 1hr and 15 mins travelling along the curvy road at Lakum Plantation to head to Bentong.. Well girls sorry for you all have wrongly board into a slow coach :-)
Here is one of the signature dish at Bentong.. Thank YOU very much Lam for that delicious lunch.

Birds that can be sighted at Bukit Rengit

Rufous bellied Eagle,Crested Serpent Eagle,Blyth's Hawk Eagle, Black Thighed Falconet,Emerald Dove,Little Green Pigeon,Long-tailed Parakeet, Blue-rumped Parrot, Drongo Cuckoo ,Moustache Hawk-Cuckoo,Raffles Malkoha,Chestnut Breasted Malkoha, Black Bellied Malkoha, Red-Billed Malkoha, Black- Bellied Malkoha, Javan Frogmouth, Scarlet-rumped Trogon, Diard Trogon, Red naped Trogon, White-throated Kingfisher, Rufous Backed Kingfisher, Oriental Pied hornbill, Rhinocceros Hornbill, Brown Barbet ,Gold Whiskered Barbet, Blue Thoated Bee eater, Red Bearded Bee eater, Blue Tailed Bee eater, Dollarbird, White-bellied Woodpecker, Olive-backed Woodpecker, Crimson Winged Woodpecker, Great Slaty Woodpecker Grey, Buff Woodpecker,Rufous Woodpecker,Buff Rumped Woodpecker, Banded Woodpecker, Maroon Woodpecker, Green Broadbill,Black and Red Broadbill, Black and Yellow Broadbill, Dusky Broadbill, Banded Pitta, Blue Winged Pitta, Barn Swallow, Ashy Minivet, Scarlet Minivet, Grey Chined Minivet, Lesser Green Leabird, Greater Green Leabird, Blue Winged Leafbird, Black Headed Bulbul, Buff Vented Bulbul, Olive-winged Bulbul, Red Eye Bulbul, Spectacle Bulbul , Yellow Bellied Bulbul,Cream Vented Bulbul, Hairy backed Bulbul, Grey Checked Bulbul, Dark Throated Oriole, Greater Racquet Tailed Drongo ,Bronze Drongo, Crow Billed Drongo, Black Magpie, Crested Jay , Scaly-crowned Babbler, Chestnut Winged Babbler, Rufous Crowned Babbler, Stripe Tit Babbler, Black Throated Babbler, Sooty capped Babbler, White Rumped Shama, Chestnut Naped Forktail, Malaysian Blue Flycatcher, Dark-sided Flycatcher, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Black Winged Flycatcher Shrike, Rufous Chested Flycatcher, Black Naped Monarch, Maroon Breasted Monarch , Hill Myna , Asian Fairy Bluebird, Asian Glossy Starling , Tiger Shrike , Purple Naped Sunbird, Ruby Checked Sunbird,Thick-Billed Spiderhunter, Crimson Breasted Flowerpecker Yellow Breasted Flowerpecker. The lastest news someone sighted a Crested Fireback here..

2 comments:

Redzlan aka Tabib said...

Hi Susan!,

After the MNS Birding Trip on 25/5/08, I went there again twice. I got to see my first Trogon (female scarlet-rumped) on 1st June 08, lovely colourful bird.
I like to see more birds at Bukit Rengit, and my sons & daughter enjoyed the trip.
It sad that this site will be gone forever! Can we do something?

Wong Chor Mun said...

Good to hear that you and your kids also enjoyed Bukit Rengit as of now.

Can we do something? I believe we can..
1. By having more field trips there and note down what are the wildlife there.
2. Since Abdullah the Deerland's owner is in working commitee. We need to keep tab with him what is the progres eg... when would be logging would takes effect..
3. Ask Abdullah what can we all do to help this patch of Bukit Rengit and the birds that lives there who we all enjoy watching and taking photographs of them.

cheers,